Novo Nordisk Foundation Launches €60 Million CardioMetabolic Bridge to Accelerate Drug Discovery Across Europe
Key Insights
The Novo Nordisk Foundation (search) is backing the CardioMetabolic Bridge initiative with up to DKK 450 million (€60.2 million) over six years to translate academic CMD research into drug discovery projects.
The pan-European initiative will provide selected academic projects with funding, scientific and commercial mentoring, and access to state-of-the-art facilities, with the first lab opening in London.
The program addresses the persistent gap between promising cardiometabolic discoveries in European academic labs and their progression into industry-ready therapeutics.
A major new pan-European initiative funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (search) aims to bridge the persistent gap between academic discovery and therapeutic development for cardiometabolic diseases (search) (CMDs), backed by up to DKK 450 million (EUR 60.2 million) over six years.
The CardioMetabolic Bridge initiative, announced June 19, 2026, will support selected academic research projects with funding, scientific and commercial mentoring from entrepreneurs and industry experts, and access to state-of-the-art facilities. This month, the initiative's first lab space opens in London, with sister sites planned in Italy and Germany.
"We want to improve care for the many millions of people living with conditions like obesity (search), type 2 diabetes (search) and cardiovascular disease (search). We have the talent and ambition, and we see extraordinary science in CMD research across Europe - but we are still not converting enough of that into actual solutions," said Professor Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation (search). "With CardioMetabolic Bridge we want to change that by helping to turn more academic research into drug discovery projects."
Addressing a Critical Translation Gap
Despite Europe's strong position in cardiometabolic research, many promising discoveries fail to progress beyond the academic laboratory. The CardioMetabolic Bridge is designed to shorten the journey from academic discovery to industry-ready innovation by supporting projects in generating the critical data packages that the pharmaceutical industry seeks.
The initiative has already attracted strong interest from leading research institutions across Europe. "There is incredibly strong research in this field coming out of European institutions. The challenge is that many of those discoveries never receive the support needed to progress towards benefitting patients," said Graham Cooke, Professor at Imperial College London. "I am excited to see London as the first place to open the initiative, reflecting the city's strong ecosystem and track record in CMD research."
A Connected European Ecosystem
The CardioMetabolic Bridge is designed to contribute to a more connected and effective ecosystem by supporting the creation of new CMD-focused start-ups and enabling growth for established pharmaceutical companies. This reflects a broader ambition to position Europe as a leading region for innovation in life science.
"The global challenge of CMDs is only increasing, which is why we believe so strongly in building this bridge," added Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen.
The initiative will be driven by the BioInnovation Institute (search) (BII), a leading institute for life science and deep tech innovation in Copenhagen. "CardioMetabolic Bridge is a natural extension of our commitment to supporting research and innovation that can benefit patients and society. Its scale and level of ambition make us proud to help lead it," said Jens Nielsen, CEO of BII.
By connecting leading innovation hubs across Europe, the initiative aims to unlock synergies, strengthen collaboration, and create a more connected European ecosystem for CMD research—ultimately improving care for the millions of people living with obesity (search), type 2 diabetes (search), and cardiovascular disease (search).