Novo Nordisk and ATLATL Launch 'StarLaunch' Innovation Competition Offering RMB 500,000 Funding and Expert Mentorship

Submitted projects should provide solutions for metabolic diseases, fibrosis, and chronic inflammation, or develop innovative technology platforms to address key challenges in the drug development process. The technical areas of particular interest include:

o Computational/System Biology, AI-Assisted Drug R&D Technologies

o Drug Delivery Technology

o Gene editing, gene therapy

o Microphysiological Systems (MPS), 3D In Vitro Culture Models

We also focus on projects related to the following therapeutic areas:

o Diabetes

o Obesity

o Cardiovascular Diseases

o Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

o Chronic Kidney Disease

o Rare blood disorders

o Rare Endocrine Diseases

Startups or those in the early stages ofSeries A FinancingPrevious Company/Team

The final selectionTwo Winning TeamsPriority access to any ATLATL Innovation Center site (including locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Singapore); a cash award of RMB 500,000 to cover ATLATL membership fees and its on-site R&D services*; targeted guidance from Novo Nordisk’s drug development experts; and for promising projects aligned with Novo Nordisk’s strategic objectives, the opportunity to undergo in-depth evaluation and potentially secure minority equity investment from Novo Nordisk.

ATLATL On-Site R&D Services* refer to R&D services provided by the ATLATL technical team on-site at the laboratory for innovative projects, enabling these projects to conveniently access various innovation support within the same space, thereby enhancing the efficiency of drug development.

ClickThis website, go to the application page (please open this page on a computer to ensure the best browsing experience)

Contact: Rui Zhang, Ph.D.

Contact Number: +86 18511650956

Email: innovo@novonordisk.com (Please indicate “Inquiry about the Star Start Project”)

“Star Point” Innovation Competition, jointly launched by Novo Nordisk China R&D Center and ATLATL Innovation Center, cordially invites innovative teams in the fields of biopharmaceuticals and biotechnology to submit projects for innovation translation. This initiative stems from our original aspiration—to drive change and explore transformative therapies for patients with severe chronic diseases.

In China, Novo Nordisk through INNOVO^®The project seeks to synergize with local innovation to drive translational research. Novo Nordisk’s China R&D Center launched INNOVO in March 2019.^®Open Innovation Program, aiming to join hands with the most dynamic local innovation forces in China to build a new ecosystem for open innovation and collaboration in the pharmaceutical industry, and to co-create a diversified R&D pipeline with external partners. Since 2022, the “Star Start” Innovation Competition has served as INNOVO^®a flagship initiative that further advances our collaboration with China’s local innovation forces.

“Star Point” Innovation Competition Past Winners:

Dina Yuansheng

Focusing on the Field of Intelligent Drug Carriers with Functional Customization and Promising Clinical Translation Prospects

Ruiyu Biotech

RNA Editing and Therapeutic Agent Development

VCBeat

Focus on the Research and Development of Suppressor-tRNA

SealCode Bio

Dedicated to Developing Druggable Next-Generation Gene Editing Systems

InnoRegen

Next-Generation mRNA Therapeutics

Yufang Biotech

Gene Therapy for Heart Failure Medications

Novo Nordisk, founded in 1923, is a global leading biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Denmark. Building on a century of heritage in diabetes care, our mission is to drive change and work together to defeat serious chronic diseases. To achieve this goal, we lead scientific breakthroughs, expand access to our medicines, and are committed to preventing and ultimately curing diseases. Novo Nordisk employs approximately 77,000 people across 80 countries and regions, and provides products and services to approximately 170 countries and regions worldwide. Novo Nordisk China Official Website:http://www.novonordisk.com.cn。

Novo Nordisk China Research and Development Center was established in 1997, making it the first multinational biopharmaceutical company to set up an R&D center in China. Currently, we focus on the research and development of therapeutic proteins and peptide-based drugs. We possess comprehensive capabilities and extensive experience spanning early-stage drug target discovery and validation, candidate molecule screening and optimization, as well as preclinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic testing and evaluation, positioning us as a world-class pharmaceutical R&D center. As an integral part of Novo Nordisk’s global R&D network, the center participates in numerous new drug development projects across the company.

ATLATL Dart Innovation Center is a global R&D and innovation platform for life sciences, with research centers established in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other locations.

ATLATL provides clients with comprehensive R&D services covering all stages, including drug activity assays, animal disease model construction, and efficacy evaluation. It supports key areas such as large molecules, small molecules, nucleic acid drugs, gene and cell therapy, and drug delivery, as well as cutting-edge fields like multi-omics analysis, gene editing, organoids, and organ-on-a-chip technologies. Additionally, ATLATL creates an excellent experimental environment and implements refined operational management for researchers.

Through in-depth collaboration with leading global enterprises and research institutions, ATLATL continuously innovates in the integration of R&D resources and capability sharing. By leveraging an advanced, systematic R&D model, it accelerates the engineering of life sciences, enabling rapid and efficient translation of scientific achievements into clinical practice. This empowers global life science innovation and contributes to improving human health.