Fifteen years ago, Novo Nordisk claimed bragging rights as the first multinational pharma company to set up research facilities in China. Today it cut the ribbon on a $100 million expansion of its R&D complex in China, which will make room for 70 more scientists who are being added to its swelling ranks in Beijing.
Novo Nordisk ($NVO) says it now has room for a full range of protein research services in China, adding that the company will soon have 200 investigators at work in Beijing, with added room available for further expansion in the near future. Many of the scientists are working on diabetes drugs, a longtime specialty for the Danish pharma company. And they'll be plugged in to a global R&D network, sharing ideas and creating new drugs with colleagues in Denmark and the U.S.
"We see the investment in this new R&D facility as a win-win opportunity for both Novo Nordisk and China. Novo Nordisk recognizes the strong science being performed in China and we want to bring innovation from Chinese scientists into our company to help tackle the growing burden of diabetes and other chronic diseases throughout the world," says Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, chief science officer and executive vice president of Novo Nordisk, in a statement.
Novo Nordisk isn't alone. Almost all the Big Pharma companies have been adding ambitious new R&D efforts in China, drawn by a country eager to invest in its research infrastructure as a new generation of investigators comes of age. The companies also see China as one of the world's key emerging markets and a growing source of drug revenue.
- here's the press release