Novo Nordisk reports strong growth in first half of 2015

Novo Nordisk has announced its financial results for the first half of 2015, during which it achieved strong double-digit growth in terms of sales and profits.

The company earned 52.3 billion Danish kroner (4.89 billion pounds) during the six months, which represented a nominal year-on-year increase of 25 percent, or nine percent in local currency terms.

Its local currency operating profit increase was 16 percent when adjusted for the divestment of its NNIT business, with sales of Victoza and Levemir both seeing double-digit growth.

Key highlights of the second quarter included the successful launch of NovoEight and Saxenda in the US, as well as the announcement of positive results from the first phase IIIa trial for its new once-weekly GLP-1 analogue semaglutide.

For the full year, Novo Nordisk continues to expect sales growth of between seven and nine percent in local currency terms.

Lars Rebien Sorensen, president and chief executive officer of Novo Nordisk, said: "We are satisfied with the results of the first six months of 2015, during which Victoza and Levemir continued to drive sales growth."