Novo Nordisk expands Chinese production plant
Novo Nordisk is undertaking a significant expansion of its production facilities in Tianjin, China. Plans include a new assembly plant for Novo Nordisk's NovoPen 3 insulin pen as well as an expansion of current packaging facilities for Penfill insulin cartridges and FlexPen prefilled insulin pens.
The new plant will be built on the company's existing 40,000m2 site in Tianjin and will supply both domestic and export markets. The facility will be operational in 2006 and will create more than 100 new jobs in China.
As the new NovoPen 3 production plant in China becomes operational, existing NovoPen 3 production in Denmark will be phased out. The Danish plant will be re-equipped, and employees transferred to the production of NovoPen 4, a new insulin pen being developed by Novo Nordisk.
'Our expansion in China reflects our commitment to the Chinese market and our goal of being the leader in diabetes care in Asia,' said Lars Rebien Sorensen, president and ceo.
Novo Nordisk has had an affiliate in China since 1994. The headquarters and r&d centre are in Beijing while the production plant is located in Tianjin. Currently, Novo Nordisk employs more than 570 people in China.
Meanwhile, the company has broken ground for a new insulin purification facility in Kalundborg, Denmark. The plant will increase the production capacity for Novo Nordisk's Levemir long-acting insulin analogue, which was launched earlier this year and is marketed in 10 European countries.
The new facility is designed to meet the expected demand from markets outside Europe. Scheduled for completion in 2006, the new 7000m2 facility represents an investment of just under Dkr800m and will create about 100 new jobs.
A US$100m expansion of its insulin manufacturing plant in Clayton, North Carolina, is also planned. The move will create around 200 new jobs, bringing the total to 600.
The first phase, scheduled for completion in 2006, will allow the company to more than double its insulin filling capacity in the US. The second phase will include assembly and packaging facilities for Novo Nordisk's prefilled insulin delivery device FlexPen, with expected completion in 2007.
Currently, the Clayton plant handles the formulation, filling and packaging of Novo Nordisk insulin preparations. A $12m addition was recently completed.
