In order to improve drug discovery operations in London, Novo Nordisk has announced intentions to create a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based research lab. The new center will be situated in the Knowledge Quarter (KQ) in King’s Cross, close to eminent scientific organizations and businesses. The Danish pharmaceutical company plans to relocate into the newly hired space in the first quarter of this year.
Furthermore, the company intends to construct a new digital innovation hub at the KQ location, housing about 40 workers from its current IT and R&D departments. Several top-tier scientific and technology organizations, such as GSK, AstraZeneca, the Wellcome Trust, the Francis Crick Institute, and the Alan Turing Institute, are presently housed on the site.
According to a business spokeswoman, “innovation and collaboration to create and apply AI in the discovery and development of new potential drug candidates” would accelerate at the new facility.
According to the spokesman, the website will showcase “a vibrant and diverse AI research ecosystem” encompassing “AI, data science, and engineering” among other subjects.
The company’s goal to digitize operations throughout its companies, including research and development, where AI is starting to contribute to new pharmaceutical products, is in line with the opening of the new hub. A representative for Novo Nordisk added that it will enable the business to “better collaborate with leading research institutions, big tech, and innovative start-ups and attract top talent.”
Most recently, Novo Nordisk declared that it had partnered with Valo Health in September to use AI to find and create new medicines for cardiometabolic disorders.
Executive vice president and chief scientific officer of Novo Nordisk Marcus Schindler commented on the partnership, saying, “AI and machine learning hold the promise to positively impact drug discovery and development… which should lead to a better understanding of target biology.”
The establishment of the new hub is consistent with the UK’s goal of becoming a global center for artificial intelligence, which has been bolstered by recent government-sponsored efforts such as the establishment of the AI Safety Institute in November.
