Novo Nordisk invests €134m in Danish facility
pharmafile | June 24, 2011 | News story | Manufacturing and Production | Novo Nordisk, biologics, pharma manufacturing news
Novo Nordisk plans to invest almost 1 billion Danish kroner (134 million euros) in a new biologics manufacturing facility at its Kalundborg site, the largest in the group’s production network.
The new capacity will be used to manufacture biopharmaceuticals such as Factor VIIa, used in Novo’s NovoSeven drug for haemophilia, as well as growth hormone and other biologic medicines.
The factory is expected to create 120–150 new jobs in Kalundborg over the next three years, adding to its current tally of around 2,600. Kalundborg is also the primary manufacturing site in the Novo network for insulin production, as well as for filling, finishing and packaging insulin drugs.
Per Valstorp, senior vice president of product supply at the Danish firm, said the company needs to boost capacity for its existing products, but “also to be ready to produce future haemophilia products that are in the pipeline”.
Nearest to the market is Novo’s recombinant factor XIII drug NN1841, designed to treat a rare bleeding disorder that affects about 600–1,000 patients worldwide. The drug was filed for approval in the US in February. An improved Factor VIII called N8 is in phase III trials for haemophilia A, as is a long-acting formulation of Factor IX for haemophilia B.
To begin with, the new plant will handle formulation, freeze-drying, filling and packaging of a range of Novo’s biopharmaceuticals, including NovoSeven, the Norditropin growth hormone brand and glucagon product GlucaGen for severe hypoglycaemia.
“We already have similar production in Gentofte, Denmark, and have built up great expertise in the production of biopharmaceuticals in Denmark. We were therefore never in doubt that this new factory should be placed in Denmark”, said Valstorp.
The packaging facility is expected to be operational in 2013, while the other facilities, which need more time to get online thanks to stricter running-in and validation requirements, are expected to be up and running in 2015.
Phil Taylor
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