NOVO NORDISK EXPANDS U.S. SALES FORCE

Novo Nordisk will increase its diabetes sales force by 700 in an attempt to strengthen its hold on the U.S. insulin market, the firm announced.

The Danish company believes the expansion -- from 1,200 to 1,900 people -- will increase its "share of voice" in the diabetes treatment arena. Novo Nordisk currently leads the drug industry with a more than 40 percent share of the diabetes market, the firm said.

The expansion will enable the company to reach more primary care physicians and increase the frequency of visits to primary care physicians and endocrinologists, the company said in its Nov. 30 announcement.

The increase will take place during the first half of 2007 and will support the firm's insulin analogue portfolio, which includes Levemir, NovoLog Mix 70/30 and NovoLog, as well as an insulin injection device, FlexPen.

The financial outlook for 2006 and the preliminary guidance for 2007, which was provided in Novo Nordisk's financial statement for the first nine months of 2006, remain unchanged, the company said.