PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Former President Bill Clinton will be the keynote speaker at the Global Changing Diabetes Leadership Forum, taking place on March 13, 2007 in New York City hosted by Novo Nordisk and supported by the International Diabetes Federation.
The Forum will be a provocative dialogue on redefining healthcare focusing on the needs of people with diabetes, and will involve politicians, government officials, international organizations, patient organizations, healthcare professionals and media from more than 18 countries.
"Diabetes will constitute the most significant public health challenge of the 21st century if no action is taken now. It is already causing as many deaths as HIV/AIDS. We need to explore practical ways of redefining healthcare, by focusing on the needs of people with diabetes," said Lars Rebien Sorensen, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk.
The discussions at the Forum will explore the concepts described last year by Harvard Professor Michael E. Porter and Professor Elizabeth Teisberg in their book Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results. Professor Elizabeth Teisberg will be attending the Global Changing Diabetes Forum and share her thoughts on the importance of focusing on the needs of patients over the full cycle of care -- from prevention and diagnosis through recovery to long-term disease management.
The Global Changing Diabetes Leadership Forum is the most recent initiative taken by Novo Nordisk to call for a worldwide change in diabetes care.
"We can offer ourselves as partners and be catalysts for change for the benefit of people with diabetes across the world. However, the industry cannot fulfill this task alone and should not play the role of governments. Only by joining forces can we reach our objectives," said Lars Rebien Sorensen.
In its efforts to call for a worldwide change in diabetes care, Novo Nordisk is also working actively to implement the recently adopted United Nations Resolution on diabetes by raising awareness among policy-makers.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company with an 80-year history of innovation and achievement in diabetes care. With the broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including the most advanced products within the area of insulin delivery systems, Novo Nordisk is a world leader in diabetes care. In the United States, Novo Nordisk's ambition is Changing Diabetes(SM). Working as a catalyst to improve diabetes prevention and treatment, the company strives to be the preferred partner for employees, patients, healthcare providers, and others in the healthcare system who share its vision to defeat diabetes. In addition to diabetes care, Novo Nordisk has a leading position within areas such as hemostasis management, growth hormone therapy, and hormone therapy for women. Novo Nordisk's business is driven by the Triple Bottom Line: a commitment to economic success, environmental soundness, and social responsibility to employees and customers. With headquarters in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 22,750 full-time employees in 79 countries, and markets its products in 179 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on the stock exchanges in Copenhagen and London. Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'NVO'. For global information, visit novonordisk.com; for United States information, visit novonordisk-us.com.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020404/NVOLOGOPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comNovo NordiskCONTACT: Lori Moore of Novo Nordisk, +1-609-919-7991
