Novo Nordisk invests $100 million in new purification pilot plant in Denmark

Danish insulin giant Novo Nordisk (NOV: N) revealed this morning that it is increasing its drug development capacity by investing 550 million Danish kroner ($100 million) in a new research and development facility in Bagsvaerd, Denmark.

The purification plant will expand the company's capacity to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for a growing number of diabetes drugs under development. The pilot plant will be fully operational by late 2016 and will be run by CMC Supply (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control Supply), a unit within Novo Nordisk R&D. CMC Supply develops, produces and formulates all new protein and peptide processes in Novo Nordisk.

"The new purification pilot plant will significantly increase our capacity for early-phase diabetes projects. It will create up to 35 new jobs over a two-year period in addition to the 100 new employees CMC Supply will hire in Denmark in 2014", said Jesper Boving, senior vice president, CMC Supply.