Drugmakers fund research at U.K. schools

Two drug companies have formed collaborations with leading U.K. universities. Novo Nordisk and the University of Oxford are joining to discover novel approaches for treating type 2 diabetes. As part of the agreement Novo will establish a research center at the university that will employ up to 100 scientists. The Danish firm expects to invest about $150 million in the initiative over 10 years. The partners say they seek cross-fertilization of ideas between academics and Novo researchers. Novo already funds 32 fellows at the university as a result of a 2013 pact. Separately, Heptares Therapeutics will fund efforts by Anthony Davenport’s group at the University of Cambridge to discover molecules that target the apelin receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor implicated in a range of cardiovascular diseases.