In Medical and Science, we as medical doctors are responsible for providing medical and scientific input to the clinical trials that are being run in our department.

First of all, we are involved in the preparation phase of trials, where we give input to the protocol outline which is a detailed summary of the rationale, objectives and overall design of the trial. We are also involved in the trial execution phase, where we present and share knowledge with doctors and nurses from various international sites where the trials are conducted, provide input regarding trial adherence, and answer any questions the sites may have regarding trial-related medical and safety issues. Upon completion of the trial, we add medical input towards analysis of results and drafting of conclusions.

At the trial initiation and finalisation phase, we provide medical input to health authorities in order for them to either approve the trial design or to approve our products for sale and marketing, respectively. On the side, we are involved in a wide range of academic and scientific settings where we interact with medical experts, and we provide internal input (within the company) regarding the design of clinical trials to be conducted in the development phase of a new product.

In Global Medical Affairs, we as medical doctors are responsible for scientific communication, both internally in the company and to the scientific and medical communities.

We provide medical education and guidance by developing online learning tools and preparing presentations for visiting physicians, affiliates, product launch presentations, and internal audiences.

We focus on communicating scientific data clearly and on creating slide decks and presentations. Furthermore, we host advisory board meetings where scientific and clinical leaders provide input to Novo Nordisk’s clinical development programs and products. We also host investigator meetings, where we interact with external healthcare professionals that run our trials at sites around the world, results meetings where trial results are presented.

Another focus area for Global Medical Affairs is planning Novo Nordisk’s presence at congresses and symposia in the different therapeutic areas. Finally, we provide guidance on investigator sponsored studies and are the main drivers for producing and publishing abstracts, scientific papers and posters at congresses and scientific journals.

In Global Patient Safety, we contribute to ensuring that Novo Nordisk's products are of high quality and do not put patients at risk.

Our activities include preparation of internal and external reports that collate safety information (e.g. on adverse reactions to drugs) for a specific product. We evaluate data from our clinical development programs and post-marketing surveillance and collaborate with regulatory authorities from across the world to establish and re-evaluate the safety profile of our products. In short, our medical competencies are used to analyse, evaluate and conclude on the drug’s safety profile. 

We meet with colleagues from different departments, e.g. to design protocols for upcoming clinical trials, and to author informed consent forms prior to the initiation of clinical trials. We also attend Investigator Meetings where we inform the investigators participating in our trials about the specifics of the trial prior to its initiation. While the trial is on-going we present and evaluate blinded safety data to colleagues in other departments involved in the trial. We chair different internal and external committees in the evaluation of safety data.

We perform monthly literature surveillance and monitor recently published scientific articles regarding competitors and our products. In the market application process, we are involved in answering requests from authorities and preparing for advisory committees (panel of experts convened by authorities) if needed.