Novo Nordisk opens new biopharmaceutical pilot plant

Novo Nordisk has announced the opening of a new pilot plant in Hillerod, Denmark, which will be used for the development and manufacture of biopharmaceutical products which are based on mammalian-cell cultured proteins.

The company also uses two other types of cell in its production of biopharmaceuticals – yeast and E Coli. Among the first novel compounds that will be produced at the new plant using mammalian cells are therapeutic oncology antibodies.

Established as an extension of the company’s existing development and production site at Hillerod, the newly expanded site 350 million Danish kroner (31.7 million pound) plant will have a floor space of 3,500 square metres.

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, chief science officer and executive vice president of Novo Nordisk, said: “This new pilot plant underlines Novo Nordisk’s strong commitment to biopharmaceuticals, both within existing areas such as haemostasis, and new areas such as inflammation and cancer.”

He added that the plant would increase the company’s ability to produce novel investigational compounds to be used in clinical trials.

Last month, Novo Nordkisk announced the opening of its largest manufacturing facility outside of Denmark, with the inauguration of a $200 million (100 million pound) insulin manufacturing facility in Brazil.