Victoza and modern insulins help boost Novo Nordisk sales

Novo Nordisk has announced that its key diabetes care products have helped deliver another set of strong financial results.
The Danish pharmaceutical said it experienced strong double-digit growth during the first half of 2013, with net sales for the six months rising by 14% year-on-year to 41.4 billion Danish kroner (£4.78 billion) and operating profits climbing by 19% to 16.1 billion kroner.
The encouraging performance was due largely to sales of Novo’s key diabetes products, including Victoza, the once-daily oral drug treatment for type 2 diabetes, and its modern insulin products Levemir (insulin detemir) and NovoRapid (insulin aspart).
Victoza sales leapt 32% to 5.56 billion kroner, followed by Levemir (up 19% to 5.43 billion kroner) and NovoRapid (up 12% at 4.88 billion kroner). Overall sales of the firm’s diabetes care products (all in local currencies) rose 14% to 32.4 billion kroner.
Lars Rebien Sorense, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said: “We are pleased with the strong results in the first six months of 2013. Our portfolio of modern insulins and Victoza are driving solid sales growth.”
The recent launch of its new-generatio, ultra-long acting insulin product Tresiba (insulin degludec) in various global markets was also highlighted, with the company adding that the launch of new products is “progressing as planned and feedback from patients and prescribers is encouraging.”
Novo Nordisk said it now aims to build on the 18% year-on-year growth achieved during 2012.