Calling life science innovators: don't miss your chance for a "Golden Ticket" to LabCentral

Novo Nordisk to award promising start-ups free space at Boston's premier, biotech-capable shared lab facility

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Aug 14, 2019, 13:00 ET

BOSTON, Aug. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wanted: high-potential life sciences and biotech start-up companies looking for an opportunity to be part of a vibrant innovation ecosystem where companies develop truly transformational science.

Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company committed to discovering, creating and co-creating innovation to solve healthcare challenges for people living with diabetes and other serious chronic diseases, issues an open call for promising start-up companies to submit non-confidential proposals for a Novo Nordisk-sponsored LabCentral "Golden Ticket." The winner will have the chance to receive access for one scientist and one bench at LabCentral's state-of-the-art shared lab space in Boston for research for one year. Novo Nordisk will award one Golden Ticket a year for three years.

Proposals should focus on solutions supporting therapeutic areas that align with Novo Nordisk's focus areas: diabetes (type 1, type 2, and resulting complications), obesity, cardiovascular disease, NASH, chronic kidney disease, hemophilia, or technologies that can be applied to these diseases such as new therapeutic platforms, cell therapies (stem cell) or differentiation protocols, cell encapsulation technologies, novel platforms for RNA-based therapies, novel platforms for gene-editing, formulation and drug delivery technologies, exosomes, and other cell penetrating technologies.

Life sciences start-ups interested in winning the LabCentral space should review the full competition terms and conditions to submit their "Golden Ticket" application. Companies that meet the eligibility requirements must apply by Friday, September 20, 2019.

A select number of companies will be invited to present their proposals to Novo Nordisk in the fall of 2019. The winner will be announced at a ceremony for the Boston Biotech and Academic community.

LabCentral, just a short walk from Novo Nordisk's new Boston Innovation Hub in Kendall Square, is a first-of-its-kind shared laboratory space located in the heart of Cambridge, Mass. It is designed as a launchpad for high-potential life sciences and biotech start-ups.

Novo Nordisk has a long-standing scientific leadership in therapeutic and device innovation and recently established the Novo Nordisk Boston Innovation Hub to expand its US-based collaborations and partnerships.

"One of the reason's we're in Boston is to be a part of this thriving and vibrant life sciences ecosystem," said John McDonald, corporate vice president and head of the Novo Nordisk Boston Innovation Hub. "Along with our academic collaborations in Boston, working with LabCentral is another way we're looking to help foster innovation that can ultimately help people with chronic disease live healthier lives. This is just the beginning of Novo Nordisk's contribution to Boston's scientific community."

Novo Nordisk A/S, a global healthcare company, organized this "Golden Ticket" competition.

About Novo Nordisk in the US
Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, has been committed to discovering and developing innovative medicines to help people living with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for 95 years. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat other serious diseases including obesity, hemophilia and growth disorders. We remain steadfast in our conviction that the formula for success is to stay focused, think long term and do business in a financially, socially and environmentally responsible way. With U.S. headquarters in New Jersey and production and research facilities in six states, Novo Nordisk employs nearly 6,000 people throughout the country. For more information, visit novonordisk.us, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About LabCentral
LabCentral provides fully equipped, permitted, and supported lab space for biomedical research, plus programming and unmatched networking opportunities to help start-ups advance their science and build their companies. It provides first-class facility and administrative support, skilled laboratory personnel, a domain-relevant expert speaker series – as well as the other critical services and support that start-ups need to begin laboratory operations on day one. A private, non-profit institution, LabCentral was funded in part by a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, with support from its real estate partner, MIT.

SOURCE Novo Nordisk