Danish pharmaceutical giant plans slew of alliances with Chinese startups, universities and research institutions

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has launched a platform called "Innovo" to further enhance its innovation capabilities in China through alliances with local universities and hospitals, pharmaceutical startups, and incubators.

The company aims to build through the program an open, integrated, efficient and collaborative research and development ecosystem to accelerate the transformation of scientific research into innovative drug discovery and development.

"We believe the establishment of a long-term sustainable and win-win ecosystem will effectively stimulate the vitality of innovation," said Lars Fogh Iversen, senior vice-president of the company's Global Research Technologies unit, during a launch ceremony in Beijing on Wednesday.

"The 'Innovo' platform is based on Novo Nordisk's strategy of 'Partnering for Innovation' in China and will enhance the company's global research and development strategy."

Su Jing, president of Novo Nordisk Research Center China, said the company plans to team up with 100 universities, startups and incubators in a year for ideas and projects with great potential.

During the next three to five years, the company hopes to incubate three to five "mature projects" through the program, aiming to result in new drug pipelines, she said.

"The innovation environment in China is highly optimized as the country is pushing for 'innovation-driven development', and excellent entrepreneurs and researchers are constantly emerging," Su said. "Our company hopes to make the center a preferred partner for collaboration in innovative drug discovery and development."

Su claimed the center will provide unique value to partners, because of Novo Nordisk's in-depth and patient understanding, its expertise in drug discovery and clinical development, and through its unique manufacturing capabilities.

The program will focus on innovative treatments for diabetes and other chronic conditions the company specializes in, such as obesity, cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases.

At the same time, innovative technologies in other fields will also be considered.

Dong Chen, dean of the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University, said during a panel discussion that in the past few years, pharmaceutical innovation has blossomed due to increased investment in the science and technology sector and amid China's robust economic growth.

He believes that China will become a global power in pharmaceutical innovation in the next five years, despite constraints like the relatively weak basic scientific research in molecular science, and the shortage of physician scientists.