Novo Nordisk A/S announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Levemir, the company's new, long-acting insulin analog for the treatment of diabetes.

Novo Nordisk will launch Levemir in the UK later this month and in other European markets in the second half of 2004.

Novo Nordisk is a company with a range of insulin analogs - rapid-acting NovoRapid, premixed NovoMix 30 and now also the long-acting analog Levemir.

"That is an important milestone for Novo Nordisk and people with diabetes because Levemir caters for a so far unmet medical need in basal insulin therapy and is highly differentiated from competing basal insulin products," says Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice president and chief science officer.

Levemir is a long-acting insulin analog that provides a more predictable day-to-day control of blood glucose levels.

The EU approval of Levemir does not change Novo Nordisk's expectations for the financial results for 2004.