History of Novo Nordisk

The story of Novo Nordisk spans over 85 years. It began in 1922 when a Danish couple, August and Marie Krogh were travelling in America. August Krogh was a professor from the University of Copenhagen with a Nobel Prize in physiology and Marie Krogh was a doctor and researcher in metabolic diseases.

Whilst in America, the Kroghs heard of two Canadian researchers, Frederick Banting and Charles Best, who were treating people with diabetes using insulin extract from bovine pancreases. Marie Krogh was particularly interested in the treatment because she herself suffered from type 2 diabetes. After visiting Toronto during their stay they were granted permission to produce insulin in Denmark.

On their return to Denmark, August Krogh together with Dr H. C. Hagedorn began conducting research into the extraction of insulin with the financial support of Danish pharmacist August Kongsted.

On December 21, 1922 the two men succeeded in extracting a small quantity of insulin from a bovine pancreas. The first patients were treated with insulin in March 1923. Shortly after, August Krogh and H.C. Hagedorn founded Nordisk Insulinlaboratorium. 1923 is today considered the year of establishment of Novo Nordisk.

In 1923, the engineer Harald Pedersen joined Nordisk, to build machines used for insulin production. His brother Thorvald Pedersen, was later recruited to analyse the chemical processes occurring during the production of insulin. However, Thorvald Pedersen did not get on with Hans Christian Hagedorn, and in 1924 he was fired from Nordisk.

Out of loyalty to his brother, Harald Pedersen resigned from Nordisk and the two brothers decided to try to produce insulin themselves. They were soon successfully producing an insulin product which they called "Insulin Novo". At the same time Harald designed a special syringe, the Novo syringe, with which patients could inject themselves with insulin. In 1925, the brothers established their own firm named Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium and sent a letter of introduction to Danish pharmacists, informing them that Insulin Novo and the Novo syringe were now on sale. This date is regarded as the date on which Novo was founded.

Over the next 64 years, both companies expanded rapidly. Both established large research units and competed furiously to be the first on the market with new products for the treatment of diabetes. Nordisk and Novo also began to diversify by developing other products. By the time the two companies merged in 1989, Novo had become the world's largest producer of industrial enzymes, and Nordisk had developed drugs for the treatment of haemophilia and was one of the largest suppliers of human growth hormone. The new company Novo Nordisk A/s formed one of the world's largest biotechnology groups.

Today, Krogh's legacy to make a positive difference in peoples lives' and do whatever it takes to help people defeat diabetes remains at the heart of everything Novo Nordisk does.

Lasted updated:March 2009
CAID/RESH/ABT027