FORM 6-K

Novo Nordisk’s ambition is to defeat diabetes. This report illustrates how our commitment to this goal shapes our work every day across the globe.

Welcome to Novo Nordisk’s Annual Report 2007 – a presentation of the company’s performance during the year, our achievements and our challenges. It comprises two main elements: the management report (pp 2–50) and the consolidated financial and non-financial statements (pp 51–115).

The management report describes how we do business and explains how we will continue to create long-term value for shareholders and for other stakeholders.
     The section Welcome to Novo Nordisk offers a quick introduction to the business and a letter from the chairman of the Board and the president and chief executive officer.
     The section Business results presents the company’s strategy, opportunities and key risks, followed by an overview of performance in 2007, with highlights, progress, comparative data and commentary. The pipeline overview and progress illustrates development projects aimed to secure Novo Nordisk’s future growth.
     The section Business environment elaborates on Novo Nordisk’s key challenges as a global health-care company. It puts performance into context, with insights into how Novo Nordisk responds to an increasingly competitive environment and to the business implications of a globalising world. In the articles, we present a review of activities, strategies, ambitions and opportunities in light of the past year and looking ahead.

     In our selection of themes, we have chosen to focus on presenting the drivers that will enable Novo Nordisk to pursue our vision and achieve our strategic objectives: our approach to doing business, our people and the resources we put into supporting each of the two business segments – diabetes care and biopharmaceuticals.
     The sections Diabetes care and Biopharmaceu -ticals provide an update of the past year’s achievements in each business segment and initiatives to drive continued growth.
     The section Shareholder information contains a description of Novo Nordisk’s approach to corporate governance and remuneration policy. It also provides profiles of board members and Executive Management as well as information on the Novo Nordisk share.

The consolidated financial and non-financial statements give a detailed account of the year’s performance with comparative data. The financial statements of the parent company are included on pp 105–112.

References to studies and reports are provided on the inside back flap.

To learn more, or to help us turn our vision into reality, please get in touch.

A year
in the life of
Novo Nordisk

Therapeutic proteins take R&D lead
15 January: Novo Nordisk discontinues R&D within small molecules and focuses research and development on therapeutic proteins. See p 8.

NovoSeven^® results on ICH
26 February: Phase 3 stroke trial shows that NovoSeven^® reduces bleeding in the brain, but does not improve long-term clinical outcomes. See p 39.

Funding the future in China
5 March: Novo Nordisk and the Chinese Academy of Sciences establish research foundation in China. Novo Nordisk to provide 2 million US dollars for research into diabetes and biopharmaceuticals. See p 36.

US hiring blitz
The US diabetes sales force is expanded. In January 2007, staffing and planning efforts begin, resulting in over 700 new people being hired and fully trained by 4 June 2007. See p 34.

Clinton calls for change
13 March: Former US President Bill Clinton is keynote speaker at the Global Changing Diabetes Leadership Forum in New York, organised by Novo Nordisk. See p 27.

Gore visits Bagsværd
On the same day, Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore visits Novo Nordisk in Bagsværd, Denmark, to talk about the climate change challenge. See p 22.

Expanded Brazil facility opens
26 April: Novo Nordisk inaugurates Latin America’s largest insulin plant in Montes Claros, Brazil. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen attends. See p 35.

Most employees outside Denmark
April: The number of employees outside Denmark exceeds the number of employees in Denmark – a total of 25,194 people work at Novo Nordisk,12,579 in Denmark, 12,615 in other countries.

Landmark renewable energy alliance
1 May: Novo Nordisk and the Danish energy company DONG Energy sign a partnership agreement. An increasing part of Novo Nordisk’s future electricity consumption in Denmark will be supplied by wind turbines from 2009. See p 23.

Board of Directors visits China
Novo Nordisk’s Board of Directors and Executive Management hold off-site board meeting in China. They visit the company’s R&D centre in Beijing, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and CEIBS business school as well as major hospitals and distributors. See p 36.

Clinical trials and bioethics websites
2 July: Novo Nordisk increases transparency of clinical trials and bioethics through the launch of two new websites. See p 24.

New HRT product launched
5 May: Novo Nordisk celebrates its launch of Activella^® 0.5mg/0.1mg at the ACOG Annual Clinical Meeting in San Diego, California. The new lower-dose product extends the company’s HRT portfolio which already includes Activella^® 1.0 mg/ 0.5 mg. See p 40.

New pilot plant in Denmark
12 June: A new pilot plant for the development and production of new biophar-maceuticals based on proteins cultured in mammalian cells is inaugurated in Hillerød, Denmark. See p 41.

US insulin filling capacity doubles
21 June: Employees at site Clayton, US, celebrate an expansion of production facilities that will double the company’s insulin filling capacity in the US. See p 34.

Buoyant first-half sales
3 August: Novo Nordisk’s interim report for the first six months of 2007 reveals a 14% rise in total sales measured in local currencies (up 9% in Danish kroner). Of all product groups, modern insulins lead the way by increasing 37% (up 31% in Danish kroner). See p 11.

Focus on childhood diabetes
18 September: Novo Nordisk and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) launch the Diabetes Youth Charter, an expert review into existing data and global trends in the area of childhood diabetes. It highlights actions to improve the prevention and care of childhood diabetes. See p 29.

Anniversary milestones
5 November: The day marks the 75th anniversary of the Steno Diabetes Center and the 50th anniversary of the Hagedorn Research Institute. See p 31.

Changing Diabetes^® Barometer
7 November: Novo Nordisk presents the Changing Diabetes^® Barometer, a tool for the diabetes community to track national diabetes developments. See p 27.

Stock split
3 December: To accommodate appreciation of the share price, Novo Nordisk’s B shares are split 2:1 on the OMX Nordic Exchange Copenhagen and the London Stock Exchange. Novo Nordisk’s ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange are similarly split on 17 December. See p 49.

Sustainability leader
24 September: Novo Nordisk ranks as best-in-class in healthcare – one of 18 global supersectors – in Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, the world’s leading indexes for sustainability-driven investment portfolios. See pp 7 and 89–99.

Biking for a cure in Death Valley
20 October: 270 cyclists – including 25 from Novo Nordisk – join the 10th ‘Ride to Cure Diabetes’ in Death Valley, California. The 170-kilometre ride is a fundraising event organised by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. See p 31.

Levemir^® approved in Japan
22 October: Novo Nordisk receives approval for Levemir^® in Japan, enabling the launch in December. See p 34.

First UN-observed World Diabetes Day
14 November: The first ever UN-observed World Diabetes Day is celebrated. The day is marked by Novo Nordisk together with the International Diabetes Federation and its partners with activities all over the world. See p 26.

Liraglutide trial results
11 December: Novo Nordisk announces clinical results from a one-year mono-therapy study investigating liraglutide –a once-daily human GLP-1 analogue for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This study, the last of five phase 3 studies needed for regulatory filing, confirms the effect of liraglutide on blood glucose control and body weight. See p 32.

Reaching across the globe, Novo Nordisk employees organised human blue circles, gathering more than a quarter of a million people to mark the first UN-observed World Diabetes Day on 14 November 2007.

It was a truly magnificent moment and one we are proud to have been part of. Never before have the landmarks of the world been so spectacularly lit up, and never before have so many people been engaged in advocacy to protect current and future generations against one of the biggest public health threats that mankind has ever faced.

The power of the possible

To defeat diabetes – that is our aspiration and our business.
     At Novo Nordisk we believe in the power of the possible. Our vision is one of civilisation based on sustainability, partnership and respect for the individual. Sustainability is a powerful, unifying force. We believe it is possible to be commercially astute and socially aware. To accelerate growth and minimise environmental impacts. To earn competitive returns and contribute to economic prosperity for society. These are the cornerstones of the Triple Bottom Line principle upon which we build our business. These are the messages we convey when we call upon governments to make the frameworks that enable us and our partners to contribute to creating wealth for the benefit of all.

Results

For Novo Nordisk, the year 2007 was yet another year with remarkable progress. Our financial results and the growth of our business were achieved despite an increasingly competitive environment and adverse currency exchange rates. This is underpinned by a solid track record on measures of economic, environmental and social impact. This was also rewarded: throughout the year, our shareholders have seen a significant appreciation of their investment in our company.
     In this report we highlight the assets that will help us sustain and build leadership in the business areas we focus on. Innovation of new or improved therapies is the foundation for the future of the pharmaceutical industry. In 2007, we invested more than ever in research and development, and we saw progress in a number of areas which are crucial to the future of our company. Throughout the world we have increased our presence and thereby our ‘share of voice’ in an increasingly competitive business environment and with that we have achieved greater acceptance of our products. Our manufacturing operations continue to improve productivity, allowing us to invest more in sales and marketing for the short term – and in research and development for the long term. And, most importantly, people at Novo Nordisk demonstrate that we’ve got what it takes to win: accountability, ambition, responsibility, engagement, openness and readiness for change.
     Three themes have been the key drivers of success and will remain on our agenda: globalisation, innovation and leadership.

Globalisation
Demands for proper healthcare are on the rise throughout the world,

and we must strengthen our global presence to stay competitive and expand the market for our products and services. Today, the number of Novo Nordisk employees outside Denmark exceeds that of our Danish organisation.
     The expansion of our global supply chain continued to accelerate. In 2007, with the largest investment of any pharmaceutical company in Latin America, we inaugurated our insulin filling plant in Montes Claros, Brazil. We also doubled the insulin filling capacity of our manufacturing facility in Clayton, North Carolina, to meet the growing demand for our products in the US.
     A significant expansion of our US sales and marketing organisation was completed in the first half of the year, aimed at supporting the continued roll-out of Levemir^® and the rest of our portfolio of modern insulins.
     In China we entered into a long-term strategic collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which significantly expands our network of contacts with far-reaching implications for our research and development activities there.
     Sourcing of talent and of services are key engines of globalisation. In addition to the traditional internationalisation of research and development as well as manufacturing we are now also seeing encouraging results from sourcing services.

Innovation
Driving organisational development and optimisation of cross-organisational interfaces is critical to ensuring the successful execution of global clinical trial programmes such as the suite of phase 3 studies of liraglutide, Novo Nordisk’s furthest advanced new product candidate in the diabetes care business. The successful completion of the studies gives us reason to believe that this new class of diabetes therapy represents a potential, valuable treatment option for people with type 2 diabetes, and perhaps even prevention if applied for obesity-related health risks. This would represent a significant advance for diabetes care – and the future of Novo Nordisk.
     We saw unprecedented progress in our pipeline in 2007: next-generation modern insulin and NovoSeven^® analogues, new indications for Norditropin^®, lower-dose hormone replacement therapies as well as our portfolio of early-stage candidates for treatment of inflammation. Some of this progress can be ascribed to the fact that we have strengthened the project-centric organisation in our clinical development. We have improved cross-project alignment, systems of performance management, compensation packages and talent development programmes for all groups of employees.
     Regrettably, Novo Nordisk also experienced some setbacks in research and development in 2007.
     We began the year with a great disappointment when our final studies investigating rFVIIa for the treatment of intracerebral haemorrhage failed to show sufficient benefits for the patients. This was despite the fact that the trials were conducted at impressive speed, and with the highest level of professionalism. A hope for stroke patients faded away.
     We also decided to stop our research and development efforts to develop small-molecule oral therapies for type 2 diabetes – after many years of concerted efforts.

     And finally, in January 2008, we decided to discontinue the development of the AERx^® inhaled insulin system and focus our research and development on a new generation of systems for administering long-acting insulin and GLP-1 via inhalation.
     Discontinuing a research programme does not mean giving up hope that improved product offerings can be achieved. But if ambitions are high you have to accept that not all objectives will be met – that is how it is when trying to accomplish difficult tasks. And we will continue to invest in pursuing every viable route to offer improved benefits for the people whose healthcare needs we serve.

Leadership
With aspiration of leadership follows the obligation to speak out on behalf of your constituencies and seek influence on the global agenda. In the spring, Novo Nordisk hosted the first Global Changing Diabetes Leadership Forum in New York. This event kicked off a range of activities, and we are pleased to see that our initiative has resonated well with health policy-makers and others with the power to influence the agenda towards a more sustainable future.
     In parallel, we advanced our initiatives to face up to the climate change challenge and pursue our ambitious strategy to reduce the company’s CO₂ emissions over a 10-year period. Here, a milestone wasa unique partnership with our energy supplier in Denmark, where 85% of our CO₂ emissions occur, to convert energy savings to increased

supplies of renewable energy. It is our ambition that this too may serve as inspiration for others. We have been active advocates on the international scene, sharing our experience and supporting coalitions urging immediate and concerted action.
     2007 was also the fifth anniversary of the World Diabetes Foundation, an initiative founded and funded by Novo Nordisk to improve access to and knowledge about diabetes care in the developing countries. Already now the Foundation is supporting 138 projects across all continents with encouraging results. We are humbled by its potential impact, and are hence seeking extension of funding from our shareholders for a new, 10-year period.

Challenges

At the beginning of 2008, we can confidently say that Novo Nordisk is well-positioned to meet the challenges posed by our competitive environment and societal developments. Diabetes care is one of the segments of the pharmaceutical industry with the highest expected future growth rates. This makes it attractive to continue to invest in staying ahead in this market.
     It is critical that Novo Nordisk continues to deliver on promises and that we are successful in our must-win battles: First, to maintain leadership in diabetes care by expanding the use of our modern insulins, ensuring leadership within GLP-1 and progressing the next generation of modern insulins through development. Second, expanding our offerings in biopharmaceuticals by developing the next-generation successors to NovoSeven^® and creating possibilities for change in treating haemophilia, growth deficiency, hormone replacement and inflammation.

Thanks

We are set on one goal: improving value for patients. Looking back at our achievements in 2007, we believe that we are on the right track. We thank our customers, shareholders and partners for their loyalty and support throughout the year. We also believe that our customers, shareholders and partners share with us a great thanks to our employees for their efforts, their creativity and their dedication that makes Novo Nordisk a very special company.

Japan & Oceania

the world of
novo nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a focused healthcare company headquartered in Denmark. With market presence in 179 countries, and R&D and production facilities spanning five continents, the company’s global reach is expanding.
     Novo Nordisk is a world leader in diabetes care.
     Key market figures for the diabetes care business in each of the four regions are provided here. See more on pp 11 and 52.
      In its other business segment, biopharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk has a leading position within the therapeutic areas of haemostasis management, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Sales in the biopharmaceuticals business are reported globally and by therapy area. See pp 11–12 and 52.
     Novo Nordisk has 26,008 employees in 80 countries; 12,689 are based in Denmark and 13,319 abroad. Of these, 4,695 work in R&D, 7,900 in production, 8,368 in sales and distribution and 5,045 in administration. The largest production sites are located in Denmark. The company has invested in establishing a seamless global supply chain and significantly expanded production facilities in all regions, particularly the growth markets of the US and China.

Ownership structure

Novo A/S, an unlisted Danish public limited liability company wholly-owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, holds 25.5% of Novo Nordisk’s total share capital and 71% of the total number of votes. The Novo Nordisk Foundation is a self-governing and profit-making foundation, whose purpose is to provide a stable basis for the commercial and research activities conducted by the companies within the Novo Group and to support scientific, humanitarian and social purposes.
     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’.

History

Novo Nordisk has its origins in two Danish companies founded in the 1920s – Nordisk Insulinlaboratorium and Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium. These two companies, which merged in 1989 to become Novo Nordisk, independently pioneered several key breakthroughs in diabetes care during the last century. Both companies took a broader approach to diabetes: in 1932 Nordisk Insulinlaboratorium founded the Steno Memorial Hospital and six years later Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium established the Hvidøre Diabetes Sanatorium. This resolve to treat the person and not just the symptoms of the disease is a forerunner of Novo Nordisk’s modern-day commitment to sustainable development and balanced growth.
     Scientific breakthroughs which characterised both of the companies during their history as competitors continued after the merger, and Novo Nordisk’s ongoing commitment to innovation is still evidenced today by its emphasis on research and development.

Guided
by the
Novo Nordisk Vision

The ambition to ultimately defeat diabetes is at the core of the company’s vision. It is a business proposition and the main driver for Novo Nordisk’s contribution to sustainable development. Good health is a driver of economic growth and a prerequisite for achieving greater

social equity. Serving unmet medical needs also motivates the aspiration to offer products and services in areas that make a difference.
     This vision sets Novo Nordisk’s objectives in context and inspires employees in their work. It is a beacon that keeps everyone’s focus on creating long-term shareholder value and leveraging the company’s unique qualities to gain competitive advantage.
     Novo Nordisk believes in the value that is created by people who are engaged in what

they do. Offering an inspiring place to work attracts and retains talented people and is a key factor for long-term success in an increasingly competitive business environment.
     Novo Nordisk’s values are consistent with principles of good governance. Putting values into action is as manifest in employees’ everyday business dealings as in formal global standards and management practices.

In the face of intensified competition the leadership challenge is to stay focused on pursuing long-term objectives for value creation and overcoming barriers to sustainable growth.

Novo Nordisk is a focused healthcare company. This focus underlines the company’s claim to leadership in its markets. Novo Nordisk offers therapies in areas where significant unmet medical needs remain: diabetes care, haemostasis management, growth hormone deficiency and hormone replacement therapy.
     Over the years, Novo Nordisk has built expertise in protein engineering and expression and protein formulation, supported by device technology for the convenient administration of medicines. Leveraging these core competences is critical to securing long-term success. In line with this strategy, Novo Nordisk has decided to discontinue R&D activities within small molecules for the oral treatment of diabetes and to refocus its activities within inhaled insulin, discontinuing clinical development of AERx^® inhaled insulin (AERx^® iDMS).
     The dedicated focus in just two core business segments – diabetes care and biopharmaceuticals – is supported by a simple organisational structure of functional excellence, a common values-based business approach and global standards. This structure facilitates flexibility and agility in a dynamic and highly competitive business environment.
     The corporate strategy is based on a 10-year perspective and describes how Novo Nordisk intends to translate its vision into action.
     The market approach is underpinned by the Triple Bottom Line principle, which encompasses both risk mitigation and innovation. To better manage emerging risks and act on opportunities, Novo Nordisk engages with a broad range of stakeholders. The company seeks to make a positive economic, environmental and social impact through its operations, global management standards, community engagements, partnerships, technology transfers and knowledge exchange.

Diabetes care

Strategic objective: maintaining leadership Novo Nordisk offers a full portfolio of modern insulins and has a strong pipeline with a late-stage product candidate that the company hopes will meet current and future needs. The company has sufficient production capacity to scale up deliveries, and a well-tuned sales force in place globally. Moreover, significant investments in diabetes research make Novo Nordisk the largest player in this field.
     This position is the foundation of Novo Nordisk’s promise to change diabetes. To curb the diabetes pandemic, which is largely attributable to an escalating consumer culture, action is required on several fronts. First, to improve the quality of life for people with diabetes. Modern insulin therapy serves individuals’ varying needs. Improved outcome, which can be measured as reduction of HbA_1c levels, may be achieved by early initiation of insulin therapy and timely intensification. Second, as a longer-term effort, interventions to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. And third, research into finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Growth drivers and risk factors The market for diabetes care is growing rapidly. It is also becoming increasingly competitive as new products

and biosimilar products become available. Competing under such conditions hinges on the ability to offer superior products and to effectively convey the value proposition to customers and healthcare professionals. Delay or failure of key development projects would impair Novo Nordisk’s ability to successfully market current and new products. Causes of delay may include slow recruitment for clinical trials, safety or efficacy concerns, filing delay or insufficient production capacity.
     Novo Nordisk seeks to maintain its lead in injectable insulins through continued market penetration of the company’s modern insulins, and to build new platforms with pulmonary insulin and GLP-1, where the compound liraglutide appears to be promising.

“Our core competences are in therapeutic proteins, and this is where we can make the greatest difference in driving company growth and achieving better outcomes for people whose healthcare needs we serve.”

Lars Rebien Sørensen
president and chief executive officer

     Barriers to success include customers’ willingness and ability to pay. Ageing populations in the developed parts of the world have led to increased pressure on healthcare costs, and governments seek to cut prices and do not offer premiums for new, innovative products. This development threatens to undermine the profitability of bringing improved treatments to market. In contrast, in the developing parts of the world the challenge is to provide access to medicines and to healthcare.
     Novo Nordisk has stepped up its efforts to engage payers and policy-makers in all parts of the world in understanding the magnitude of the economic implications of inaction on diabetes. These efforts include building an evidence-based argumentation for action and for the health-economic benefits of insulin treatment. The company’s global programmes to offer inclusive diabetes care help alleviate the current diabetes burden while simultaneously building long-term presence in emerging markets and paving the way for commercially viable solutions in the longer term.

Biopharmaceuticals

Strategic objective: expand the business With a solid range of therapeutic products, the strategy for biopharmaceuticals is to expand the business by pursuing new indications and exploring new potential in other areas where Novo Nordisk can make a difference.
     As the primary objective, Novo Nordisk aims at expanding its leadership in haemophilia based on the company’s product NovoSeven^® and a number of innovative compounds that cover different blood clotting factors, including analogues of FVII, in the pipeline.
     The therapy areas in the biopharmaceuticals segment predominantly address small patient groups with significant unmet medical needs. The exception here is hormone replacement therapy, where Novo Nordisk has gained market-leading positions despite a generally declining market.

Growth drivers and risk factors Given the nature of indications investigated and the limited number of patients for whom treatment is relevant, conducting clinical trials is cumbersome and time-consuming. At the same time, the risk of failure is great, and even when results are positive there is no guarantee of commercial viability. Still, Novo Nordisk is committed to pursuing treatment options if there is a sufficiently well-founded hypothesis that the compound could benefit patients. As with diabetes care, delay or failure of key development projects would impair Novo Nordisk’s ability to successfully market current and new products.
     In the new therapy area, inflammation, success is unlikely to be achieved solely through organic growth, so Novo Nordisk is actively promoting itself as an attractive partner in research and development, and is open to acquisitions that could complement the internal activities.

Facing industry challenges

The pharmaceutical industry is subject to extensive regulation, which aims to ensure patient safety, but also increases costs. The approval process for new products is generally lengthy, expensive and subject to unanticipated delays. Sustaining revenue growth therefore also depends on the timely and successful approval, introduction and marketing of new products, as well as gaining approval for existing products for new indications.
     Government-imposed industry price regulations, mandatory reference prices with subsequent payment burdens to patients through higher co-payments, and mandatory substitution of biosimilar drugs adversely affect Novo Nordisk and most of the industry in general.
     Protecting patent rights is material to Novo Nordisk’s business. Loss of market exclusivity and the introduction of lower-cost biosimilar products result in significant loss of sales. The therapeutic proteins market is becoming increasingly attractive. Novo Nordisk has a generally low short-term exposure to patent expiration, but, like other branded products, is exposed to competition.

On a path of continued growth

In recent years, Novo Nordisk has grown at a rate that generally outperforms peers in the pharmaceutical industry.
     The company is building up a global sourcing programme, having made substantial investments in expanding production capacity in the US, Brazil and China. In doing so, Novo Nordisk seeks to grow its presence in strategic markets, spread risks and optimise costs and logistics. Any failure or breakdown in vital production facilities or with key suppliers could, in addition to potential physical damage or loss of life, affect the supply of products.

     Quality is paramount in pharmaceutical production. Quality failures could jeopardise patients’ well-being and would entail major reputational risks as well as risks of costly compensation payments. With an aim to mitigate this Novo Nordisk has a global quality system in place, with audits, improvement plans and management reviews.
     To achieve its ambitious business objectives Novo Nordisk depends upon the ability to attract and retain skilled people in key positions across the organisation, and particularly in growth markets such as the US and China. Competition for talent among pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is intensifying, and, as a result, Novo Nordisk has stepped up its efforts on employer branding. Innovation and high performance depend on people’s engagement at work, leadership development and lifelong learning. These are the key parameters for success addressed by the Novo Nordisk people strategy and monitored through regular facilitations, organisational audits and annual surveys.
     Evidence of good governance and full compliance is a precondition for maintaining the licence to operate and innovate. In a competitive environment with increasing public scrutiny and regulation, the risk of legal action due to perceived or actual failure to adhere to marketing practices is ever present. Monitoring adherence to the Novo Nordisk Way of Management, supported by the company’s business ethics policy and related audits, aims to mitigate such risks.
     Legal issues related to intellectual property, product liability claims or business practices are included in the overview of current legal cases on pp 87–88.
     Financial risks related to currency exposure are described on p 76.

Managing risks

Novo Nordisk defines risks as ‘events or developments which could reduce our ability to meet our overall objectives’. This includes both financial and non-financial risks that could affect the company throughout its value chain: from discovery and development, through manufacturing, sales and support functions.
     Integrated and systematic risk reporting is aligned with other management reporting and occurs on a quarterly basis. Through this process, risk factors and mitigations are identified and factored into the individual units’ business plans. This disciplined inquiry into the context for identified risks and assessment of which objectives may be threatened enables Novo Nordisk to be more attentive to factors that help or hinder long-term value creation. As part of the strategic planning process, Novo Nordisk conducts an annual in-depth identification and evaluation of long-term growth opportunities.

GLP-1
(Glucagon-Like Peptide-1)

In 2007, significant progress was made across Novo Nordisk’s clinical development pipeline.

This overview illustrates key development activities: entries into the pipeline, progression of development compounds, exits from the pipeline and major regulatory approvals.

Biopharmaceuticals
Progress in the biopharmaceuticals pipeline was satisfactory in haemo -philia, growth disorders and hormone replacement therapy. Within haemostasis, ie critical bleeding, there was a setback following results of the phase 3 trial in intracerebral haemorrhage.

     This approval slowdown, which coincides with lucrative products going off-patent, augurs badly for a sizeable segment of the industry.
     Compared to its peers, Novo Nordisk is relatively well insulated against these trends – flexibility in funding innovation is aimed at keeping the pipeline busy. Globally, competition in the pharmaceutical industry is intensifying. Novo Nordisk recognises that continued spending on R&D is crucial to its ability to remain competitive, and its annual expenditure here is one of the highest in its class.
     “Novo Nordisk currently has quite a strong pipeline supported by the necessary technology platforms and core competences. Two other strengths are our ability to find new indications for existing molecules and our focus on meeting unmet medical needs among neglected groups of patients,” says Lars Rebien Sørensen.
     R&D investments are accelerating in emerging markets such as India and China with their large pools of highly qualified people, and Novo Nordisk is building its presence in these countries.

Patents and partnerships

Over the next few years, the pharmaceutical industry faces a flood of patent expiries, giving generic companies the oppor -tun ity to enter the market with cheaper products. In response, some companies are cutting jobs in an effort to rein in costs before they lose patent protection. Novo Nordisk’s current exposure is less severe, allowing it to create – rather than cut – jobs.
     Another advantage is Novo Nordisk’s biopharmaceutical expertise: the production process is technologically demanding and its products, based on large, complex molecules, are more difficult to copy or modify than chemical drugs.
     Identifying promising new drug candidates in early development and collaborating with their inventors is an additional Novo Nordisk strategy.
     For Novo Nordisk, partnerships such as the licence agreement it signed in December 2007 with C2X Pharma and the French national institute for health and medical research (Inserm) for thrombin-activable factor X, should provide

The pressure is on in the pharmaceutical industry. Staying competitive requires more than financial muscle – market shares are increasingly earned through innovation, flexibility and the ability to respond to societal challenges. The industry is faced with increasing R&D costs, patent expiries and low R&D productivity. Companies must also navigate in a business environment characterised by heightened regulatory pressures, cost containment of public health-care budgets and a general scepticism about the industry’s interest in improving human health.

Challenges such as these are surfacing against a backdrop of rising healthcare costs, an escalating chronic disease burden and a growing and ageing population.
     Globalisation affects both the business environment and health trends: greater wealth frequently translates into unhealthy lifestyles, which in turn prompts an upsurge in health disorders and increased pressure on healthcare budgets in developed and developing countries alike.

Innovation in the pipeline

The industry’s ability to develop new products is being questioned in light of a decreasing number of approvals of new medicines. In 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration approved just 22 new molecular entities (NMEs) and biologics despite a record 55 billion US dollars expenditure on research and development by North American companies. In 1996, when spending on R&D was less than half this figure, a total of 53 NMEs were approved.

1.2
billion people in developing countries will be middle class by 2030 – three times today’s number.

66%
of all older people are living in the developing world; by 2025, it will be 75%, according to the WHO.

effective tools in broadening the portfolio of haemophilia and haemosta-sis projects. “Partnerships can be cost-effective methods of leveraging expertise, and we intend to avail ourselves of more such opportunities,” says Lars Rebien Sørensen.

More regulatory pressure

At the same time as competition between pharmaceutical companies is intensifying, regulatory authorities are exerting more pressure on the industry. Companies are being asked for greater proof that new compounds submitted for approval have a benefit over products already available. This includes requests for more safety data, which is also made publicly available, as well as a demand that companies continuously

Demonstrable value for money required

Healthcare costs are rising, with governments and payers straining to meet the needs of the growing disease burden. Healthcare spending has historically outpaced economic growth everywhere in the world, a trend set to continue. The total global expenditure for healthcare is

4 trillion US dollars, according to the World Health Organization. The cost burden is prompting governments and payers to look more closely at the value of pharmaceutical products. While spending on medicines has gone up as part of the overall healthcare bill, medicines’ share of healthcare spending remains very small – about 10 cents of every dollar spent in the US on healthcare, for example.
     In this challenging environment, pharmaceutical products must demonstrate value for money, which is why Novo Nordisk is increasingly focused on producing evidence of the health-economic benefits of its products, and particularly of improved diabetes treatment. One such initiative is the Global Changing Diabetes^® Barometer (see pp 27–28), which demonstrates the substantial savings that may accrue to payers from diagnosing diabetes early and before any complications arise.

Ethical conduct is a business imperative

Ethical, social and governance issues are also gaining greater prominence. Increasingly, investors and customers expect evidence of ethical behaviour in all aspects of business, including the conduct of clinical trials and the promotion and marketing of products. Stakeholders are looking at companies’ ability to handle such issues consistently across diverse markets. Well before this trend became common currency, Novo Nordisk formulated its Way of Management (see p 6). This blueprint, with its clear description of core values, implies that the challenges faced by the industry are best resolved by working in partnership with governments, regulators and the healthcare community to meet the world’s healthcare needs. The company-wide implementation of a business ethics policy underpins this values-based approach.
     “It takes a lot of effort to earn and maintain stakeholder trust. As a healthcare company, we have a particular responsibility when it comes to how we do business, how we make our money, and also how we spend it,” says Lise Kingo, executive vice president and chief of staffs.
     And the best response to scepticism, she says, is transparency and honest engagement with critical stakeholders.
     Market research shows that there are five key drivers impacting a company’s reputation: perceived quality of its products, its services, market leadership, corporate responsibility and innovation. Reputation study results in 2007 from four strategic markets – the US, Germany, the UK and China – show a solid performance of Novo Nordisk.

cLEAN^® Academy, all employees in Product Supply will have completed training in its basic concepts by 2010. This is complemented by more in-depth training for certain employees. The training is as much about behaviour as it is about tools. cLEAN^® is a mindset, and one that empowers employees to act whenever they see room for improvement and business benefits, not just in terms of costs. The goal is that continuous improvement leads to more stable and efficient processes and eliminates waste – saving time, money and resources. The programme is global, with production employees in Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Japan and the US all following the same philosophy.
     As evidence that this strategy is working, Novo Nordisk has not needed to increase its Product Supply staff levels since 2003, even though the company’s production volume has grown significantly in that time.
     Kim Lorenzen, project manager at the Material Handling warehouse in Hillerød, Denmark, agrees: “cLEAN^® shakes us out of our daily routines and inspires us to think along different lines.”

cLEAN^® in action

As an example of how the cLEAN^® philosophy plays out, employees in diabetes product manufacturing at Novo Nordisk in Denmark set the goal of increasing the capacity for the freeze-drying of products to better meet market demand. Freeze -drying is used to ensure long product life, easy transportation and the prevention of chemical and biological reactions. Through a combination of reduced shift times and process optimisations, capacity increased by 236%, saving money, maintenance and equipment.
     At the Novo Nordisk insulin production facility in Clayton, North Carolina, US, the use of cLEAN^® tools to make a mechanical improvement and remove a persistent bottleneck reduced downtime by 93% on an insulin pen cartridge filling line.
     At the Diabetes Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients Quality Control laboratory in Kalundborg, Denmark, the team was

To stay competitive in a globalising world Novo Nordisk has invested in establishing seamless global supply and maintains a strong focus on optimising production efficiency. This effort underpins the company’s ambitious strategy in response to the climate change challenge.

Intensified competition from biosimilar production and cost containment by payers have increased the urgency for optimising cost margins. Over the last few years, Novo Nordisk has successfully driven its gross margin upwards and will continue this effort to outperform its peers. In light of the company’s market leadership in diabetes care and the boost to productivity achieved by the company’s cLEAN^® programme, this goal is attainable. cLEAN^® is Novo Nordisk’s version of lean – a well-known process optimisation philosophy. The small ‘c’ stands for current and emphasises that cLEAN^® evolves continuously. As of 2007, its methods are also being adopted within research and development and administrative areas.
     These improvements, along with an improved product mix, make a significant contribution to the company’s financial results. The gross margin improved to 76.6% in 2007 from 75.3% in 2006. This enables Novo Nordisk to invest for the future – by putting more funds into research and development and expanding the sales force.

Empowering people to act

Backed by the support of top management, Novo Nordisk has invested substantially in the cLEAN^® programme. Through a

2014
is the year by which Novo Nordisk aims to supply all its Danish facilities with electricity from wind farms.

12,000
tons of CO₂ emission sare estimated to have been eliminated by recent Novo Nordisk energy-screening programmes.

able to shorten analysis time by more than 25% by turning the spotlight on one of the ‘invisible’ tasks easily overlooked in the busy daily routine. The key to the results was performance management and immediate follow-up.
     Also in Kalundborg, new cooling towers at the fermentation plant boost capacity by 50% and at the same time achieve the largest single reduction in energy consumption: annual savings of 4 million kWh and an annual reduction in C0₂ emissions of some 2,500 tons.

Production efficiency accelerates CO₂ reduction

At the same time, production efficiency underpins Novo Nordisk’s climate strategy and contributes to lowering the levels of CO₂ emissions. The company has set an ambitious target, as part of its commitment to the WWF Climate Savers programme, to reduce CO₂ emissions in 2014 to a level that is 10% below the 2004 level, despite a significant production increase.
     Novo Nordisk is committed to actively addressing climate change. Reducing carbon dependency is a business priority, and the company acknowledges its responsibility to respond to what is now recognised as one of the greatest global challenges to our future.
     The three levers in Novo Nordisk’s climate strategy are optimisation through cLEAN^®, energy savings in production and conversion to renewable energy. Energy-screening programmes from 2005 to 2007 led to an estimated reduction in CO₂ emissions of 12,000 tons.

An innovative partnership for wind power

In 2007, Novo Nordisk entered into a pioneering agreement with DONG Energy, Denmark’s largest energy company: DONG Energy assists Novo Nordisk in identifying energy-saving options and in return Novo Nordisk will purchase corresponding quantities of energy from a new offshore wind farm off the west coast of Denmark.
     With this agreement Novo Nordisk has devised a cost-neutral way to significantly achieve reductions in CO₂ emissions and at the same time help build the market for renewable energy in Denmark. This is what makes the agreement unique: it is commercially viable, and that makes it a solution that both parties would like to see other companies adopt.

     From 2014, Novo Nordisk is expected to purchase about a third of the total energy produced by the wind farm. The aim is that, by then, electricity supplies for Novo Nordisk’s facilities in Denmark, which currently account for 85% of the company’s total CO₂ emissions, will be entirely based on power from this wind farm. The partnership will run till 2020.

A quality mindset

In times of increased regulatory pressure for the pharmaceutical industry to meet high safety and quality standards, emphasis on quality goes hand in hand with effective and efficient production. More stable processes serve to ensure product quality.

Per Valstorp
senior vice president, Product Supply

      “When testing investigational compounds we use only one clinical standard. So the same guidelines apply to our clinical trials in any country, supplemented, of course, by adherence to local rules,” says Anders Dejgaard, chief medical officer, Global Development.

Ethical marketing practices

Novo Nordisk’s business ethics programme includes compliance with legislation and offers guidance on individual behaviour. The Business Ethics Policy is backed by three procedures for ethical business conduct, product promotion and contracting with agents and other third parties. Managers and members of senior management participate in training workshops. Business ethics e-learning is mandatory for all managers, and the e-learning programme is open to all employees. In 2007, 95% of employees in sales and marketing were trained in face-to-face workshops around the world. A Compliance Hotline is in place to alert management to possible breaches of the policy, and performance is monitored via audits.

A human rights perspective

Novo Nordisk supports the United Nations Universal Declara -tion of Human Rights, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2008, and has actively done so since 1999. As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, Novo Nordisk is committed to supporting and respecting human rights throughout its sphere of influence, primarily its relations with employees, suppliers and customers.

Engaged in the public debate

As part of its strategy to achieve broader business goals, Novo Nordisk seeks to make voices heard in order to raise awareness of the current unsustainable path of diabetes. Novo Nordisk’s global public affairs strategy rallies people with diabetes, healthcare professionals, decision-makers, patient organisations, media and constituency groups around new solutions. The aim is to get governments and international organisations to give diabetes priority on a par with its scope and severity and to improve health outcomes for people with diabetes.
     The company has Government Affairs offices in Washington and Brussels. Both offices focus on efforts to improve diabetes treatment. Recent US achievements include the introduction of bipartisan legislation, supported by the American Diabetes Association, which will create a cross-agency programme to promote wider use of Medicare’s diabetes screening benefit, saving money and lives.

Global public affairs standards

Novo Nordisk’s Changing Diabetes^® campaign leverages both public relations and public affairs activities (see pp 26–29). To ensure consistency with the Novo Nordisk Way of Management and compliance with requirements from governments and international institutions, a set of global public affairs standards is being instituted. This will include rules governing external disclosure.

See more on responsible business practices at novonordisk.com/sustainability. Click: Values in action

Consistent messages and a broad perspective take precedence over ad hoc solutions to win short-term competitive gains. Novo Nordisk’s presence in its markets relies on trust. This has been built over many decades and is a valuable asset that must be protected and nurtured.

The discovery, development and marketing of medical drugs entail careful attention to a range of ethical considerations. Novo Nordisk upholds high global standards in the areas of human ethics (clinical trial ethics, stem cell ethics), animal ethics (the reduction, refinement and replacement of animal experiments) and the use of gene technology in research and production. These ethical criteria also apply to external partners such as contract research organisations. On several occasions, the company has been the driver behind new standards that have gained wider adoption in the industry. In 2007, a dedicated website on bioethics was launched.

Transparency of clinical trials

Since 2005, Novo Nordisk has published the results of all sponsored phases 2–4 interventional trials for marketed products. This was done in response to stakeholder demands for increased transparency. In 2007, Novo Nordisk introduced its own dedicated clinical trials website – novonordisk-trials.com – providing an overview of all later-stage (phases 2–4) clinical trials. In 2008, phase 1 studies will also be disclosed.
     Novo Nordisk only conducts clinical trials in countries where it intends to seek marketing approval and where there is an ethics committee to approve the trial. In 2007, more than 20,000 people in 46 countries were involved in Novo Nordisk-sponsored clinical trials. Around 40% of the people involved live in developing countries. People who participate in Novo Nordisk trials only do so with informed consent and will always be offered the best available and proven treatment after the end of the study.

95%
of employees in sales and marketing were trained in business ethics standards.

20,000
people were participants in Novo Nordisk clinical trials in 2007.

People participating in Novo Nordisk trials do so with informed consent and are always offered the best available and proven treatment after the end of the study.

and our Triple Bottom Line approach to doing business,” says Executive Vice President and Chief of Staffs Lise Kingo.
     In external surveys a similar picture is apparent: Novo Nordisk’s values and culture combined with the company’s focus on people development appeal to graduates and other job seekers. In 2007, the company had1,120 applicants for 27 positions in its graduate programmes.
     Also in 2007, Novo Nordisk in the US was ranked the top employer in New Jersey in competition with many other, larger pharmaceutical companies. In Denmark, Novo Nordisk’s retention rates exceed industry benchmarks. However, in fast-growing and competitive markets like China it remains a challenge to retain talented people. For this reason, the company has established an MBA programme for Novo Nordisk managers in China at the prestigious Peking University (see p 37).

Spurring talent development

“We have a strong organisation with a motivated workforce. But that does not invite complacency. We need to raise the bar constantly for how we develop our leaders and support the development of all our employees. This is key to our future business success,” says Lars Christian Lassen, senior vice president, Corporate People & Organisation.
     Novo Nordisk offers tailored education programmes for all employees. These include introductory programmes for new employees, a wide range of professional courses and management development programmes. The company’s investment in training and development exceeds the industry average, as measured by average training costs per employee.
     New managers undergo mandatory leadership training and vice presidents and general managers also complete a mandatory programme, Spotlight, which focuses on personal leadership. In addition, there are two talent programmes for leaders who demonstrate high potential: Lighthouse for vice presidents and general managers, and Greenhouse for managers and young talent.
     Since 2004, 75 vice presidents and general managers have completed the Lighthouse programme, which is designed to explore personal leadership, sustainability and innovation in new ways. Participants meet people from diverse backgrounds who can stimulate new thinking: Native American leaders, people living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro or healthcare workers in Beijing.
     The Lighthouse pool is the source of eight out of ten senior leadership appointments.

Novo Nordisk’s culture and values serve to bridge the increasingly diverse global employee base and ensure a consistent approach to its way of working.

In pace with its rapidly growing business, Novo Nordisk is expanding its workforce. At the end of the year, the total number of employees was 26,008 – an increase from 2006 of 2,395 people. For the first time, the majority are located outside the company’s home base in Denmark.
     An expansion of this magnitude carries the challenge of smooth induction into the Novo Nordisk Way of Management. This values-based approach guides the way employees approach their work, no matter where in the world they are located.
     In the annual organisational review three strategic drivers were identified: globalisation, innovation and leadership. In response, the Global People Strategy focuses on talent and leadership development, talent attraction, performance management, people engagement and organisational development.

An engaging culture

Company values – being accountable, ambitious, responsible, engaged with stakeholders, open, honest and ready for change – are seen in daily interactions between managers and employees as well as in dealings with external parties.
     A high degree of identification with these values is evidenced by the level of employee engagement. In 2007, eVoice, the global employee survey, included a new index mapping the level of engagement measured by 10 criteria. Employees were asked to indicate on a scale of 1 to 5 the extent to which they agreed with statements such as: “Novo Nordisk is leading the fight against diabetes”, “Novo Nordisk’s results within the social and environmental area are important to the future of the company”, and “I know how my job contributes to the success of Novo Nordisk”. The average score was 4.1.
     “Employees are inspired by the company’s vision and values,

12,256
more people worked at Novo Nordisk in 2007 than in 2000; a workforce expansion of 89%.

1,120
applications were received for 27 Novo Nordisk jobs during a 2007 graduate recruitment drive.

Promoting a healthier lifestyle

The NovoHealth programme, aimed at preventing lifestyle diseases among employees, is now a global effort. This programme encourages and supports a healthy lifestyle by offering access to healthy food in the workplace, a

smoke-free work environment, exercise and individual health checks every second year.
     Health-promoting activities across the organisation will be aligned through NovoHealth to ensure sharing of better practices.

See more on people and workplace at novonordisk.com/sustainability
Click: Values in action

      Today, the quality of life for people with diabetes is far from acceptable. Two out of three people are in poor control of their diabetes because of inadequate access, treatment or care. More than 50% of people with diabetes do not even know they have it. Poor control translates into late-stage complications such as blindness, kidney disease and lower-limb amputations, affecting the quality of life of people with diabetes and their families.
     When numbers grow so large, they tend to lose their meaning. Behind the figures are people with diabetes whose biggest wish is to see this debilitating condition effectively defeated.

Advocacy for change

Novo Nordisk advocates an ambitious approach to changing diabetes. Firstly, to give priority to people with diabetes and

The scale of the diabetes pandemic continues to escalate and diabetes could become the worst pandemic of the 21st century. As a global leader in diabetes care, Novo Nordisk has the potential and moral obligation to make a difference beyond providing better medicine and devices.

The company’s medical ambition sets the bar: The goal is to improve patient outcome and save lives, and this is what drives the Changing Diabetes^® activities. It builds on Novo Nordisk’s position as the global leader in diabetes care, underpinned by its full portfolio of modern insulins and more than 80 years of experience. Novo Nordisk actively supports the implementation of the UN Resolution on diabetes and in 2007 demonstrated its commitment to work with partners: united to change diabetes.
     There are 246 million people worldwide with diabetes, a number expected to reach 380 million by 2025, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF)¹⁾. Millions more may develop diabetes due to the risk factors of overweight and obesity, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets. Other societal factors such as globalisation, urbanisation, an ageing population and migration are driving the diabetes pandemic.

278,764
people in 50 countries were engaged in Novo Nordisk-led activities on World Diabetes Day, 14 November 2007.

55%
of diabetes deaths are among women

convince governments and international organisations of the need to give diabetes priority. Secondly, to drive health outcomes for people with diabetes. And thirdly, to mobilise political support to break the curve of the global diabetes pandemic.
     These are the strategic cornerstones of Novo Nordisk’s global Changing Diabetes^® programme.

Leadership in action: sustainable health policy

As part of its collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach to changing dia betes, Novo Nordisk held the first Global Changing Diabetes^® Leadership Forum in March 2007. The Forum’s ambition was to translate the UN Resolution on diabetes, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2006, into national action plans for the prevention, treatment and care of diabetes.
     The keynote speaker at the Forum was former US President Bill Clinton, who stated: “There is a rising tide of obesity and resulting diabetes; it is an unbearably inhumane problem that falls disproportionately on the poor. We will compromise our country’s economic future even as we risk raising the first generation of children who will live shorter lives than their parents. We will never be forgiven, and I mean never, if we allow our children to live shorter lives than our own.”
     The Forum was attended by some 150 representatives of governments, international organisations and patient organisations as well as academics and journalists from 21 countries. Their dialogue took inspiration from Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results, by professors Elizabeth Teisberg and Michel E. Porter. The book claims that healthcare systems today have “the wrong type of competition – a competition to shift costs instead of improve care”.
     At the Forum, Novo Nordisk’s President and Chief Executive Officer Lars Rebien Sørensen pledged to launch a ‘diabetes barometer’ – a

“We have a medical ambition to improve patient outcomes by focusing on transparency and measurability to drive change. The Changing Diabetes^® Barometer will guide our efforts towards our ultimate goal of allowing all patients to have an HbA_1c below 7%.”

Jakob Riis
senior vice president, International Marketing

global tool that would track and measure best performance in the prevention, treatment and care of diabetes worldwide. “What you can measure, you can manage,” Lars Rebien Sørensen elaborated.
     This initiative is part of Novo Nordisk’s response to help implement the UN Resolution on diabetes.

Barometer: tracking performance

In November 2007, Novo Nordisk launched the global Changing Diabetes^® Barometer²⁾. It identifies diabetes indicators such as the HbA_1c test of blood sugar level, using published data. The Barometer aims to provide a scorecard for tracking change and pinpointing areas in need of improvement so that healthcare providers, governments and patient associations are better able to measure progress and set priorities for national diabetes action plans.
     The first Barometer report covers 21 countries. It highlights that lifelong healthcare cost can be reduced by as much as 20% and that people with diabetes can live longer and better lives if they are treated

adequately and diagnosed earlier, before any complications arise. The report found that10 of the 21countries did not have a national diabetes strategy in 2007. Seven countries lacked data on important treatment indicators such as HbA_1c, blood pressure and lipids levels, and only a couple of countries had systems in place enabling registration of data on key treatment indicators and consistent follow-up on a national scope.
     “It is essential that we figure out how to be far more effective in preventing diabetes, or at least preventing its progression to complications,” says professor Elizabeth Teisberg. “Improved early-stage care can dramatically reduce the incidence of amputations, blindness, heart attacks and other complications. The Barometer will spur discussion about ways to improve outcomes over the full cycle of care.”

The cost of inaction

Inaction is far costlier to society than investing today in better diabetes diagnosis, treatment and prevention. That was a key conclusion of The Silent Epidemic³⁾, an economic study of diabetes in developed and developing countries carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and sponsored by Novo Nordisk.
     The EIU study looked at the economic cost of diabetes in five countries: China, Denmark, India, the UK and the US. It concluded that the health spending and productivity loss arising from diabetes are already taking a noticeable share of GDP from many countries. In India, for example, which has the world’s largest number of people with diabetes, productivity losses took the equivalent of 20.4 billion US dollars from India’s economy, or 1.9% of GDP. This amounts to a productivity loss of 497 dollars per individual with diabetes, equivalent to around half of India’s per capita GDP.

86,000
people have visited Novo Nordisk’s Changing Diabetes® Bus during its journey across five continents stopping in 13 countries.

     Novo Nordisk is undertaking several socio-economic studies to examine the burden of diabetes and the costs and benefits of improved diabetes care, including in China and India, which have the largest diabetes populations in the world.
     “If diabetes remains unchanged, the world will face an impossible economic burden alongside a devastating toll on the lives of many people,” says Charlotte Ersbøll, corporate vice president, Branding and Responsibility. “With leadership comes responsibility. Novo Nordisk has the capability to make changes and innovate for new solutions to the diabetes epidemic where it is hitting the hardest.”

Inclusive access to diabetes care

Novo Nordisk supports the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and recognises the link between poverty and ill health. The company’s framework programme ‘Changing global access to diabetes care’ aims to ensure that the company is acting responsibly and proactively to make diabetes care inclusive for all – across geographies, cultures, social standing, age, gender and ethnicity. Access to health –defined as availability, accessibility, affordability and quality –is a critical precondition for effective prevention, treatment and care. The programme targets disadvantaged communities and the most vulnerable population groups with the lowest access to diabetes care, specifically people living in the least developed countries, low-income groups in emerging economies, migrants in developed countries and children.
     Novo Nordisk’s initiatives towards global access to diabetes care are the result of a long-term leadership strategy not only to promote medicines, but also to provide sustainable diabetes care for everybody who needs it. This ambition poses huge challenges. The solution hinges on the ability to drive

80%
of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

focused, targeted and collaborative actions. Novo Nordisk cooperates with governments, healthcare providers, NGOs, universities, healthcare professionals and diabetes associations worldwide to establish data, build evidence and pilot new intervention approaches.
     The new global access programme builds on the experience gained during the past five years of work through several initiatives. Programmes such as the pioneering World Partnership programme in eight developing countries, the National Changing Diabetes^® programmes with an accumulated 406 activities in 66 countries, the pricing policy focused on offering affordable insulin to the world’s 50 least developed countries and the projects funded by the World Diabetes Foundation have one common denominator: they offer a partnership approach to filling gaps in under-resourced and unsustainable healthcare systems.

Maternal health in India:
the World Diabetes Foundation
turns five

At a local maternity clinic on the outskirts of Chennai, hundreds of pregnant women have gathered to be screened for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) at the Dr V Seshiah Diabetes Care and Research Institute. Some women are here for the first time, encouraged by posters or public announcements to take a free blood test. Others already have GDM and are here to have a monthly check-up. All are present as part of a project called Diabetes in Pregnancy – Awareness and Prevention (DIPAP). It targets GDM, a type of diabetes that affects pregnant women who were not known to have diabetes previously. The project is supported by the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF). There is no known specific cause of GDM, but it is believed that the hormones produced during pregnancy reduce a woman’s receptivity to insulin, resulting in high blood sugar. Undiagnosed, it can lead to miscarriages or stillbirths, malformations, large babies with the risk of injuries during delivery and a higher risk of mother and child developing diabetes.
     For the WDF, which marked its fifth anniversary in 2007, the clinic’s work is an example of how small projects can influence the quality of life of thousands of people with diabetes. Five years ago, India had no authentic data from large populations on the prevalence of GDM. The WDF started funding DIPAP in 2004. Since then, 13,139 women in the State of Tamil Nadu have been screened for diabetes and 1,700 cases of GDM have been detected. A healthy diet and exercise are sufficient treatment for 95% of women with GDM. Furthermore, project data has established that 16% of all pregnant women in urban areas and 10% in rural areas develop gestational diabetes. This data has played a significant role in changing policies for GDM treatment in the southern-Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which has a population of 62 million.
     The WDF is an independent trust founded by Novo Nordisk to address diabetes in the world’s poorest countries. It is the only international foundation devoted solely to funding projects within diabetes care. In its first five years, it has funded 138 projects in 77 developing countries, focusing on diabetes awareness, education, capacity-building and better access to healthcare. “Our mantra is to be a catalyst – to help others do more,” explains WDF Managing Director Dr Anil Kapur.

See more at worlddiabetesfoundation.org

As the world leader in diabetes care, Novo Nordisk’s ambition is to defeat diabetes by finding better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. The company’s strategy is framed around the promise of changing diabetes and finding ways to improve people’s lives.

Modern insulin therapy serves individuals' varying needs and lifestyles while providing blood sugar control and, in some instances, less weight gain in a simple and cost-effective way.
     Novo Nordisk is the only company that offers a full range of modern insulins (see box). The company is intent on expanding its leadership within injectable insulins by pushing market penetration and seeking label extensions, while continually exploring alternative delivery methods.
     “We are continuously building upon our expertise in protein expression and engineering, protein formulation and device technology. This, coupled with our in-depth understanding of diabetes biology and the causes or origins of diabetes, puts Novo Nordisk in a unique position to realise our vision of eventually defeating diabetes,” says Peter Kurtzhals, senior vice president, Diabetes Research Unit.
     Other building blocks in the strategy to sustain leadership in diabetes care are a deep understanding of customer needs, coupled with the ability to deliver high-quality clinical data as well as convincing health-economic data that support the arguments for the company’s products.

The control factor

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) recommend tight blood sugar control and early adoption of insulin thera-

232
billion US dollars was the estimated world spend in 2007 to treat and prevent diabetes and its complications.

py for people with diabetes who are not meeting their treatment goals.
     With poor control of their condition, these people risk serious complications such as cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney disease and lower-limb amputations.
     In 2007, the first results of a three-year 4-T trial⁶⁾ (Treating to Target in Type 2 Diabetes) were presented by researchers at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. It studied people with type 2 diabetes in Ireland and Great Britain who were not in control of their blood sugar despite taking two different antidiabetic tablets. The trial compared the effects of adding various Novo Nordisk modern insulins to the treatment regimen for one year: three equally large groups were treated with NovoMix^® 30, NovoRapid^® or Levemir^®.
     The results showed that participants in the trial could lower their blood sugar using any of the insulin regimens tested. The one-year outcome confirmed the advantages of starting once daily with Levemir^® – fewer hypoglycaemic events and less weight gain. In patients with HbA_1c (a measure of long-term blood sugar levels) of above 8.5% when entering the study, a more intensified treatment with insulin may be needed to reach target.

Blood sugar control is key

The IMPROVE^® Control programme, a Novo Nordisk global observational study involving more than 50,000 people with diabetes, is also generating insight into the need for improved control. Participants started on treatment with NovoMix^® 30. Most of them had either been on tablet therapy or received no treatment. Others had been on insulin therapy, but did not

9.2%
of people in North America had diabetes in 2007