News & Events

 excerpted from CLOT, May/June 2007

Community Development and Improved Patient Care is Our Social Responsibility

By Eddie Williams, Vice President, Biopharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Inc.

In today’s media-centric world, it’s usually the high profile diseases that are consistently in the public eye, and this attention often translates into more funding, greater emphasis on research and development, and better patient resources. The bleeding disorder community has an uphill battle when it comes to competing for attention and funds, which is why it is up to us, as members of the community, to help provide the highest standard of care for people with these conditions. This high standard not only applies to treatment, but also to identifying the unmet needs, and filling in the information gap that provides patients with the support they need.  Joining the charge toward this higher standard of support is a new organization with a clear vision. Though still in its infancy, this organization, American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network (ATHN), is focused on their mission to advance and improve the care of individuals affected by bleeding and thrombotic disorders. ATHN has created an exciting and realistic plan that will help to create a more cohesive bleeding disorders community which will ultimately lead to better patient care.

One of the many ways in which this organization is advancing their mission is by collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Blood Disorders to link more than 140 federally funded bleeding and clotting disorder (or hemostasis and thrombosis) treatment centers nationwide and build a comprehensive database of helpful information for a wide range of uses by physicians, researchers, and patients. The database will collect clinical evidence related to treatment outcomes, transmission of blood disorders, public health, and other issues related to hemophilia, thrombosis, and hemostasis. 

In February of this year, Novo Nordisk presented ATHN with an unrestricted charitable grant of $2 million—the first installment of a total grant of $10 million to be given over the next five years to help ATHN to realize this goal. This funding will support the initial start-up for creation and implementation of this important database. We at Novo Nordisk recognize the potentially positive impact of ATHN’s vision and want to see them achieve their goals. 

To be clear, our company will not receive any preferential access to the database. ATHN will take ownership of the development of the database and the services provided. Their Privacy and Data Security Committee is currently working to establish an open and transparent process for those interested in requesting access to the data. 

While this is certainly an ambitious undertaking, it is also one of great importance. ATHN’s efforts are sure to have both an immediate and long term impact on patients with bleeding disorders.  ATHN envisions the data being useful for a wide range of issues including epidemiological, clinical, advocacy, and patient safety.  Primarily, this collaboration is expected to conserve resources through use of a common information infrastructure and to foster partnerships within the thrombosis and hemostasis community. 

We are constantly looking for new ways to serve the community - not only by continuing our own research into a variety of areas of bleeding disorders, but also through our dedication to three key ways under which we operate: social responsibility, environmental soundness, and economic viability. It’s what we call our Triple Bottom Line and we take it very seriously, especially our social responsibility.

Novo Nordisk has long been a supporter of the bleeding disorders community outside of its role of researching and providing treatments; our commitment is evident by our involvement in support of several groups and initiatives that affect this important population.  We support the National Hemophilia Foundation, providing support that includes chapter donations, summer camps and national grants. We are also committed to the Hemophilia Federation of America to provide grants in support of patient education and for development programs that will pave the way for future advocacy leaders in the bleeding disorders community. Novo Nordisk also sponsors several educational meetings we call “The Inhibitor Summits”, now on its third year, for patients and their families. These meetings are administered by an independent steering committee of leaders in the field of hemophilia care.  In addition, Novo Nordisk knows how important it is for all patients to have access to life saving medicines. We provide a robust patient assistance program which, among other benefits, provides insurance assistance, scholarships and tutoring, medical expense coverage, and outpatient treatment assistance. 

We are proud of our dedication to rare bleeding disorders and the active role that we play in getting critical medication to patients in need. And, we recognize that we have a larger, long-term responsibility to our community. It is our social responsibility to provide support to those organizations that are committed to improving the lives of those affected by bleeding disorders.  These resources, patient information, support, financial aid, can be just as vital as the drugs we make. 

Novo Nordisk hopes to serve as an example of the good that can be accomplished when members of the pharmaceutical industry work closely with the patient and provider communities in the quest to improve patient care.