The New Nation - Internet Edition

A team of researchers from Novo Nordisk is nominated for Europe's top innovation prize, Inventor of the Year 2008 Award that was presented at a ceremony in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 6 by the European Commission.

The invention for which the Novo Nordisk researchers are nominated concerns Levemir® (insulin detemir), a long-acting modern insulin that covers the body's basic insulin need and which today is used by more than one million people with diabetes. They have been nominated for 'significantly improving the safety and quality of life of diabetes patients with a new insulin derivative for once-daily administration.'

The team of Novo Nordisk researchers are Svend Havelund, John Broberg Halstrom, Ib Jonassen, Asser Sloth Andersen and Jan Markussen.

Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care. Novo Nordisk manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and services that make a significant difference to patients, the medical profession and society. With headquarters in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 26,000 employees in 80 countries, and markers its products in 179 countries.