Novo Nordisk Inaugurates New Production Plant In China

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 25 Mar 2006 - 0:00 PDT


Novo Nordisk today inaugurated a major expansion of its production facilities in Tianjin, China. The Tianjin plant has been designated Novo Nordisk's primary production base in the Asia Pacific region and will supply both China and export markets.

The expansion includes a new assembly plant for Novo Nordisk's NovoPen® 3 insulin pen as well as an expansion of current packaging facilities for Penfill® insulin cartridges and FlexPen® prefilled insulin pens.

"Our expansion in China reflects the internationalisation of our production base and our commitment to the Chinese market. The new plant is yet another example of the increasingly important role China is playing in Novo Nordisk's global operations, and we will continue to build the Tianjin plant into a world-class insulin production base," says Kåre Schultz, chief operating officer of Novo Nordisk.

To celebrate the completion of the new plant, Novo Nordisk held a grand opening ceremony today with representatives from among others the Chinese Ministry of Health, officials from Tianjin Municipal Government, the Danish embassy in China and leading diabetologists from China.

"The new plant will create more than 100 new jobs in China, and will help meet the increasing demand for Novo Nordisk's insulin products in Asia and other countries. With the new plant and our R&D centre in Beijing, Novo Nordisk now has a strong platform for future growth in China," says Ronald Frank Christie, president of Novo Nordisk China.

Novo Nordisk's first plant in Tianjin was built in 2002, and the new plant has been built on the existing 40,000 square metre site. With the opening of the new plant, the production of NovoPen® 3 in Denmark will be phased out. The Danish plant has been re-equipped, and employees are being transferred to the production of NovoPen® 4, the latest version of Novo Nordisk's durable insulin pen system. Today, almost three and a half million people worldwide use a NovoPen® system for their daily insulin injections, and NovoPen® 3, which was launched in 1992, is the highest-selling insulin pen in the world. Facts about Novo Nordisk's activities in China

Novo Nordisk has had an affiliate in China since 1994. The headquarters and R&D centre are located in Beijing, the production plant in Tianjin, and local offices are located in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Wuhan, Jinan and Hong Kong. Currently, Novo Nordisk employs about 1,000 people in China. In 2005, the turnover was about 1 billion Danish kroner.

The R&D centre in China, established in 2002, has evolved into a centre of excellence for Novo Nordisk in molecular biology, protein chemistry and cell biology. It is the first R&D centre established in China by an international pharmaceutical company, and also the first R&D unit Novo Nordisk established outside Denmark. Due to the excellent research conducted by the centre in the past years and the strategic decision by Novo Nordisk to increase investment and development in China, Novo Nordisk announced plans to expand the R&D centre in October 2005. The expansion will double the number of employees from currently 30 to 60 within the next two-three years.

In 2002, Novo Nordisk and the Chinese Ministry of Health launched a project that brings extensive diabetes education throughout China and addresses critical problems caused by the disease. Currently, it is estimated that more than 30 million people in China have diabetes, and the number is increasing rapidly.

Novo Nordisk is working closely with government institutions and diabetes prevention organisations in China to develop patient education programmes and encourage patients to live a healthy lifestyle and make contributions to defeat diabetes.

In 2003, Novo Nordisk China was named one of the 'Best Employers in China' by the global consulting firm Hewitt Associates, and was profiled in the May 2003 issue of Harvard Business Review China.

Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care. The company has the broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including the most advanced products within the area of insulin delivery systems. In addition, Novo Nordisk has a leading position within areas such as haemostasis management, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Novo Nordisk manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and services that make a significant difference to patients, the medical profession and society. With headquarters in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs more than 22,000 employees in 79 countries, and markets its products in 179 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on the stock exchanges in Copenhagen and London. Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'NVO'. For more information, visit http://www.novonordisk.com.

• Additional
• References
• Citations