Novo Group–Microsoft: AI-based drug discovery, 202209 collab strategic combining MS computation services + cloud + AI with Novo RnD + data science

	Period	2022-09-12
	Partner, 1st	Novo Nordisk A/S
	Group	Novo Group (Group)
	Partner, 2nd	Microsoft Corporation
	Group	Microsoft (Group)
	Product	AI-based drug discovery / AI-based drug development
	Product 2	artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML)
	Person	Fogh Iversen, Lars (Novo Group 202209 SVP Digital Science + Innovation at Novo Nordisk)
	Person 2	Mital, Vijay (Microsoft 202209 Corporate VP AI Architecture + Strategy in Technology + Research division)

Novo Nordisk A/S. (9/12/22). "Press Release: Novo Nordisk and Microsoft Collaborate to Accelerate Drug Discovery and Development Using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence". Bagsværd & Redmond, WA.

Novo Nordisk and Microsoft have entered a new strategic collaboration to combine Microsoft’s computational services, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) with Novo Nordisk’s drug discovery, development and data science capabilities.

Through the partnership, Microsoft is providing AI technology, foundational science models and expertise and is working alongside Novo Nordisk’s data scientists and domain experts from early research and development areas to accelerate Novo Nordisk’s R&D.

“We are very excited about this new partnership that allows us to work closely together with key experts from Microsoft as we look to expand our digital science and AI capabilities,” said Lars Fogh Iversen, senior vice president, Digital Science & Innovation at Novo Nordisk. “Together, we are on a path to enable faster and scaled use of AI in drug discovery, ultimately leading to more breakthrough innovations and efficiency gain to better serve the needs of patients.”

“The collaboration with Novo Nordisk is a great opportunity for us to collectively advance the state of the art of AI itself and apply it in a way that amplifies the creativity of human experts,” said Vijay Mital, corporate vice president, AI Architecture & Strategy in Microsoft’s Technology & Research division. “To achieve this ambition, AI needs to learn from every type of information that subject matter experts find valuable and that requires the type of close interaction between multiple disciplines we see in this partnership.”

AI models arising from the collaboration will be applied to a range of use cases of which the first two are in execution.

One use case is focused on automated summarization and analysis of information from sources such as literature, patents, scientific reports and discussion forums in order to gain novel scientific insights.

A second use case aims to develop models that predict a person’s risk of developing atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular disease caused by build-up of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and on the artery walls. The AI will also be used to identify novel targets and establish biomarkers of the disease.

The companies are taking a platform approach to AI where a set of large models are trained for multiple tasks. This will allow new projects and use cases to be initiated on a continuous basis throughout the multi-year collaboration between the companies.

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases such as obesity and rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines , and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 50,800 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com , Facebook, Twitter , LinkedIn and YouTube.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Further information
Media:
Ambre Brown Morley +45 3079 9289 abmo@novonordisk.com
Natalia Salomao Abrahao (US) +1 848 304 1027 niaa@novonordisk.com
Microsoft Media Relations (WE Communications) +1 425 638 7777 rapidresponse@we-worldwide.com

Investors:
Daniel Muusmann Bohsen +45 3075 2175 dabo@novonordisk.com
David Heiberg Landsted +45 3077 6915 dhel@novonordisk.com
Jacob Martin Wiborg Rode +45 3075 5956 jrde@novonordisk.com
Mark Joseph Root (US) +1 848 213 3219 mjhr@novonordisk.com