BEIJING, China, May 21, 2024 — Today, Novo Nordisk, the world's leading biopharmaceutical company, hosted its annual media conference. Novo Nordisk, which has just gone through the century, has anchored an innovative direction around a clear corporate strategy, focused on four core areas, built a deep and broad R&D pipeline, and invested in unprecedented production capacity to fully meet the growing medical needs of patients around the world.

Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen (Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen), Novo Nordisk Global President and CEO

Novo Nordisk's corporate strategy is rooted in the mission of “driving change and working together to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases”. It will continue to strengthen its leading position in the treatment of diabetes and obesity, consolidate its leadership in the treatment of rare diseases, and establish a layout in the field of cardiovascular disease and other serious chronic diseases. Novo Nordisk Global President and CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen (Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen) said, “Dispelling the haze caused by these serious chronic diseases requires sustainable and powerful breakthrough innovative solutions. In response to this campaign, Novo Nordisk's core contribution was to provide industry-leading treatment solutions. In 2023, more than 42 million patients around the world benefited from the company's innovative products, and we are deeply responsible. To achieve everything from disease treatment and prevention to cure, we will continue to promote scientific innovation, establish diversified product lines, and continue to invest in R&D in core treatment fields.”

The next high point of insulin therapy innovation

Based on more than a century of innovation, Novo Nordisk aims to explore the next generation of revolutionary insulin treatments for diabetics. The company is developing glucose-sensitive insulin. It's an intelligent molecule based on blood sugar response that can keep blood sugar steady within a normal range and reduce or eliminate the occurrence of hypoglycemic events. Novo Nordisk has completed proof of concept for the first glucose-sensitive insulin “Insulin 845 (Phase 1 trial)”, which has shown good safety and tolerability.

At the same time, the company continues to advance towards the goal of curing type 1 diabetes with cell therapy and has made good progress. The research project showed that new beta cells transplanted into diabetic mice showed the potential to restore blood sugar homeostasis to human set values and extend the steady-state period. In addition, the company continues to work to improve the thermal stability of insulin products.

Standing at the cutting edge of innovation in obesity treatment

Novo Nordisk has been conducting research in the field of obesity treatment for over 25 years. Based on GLP-1RA therapy, the company has built a solid scientific foundation and is focused on raising innovative standards to meet diverse medical needs. As a global leader in obesity treatment, Novo Nordisk's pace of innovation has attracted global media attention. At the event, Novo Nordisk's Executive Vice President of Research and Early Development and Chief Scientific Officer, Marcus Schindler, presented the five directions of research and development in the field of obesity treatment:

• Seek better curative effects through exploration of combined action mechanisms (such as GLP-1/amylin)
• Decrease the frequency of administration
• Focus on body composition to maintain muscle mass
• Addressing obesity as a chronic disease to help manage long-term weight
• Treatment options are both safe and tolerable

In the early stages of drug research and development, we explore new biological mechanisms for treating obesity, some of which are achieved through collaborative integration of GLP-1, such as combining the physiological mechanisms of GLP-1 and pancreatin, leading innovation in the next generation of obesity and diabetes treatments. Both pancreatin and GLP-1 are peptide hormones. Among them, insulin is a hormone produced by pancreatic beta cells, and it has shown the potential to supplement or bring additional benefits to GLP-1 in the field of obesity and other cardiovascular metabolic diseases. Glycin and GLP-1 have effects on appetite regulation and blood sugar control. At the same time, insulin can play a role in bone homeostasis and body composition. According to phase 1 trial data, patients with an average body weight of 89 kg treated with the drug candidate Amycretin lost 13.1% of their body weight after 12 weeks of treatment and showed safe and well-tolerated characteristics.

The main results of the SELECT trial showed that simeglutide 2.4 mg injection can reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in adults who are overweight or obese. The rich data accumulated in this trial created opportunities for future scientific research: the number of participants exceeded 17,600, and the test period was 5 years. The company will make full use of AI-driven data mining and analysis technology to better understand obesity, patient treatment outcomes, and disease development trajectories, so as to develop more targeted individualized therapies and further explore disease prevention strategies.

Layout the field of cardiovascular disease

In the field of cardiovascular disease, Novo Nordisk focuses on two major areas: atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which includes dyslipidemia, systemic inflammation, uncontrolled hypertension, and refractory hypertension; and heart failure, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and transthyroxine amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).

Disease-modifying treatments are the next frontier in cardiovascular disease. Recently, Novo Nordisk completed the acquisition of German biotech company Cardior. Cardior is a leader in the field of focusing on developing targeted RNAs to prevent, repair, and reverse heart disease. Based on a specific non-coding RNA target platform, the company aims to address the underlying causes of cardiac dysfunction to achieve lasting benefits for patients. The agreement includes Cardior's primary compound CDR132L, which is currently in phase 2 clinical development for heart failure. Furthermore, the LAPIS research carried out by partner Heartseed is progressing smoothly. The first patient with heart failure to receive cell therapy using pluripotent stem cells derived (iPSCs) improved cardiac function 26 weeks after receiving the transplant.

Benefiting more patients in a sustainable way

While expanding future pipelines, Novo Nordisk continues to expand production capacity, build a strong, sustainable and resilient supply chain, and serve more patients in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Henrik Wulff, executive vice president and head of product supply, quality and IT at Novo Nordisk, explained, “We are continuously increasing our investment in the entire industry chain to meet the market demand for existing products and future products. We focus on providing high quality products to patients around the world in an efficient and environmentally sustainable manner. A number of core production expansion plans are in full swing at global production facilities.”

When it comes to its possible environmental impact, Novo Nordisk's Executive Vice President and Head of Business Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Camilla Sylvest (Camilla Sylvest) reaffirmed Novo Nordisk's commitment to achieve zero carbon emissions from its operations and transportation by 2030, and that all suppliers use 100% renewable energy to supply Novo Nordisk products or services. To this end, while expanding production capacity, the company focuses on energy saving and purchasing renewable energy, and reducing emissions from the production of raw materials and building materials through low-carbon solutions.

At the level of social responsibility, Novo Nordisk focuses on disease prevention, providing long-term and comprehensive care to patients, and promoting multi-party dialogue and cooperation to help prevent the occurrence of type 2 diabetes and reverse the development trend of obesity. This year, the “Cities for Better Health” global project was heavily upgraded to “Drive Cities for Better Health (Cities for Better Health)”. The project will continue to work with 47 cities to drive change, focus on prevention and intervention measures for childhood obesity and diabetes, and implement evidence-based, scalable, community-based solutions.

Rooted in China for 30 years, “China Co-Creation” is moving forward at an accelerated pace

2024 marks the 30th anniversary of Novo Nordisk China's founding. Rooted in China for 30 years, Novo Nordisk continues to deepen the layout of the entire industry chain and better serve Chinese patients through a “double center, three engine” strategic layout. In recent years, Novo Nordisk has resonated with the Chinese pharmaceutical innovation wave and promoted simultaneous approval of innovative drugs in China and around the world through the “China Co-Creation” project. In 2023, the project ushered in a milestone: a marketing application for the weekly injection of basic insulin icodec was submitted in China. This is the first time Novo Nordisk has simultaneously completed clinical trials in China, the European Union, and the US, and submitted a new drug marketing application at the same time.

At the same time, innovative results in various disease fields are in sight: Wegovy (overseas trade name for simeglutide 2.4 mg injection) for long-term weight management has submitted a domestic marketing application and has been accepted by the State Drug Administration. It is expected to be approved in China this year, hoping to benefit Chinese obese patients as soon as possible. Furthermore, the long-acting recombinant coagulation factor VIIII-Turoctocog alfa pegol has submitted a marketing application for a new drug in China, which is expected to benefit Chinese hemophilia A patients as soon as possible.

Novo Nordisk China is preparing or conducting a number of clinical trials in various new treatment fields such as obesity, hemophilia, growth disorders, and other serious chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, steatohepatitis associated with metabolic dysfunction, and Alzheimer's disease.

Zhang Kezhou, corporate vice president of Novo Nordisk's Greater China Pharmaceutical Quality Department, said:“In terms of clinical trials, Novo Nordisk China has fully entered all of Novo Nordisk's disease fields. The steady advancement of the innovation pipeline further ensures that we can accelerate the launch of various innovative drugs in China by 2025, fully realize simultaneous research and development of new drugs, and bring innovative drugs to patients as quickly as possible.”

Zhou Xiaping, Senior Vice President of Novo Nordisk Global and President of Greater China

Zhou Xiaping, senior vice president of Novo Nordisk Global and president of Greater China, said, “Looking back over the past 30 years, every step Novo Nordisk has taken in China for patients to hopefully take the next step in their lives. Facing the future, we will continue to accelerate innovation, expand cooperation, benefit more patients, promote sustainable development, and contribute to building a healthy China.”

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk, founded in 1923, is a leading global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Denmark. Our mission is to drive change and work together to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases. To achieve this goal, we are leading scientific breakthroughs, expanding the company's access to medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure diseases. Novo Nordisk has around 63,000 employees in 80 countries and regions around the world, providing products and services to approximately 170 countries and regions around the world. Novo Nordisk China official website: