Novo Nordisk To Award $80,000 To Local Programs That Help People Living With Diabetes In Houston As Part Of Educational Initiative

HOUSTON, June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, announced today that it is now accepting applications for Novo Nordisk Community Care Houston, a community-based initiative that supports local programs that educate people living with type 2 diabetes.  The sponsorships are part of the Novo Nordisk Community Care program, which aims to promote sustainable change by working with locally based nonprofit groups in cities across the country to help communities most affected address the growing diabetes crisis.  Novo Nordisk will invest a total of $80,000 as part of the initiative to support organizations in Houston.  For more information and to download an application form, interested organizations should visit www.novonordisk-us.com/communitycare. 

"More than 3.2 million Texans were faced with diabetes in 2010," said Lori Moore, Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Novo Nordisk.  "As an industry leader, Novo Nordisk is committed to reversing the trend of the diabetes crisis.  We recognize that community-based organizations play a critical role in providing diabetes education and care that can help defeat this disease."

In 2011, Novo Nordisk Community Care sponsored more than 20 diverse community-based programs and awarded $415,000 to organizations in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Boston, and Philadelphia.  Last year's sponsored programs were selected for their unique content focused on education and resources for patients, ranging from interactive workshops, material for underserved and minority populations, and faith-based community initiatives.  This year, Novo Nordisk will offer new sponsorship opportunities to eligible nonprofit organizations dedicated to educating and empowering patients in Houston to become more engaged in their health and management of type 2 diabetes. 

Diabetes has become a global health crisis, and is taking a major toll on our communities, with Houston bearing a large part of the burden.  A recent model from the Institute for Alternative Futures (IAF), commissioned by Novo Nordisk, estimates that the number of Americans living with diabetes will increase 64% between 2010 and 2025, affecting more than 53 million people.  And, in Texas, it's estimated that the number of people with diabetes will increase 66% between 2010 and 2025, affecting more than 5.4 million people, including more than 1.4 million people in Houston. This dramatic increase could mean a total of $52.2 billion in total medical and indirect societal costs of diabetes for the state of Texas in 2025.  

If not properly managed, diabetes can lead to other serious health issues such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, amputation, and other complications.

About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with 89 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within hemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 32,700 employees in 75 countries, and markets its products in more than 190 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen (Novo-B). Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NVO). For more information, visit novonordisk.com.

SOURCE Novo Nordisk