Novo Nordisk announces profit rise for 2009

Novo Nordisk this week posted its financial results for 2009, revealing a 21 per cent increase in its reported operating profits for the period.

Additionally, the firm anticipates that this figure will rise further – by ten per cent – over the coming 12 months.

The company’s net profit was also up by 12 per cent, rising to 10,768 million Danish kroner (1,263 million pounds), while its diluted earnings per share increased by 15 per cent to 17.82 Danish kroner.

Lars Rebien Sorensen, president and chief executive officer of Novo Nordisk, said that the launch of Victoza in Europe was a particularly successful step for the organisation last year.

He added: “We are satisfied with the solid business performance in 2009, which is primarily driven by the robust sales growth for our portfolio of modern insulins.”

In other Novo Nordisk news, the firm announced the launch of its clinical trial into NN9924 – a long-acting oral GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) analogue – in the middle of last month.