The University of Toronto is collaborating with Danish health company Novo Nordisk to support a healthier future. The collaboration involves a combined investment of $40 million to support research on type two diabetes, other innovative research projects, and increase public health and community outreach activities.
On the 100th anniversary of discovering insulin, U of T President Meric Gertler announced the historic collaboration with Novo Nordisk, which is expected to significantly increase the education and research capacity of the university. The announcement was made via a live webcast on February 24, 2021.
“We are thrilled to partner once again with Novo Nordisk,” said President Gertler. “[The investment] will bring together existing expertise from across the university and our health-sector partners in Mississauga and the broader region.”
President Gertler believes that the collaboration will bring forth an advanced new era for Canadian residents battling chronic diseases like diabetes and ultimately inspire hope for people across the globe.
Novo Nordisk will be focusing on advancing the awareness, education, and practical research for diabetes. The CEO and President of Novo Nordisk Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen also addressed the importance of this investment in the study of chronic diseases.
“Fulfilling our company’s purpose to defeat diabetes, obesity, and other serious chronic diseases requires much more than innovative medicine,” stated Fruergaard Jørgensen. “One hundred years after the discovery of insulin, we’re proud to once again partner with the University of Toronto with the ambition of helping society to address the root causes of type two diabetes and obesity.”
Novo Nordisk continues its efforts to answer questions related to chronic diseases with The Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations. This plan of action was developed with the help of the U of T Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. The Dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Adalsteinn Brown, acknowledged the need for an innovative approach for chronic diseases in the public health industry.
“With the worldwide rise of chronic diseases such as type two diabetes, we urgently need a new public health approach—one that uses emerging tools such as big data and machine learning—to develop the right interventions at the right time for the right populations,” stated Brown. “I believe the Novo Nordisk Network has the right expertise to lead the world in developing custom approaches that speak to the lived experiences of diverse populations within cities.”
With this new investment ahead, new projects and missions are being put to action. As Novo Nordisk and the University of Toronto commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, they will continue to support and find the best solutions to chronic diseases and better public health for Canadians.
“As we recognize insulin’s success in saving millions of lives around the world, we are excited to expand our commitment toward the prevention of these serious chronic diseases,” stated Fruergaard Jørgensen, emphasizing the promising future of the momentous collaboration.
