20.05.2016

The Novo Nordisk Foundation gives DKK 2.945 billion to improve the treatment of people with diabetes

On 19 May 2016, the Board of Directors of the Novo Nordisk Foundation approved a grant of DKK 2.945 billion (€396 million) to the Capital Region of Denmark to implement the plan of establishing Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, which will be northern Europe’s largest and most modern diabetes centre.

The Board made this decision after the Capital Region of Denmark approved a detailed plan for establishing and operating the centre on 17 May 2016.

Sten Scheibye, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Novo Nordisk Foundation, says: “This represents a unique opportunity to establish a world-class diabetes centre in the Capital Region of Denmark, which is already home to research and treatment environments of high quality. We are pleased to be able to support such an ambitious and innovative initiative, which will be a very important driving force in developing new treatment and prevention methods and education that will benefit everyone with diabetes in Denmark.”

The new specialized centre will have the capacity to treat 11,000–13,000 people annually and will be located in a new building at Herlev Hospital near Copenhagen. The new centre will bring all the competencies related to treating people with diabetes and conducting research under the same roof. It will therefore be able to offer more integrated treatment to each individual.

The centre will collaborate with other hospitals, universities and other public and private actors both in Denmark and abroad to create one of the world’s leading environments for treating people with diabetes and clinical research in Greater Copenhagen. In addition, by helping to stimulate collaboration with the other administrative regions, the centre will thereby contribute to optimizing the treatment of people with diabetes throughout Denmark.

The grant from the Foundation begins in 2017 and will last until 2029, with a possible extension thereafter. The Novo Nordisk Foundation will fund the operating costs of the supplementary treatment of people with diabetes, clinical research, health promotion and education. In addition, the Foundation will also fund the construction and equipping of the new building.

About Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen

The centre will be a specialized clinic focusing on individual and coherent treatment and preventive interventions for people with all types of diabetes and complications. The centre will offer services from dieticians and physical therapists, physical training and screening and treatment for complications related to feet, eyes, kidneys, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and the oral cavity.

The centre will provide 24-hour coverage throughout the Capital Region of Denmark by working closely with the hospitals with emergency departments. The services will be part of the public health care scheme offering individual choice of service provider and location and will therefore benefit people throughout Denmark.

The new centre will treat people with type 1 diabetes, children and adolescents from all over the Capital Region and everyone with complications of type 2 diabetes from the municipalities near Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals.

Read about Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen here.

 

Further information

Christian Mostrup, Senior Press Lead, Novo Nordisk Foundation, +45 3067 4805, cims@novo.dk