The Novo Nordisk Foundation is investing up to DKK 450 million (€60.2 million) over six years in CardioMetabolic Bridge, a pan-European initiative to accelerate drug discovery for cardiometabolic diseases. The programme aims to translate academic research into industry-ready innovations by providing funding, mentoring from entrepreneurs and industry experts, and access to advanced facilities. The initiative's first laboratory opens this month in London, with sister sites following in Italy and Germany. CardioMetabolic Bridge will support academic research projects in generating critical data packages required by industry, addressing a gap where promising European discoveries often fail to progress beyond academic laboratories. The programme seeks to strengthen Europe's capacity to convert scientific research into healthcare solutions for conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Novo Nordisk Foundation and Global Health EDCTP3 launch funding partnership to advance global health research. New collaboration will support research on respiratory infections, infectious and non-communicable diseases, and strengthen international scientific cooperation. Up to €18 million to support infectious and non-communicable disease research. Global Health EDCTP3 and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have announced a funding partnership to support research aimed at improving health outcomes in Africa and strengthening global health innovation, with the Novo Nordisk Foundation contributing up to €18 million to the initiative. This partnership will advance key research priority areas under Global Health EDCTP3 Work Programmes for 2026 and 2027, including a 2026 call for project proposals focused on developing new prevention and treatment approaches for lower respiratory tract infections in sub-Saharan Africa. A share of the Foundation's contribution will be targeted at projects that contribute towards improved understanding of how infectious diseases interact with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The funding partnership also includes gold sponsorship of the EDCTP Forum 2027, a cornerstone event for global health, which will take place in Madrid, Spain, from 5-9 April 2027. A partnership to respond to increasingly complex health challenges. The collaboration comes at a time when both organisations are expanding their efforts to address some of the world's most pressing health challenges and when transformative partnerships are increasingly needed to sustain global health research and innovation. 'This partnership model strengthens its work in the global health ecosystem, engaging philanthropic allies in a symbiotic manner, while protecting public governance led by European and African countries. By combining resources, Globalhealth Edctp3 can fund critical research and development to combat Africa's dual burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases.' Michael Makanga, Executive Director, Global Health EDCTP3. The partnership reflects growing recognition that health challenges in Africa are becoming increasingly complex. While infectious diseases remain a major burden, NCDs are rising rapidly across the continent, creating new challenges for health systems, patients and researchers. A model for philanthropic engagement. 'The world is facing increasingly complex disease patterns and growing pressures on health systems. At the same time, we are seeing unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery, health innovation and international collaboration. In this context, Global Health EDCTP3 offers an attractive model for philanthropic organisations such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation to maximise our impact in global health research and innovation through African-European collaboration - ensuring that effective health solutions reach those who need them most.' Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Chief Executive Officer, Novo Nordisk Foundation. The agreement also aligns with the Novo Nordisk Foundation's ambition to accelerate its global impact in human and planetary health, including in East Africa, as well as an increased commitment to strengthen research, innovation and competitiveness in Europe. A first step towards deeper cooperation. Both organisations view this partnership as an important first step towards a broader and more ambitious collaboration in the future. Discussions are already underway on how cooperation could be expanded under a potential successor programme to Global Health EDCTP3. At a time when the global health architecture is undergoing profound and lasting change, sustained commitment and leadership from strategic partners and Member States will be essential to build on the progress achieved so far. As a founding member of EDCTP and home to leading research institutions such as the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark has helped drive more than two decades of historic progress in global health research and innovation. Its continued leadership will be vital in shaping the future of Global Health EDCTP3 and translating science and innovation into lasting benefits for Europe, Africa and beyond. 'This partnership between the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Global Health EDCTP3 demonstrates how philanthropic funders, governments, and research organisations across Europe and Africa can work together to strengthen research capacity and accelerate the development of new solutions to major global health challenges. As a research institution with longstanding engagement in global health and Denmark's representative in the EDCTP Association, Statens Serum Institut (SSI) welcomes this initiative and its contribution to strengthening scientific partnerships and advancing research and innovation across Europe and Africa.' Henrik Ullum, Chief Executive Officer, Statens Serum Institut (SSI). About the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people's health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation's mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society Details.

Novo Nordisk invests €150M in dutch stem cell research. Leiden University Medical Center received €150 million as part of a consortium conducting stem cell research. Published on March 5, 2026 Team IO+ selects and features the most important news stories on innovation and technology, carefully curated by its editors. Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) has received over €150 million in funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to continue its work on stem cell-based treatments through the reNEW consortium. This significant investment will allow LUMC to translate its stem cell research from the lab to potential new therapies for patients with chronic and incurable diseases, solidifying its position as a global leader in regenerative medicine. Stem cells are the body's raw materials - cells that can develop into many different cell types, from muscle cells to brain cells. This remarkable ability makes them invaluable in regenerative medicine, a field focused on repairing or replacing damaged tissues and organs. At LUMC, regenerative medicine is a strategic priority, with a rich history of pioneering stem cell research, developing disease models, and advancing cell and gene therapies. This new influx of funding promises to further energize these efforts, bringing the prospect of curative treatments closer to reality for many patients. LUMC's stem cell initiatives are conducted as part of the reNEW consortium, a global collaboration with the University of Copenhagen and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne. This international partnership, supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, aims to develop effective, safe, and socially sustainable stem cell-based therapies. Personalized medicine offers hope for ultra-rare diseases care. A study has unveiled the first roadmap for developing genetic therapies for ultra-rare diseases affecting only one person worldwide. LUMC's role in stem cell research. With this substantial financial boost, LUMC is poised to accelerate its stem cell research, moving groundbreaking discoveries from the laboratory towards clinical application. "Within reNEW, we are working on the medicine of the future, a future in which we not only treat diseases but truly cure them. Thanks to this boost, we will be able to continue the work of recent years and take our stem cell research out of the laboratory and closer to the patient," says Professor Ton Rabelink, Director of reNEW in Leiden. The impact of this funding extends beyond LUMC, providing a significant boost to the entire Leiden regenerative medicine ecosystem. As part of the Leiden Bio Science Park, LUMC is at the heart of a vibrant community where education, research, companies, and infrastructure converge to accelerate the development and delivery of new regenerative treatments to patients. Marlies Reinders, Dean of the LUMC, stated: "We're really pleased that we've been awarded the second half of the reNEW funding. It's a wonderful recognition of the work carried out in recent years and of the LUMC's international role in regenerative medicine." Azafaros' secures €132 million for rare disease treatment. Azafaros secures €132M to advance trials for rare neurological therapies, targeting lysosomal storage disorders with innovative treatments.