Novo Nordisk Invests Close to 400 Million US Dollars in New Insulin Production Plant in China

COPENHAGEN, Nov. 7, 2008-Novo Nordisk today announced a major investment in a new insulin production plant in Tianjin, China. The plant has been designated Novo Nordisk’s primary production base in the Asia Pacific region and will supply both China and export markets.

The investment amounts to close to 400 million US dollars and will create close to 500 new jobs in Tianjin. It is one of the largest investments in Novo Nordisk’s history, and the largest single investment outside Denmark.

“The new plant in Tianjin will become the world’s most modern insulin formulation and filling plant and is yet another example of the increasingly important role China is playing in Novo Nordisk’s global operations,” says Lars Rebien Sørensen, president and chief executive officer of Novo Nordisk.

Lars Rebien Sørensen announced the investment today at a ground-breaking ceremony in Tianjin with representatives from among others the Chinese Ministry of Health, the Tianjin Municipal Government, Tianjin Economic Development Area (TEDA), the Danish embassy and leading Chinese diabetologists.

“The new plant will help meet the increasing demand for Novo Nordisk’s insulin products in Asia. With the new plant and our R&D centre in Beijing, we will have an even stronger platform for changing diabetes in China,” says Ronald Frank Christie, president of Novo Nordisk China.

Diabetes is a growing problem in China, with nearly 40 million people in the country estimated to have diabetes, the second-highest number in any single country after India. An ageing population and the adoption of Western lifestyles with too little exercise and diets high in saturated fat mean that the problem will get worse. A clear sign is that 64 million Chinese have impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes.

Novo Nordisk’s first plant in Tianjin was built in 1996 and expanded twice in 2002 and 2005; the new plant will be built on a new 88,000 sq metres site next to the existing plant. It is expected to be operational in 2012. Major Novo Nordisk insulin products such as NovoMix® 30 and NovoRapid® will be formulated and filled in the plant.

“We are also planning to formulate and fill Levemir®, Novo Nordisk’s long-acting modern insulin here in the new plant.” says Lars Arnoldsen, Novo Nordisk’s project vice president, who will manage the construction of the new plant.

About the new plant

·       Total utilised area will be 50,850 sq metres (footprint 22,500 sq metres)

·       The construction alone is expected to take close to two years

·       It will take six million man-hours to complete the plant

·       35,000 cubic meters of concrete will be used for the construction

·       Cold storage capacity will be equivalent to 21,000 large household refrigerators

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care. 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. With headquarters in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 26,550 employees in 80 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 novonordisk.com.

About Novo Nordisk 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 around 1,700 people in China.

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. Currently, the R&D centre in China employs over 50 scientists.

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. During the past five years, over 150,000 physicians and nurses were trained with Diabetes Treatment and Prevention Guidelines which was developed by a cooperation programme between Novo Nordisk and the Ministry of Health of China.

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