The secret behind Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster drug, Ozempic, lies with the Danish pharmaceutical company’s India team, which played a crucial role in the meteoric rise of the semaglutide-based drug for treating diabetes. The success of Ozempic and Wegovy, another semaglutide-based drug for weight management, has not only bolstered Denmark’s economy but also led Novo Nordisk’s market cap to surpass that of Tesla.
Key Contributions: John Dawber, corporate VP and managing director of global business services at Novo Nordisk, highlighted the significant contributions of the Novo Nordisk Global Business Services (GBS) team in Bengaluru. This team collaborates closely with the headquarters on the semaglutide drug, handling clinical trials, biostatistics, data management, pharmacovigilance, and global safety. Currently, it employs 4,000 employees.
Technical Excellence: Dr. Prasanna Kumar T S, VP of global safety at Novo Nordisk GBS, emphasized the pivotal role of the biostatistics unit in Bengaluru, which conducts all statistical analysis and reporting for Ozempic. The Bengaluru team, comprising 150 biostatistics experts, collaborates on trial protocol development and regulatory submissions. This technical expertise is managed globally from Bengaluru, Denmark, and the US.
Global Medical Affairs: The global medical affairs (GMA) team in Bengaluru has been instrumental in developing semaglutide, generating evidence, and understanding its benefits through investigator-initiated studies. The global safety team in Bengaluru monitors the safety of Ozempic, analyzing and reporting adverse events, and producing safety update reports and clinical risk management plans.
Future Hiring Plans: Novo Nordisk plans to hire 1,400 additional employees in India over the next two years, including doctors, pharmacists, statisticians, data engineers, AI experts, and health economists. Notably, the company’s attrition rates have dropped significantly, indicating most hiring will be for new positions rather than replacements.
Challenges and Market Launch: Despite the success of Ozempic, Dawber does not expect the drug to be available in India this year or the next. The current demand exceeds supply capacity, and Novo Nordisk aims to carefully stage launches to avoid supply issues. India is a key market for Novo Nordisk, accounting for 4%-5% of global sales and being the third largest in the Asia-Pacific region. However, ensuring a steady supply is crucial before launching in India to avoid reputational damage and patient dissatisfaction.
Novo Nordisk’s strategic focus on India underscores the importance of the country’s skilled talent and its significant role in the company’s global success.