Modular award

Novo Nordisk’s newest pharmaceuticals manufacturing facility has been named the first winner of the Facility of the Year award, given by the ISPE, the Interphex conference and the US magazine Pharmaceutical Processing. The plant, in Hillerød, Denmark, makes NovoSeven, a haemophilia drug, via a process involving mammalian cell fermentation, recovery and purification.

The plant was built using a modular engineering concept which, according to Novo Nordisk, allowed construction to be completed in 18 months. The facility occupies 150 000sq ft, and can be expanded easily in response to increasing demand for the product, or for expansions of application if the drug is approved for other indications.

‘The NovoSeven site is proof positive of the growing status of facility design and engineering,’ says Bob Best, president and ceo of ISPE. ‘Facilities are no longer taking a "back seat" to research and development, but are now considered an essential and strategic component of the overall development process for new pharmaceutical products.’

The plant was built by Novo Nordisk’s design, engineering and construction partner, NNE, and engineering company MT Hojgaard. Equipment suppliers include Millipore, BBi, Christ, Semcon, Bravida and Emerson Process Management.