Novo Nordisk is increasing its drug development capacity by investing 550 million Danish kroner (100 million US dollars) in a new research and development facility in Bagsværd, Denmark. The purification plant will expand the company's capacity to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for a growing number of diabetes drugs under development. The pilot plant will be fully operational by late 2016 and will be run by CMC Supply (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control Supply); a unit within Novo Nordisk R&D. CMC Supply develops, produces and formulates all new protein and peptide processes in Novo Nordisk.
"The new purification pilot plant will significantly increase our capacity for early-phase diabetes projects. It will create up to 35 new jobs over a two-year period in addition to the 100 new employees CMC Supply will hire in Denmark in 2014", said Jesper Bøving, senior vice president, CMC Supply.
The project initially involves establishment of a pilot plant with one purification line. The facility can be expanded to the double size to further increase the capacity. In total 5 kilometres of steel pipes will be used in the purification pilot plant with a total area of 2,700 square metres.
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Novo Nordisk employs approximately 38,000 employees in 75 countries, and markets its products in more than 180 countries.