The European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Novo Nordisk's Victoza for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. The authorization covers all 27 European Union member states.

Victoza is the brand name approved in Europe for liraglutide, the first once-daily human Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The authorization covers:

1. combination treatment with metformin or a sulphonylurea in patients with insufficient glycaemic control despite maximal tolerated dose of monotherapy with metformin or sulphonylurea, and
2. combination treatment with metformin and a sulphonylurea or metformin and a thiazolidinedione in patients with insufficient glycaemic control despite dual therapy.

"This is an important milestone for Novo Nordisk and for the treatment of type 2 diabetes," says Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice president and chief science officer of Novo Nordisk. "In clinical studies involving more than 6,500 people with type 2 diabetes, Victoza has been shown to have a significant blood glucose-lowering effect and lead to weight loss, while having a low risk of hypoglycaemia. On this background, we are convinced that Victoza is a valuable new treatment option for people with type 2 diabetes."

Novo Nordisk will launch Victoza in the UK, Germany and Denmark during the summer and in other European markets during the second half of 2009 and throughout 2010.