Novo Nordisk has announced the launch of a new social responsibility strategy, Defeat Diabetes.

The strategy strengthens Novo Nordisk’s commitment and introduces new long-term ambitions to provide access to affordable diabetes care to vulnerable patients in every country and to ensure that no child should die from type 1 diabetes, it states.

“Our purpose to defeat diabetes is necessary now more than ever as diabetes continues to rise, and at a time when the world is suffering from the most devastating pandemic in recent times,” said Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, CEO of Novo Nordisk. “In addition to innovative medicine, we are committed to help societies defeat diabetes by accelerating prevention to halt the rise of the disease and providing access to affordable care to vulnerable patients in every country. Vulnerability has many faces, and diabetes hits the hardest in vulnerable communities. I am proud that we are stepping up our efforts and working in partnerships to tackle the diabetes crisis at a time of profound need.”

Reducing the ceiling price of human insulin

As a first step in its ambition to provide access to affordable insulin to vulnerable patients in every country, Novo Nordisk is reducing the ceiling price of human insulin from USD 4 to USD 3 per vial in 76 low- and middle-income countries, which are part of the company’s existing Access to Insulin Commitment. This applies to Least Developed Countries as defined by the UN, other low-income countries as defined by the World Bank and middle-income countries where large low-income populations lack sufficient health coverage.

To support the company’s aspiration that no child should die from type 1 diabetes, Novo Nordisk is expanding its Changing Diabetes in Children programme to reach 100,000 children by 2030, up from 25,000. The programme provides care and life-saving medicine for children with type 1 diabetes in low-resource settings.

As part of Defeat Diabetes, the company’s Partnering for Change programme with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Danish Red Cross, supporting care for people with serious chronic diseases in humanitarian crises, is also being extended. The partnership is supporting the integration of diabetes and hypertension care into the Red Cross’s global health operations.

Photo: CambieSt, MTPleasant, Vancouver, Canada: Novo Nordisk