Novo Nordisk launches diabetes campaign in China

A Novo Nordisk logo is seen in this photo taken on Aug 17, 2013. [Photo/icpress.cn]

Novo Nordisk, the Denmark-based pharmaceutical, continued an awareness campaign on Thursday, which is World Diabetes Day, to increase awareness about the disease in the Chinese market.

Novo Nordisk, which entered the Chinese market in the 1960s, introduced the second year of its campaign program — called "Changing Diabetes, Taking 100 million Steps Together" — in Beijing.

"The disease is not infectious, but it puts great pressure on individuals and families, especially in ageing societies. Right now, there are more than 100 million diabetics in China and it is more important for people to create precaution than a cure," said Christian Kanstrup, general manager of Novo Nordisk China.

China is the drugmaker's third largest market in the world, after the United States and Japan, and it is expanding in the Chinese marketplace while adhering to the government's restrictions and policies.

The central government issued the China National Plan for Chronic Diseases Prevention and Treatment (2012-2015) in 2012. Diabetes is the plan's top priority.

Novo Nordisk is increasing its investment and R&D projects on treatments for diabetes in China. It began construction on a new insulin production plant in Tianjin with an investment of nearly $400 million in 2008.