Novo Nordisk unveils ‘major’ insulin plant

Novo Nordisk has announced the inauguration of its largest manufacturing site outside its base in Denmark, with the unveiling of a $200 million (100 million pound) insulin manufacturing facility in Brazil.

The site represents the largest single investment of the pharmaceutical industry in the history of Brazil and the opening ceremony was attended by Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Brazilian vice-president Jose Alencar Gomes da Silva.

At the plant, insulin will be formulated and filled into Penfill cartridges with a 3 ml capacity for use in the pen systems marketed internationally by the firm, with the products exported to a number of countries worldwide, including the UK.

Lars Rebien Sorensen, president and chief executive officer of Novo Nordisk, said: “Today, we are not just inaugurating a new factory. We are celebrating one of the most significant milestones in the history of Novo Nordisk as an international company.”

He added that the new site is a vital part of the firm’s operations worldwide and highlighted the company’s dedication to the market in Brazil.

In March 2007, Novo Nordisk called on the pharmaceutical industry to collaborate and publish information regarding the efficacy and value-for-money of treatments for diabetes.