Xconomy's Luke Timmerman takes a close look at Novo Nordisk's plans to set up a new research institute in Seattle. The Danish drugmaker, which reaps a big financial harvest from diabetes drugs and the hemophilia therapy Factor VII, plans to hire some 80 people for immunology research work.
"We have an opportunity to capture some of the best scientific talent in the U.S. here," says site head Don Foster. "It's a good time to be recruiting people in Seattle and across the U.S. A lot of the biotech and the pharmaceutical industry is struggling, and it's hard to watch."
Novo inked a partnership with start-up VLST last month and plans to advance new therapies for autoimmune ailments, a big category in pharmaceuticals. Novo tells Xconomy that it has a 10-year strategic plan for its operations in Seattle.
- read the report from Xconomy