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December 19, 2019

UVA Center for Diabetes Technology and Novo Nordisk Enter Into Research Collaboration to Develop Virtual Patient Modelling for Type 2 Diabetes

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University of Virginia (UVA) Center for Diabetes Technology and Novo Nordisk today announced that they have entered into a five-year research collaboration where UVA and Novo Nordisk will work together on the development of virtual environments focused on modelling of patients with type 2 diabetes. 

The goal of the collaboration is to enable simulation of the human metabolic system of different types of individual people with type 2 diabetes and simulating virtual patient populations. The research collaboration will utilize UVA’s work within diabetes and extensive knowledge on patient simulation and data-driven models within diabetes.  Aligned with Novo Nordisk’s digital therapeutics strategy, the research collaboration will initially focus on establishing a “virtual innovation lab” between Novo Nordisk and University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology to gain a deep understanding of type 2 diabetes for the purpose of enabling virtual simulation. 

“We are pleased to announce our collaboration with UVA’s Center for Diabetes Technology whose demonstrated capabilities in virtual patient modelling will help enable us to create a highly differentiated approach to the treatment of type 2 diabetes,” said Kenneth Strømdahl, senior vice president for Device R&D in Novo Nordisk. “This important research collaboration reflects Novo Nordisk’s enduring commitment to innovation within the area of digital therapeutics and changing the lives for people living with type 2 diabetes.”

“UVA has made solid progress in understanding and quantifying the physiological pathways and treatment behavior related to diabetes,” said Boris Kovatchev, PhD, director of the UVA Center for Diabetes Technology. “We believe this technology has the potential to assist the design of advisory and automated support systems, and we are looking forward to working with Novo Nordisk to extend our research into improving care for patients with type 2 diabetes throughdata-driven models, analytics, computer simulation and artificial intelligence.”

UVA and Novo Nordisk will initially dedicate around 15 people to the collaboration and expect the support to grow as the research develops.

About UVA Center for Diabetes Technology

The UVA Center for Diabetes Technology advances the use of technology, including analytics, to allow improved management, monitoring and therapies for patients with diabetes. The center is a recognized world leader in the technological treatment of diabetes and a hub of an international research network of leading U.S. research institutions and research groups in Italy, France and Argentina.

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 95 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat obesity, haemophilia, growth disorders and other serious chronic diseases. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 42,200 people in 80 countries and markets its products in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com.

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Eric Swensen

Public Information Officer

Email  |  ews3j@virginia.edu

Phone  |  434.924.5770

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