Diabetes Research Unit
Sustaining Novo Nordisk’s leadership in diabetes care
The Diabetes Research Unit works to maintain Novo Nordisk’s leading position in diabetes care.
We are the first and only company to produce and offer a complete portfolio of modern insulins, delivery devices, needles and health service and information. Since the early 1920s, we have driven a number of important innovations within the field of insulin research.
We strive to defeat diabetes by finding better methods of diabetes prevention, detection and treatment – or even a cure. We target our efforts on improving blood sugar control, which is the core of preventing or delaying complications. We focus on insulin analogues, protein delivery systems and new anti-diabetics.
Our expertise
Our focus
Delivery systems
Our expertise
Novo Nordisk’s diabetes care leadership is based on our expertise within aetiology and pathophysiology of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. We continually expand our large international network, including academic institutions, clinical research centres and technology providers, in our quest for ensuring the competitiveness of our research programmes. We are actively searching for academic partnerships as well as collaborations with biotech companies in any area of diabetes research.
Our focus
Our diabetes development pipeline includes insulin and GLP-1 analogues that target different aspects of diabetes therapy.
Our human GLP-1 analogue, liraglutide, is one in a new class of products for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 is a human hormone produced in the intestine. It stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin and also tells the brain to reduce appetite.
Ultimately we strive to find a cure for diabetes. We are at the forefront of stem cell research in this area. We believe this holds the greatest promise of creating a safe, stable and widely available source of insulin-secreting cells for transplantation into people with Type 1 diabetes.
Delivery systems
Novo Nordisk launched the first NovoPen® in 1985. An immediate success, NovoPen® set a new standard in insulin delivery, ensuring efficacy, safety and reliability while retaining a subtle and discreet appearance. Our leadership in user-friendly delivery systems continues as we explore new concepts for insulin delivery.
See our other units in R&D
Biopharmaceutical Research Unit
Global Development
Regulatory Affairs
CMC Supply
