Novo buoyed by insulin portfolio
pharmafile | February 2, 2010 | News story | Sales and Marketing | 2009 financials, Novo Nordisk, Victoza
Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk managed a double-digit rise in sales and profits in 2009, buoyed by insulin products NovoRapid, NovoMix and Levemir.
The company hopes 2010 operating profits will grow by 10%, and is preparing for a global roll-out of its new diabetes treatment Victoza later this year.
Chief executive Lars Rebien Sørensen said: “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.
“The launch of Victoza in Europe is very encouraging and we look forward to continuing the global roll-out of Victoza following the recent approvals in the U.S. and Japan.”
The once-daily injectable Victoza (liraglutide), a GLP-1 agonist receptor analogue, is designed to work along existing oral treatments and is expected to hit the US market in the next few weeks.
A Japanese launch is slightly further away as it hinges on price negotiations with authorities there, but Novo still anticipates bringing it to that market before June.
Sales, profits rise
Novo’s 2009 sales were up 12% on 2008 to DKK 51 billion and net profit was also up 12%, this time to DKK 10.8 billion.
Its modern insulins including: NovoRapid, NovoMix and Levemir enjoyed a combined growth in sales of 24%, up to DKK 21.5 billion, while in total its diabetes care portfolio rose 12% to DKK 37.5 billion.
Its biopharmaceuticals segment saw an 11% increase in total sales, up to DKK 13.6 billion led by NovoSeven, a coagulant agent used in haemophilia, sales of which rose 11% to DKK 7.1 billion.
The year ahead
Novo recently began phase I clinical trials of its oral GLP-1 treatment in a potentially ground-breaking area of research that could reduce the need for injectables to treat diabetes. It is also currently developing NN9161 for the treatment of diabetes.
The company is also poised to launch its tropical atrophy treatment Vagifem, following approvals by regulators in the US and European.
Meanwhile, to strengthen its inflammation efforts, Novo Nordisk has in-licensed a human anti-IL-21 monoclonal antibody (anti-IL-21 mAb) developed by ZymoGenetics, which is expected to start phase 1 trials against autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in 2010.
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