Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and diabetes are major focus areas of academic and industrial R&D in Medicon Valley

Medicon Valley is the world leader within obesity and diabetes and is strongly positioned in basic and applied research, diagnosis and treatment, and product development and production of medicines. Diabetes is no longer regarded as a disease to be managed only by regulating blood sugar, but more as a disease that require a total disease management approach by looking at not only lifestyle and diet but also genes.

Focus on basic research

The research within academia in Medicon Valley is primarily within basic research ranging from the molecular level to large epidemiological cohort studies.

• Molecular Genetics, Diabetes and Endocrinology (e.g. Lund University, Steno Diabetes Centre)
• Epidemiology studies of metabolic syndromes and cardiac diseases (e.g. Steno Diabetes Centre)
• Stem cell diabetes research (e.g. Hagedorn Research Institute, Copenhagen University)
• Preventive measures (e.g. Malmö University Hospital)
• Nutrition and prevention of lifestyle-related diseases (e.g. Life Faculty at University of Copenhagen)
• Diogenes is a pan-European Programme targeting the obesity problem from a dietary perspective with the goal of prevention of obesity (The Diogenes Project)

Strong corporate research and development

As one of the two leading diabetes care companies in the world, Novo Nordisk naturally dominates corporate diabetes research in Medicon Valley. Furthermore, it is the region's largest pharmaceutical company with more than 2,100 employed in R&D that is mainly focused on diabetes.

• Drug discovery (e.g. Novo Nordisk, NeuroSearch, 7TM Pharma, Zealand Pharma, Action Pharma, Rheoscience)
• Drug delivery (e.g. Unomedical, Novo Nordisk)
• Animal model in obesity (Rheoscience)

Medicon Valley is a hot spot for developing new therapeutics for treatment of obesity and diabetes. Obesity and its sequela is one of the biggest and most pressing health problems in the western world - and a growing problem in the undeveloped countries. In Medicon Valley, the authorities and researchers at universities and biotech companies have turned their attention to the problems and their interconnection, and are now spearheading efforts to stop the explosive worldwide growth in obesity problems while at the same time carrying out intensive research into identifying the best form of treatment for the individual patient.