Novo Nordisk is increasing its drug-development capacity by investing 550 million Danish kroner ($100 million)  in a new research and development facility in Bagsværd, Denmark. The purification plant will expand the company's capacity to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for a growing number of diabetes drugs under development.

The pilot plant will be fully operational by late 2016 and will be run by CMC Supply (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control Supply), a unit within Novo Nordisk R&D. CMC Supply develops, produces, and formulates all new protein and peptide processes in Novo Nordisk.

“The new purification pilot plant will significantly increase our capacity for early-phase diabetes projects. It will create up to 35 new jobs over a two-year period in addition to the 100 new employees CMC Supply will hire in Denmark in 2014”, said Jesper Bøving, senior vice-president, CMC Supply, in a press release.

The project initially involves establishment of a pilot plant with one purification line. The facility can be expanded to the double size to further increase the capacity. In total 5 kilometers of steel pipes will be used in the purification pilot plant with a total area of 2700 square meters.

Source: Novo Nordisk