Learn about key topics in research and development (R&D) at Novo Nordisk. We share our views on collaboration with partners in science, our need for talent, patient centred research and our core competencies in proteins.

R&D quick facts

  • 90 year history of advancing diabetes treatment with medical biologics
  • 6,000+ employees working with R&D across the globe
  • ~ 10 billion DKK R&D spend
  • Ranked 4th in Science Magazine's Top Employers 2012 survey
    See: Science website 
  • Top rating in Dow Jones Sustainability Index for last nine years
    See: Bioethics
  • ~ 2,000 scientific publications
  • 800+ active patent families
  • 88 PhD/PostDoc science students from Europe, North America and Asia 
    See: STAR Programme
  • 10 recipients in the new Diabetes Innovation Award supporting early diabetes/obesity research

Revenue and spend

Passionate about proteins

Novo Nordisk is a protein-based, focused healthcare company. R&D is committed to not only engineering proteins into safe and effective therapies, but also developing new and improved delivery systems for people relying on our products.

Watch video: Our passion for proteins 

R&D Partnering

We are seeking partnerships in science and innovation to help us improve the lives of people living with chronic diseases. Our areas of interest are:

Diabetes
Protein delivery devices
Haemophilia
Growth disorders
Inflammation

Our partnering competencies:

Our protein competencies
Partnering with Novo Nordisk

R&D Pipeline

We are researching and developing new treatments for people living with chronic diseases within:

Diabetes pipeline
Haemophilia pipeline
Inflammation pipeline
Other therapies

Bioethics

Novo Nordisk is committed to engineering proteins into safe and effective therapies in a bioethical manner.

To this end, the company has developed position statements on bioethical issues in all key areas involving research on people and animals and the use of gene technology and stem cells. These position statements inform how we conduct R&D activities and are integrated into our standard operating procedures.

Novo Nordisk also takes an active role in advancing the field of bioethics in public forums. This is further reflected in the fact that we revisit our position statements periodically to ensure that they reflect new and relevant developments in the industry and changes in societal expectations.

Learn more about bioethics 

R&D careers & fellowships

By working in R&D at Novo Nordisk, you will have the opportunity to play a role in bringing innovation to the marketplace in a way that makes a real difference to both patients and society.

R&D career site
Novo Nordisk fellowships

Download R&D brochure

Diabetes Innovation Award Program

We are supporting scientists and academic research institutions in the US and Canada.

Our focus is protein-based therapeutics and technologies for diabetes and obesity.

Visit award site

Animal ethics

Documentary: “A milestone in animal ethics”

Watch video

Clinical trials at Novo Nordisk

Read about clinical trial results for marketed products from Novo Nordisk sponsored phase 1-4 trials and observational studies. Clinical trials are an important step in the research and development process to make new medications available.

Go to Novo Nordisk trials