09.09.2015

DKK 2.8 billion for new diabetes centre in Copenhagen

The Capital Region of Denmark and the Novo Nordisk Foundation are announcing today their plans to establish a major new diabetes centre in Copenhagen. It will be a driving force for treatment and clinical research within diabetes. The aim is to develop a centre that is among the best globally.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation is making this plan possible by a grant of up to DKK 2.8 billion (€375 million) from now until 2029. The grant is the Foundation’s largest single award to date.

“We have emphasized the diabetes centre being able to offer optimal treatment to people with diabetes in the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand [two of Denmark’s five administrative regions] while also being an important driving force in developing new treatment, prevention and teaching methods that benefit every person with diabetes in Denmark,” says Sten Scheibye, Chair of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation views the grant for the new diabetes centre as one of several parts of a major initiative that will help to improve the treatment of diabetes throughout Denmark with the possibility of expansion to Denmark’s other administrative regions.

National and international collaborations

The new centre will collaborate with other hospitals, universities and participants in the public and private sectors both in Denmark and abroad to create one of the leading global environments for the treatment of diabetes and clinical research in the Capital Region. The centre will also stimulate collaboration with Denmark’s other administrative regions to contribute to optimizing the treatment of people with diabetes throughout Denmark.

“This is a unique opportunity to establish a world-class diabetes centre in Copenhagen because the Capital Region already has high-level research and treatment environments, and they will now be able to collaborate better. Further, the size and treatment competence of the new centre means that it will be able to offer people with different types of diabetes coherent treatment of the highest quality,” says Sten Scheibye.

The Steno Diabetes Center is owned by Novo Nordisk A/S and is one of Denmark’s largest diabetes centres. The Capital Region will take it over as part of its plan to have the Steno Diabetes Center play a major part in establishing the new centre, which is planned to be called the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen.

“People with diabetes, the Capital Region and Novo Nordisk A/S are very satisfied with the current performance of the Steno Diabetes Center, but the opportunity to create an even larger world-class centre can only be realized if the Capital Region takes full ownership of Steno and integrates it with the Capital Region’s overall treatment system,” adds Sten Scheibye. “The plan is therefore to transfer ownership to the Capital Region during 2016, which will naturally occur in consultation with the employees and with full consideration of the patients.”

Ready by 2020

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has committed to fund the construction of the new centre, which will be completed by 2020, and will also contribute to funding the treatment, research and educational activities of the centre based on a long-term agreement with the Capital Region. The plan is that the Capital Region will fund the day-to-day operation of the centre, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation will fund the cost of supplementary treatment and disease prevention activities. Construction of the new centre is expected to cost about DKK 500 million (€67 million).

The Capital Region of Denmark will own the new diabetes centre, and neither Novo Nordisk A/S nor the Novo Nordisk Foundation will have any commercial interest in the centre or be able to influence the treatment or the clinical research at the centre. The plan behind the grant to the centre is based on the Foundation wanting to support the treatment of diabetes as one strand of the Foundation’s awarding of grants for social and research purposes.

The plans for the new centre are expected to be specified during spring 2016 subject to the approval of the Regional Council of the Capital Region of Denmark and the Board of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Facts about the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen

The Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen will have the capacity to annually treat more than 11,000 people with all types of diabetes and 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 healthcare scheme offering individual choice of service provider and location and will therefore benefit people throughout Denmark.

The centre will be a specialist clinic that focuses on people’s needs and coherent treatment and disease prevention for all types of diabetes and its complications. The centre will offer services from dietitians and physical therapists, physical activity, and screening and treatment for complications related to feet, eyes, kidneys, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and the oral cavity.

The plan envisages the centre being built on a site adjacent to Herlev University Hospital and completed by 2020.

Read about Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen here.

 

Further information

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