UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM
20 - F
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(Mark One) | ||
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REGISTRATION
STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g)
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OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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OR
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ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
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SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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For
the fiscal year ended 31 December 2007
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OR
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TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
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SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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OR
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SHELL
COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
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SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Commission
File Number: 333-82318
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NOVO NORDISK A/S |
(Exact
name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
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Not
applicable
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The
Kingdom of Denmark
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(Translation
of Registrants name into English)
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(Jurisdiction
of incorporation or organization)
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Novo
Allé 1
DK-2880 Bagsværd
Denmark
(Address of principal executive offices)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class: |
Name
of each exchange on which registered:
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B shares, nominal value DKK 1 each | New York Stock Exchange* |
American Depositary Receipts, each representing one B share | New York Stock Exchange |
* Not for trading, but only in connection with the registration of American Depositary Receipts, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares1 of each of the issuers classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the Annual Report:
A shares, nominal value DKK 1 each: | 107,487,200 | ||
B shares, nominal value DKK 1 each: | 513,657,670 |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes ý
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No o
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Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days,
Yes ý
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No o
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If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Yes o
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No ý
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of accelerated filer and large accelerated filer in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large
accelerated filer ý
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Accelerated
filer o
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Non-accelerated
filer o
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Indicate by check mark which financial statement item the Registrant has elected to follow:
Item
17 ý
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Item
18 o
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If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes o
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No ý
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1 The outstanding number of shares represents the total number of shares less the Companys holding of treasury shares. The nominal value has changed from DKK 2 to DKK 1 during 2007 due to stock split.
In this Form 20-F, the terms the Company, Novo Nordisk and the Group refer to the parent company Novo Nordisk A/S together with its consolidated subsidiaries. The term Novo Nordisk A/S is used when addressing issues specifically related to this legal entity.
Throughout this Form 20-F the Company incorporates information on the various items by reference to its Annual Report 2007 and Annual Report 2006. Therefore the information in this Form 20-F should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report 2007 and Annual Report 2006, which were filed on Form 6-K on 11 February 2008 and on 9 February 2007, respectively.
The Company publishes its financial statements in Danish kroner (DKK).
In December 2007 the nominal value of the shares were split from DKK 2 to DKK 1 per share. Comparative disclosures in this Form 20-F have been adjusted to reflect the stock split.
PART I
ITEM 1 IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORS
Not applicable.
ITEM 2 OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
Not applicable.
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
IFRS
figures in DKK millions, except per share data
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2003
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2004
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2005
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2006
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2007
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Net sales | 26,158 | 29,031 | 33,760 | 38,743 | 41,831 | |||||
Operating profit from continuing operations | 6,422 | 6,980 | 8,088 | 9,119 | 8,942 | |||||
Operating profit | 6,422 | 6,980 | 8,088 | 9,119 | 8,942 | |||||
Net profit from continuing operations | 4,833 | 5,013 | 5,864 | 6,452 | 8,522 | |||||
Net profit | 4,833 | 5,013 | 5,864 | 6,452 | 8,522 | |||||
Earnings per share/ADR from continuing | 7.09 | 7.45 | 8.95 | 10.05 | 13.49 | |||||
operations | ||||||||||
Total assets | 34,564 | 37,433 | 41,960 | 44,692 | 47,731 | |||||
Net assets | 24,776 | 26,504 | 27,634 | 30,122 | 32,182 | |||||
Capital stock | 709 | 709 | 709 | 674 | 647 | |||||
Treasury stock | (33 | ) | (45 | ) | (62 | ) | (39 | ) | (26 | ) |
Dividends per share/ADR | 2.20 | 2.40 | 3.00 | 3.50 | 4.50 | *) | ||||
Dividends per share/ADR in USD | 0.37 | 0.44 | 0.48 | 0.62 | 0.89 | *) | ||||
Diluted earnings per share/ADR | 7.08 | 7.42 | 8.91 | 10.00 | 13.39 | |||||
Number of shares (million) | 709.4 | 709.4 | 709.4 | 674.0 | 647.0 |
*) Proposed dividend per share. For USD translation the exchange rate at 31 December 2007 from Danmarks Nationalbank (The Central Bank of Denmark) is used (USD 1 = DKK 5.0753)
Reference is made to Consolidated Financial Statement, page 54-104 in our Annual Report 2007 for further financial data.
3
Exchange rates
The following table sets
forth, for the calendar periods indicated, certain information concerning Dan-marks
Nationalbanks daily official exchange rates for U.S. dollars (USD) in
terms of Danish kroner expressed in DKK per USD 1.00. These rates closely approximate
the noon buying rate for Danish kroner for cable transfers in New York City
as announced by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for customs purposes on
the relevant dates.
Month |
High
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Low
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July 2007 |
5.4762
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5.3791
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August 2007 |
5.5516
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5.3862
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September 2007 |
5.4851
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5.2574
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October 2007 |
5.3089
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5.1600
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November 2007 |
5.1679
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5.0132
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December 2007 |
5.2004
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5.0586
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1-26 January 2008 |
5.1456
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4.9985
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Year |
Average
rate2
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Period
end rate
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High
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Low
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2003
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6.5271
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5.9576
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7.1592
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5.9554
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2004
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5.9774
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5.4676
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6.3047
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5.4580
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2005
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6.0298
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6.3241
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6.3917
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5.5061
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2006
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5.9118
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5.6614
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6.3082
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5.5929
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2007
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5.4103
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5.0753
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5.7806
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5.0132
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CAPITALIZATION AND INDEBTEDNESS
Not applicable.
REASONS FOR THE OFFER AND USE OF PROCEEDS
Not applicable.
RISK FACTORS
Forward-looking Statements
The information
set forth in this annual report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements
as the term is defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995.
This in particular relates to information included under the headings Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations under Item 5 and in the Companys Annual Report 2007, including under the headings Risk Management, Management report and discussion 2007 and note 31 Financial Risk with reference to plans, forecasts, expectations, strategies, projections and assessment of risks.
Words such as believe, expect, may, will, plan, strategy, prospect, foresee, estimate, project, anticipate, can, intend and similar words identify forward-looking statements.
Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:
2 The average exchange rate is calculated by using the exchange rate on the last day of each month according to Danmarks Nationalbanks daily official exchange rates. |
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statements of plans, objectives or goals for future operations including those related to Novo Nordisks products, product research, product introductions and product approvals as well as co-operations in relation thereto | |
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statements containing projections of revenues, income (or loss), earnings per share, capital expenditures, dividends, capital structure or other net financials | |
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statements of future economic performance | |
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statements of the assumptions underlying or relating to such statements. |
These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore undue reliance should not be placed on them. Moreover, such statements are not guarantees of future results. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Novo Nordisk cautions that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements.
Factors that may affect future results include, but are not limited to, interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations, delay or failure of development projects, interruptions of supplies and production, product recall, pressure on insulin prices, unexpected contract breaches or terminations, government-mandated or market driven price decreases for Novo Nordisks products, introduction of competing products, Novo Nordisks ability to successfully market current and new products, exposure to product liability and legal proceedings and investigations, changes in reimbursement rules and governmental laws and related interpretation thereof, perceived or actual failure to adhere to ethical marketing practices, developments in international activities, which also involve certain political risks, investments in and divestitures of domestic and foreign companies and unexpected growth in costs and expenses.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made and, unless required by law, Novo Nordisk is under no duty and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them , after the distribution of this annual report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
ITEM 4 INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPANY
Novo Nordisk A/S was formed in 1989 by a merger of two Danish companies, Nordisk Gentofte A/S and Novo Industri A/S. Novo Industri A/S was the continuing company and its name was changed to Novo Nordisk A/S. The business activities of Nordisk Gentofte A/S were established in 1923 by August Krogh, H. C. Hagedorn and A. Kongsted, and the business activities of Novo Industri A/S were established in 1925 by Harald and Thorvald Pedersen. The business of both companies from the beginning was production and sale of insulin for the treatment of diabetes. After spinning off an industrial enzyme business into the separate company Novozymes A/S in November 2000 Novo Nordisk A/S today is a focused healthcare company.
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Legal name: | Novo Nordisk A/S |
Commercial name: | Novo Nordisk |
Domicile: | Novo Allé 1, DK-2880 Bagsværd, Denmark |
Tel: +45 4444 8888 | |
Fax: +45 4449 0555 | |
Website: www.novonordisk.com | |
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(The contents of this website are not incorporated by reference into this Form 20-F.) | |
Date of incorporation: | 28 November 1931 |
Legal form of the Company: | A Danish limited liability company |
Legislation under which | |
the Company operates: | Danish law |
Country of incorporation: | The Kingdom of Denmark |
Important events in
2007
Reference is made to Business
results, pages 819 in our Annual Report 2007 for a list of
important events in 2007.
Capital expenditure
in 2007, 2006 and 2005
The total net capital expenditure
for property, plant and equipment was DKK 2.3 billion in 2007 compared with
DKK 2.8 billion in 2006 and DKK 3.7 billion in 2005. The lower level of capital
expenditure in 2007 compared to the previous two years was primarily related
to lower overall investment needs and completion of a number of investments
in Denmark, the U.S. and Brazil.
Investments in 2007 were mainly related to capacity expansion within the diabetes care area, increasing the capacity for modern insulin, insulin formulation and filling as well as insulin delivery devices and GLP-1 analogue. The investments are financed internally. No significant divestments took place in the period 2005-2007.
Novo Nordisk expects to invest around DKK 2.5 billion in fixed assets in 2008. The expected level of investment in 2008 is primarily related to the construction of additional assembly capacity for disposable devices.
Public takeover offers
in respect to the Companys shares
No such offers have occurred
during 2007 or 2008 to date.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care. The company has one of the broadest diabetes product portfolios in the industry, including advanced products in the area of insulin delivery systems. In addition, Novo Nordisk has a leading position in areas such as haemostasis management, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Novo Nordisk manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and services that make a significant difference to patients, the medical profession and society. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 26,000 employees in 79 countries and markets its products in approximately 179 countries.
Segment information
Novo Nordisk is engaged
in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical
products and has two business segments: diabetes care and biopharmaceuticals.
The diabetes care segment covers Novo Nordisks insulin franchise including
modern insulins, human insulins, insulin-related sales and oral antidiabetic
drugs (OADs). The biopharmaceuticals segment covers the therapy areas haemostasis
management, growth hormone therapy, hormone replacement therapy, inflammation
therapy and other therapy areas.
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For information on sales by business and geographic segment, reference is made to Annual Report 2007 Note 4 Segment information.
Seasonality
Sales of individual products
in individual markets may be subject to fluctuations from quarter to quarter.
However the Companys consolidated operating results have not been subject
to significant seasonality.
Raw materials
As a focused healthcare
company the impact on the overall profitability of Novo Nordisk from variations
in raw material prices is unlikely to be significant. No raw material supply
shortage has had a significant impact on the Companys ability to supply
the market. The Companys production is largely based on common and readily
available raw materials with relatively low price volatility. Certain specific
raw materials are, however, less available. For these raw materials, it is the
policy of Novo Nordisk to develop close and long-term relationships with key
suppliers as well as to secure dual sourcing whenever possible and when relevant
maintain a minimum safety level of raw material inventories.
Marketing and competition
Novo Nordisks insulin
and other pharmaceutical products are marketed and distributed through subsidiaries,
distributors and independent agents with responsibility for specific geographical
areas. The most important markets are the United States, Japan and the major
European countries. Key emerging markets such as China, Russia, India and Turkey
are increasingly adding to growth.
Market conditions within the pharmaceutical industry continue to change, including efforts by both private and governmental entities to reduce or control costs in specific therapeutic areas.
Historically, the market for insulin has been more sensitive to quality of products and services than to price. Most of the countries in which Novo Nordisk sell insulin subsidize or control pricing. In most markets insulin is a prescription drug.
The Company enters into numerous contracts with customers, suppliers, agents and industry partners. Some of the most important contracts include: in- and out-licensing of patent rights, products and development projects, co-promotion and co-development agreements, large tender orders and long-term sub-supplier agreements.
New manufacturing processes, efficient quality systems and innovative research and development are all important competitive factors that affect the Company.
Several of the major international pharmaceutical companies have entered the diabetes market, specifically in the area of oral products for treatment of type 2 diabetes. The insulin market has few producers and Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi-Aventis are the only three global companies.
Patents
Novo Nordisk strives for
the strongest possible protection for those inventions which will maintain and
expand the competitiveness of the Company.
The Company anticipates that the expiration of certain patents could impact sales within the next five years. However, with the continuing transition from human insulins to modern insulins, an increasing proportion of Novo Nordisks sales in major markets are protected by patents. The patents covering modern insulins expire in 2011 and beyond. Furthermore, NovoSeven® sales are patent protected in the U.S. until 2010 and in Europe until 2011. Sales of Prandin®/NovoNorm®, an oral antidiabetic drug, may become exposed to generic competition when the patent expires from 2009.
7
Like other companies engaged in production based upon rDNA technology, Novo Nordisk has obtained licenses under various patents which entitle the Company to use processes and methods of manufacturing covered by such patents.
Impact of regulation
As a pharmaceutical company,
Novo Nordisk depends on government approvals related to production, development,
marketing and reimbursement of its products. Important regulatory bodies include
the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.
Treatment guidelines from non-governmental organizations like the European Association
for the Study of Diabetes and the American Diabetes Association may also impact
the Company.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
For information regarding the organizational structure and securities exchange listings of Novo Nord-isk A/S, reference is made to the sections Corporate governance on pages 42-44 and Shares and capital structure on pages 49-50 in the Annual Report 2007.
Reference is made to the section Shareholder information on pages 49-50 in the Annual Report 2007 regarding the parent company Novo A/S and the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the ownership structure.
Companies in the Novo Nordisk Group are listed in the Companys Annual Report 2007 on pages 100-101, Companies in the Novo Nordisk Group.
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
The Company is headquartered in Bagsværd, Denmark where the Company occupies several office buildings.
The Companys major research and development facilities are located at a number of sites in Denmark.
The major production facilities owned by the Company are located at a number of sites in Denmark, and the international production or processing facilities are located in the United States, France, Japan, China and Brazil.
The Company believes that its current production facilities including facilities under construction are sufficient to meet its capacity requirements. Please refer to the sections Capital expenditure in 2007, 2006 and 2005 under Item 4 for more information about the current expansion programmes. For the nature of the Companys property, plant and equipment, as of 31 December 2006 and 2007, please see Note 15 in our Annual Report 2007.
Reference is made to Note 4 in our Annual Report 2007 regarding the location of the property, plant and equipment as of 31 December 2006 and 2007.
By the end of 2007 property, plant and equipment include several production sites worldwide. There are no material encumbrances on the properties. Active pharmaceutical ingredient production is mainly located in Denmark, primarily in Kalundborg and secondarily in Hillerød, Bagsværd and Gentofte. Below is a tabular presentation of the production sites.
8
Major
production facilities
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Size
of site,
square meters |
Major
activities
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Kalundborg, Denmark | 139,000 | Active
pharmaceutical ingredients for diabetes and products for diabetes Active pharmaceutical ingredients for haemostasis management. |
1. Diabetes, | ||
2. Factor VII Production | ||
Hillerød, Denmark | 88,000 | Durable
devices and components for disposable devices. Products for diabetes. Active pharmaceutical ingredients for haemostasis management. |
1. Devices
Manufacturing and Sourcing 2. Diabetes 3. Factor VII Production |
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Montes Claros, Brazil | 41,000 |
Products
for diabetes
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Gentofte, Denmark | 41,000 | Products
for growth hormone therapy, glucagon, haemostasis magement and active pharmaceutical ingredients for glucagon and growth hormone therapy. |
Clayton, North Carolina, U.S. | 40,000 |
Products
for diabetes.
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Chartres, France | 33,000 |
Products
for diabetes.
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Måløv, Denmark | 23,000 |
Products
for hormone replacement therapy
Products
for Oral Anti Diabetes treatment.
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Bagsværd, Denmark | 20,000 |
Products
for diabetes.
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Tianjin, China | 12,000 |
Products
for diabetes.
Durable
devices.
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Hjørring, Denmark | 11,000 |
Production
of needles
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Koriyama, Japan | 8,000 |
Packaging
of products for the Japanese market.
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Værløse, Denmark | 6,000 |
Products
for growth hormone therapy.
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Capacity for meeting the growing demand in the future for the modern insulin products No-voRapid®/NovoLog®, NovoMix®/NovoLogMix® and Levemir® is in place.
Capacity for Liraglutide, a once-daily GLP-1 analogue, has finalized qualification and is currently ramping up in preparation for expected launch in 2009.
An expansion project in Montes Claros, Brazil, has been completed and is currently ramping up to ensure adequate capacity to meet the growing demand for Penfill®. The expansion project to establish FlexPen® assembly and packaging capacity in Montes Claros is currently ongoing.
Major production sites worldwide are certified according to the international standard ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Standard). The goal is to pursue control of significant environmental impacts of the Companys operations worldwide. In 2008 all the production sites will also pursue OH-SAS 18001 certification (Health & Safety). In 2005, a corporate CO2 strategy covering the years 2005-2014 was developed with the aim to reduce CO2 emissions globally. By 2014, Novo Nordisk plans to reduce its CO2 emissions by 10% compared to 2004 emission levels. This is an ambitious target for the companys climate strategy, considering that Novo Nordisk emissions would increase by an estimated 60-70% in the absence of emission reduction programmes. The target has been defined in an agreement with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which makes Novo Nordisk the 10th company in the world to become a member of the Climate Savers Programme that today has 12 members.
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UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 5 OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Reference is made to Note 1 Summary of significant accounting policies and Note 3 regarding Critical accounting estimates and judgements in our Annual Report 2007.
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Reference is made to Note 1 Summary of significant accounting policies in our Annual Report 2007.
OPERATING RESULTS
The following discussion includes certain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risk factors, including material risks, uncertainties and contingencies which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, see the discussion under the caption Risk factors contained under Item 3.
The condition and development in the financial conditions of the Group are described in our Annual Report 2007 and our Annual Report 2006. The information in this section is based on these reports and should be read in conjunction with our annual reports. The analysis and discussions included in our annual reports are primarily based on the financial statements which, from 1 January 2004 are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.
2007 compared with
2006
The following portions of
our Annual Report 2007 constitute the Board of Directors and Executive
Managements discussion and analysis of results of operations (incorporated
herein by reference):
Business results (pages 8-19) |
2006 compared with
2005
The following portions of
our Annual Report 2006 constitute the Board of Directors and Executive
Managements discussion and analysis of results of operations (incorporated
herein by reference):
Management report and discussion (pages 8-15) |
Segment information
The segmented reporting
is based on two business segments Diabetes care and Biopharmaceuticals.
Please refer to Note 4 in our Annual Report 2007 for details on segmented
results.
Inflation
Inflation for the three
most recent fiscal years has not had a material impact on the Groups net
sales and revenues or on net profit.
10
Foreign currencies
The major part of Novo Nordisks
sales is in foreign currencies, mainly EUR, USD, JPY and GBP. The predominant
part of the production costs and research and development costs, though, are
in DKK. As a consequence, Novo Nordisk has significant exposure to foreign exchange
risks and engages in significant hedging activities, where the most significant
exposure and hedging are related to USD, JPY and GBP. For further description
of foreign currency exposure and hedging activities, please see the description
of Derivative financial instruments in Note 35 in our Annual Report 2007.
Governmental policies
Please refer to pages 8-9
Business strategy, opportunities and key risks in our Annual Report 2007
for a description of pressure on health care costs.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Novo Nordisk maintains a centralized approach to the management of the Groups financial risks. The overall objectives and policies for Novo Nordisks financial risk management are outlined in the Novo Nordisk Treasury Policy, which is approved by the Board of Directors. The Treasury Policy governs the Groups use of financial instruments, please refer to Item 11.
Financial resources
It is part of Novo Nordisks
Treasury Policy to maintain sufficient financial resources for its present working
capital. At 31 December 2007, the Groups DKK 13,560 million of financial
resources consisted of cash and cash equivalents of DKK 4,617 million, bonds
with original term to maturity of more than three months of DKK 1,486 million
and of undrawn committed credit facilities of DKK 7,457 million. The undrawn
committed credit facilities consist of a EUR 600 million and a EUR 400 million
facility committed by a number of Danish and international banks. These facilities
mature in 2012 and 2009, respectively. Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily
of bank deposits and short-term government bonds. The Group had long-term debt
of DKK 961 million at 31 December 2007.
Cash flow
Cash flow from operating
activities for 2007 amounted to DKK 9,987 million compared to DKK 7,738 million
in 2006. The increase is primarily explained by higher net profit and lower
tax payments. Please refer to the consolidated cash flow in Item 17.
There are no material restrictions on the ability of subsidiaries to transfer funds to the Company.
Debt financing
Debt financing is obtained
in DKK and in foreign currencies. Please refer to Notes 22 and 26 in our Annual
Report 2007 for information on currency structure, interest rate structure
and maturity profile.
Furthermore, Novo Nordisks Japanese subsidiary has asset securitization programs with two credit institutions. Under these asset securitization programs, the majority of the trade receivables in the Japanese subsidiary are sold to accelerate the receipt of cash related to those receivables. On part of the sold receivables, Novo Nordisk has issued a credit guarantee of up to 15% of the sold trade debtors. The credit guarantee is recognized in the balance sheet. For the Novo Nordisk Group these programs are not of material importance for liquidity.
Financial instruments
Novo Nordisk does not enter
into speculative positions and only hedges commercial exposure. The financial
instruments used in conjunction with the Groups financial risk management
include currency forwards, currency options, interest rate swaps and cross-currency
swaps. Short- and long-term debt as well as money-market deposits are also used
in the financial risk management. Please refer to Note 35 in our Annual Report
2007 for further information on financial instruments including currency
and interest rate structure.
11
Commitments for capital
expenditure etc.
Contractual obligations
for capital expenditure and other contingent liabilities at 31 December 2007
and 31 December 2006 are shown in Note 36 of the consolidated financial statements
in our Annual Report 2007. The Group has overall contractual obligations
related to investments in fixed assets of DKK 84 million compared to DKK 64
million in 2006.
Additionally, the Group has contractual obligations of DKK 2,471 million relating to research and development projects, compared to DKK 2,313 million in 2006. Please refer to Note 36 in our Annual Report 2007 for a description of these commitments and other contingencies. The Executive Management of the Group believes that the obligations are covered by the Groups financial resources as well as expected future cash flows generated from operating activities.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, PATENTS AND LICENSES, ETC.
Novo Nordisks research activities utilize biotechnological methods based on genetic engineering, advanced protein chemistry and protein engineering. These methods have played a key role in the development of the production technology which is used in the manufacturing of insulin, recombinant factor VIIa, human growth hormone and glucagon.
Novo Nordisks research and development facilities are mainly located in Denmark, but development activities also take place in other countries. The focus of Novo Nordisks research and development is therapeutic proteins.
Research and development costs during 2007 were DKK 8.5 billion or 20.4% of sales of which DKK 1.3 billion were related to the discontinuation of AERx®. Research and development costs in 2006 and 2005 were DKK 6.3 billion or 16.3% of sales and DKK 5.1 billion or 15.1% of sales, respectively. Novo Nordisks research and development organization comprised approximately 4,000 employees at the end of 2007.
Information related to selected research and development projects can be found on pages 16-19 in the Annual Report 2007.
TREND INFORMATION
As a pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has benefited from changes in demographics such as the increasing share of elderly people. Moreover, the growing problem of obesity is resulting in a significant increase in the number of people with diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation, the number of people with diabetes is expected to increase to 380 million by 2025 from 246 million in 2007. Diabetes care is Novo Nordisks largest segment comprising approximately 73% of sales. The epidemic growth in the number of people with diabetes, a continuing transition from human insulins to modern insulins and new delivery devices as well as market share gains are driving Novo Nord-isks growth of the diabetes care segment.
The other segment of the Company is biopharmaceuticals, which consists of haemostasis management, growth hormone therapy and other biopharmaceutical products. Within haemostasis management the penetration of NovoSeven® continued in 2007. The growth hormone therapy franchise benefited from further penetration and increasing market share of the liquid, ready to use growth hormone formulation Norditropin®.
For further information on trends please refer to the section Business results on pages 8-19 in the Annual Report 2007. Information about the expectations for the financial year 2008 can be found on page 15 in the subsection Outlook for 2008.
12
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
Novo Nordisk has an off-balance sheet arrangement which is a credit guarantee in connection with an asset securitization.
Novo Nordisks Japanese subsidiary has asset securitization programs with two external credit institutions. Please refer also to Item 5 Debt financing.
DKK
million
|
2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
Sold trade receivables with credit guarantee | 1,398 | 1,563 | 1,515 | 1,270 |
Credit guarantee | 61 | 112 | 100 | 96 |
For further information on contingencies, reference is made to Note 36 in our Annual Report 2007.
TABULAR DISCLOSURE OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
Contractual
obligations DKK million |
Payments
due by period
|
||||
Less
than
1
year
|
13
years
|
35
years
|
More
than
5
years
|
Total
|
|
Long-term debt |
153
|
0
|
457
|
504
|
1,114
|
Interest payments related to Long-term debt1) |
47
|
68
|
61
|
122
|
298
|
Operating leases |
728
|
1,053
|
667
|
720
|
3,168
|
Defined benefit plan |
0
|
0
|
0
|
362
|
362
|
Purchase obligations |
1,444
|
154
|
120
|
300
|
2,018
|
Total |
2,372
|
1,275
|
1,305
|
2,008
|
6,960
|
Research and development obligations 2) |
1,530
|
941
|
0
|
0
|
2,471
|
Total incl. R&D obligations |
3,902
|
2,216
|
1,305
|
2,008
|
9,431
|
1) Forward curves for
interest rates at 31 December, 2007 have been used to compute the contractual
obligation for interest on variable rate debt instruments and swaps.
2) Obligations related to R&D contain uncertainties in relation to the due
period of payments as a proportion of the obligations are dependent on milestone
achievements. The due periods disclosed are based on managements best
estimate.
Safe Harbor
Not applicable.
ITEM 6 DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Reference is made to pages 46-47 in our Annual Report 2007 for name, position, date of birth and period of service as director for the members of the Board of Directors.
Reference is made to page 48 for name, position, date of birth, year of appointment and year of joining Novo Nordisk for the members of Executive Management.
The Board of Directors has the overall responsibility for the affairs of the Company. The Board ordinarily meets seven times a year for the purpose of dealing with the principal issues of the Companys business and to establish and review general policies for the conduct of the Companys business.
13
The business address of the Board of Directors and Executive Management is Novo Nordisk A/S, Novo Allé 1, DK-2880 Bagsværd, Denmark.
The activities of the directors and members of Executive Management outside the Company are included in our Annual Report 2007 on pages 46-48.
There are no family relationships between the Board of Directors, Executive Management or between any of the members of the Board of Directors and any member of Executive Management. No director or member of Executive Management is elected according to an arrangement or understanding with customers, suppliers or others. As required by the Danish Companies Act, directors are elected at General Meetings by simple majority vote. In addition, four employee representatives are elected for four year terms by the employees in the Danish companies.
COMPENSATION
Reference is made to the section Executive remuneration on pages 44-45 and Notes 33 and 34 in our Annual Report 2007 regarding compensation.
BOARD PRACTICES
Reference is made to our Annual Report 2007 page 42-44, regarding board practices.
EMPLOYEES
Reference is made to the section titled Summary of financial data 2003-2007 pages 102-103 in our Annual Report 2007 regarding the total number of full-time employees in Novo Nordisk at year-end for the years 2003-2007.
Employees | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Employees outside Denmark as a percentage of total number of employees |
39%
|
41%
|
45%
|
47%
|
51%
|
Executive Management believes that the Company has a good relationship with its employees in general and with the labor unions of the Novo Nordisk employees.
Novo Nordisk believes that the current personnel policy results in low staff turnover, high morale, and ease in recruiting new employees. The Company has not experienced any significant labor disputes.
SHARE OWNERSHIP
Since 1998, Novo Nordisk has established share based incentive schemes for Executive Management and other key executives of the Company and its affiliates. The share based incentive schemes provide for annual grants contingent on the fulfillment of performance and shareholder value related goals based on long-term financial and non-financial targets. For information on the Board of Directors and Executive Managements individual holdings of share options, exercise of options and granting of shares, please refer to Note 34 in our Annual Report 2007. The members of the Board of Directors and Executive Management and key management executives in the aggregate hold less than one percent of the beneficial ownership of the company.
For information on the Board of Directors and Executive Managements individual holdings of and trading in Novo Nordisk shares during 2007, please refer to Note 34 in our Annual Report 2007. As of 30 January 2008 the Board of Directors and Executive Management owned 101,224 B shares.
In addition Executive management as a group owns approximately 40% of the share bonus pool established for the years 2004-2007. The total pool consists of 912,659 shares.
14
The total number of options to acquire B shares held by Executive Management and Board of Directors as of 30 January 2008 equals 280,500 and the specific conditions can be summarized as follows:
Share
option plan *)
|
Number
of options held
|
Exercise
price
|
Exercise
period
|
||
(DKK)
|
|||||
2000 Ordinary | 46,000 |
198
|
02.22.2004
02.21.2009
|
||
2001 Ordinary | 72,500 |
332
|
02.08.2005
02.07.2010
|
||
2003 Ordinary | 120,000 |
195
|
02.06.2007
02.05.2012
|
*) Kurt Anker Nielsen, member of the Board of Directors has share options in Novo Nordisk, issued by Novo A/S. At the end of 2007 42,000 of these options were outstanding 20,000 (1999 ordinary) and 22,000 (2000 ordinary).
For a full description of individual holdings and exercise of stock options, please refer to Notes 33 and 34 in our Annual Report 2007.
In the period from 1 January 2008 until 30 January 2008, no B shares were sold or purchased by the members of the Board of Directors or Executive Management, and no options have been exercised. The internal rules on trading in Novo Nordisk securities by members of the Board of Directors and Executive Management only permit trading in the 15 calendar-day period following each quarterly announcement.
ITEM 7 MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS
The total share capital of the Company is split in two classes, A shares and B shares, each with different voting rights. The A shares have 10 votes per DKK 1 of the A share capital and the B shares have one vote per DKK 1 of the B share capital.
All of the A shares of the Company are held by Novo A/S, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Novo Nordisk Foundation (the Foundation). As of 31 December 2007, the A shares represented approximately 67.5% of the votes exercisable at the Annual General Meeting. Treasury shares have no votes at the Annual General Meeting.
The Foundation is a self-governing and self-owned organization whose main purposes are to be a stable base for the business and research activities of the subsidiaries of Novo A/S, and to support medical research and other scientific, humanitarian and social objectives.
Novo A/S was established in September 1999 with a contribution in kind of interest-bearing securities from the Foundation. In December 1999, the Foundation contributed its total holdings of A and B shares in Novo Nordisk A/S to Novo A/S in return for shares in Novo A/S. The purpose of Novo A/S is to administer its portfolio of securities and minority capital interests and to administer and vote on the A shares and B shares in Novo Nordisk A/S, thereby creating a satisfactory financial return for the Foundation.
Under its statutes (Articles of Association), the Foundation is governed by a Board of Governors, which must be comprised of at least six and not more than 12 members, and at least two members must have a medical or scientific background. Members of the Foundations Board of Governors are typically nominated by the chairman and elected by a two-thirds vote of the elected members. Any member may be removed by unanimous vote of the other members of the Foundations Board of Governors. In addition, employee representatives are elected for four-year terms by the employees of the subsidiaries of the Foundation, in accordance with Danish law, which provides that the employees of the Danish subsidiaries are entitled to be represented by at least half of the number of members who have themselves been elected under the Articles of Association. No person or entity exercises any kind of formal influence over the Foundations Board. The Foundations Board currently consists of nine persons, three of whom are also members of the Board of Directors of Novo Nordisk A/S (Kurt Anker Nielsen, Stig Strøbæk and Søren Thuesen Pedersen).
15
Under its statutes, Novo A/S is governed by a Board of Directors, which must be comprised of at least three and not more than six members who are elected annually by shareholder vote. According to the Foundations statutes, its Board of Governors can and shall provide for members of its own Board of Governors to be elected to Novo A/S Board of Directors. Novo A/Ss Board of Directors currently has four members, with two directors who are also members of the Board of the Foundation (Ulf Jo-hansson and Jørgen Boe) and one director who is also a member of the Board of Directors of Novo Nordisk A/S (Göran Ando). The Chairman of the Foundations Board of Governors serves as the Chairman of Novo A/S Board of Directors.
According to the statutes, the Foundation, in exercising its voting rights through Novo A/S at Novo Nordisk A/S General Meetings, must vote with regard for whats in Novo Nordisks best interest. A shares held by Novo A/S cannot be sold or be subject to any disposition so long as the Foundation exists. The dissolution of the Foundation or any change in its objectives requires the unanimous vote of the Foundations Board of Governors. Other changes in the Foundations statutes require the approval of two-thirds of the members of the Foundations Board of Governors. In addition, changes in the Foundations statutes require approval of the Danish Foundation Authorities. According to the statutes, the Foundation is required to maintain material influence over Novo Nordisk A/S and its majority vote in Novo A/S.
The B shares of the Company are registered with Værdipapir Centralen (VP Securities Services) and are not represented by certificates. Generally, Værdipapir Centralen does not provide the Company with information with respect to registration. However, set forth below is information as of 30 January 2008 with respect to (a) any shareholder who is known to the Company to be the owner of more than 5% of any class of the Companys securities and (b) the total amount of any class owned by the directors and Executive Management as a group:
Title
of class
|
Identity
of person or group
|
Shares
owned
|
Percent
of class
|
Percent
of
total
votes
|
|||||
A shares | Novo A/S | 107,487,200 | 3 | 100.00 | 67.52 | ||||
B shares | Novo A/S | 57,487,600 | 10.66 | 3.61 | |||||
B shares | The Capital Group Companies Inc. | 93,507,562 | 17.33 | 5.87 | |||||
B shares | Novo Nordisk A/S and affiliates (treasury shares) | 25,815,130 | 4.79 | 0.00 | |||||
B shares | Board of Directors and Executive Management | 101,224 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
In January 2006, Novo Nordisk announced a share buy-back scheme of DKK 6 billion. At the end of 2006, 14,937,914 shares corresponding to DKK 3 billion had been repurchased. In January 2007, Novo Nordisk announced an increase by DKK 4 billion in the ongoing DKK 6 billion share repurchase programme, bringing the total value of the share repurchase programme to DKK 10 billion. In January 2008 Novo Nordisk announced a further increase by DKK 6.5 billion bringing the total value of the share purchase programme to DKK 16.5 billion.
In 2007 15,537,012 shares corresponding to DKK 4.8 billion have been repurchased. The programme is now expected to be finalised by the end of 2009.
16
After the shareholders approval at the Annual General Meeting on 7 March 2007 of the proposed reduction of the companys share capital, 26,960,000 shares were cancelled in June, reducing the number of treasury shares accordingly.
As the B shares are in bearer form, it is not possible to give an accurate breakdown of the holdings and number of shareholders per country. It is, however, estimated that approximately 43% of the B share capital was held in Denmark at the end of 2007. Approximately 30% of the B share capital is estimated to be held in North America. The estimated total number of shareholders is more than 100,000 of which more than 60,000 are estimated to be Danish residents and more than 20,000 to be resident in the United States of America.
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Related parties are considered to be the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Novo A/S, the Novozymes Group (due to shared controlling shareholder, Novo A/S), associated companies, the Board of Directors and officers of these entities and Management of Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk has access to certain assets of and can purchase certain services from Novo A/S and the Novozymes Group and vice versa. All agreements relating to such assets and services are based on the list prices used for sales to third parties where such list prices exist, or the price has been set at what is regarded as market price. The material terms of these agreements are renegotiated annually.
In 2007 Novo Nordisk A/S acquired 6,874,800 B-shares, worth DKK 2.1 billion, from Novo A/S as part of the ongoing DKK 10 billion share repurchase program. The transaction price was DKK 304.07 per share and was calculated as the average market price from 3 August to 9 August 2007 in the open window, following the announcement of the financial results for the second quarter of 2007.
In August 2006 Novo Nordisk A/S acquired 9,044,924 B-shares, worth DKK 1.8 billion, from Novo A/S as part of the ongoing DKK 10 billion share repurchase program. The transaction price was DKK 202.90 per share and was calculated as the average market price from 3 August to 17 August 2006 in the open window, following the announcement of the financial results for the second quarter of 2006.
In May 2005 Novo Nordisk A/S acquired 4,278,236 B-shares, worth DKK 0.6 billion, from Novo A/S as part of the ongoing share repurchase program. The transaction price was DKK 150.90 per share and was calculated as the average market price from 29 April to 13May 2005 in the open window, following the announcement of the financial results for the first quarter of 2005.
Related party transactions in 2007, 2006 and 2005 are primarily payments for services provided between the Novo Nordisk Group and the Novozymes Group and transactions with associated companies. The financial impact of these transactions is limited.
Since 31 December 2007, in 2007, 2006 and 2005 there have been no significant transactions with related parties out of the ordinary course of business. For further information please refer to Note 33 in our Annual Report 2006 and Note 32 in our Annual Report 2007.
There have not been and are no loans to the Board of Directors or Executive Management in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
INTERESTS OF EXPERTS AND COUNSEL
Not applicable.
17
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INFORMATION
See Item 17, Financial statements for information on balance sheet, income statement, changes in shareholders funds, cash flow statement, related notes, etc., including comparative figures.
For information on net turnover by business segments and geographic segments, see Item 4, Business overview.
Dividend policy
At the Annual General Meeting
on 12 March 2008, the Board of Directors will propose a dividend of DKK 4.50
per share. No dividends will be paid on the Companys holding of its treasury
shares. It is the intention of the Board of Directors that, the payout ratio
of Novo Nordisk shall be at the level of comparable companies.
Legal proceedings
Reference is made to Note
36 in the Annual Report 2007 regarding legal proceedings.
Significant changes
Reference is made to Note
36 in the Annual Report 2007 for significant events after the balance
sheet date. For information on important events in the financial year of 2007,
please refer to Important events in 2007 under Item 4.
Offer and listing details
The table below sets forth
for the calendar periods indicated, in the first two columns, high and low prices
for the B shares as reported by the Copenhagen Stock Exchange and, in the third
and fourth columns, high and low ADR prices as reported by the New York Stock
Exchange.
Following the change in trading units as of 3 December 2007, all quotes are restated to reflect the new trading unit of DKK 1 per B share and a ratio of B shares to ADRs of 1:1.
DKK
per B share
|
USD
per ADR
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
High
|
Low
|
High
|
Low
|
||||
2003 |
126
|
87
|
20.62
|
12.55
|
|||
2004 |
166
|
115
|
27.64
|
19.52
|
|||
2005 |
178
|
141
|
30.05
|
24.03
|
|||
2006 |
240
|
170
|
42.33
|
27.40
|
|||
2007 |
349
|
231
|
68.73
|
38.84
|
|||
2006 | |||||||
1st Quarter |
198
|
170
|
31.97
|
27.40
|
|||
2nd Quarter |
203
|
172
|
34.16
|
28.83
|
|||
3rd Quarter |
220
|
180
|
37.67
|
30.51
|
|||
4th Quarter |
240
|
212
|
42.33
|
35.71
|
|||
2007 | |||||||
1st Quarter |
267
|
231
|
46.66
|
38.84
|
|||
2nd Quarter |
303
|
251
|
54.92
|
45.06
|
|||
3rd Quarter |
325
|
281
|
60.75
|
50.26
|
|||
4th Quarter |
349
|
291
|
68.73
|
56.17
|
|||
July 2007 |
312
|
281
|
56.65
|
51.29
|
|||
August 2007 |
313
|
282
|
57.93
|
50.26
|
|||
September 2007 |
325
|
296
|
60.75
|
55.90
|
|||
October 2007 |
326
|
291
|
62.45
|
56.17
|
|||
November 2007 |
325
|
306
|
65.11
|
60.17
|
|||
December 2007 |
349
|
323
|
68.73
|
64.81
|
|||
1-26 January 2008 |
339
|
305
|
66.38
|
60.35
|
|||
18
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Not applicable.
MARKETS
The Companys share capital consists of A shares and B shares. As described above, the A shares are owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation through its wholly owned company Novo A/S and are not listed or traded on any stock exchange. The B shares have been publicly traded since 1974 and have been listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Copenhagen since that time and on the London Stock Exchange since 1978. The Copenhagen Stock Exchange is the principal trading market for the B shares.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) representing the B shares, as evidenced by American Depositary Receipts issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank of New York, as the Depositary, have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1981. As of 31 December 2007, 32,122,494 B share equivalents (representing 6.3% of the outstanding B shares, adjusted for the treasury shares) were held in the form of ADRs.
SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
Not applicable.
DILUTION
Not applicable.
EXPENSES OF THE ISSUE
Not applicable.
ITEM 10 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SHARE CAPITAL
Not applicable.
19
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
At the Annual General Meeting 8 March 2007, it was decided to make a reduction of the companys B share capital from DKK 566,432,800 to DKK 539,472,800. The companys share capital hereafter amount to DKK 646,960,000 divided into A share capital of DKK 107,487,200 and B share capital of DKK 539,472,800. A new article 8.5 was adopted stating:
The Board of Directors may decide that a General Meeting shall be conducted in the English language. All documents, which shall be made available for the shareholders, shall be available in Danish as well the English language. The Board of Directors shall secure that the Danish shareholders, attending a General Meeting, can participate in the General Meeting in Danish.
All other articles remain unchanged.
MATERIAL CONTRACTS
There have been no material contracts outside the ordinary course of business. For a description of other contracts please see the description under Item 4 Important events.
EXCHANGE CONTROLS
There are no governmental laws, decrees, or regulations in Denmark (including, but not limited to, foreign exchange controls) that restrict the export or import of capital, or that affect the remittance of dividends, interest or other payments to non-resident holders of the B shares or the American Depositary Receipts.
There are no limitations on the right of non-resident or foreign owners to hold or vote the B shares or the American Depositary Receipts imposed by the laws of Denmark or the Articles of Association of the Company.
TAXATION
The following summary outlines certain U.S. and Danish tax consequences to holders of ADRs or B shares who are citizens or residents of the United States under the current Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (the Current Convention).
For purposes of the United States Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (P-L. 108-27, 117 Stat. 752) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the US Code), and the Current Convention, the holders of ADRs will be treated as the owners of the underlying B shares.
Under the traditional Danish tax procedure, withholding tax is deducted from dividend payments to U.S. residents and corporations at a 28% rate, the rate which is generally applicable to non-residents in Denmark without regard to eligibility for a reduced treaty rate. Under the Current Convention, however, the maximum rate of Danish tax which may be imposed on a dividend paid to a U.S. resident or corporation that does not have a permanent establishment (as defined therein) in Denmark is 15%. U.S. residents and corporations who are eligible for the reduced treaty rate may apply to the Danish tax authorities to obtain a refund to the extent that the withholding tax exceeds the maximum rate.
As effective in 1987, the Danish tax authorities approved the Companys proposal to simplify such procedure. Under the approved procedure, U.S. resident shareholders holding ADRs will receive their dividends from the Depositary reduced only by the 15% Danish withholding tax provided for in the Current Convention provided they certify that they are U.S. residents. Accordingly, U.S. resident shareholders that have submitted the required form (Form 6166) to the Depositary will no longer have to file for any tax withholding refund from the Danish tax authorities.
20
Subject to the limitations and conditions provided in the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (P-L. 108-27, 117 Stat. 752), a U.S. citizen will be taxed at a maximum of 15% of the dividend, as received from a Qualified Foreign Corporation (QFC). Novo Nordisk A/S is a Qualified Foreign Corporation. It is a condition that the ADR holder fulfills certain holding period requirements.
Subject to the limitations and conditions provided in the U.S. Tax Code, the ADR holder may elect to credit the Danish taxes paid on dividends against its U.S. federal income tax liability. The credit includes taxes initially withheld from dividends declared to the extent the withheld taxes are not repayable to the United States shareholder. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the full dividend payment, without reduction for Danish withholding tax, is treated as a foreign source dividend.
Subject to the limitations and conditions provided in the U.S. Tax Code, a U.S. resident or domestic corporation may elect to credit any Danish taxes paid on dividends from a Danish corporation against its U.S. federal income tax liability. The credit includes taxes initially withheld from dividends declared to the extent the withheld taxes are not repayable to the U.S. shareholder. Alternatively, subject to applicable limitations, a U.S. shareholder may elect to deduct Danish taxes withheld from dividend payments which will generally constitute passive income for certain shareholders. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the full dividend payment, without reduction for Danish withholding tax, is treated as a foreign source dividend.
Under the U.S. Tax Code, any dividend payments received by U.S. corporations from Danish corporations will generally be taxable as income and are not eligible for any dividend-received deduction. The full amount of dividends declared, without reduction for any Danish tax withheld, will be included in the gross income of the recipient U.S. corporation subject to the aforementioned foreign tax credit.
Sales of ADRs or B
shares
Any gains or losses derived
from the sale of ADRs or B shares by an individual that is not a resident of
Denmark or a non-Danish corporation that is not doing business in Denmark are
not subject to Danish taxation, but are subject to the general U.S. tax rules
applicable to such transactions by U.S. citizens, residents or domestic corporations.
A U.S. shareholder will recognize capital gain or loss for U.S. federal income
tax purposes on a sale or other disposition of ADRs or B shares in the same
manner as on the sale or disposition of any other shares. In addition, any non-resident
of Denmark may remove from Denmark any convertible currency representing the
proceeds of the sales of ADRs or B shares in Denmark.
The foregoing sections offer a general description and you are urged to consult your own tax advisers to determine the U.S. federal, state local and foreign tax consequences of purchasing, owning and disposing of class B shares or ADRs in your particular circumstances.
DIVIDENDS AND PAYING AGENTS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT BY EXPERTS
Not applicable.
DOCUMENTS ON DISPLAY
Documents referred to and filed with the SEC together with this Form 20-F can be read and copied at the SECs public reference room located at 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549. Please call the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference rooms.
21
Copies of the Form 20-F Report as well as the Annual Report 2007 can be downloaded from the Investors pages on www.novonordisk.com. The Form 20-F is also filed and can be viewed via ED-GAR on www.sec.gov.
SUBSIDIARY INFORMATION
Not applicable.
ITEM 11 QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISKS
Financial exposure
and financial risk management
For a description and discussion
of the Companys foreign exchange risk management, interest risk management,
counterparty risk management and equity price risk management, please refer
to Note 31 and the section on Business, strategy, opportunities and key risks
on pages 8-9 in the Annual Report 2007.
Sensitivity analysis
When conducting a sensitivity
analysis, the Group assesses the change in fair value on the market-sensitive
instruments following hypothetical changes in market rates and prices. The rates
used to mark-to-market the instruments are market data from the end of 2007.
Interest rate sensitivity
analysis
The financial instruments
included in the sensitivity analysis of interest rate risk consist of the Groups
marketable bonds and deposits together with short- and long-term loans with
floating and fixed interest rates together with interest rate swaps and cross
currency swaps. Not included are foreign exchange forwards, foreign exchange
options, and foreign exchange swaps due to the very limited interest effect
of these instruments when the interest rate risk is assessed through the below-mentioned
risk measures.
The interest rate risk is calculated as the duration, which expresses the percentage change in the market value of the financial instruments by a 1 percentage point parallel shift in the interest rate curve.
An interest rate change has a very limited effect on the Groups financial instruments. The table below shows how a 1 percentage point change of the interest rate level, assuming all other variables remain unchanged, impacts the fair value of the Groups financial instruments.
The result of the sensitivity analysis at the end of 2007 and 2006 is as follows:
|
Interest
rate level
|
Fair
value of Groups
financial instruments (DKK million) |
2007 |
+
1 percentage point
|
+15 |
-
1 percentage point
|
- 15 | |
2006 |
+
1 percentage point
|
+53 |
-
1 percentage point
|
- 53 |
The change seen from 2006 to 2007 is due to the fact that the notional amount and term to maturity of the bond portfolio have increased in 2007.
Interest received on the bond portfolio counters the interest paid on the remaining financial instruments.
22
Foreign exchange
sensitivity analysis
The financial positions
included in the foreign exchange sensitivity analysis are the Groups cash,
accounts receivable and payable, short- and long-term loans, short- and long-term
financial investments, foreign
exchange forward contracts, foreign exchange options, and foreign exchange swaps
hedging transaction exposure. Furthermore, interest rate swaps and cross currency
swaps are included. Not included are anticipated currency transactions, investments
and fixed assets. Cross currency swaps hedging transaction exposure are excluded
from the sensitivity analysis, as the effects of changing exchange rates hereon
are recognized directly under shareholders funds. Moreover, the Group
does not have any marketable bonds in foreign currency.
At the end of 2007, a 5% increase in the levels of all foreign exchange rates against the DKK, i.e. a unilateral weakening of DKK, would, all other variables being unchanged, result in a decrease in the fair value of the Groups financial positions of DKK 507 million. A 5% decrease in the levels of all foreign exchange rates against DKK, i.e. a unilateral strengthening of DKK, would, all other variables being unchanged, increase the value of the Groups financial positions by DKK 507 million.
In comparison, at the end of 2006, a 5% increase in the levels of all foreign exchange rates against the DKK, i.e. a unilateral weakening of DKK, would, all other variables being unchanged, result in a decrease in the fair value of the Groups financial positions of DKK 450 million. A 5% decrease in the levels of all foreign exchange rates against DKK, i.e. a unilateral strengthening of DKK, would, all other variables being unchanged, increase the value of the Groups financial positions by DKK 450 million.
To reflect the Danish fixed rate policy vis-à-vis EUR, an alternative calculation has been made. This calculation assumes that DKK remains unchanged versus EUR, i.e. that DKK and EUR weaken by 5% against all other currencies. Likewise it is assumed that DKK and EUR strengthen by 5% against all other currencies.
At the end of 2007, a 5% increase in the levels of foreign exchange rates against DKK and EUR would, all other variables being unchanged, result in a decrease in the fair value of the Groups financial positions of DKK 714 million. A 5% decrease in the levels of all foreign exchange rates against DKK and EUR would, all other variables being unchanged, increase the value of the Groups financial positions by DKK 772 million.
In comparison, at the end of 2006, a 5% increase in the levels of all foreign exchange rates against the DKK and EUR would, all other variables being unchanged, result in a decrease in the fair value of the Groups financial positions of DKK 644 million. A 5% decrease in the levels of all foreign exchange rates against DKK and EUR would, all other variables being unchanged, increase the value of the Groups financial positions by DKK 693 million.
The result of the sensitivity analysis at the end of 2007 and 2006 is as follows:
|
Exchange
rate level
(change against DKK) |
Fair
value of Groups
financial positions - DKK unchanged - (DKK million) |
Fair
value of Groups
financial positions - DKK & EUR unchanged - (DKK million) |
2007 |
+
5 percentage point
|
-
507
|
-714
|
-
5 percentage point
|
+
507
|
+772
|
|
2006 |
+
5 percentage point
|
-
450
|
-
644
|
-
5 percentage point
|
+
450
|
+693
|
The asymmetric sensitivities, when measuring the change in the fair value of the Groups financial position against both DKK and EUR are caused by the positions in EUR/USD and EUR/JPY foreign exchange options.
ITEM 12 DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES
Not applicable.
23
PART II
ITEM 13 DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES
None.
ITEM 14 MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS
None.
ITEM 15 CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of disclosure
controls and procedures
Novo Nordisk maintains disclosure
controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required
to be disclosed in reports that Novo Nordisk files under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time
periods specified in the rules and forms of the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission.
Novo Nordisks Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have evaluated the Companys disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of 2007. Based on this evaluation, the Companys Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Companys disclosure controls and procedures are effective at the reasonable assurance level for gathering, analyzing and disclosing the information the Company is required to disclose in the reports it files under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms.
In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, Management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.
Report of Novo Nordisk
Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Novo Nordisk Board
of Directors, the Audit Committee and Executive Management are responsible for
establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting.
The Novo Nordisk Groups internal control system was designed to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation and fair presentation of its published consolidated financial statements.
All internal control systems no matter how well designed have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective may not prevent or detect misstatements and can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Novo Nordisks Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer assessed the effectiveness of the Groups internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007. In making this assessment, they used the criteria established in Internal Control Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this assessment the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2007, Novo Nordisk Groups internal control over financial reporting is effective based on those criteria.
24
The effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Statsautoriseret Revisionsaktieselskab, Denmark, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included on page 33
Changes in internal
controls over financial reporting
There were no changes in
the Companys internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
the year ended 31 December 2007, that have materially affected, or are reasonably
likely to materially affect the Companys internal control over financial
reporting.
ITEM 16A AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
The Audit Committee has three members elected by the board among its members. All members qualify as independent as defined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). One member is designated as chairman and two members have been designated as Audit Committee Financial Experts as defined under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
The board has in March 2007 elected the following to the Audit Committee: Kurt Anker Nielsen (Audit Committee Chairman and Financial Expert), Niels Jacobsen (Audit Committee Member and Financial Expert) and Jørgen Wedel (Audit Committee Member).
Novo Nordisk has an ethics framework consisting of a number of rules and guidelines, including but not limited to the Novo Nordisk Way of Management, which consists of the Companys Vision, Charter, commitment to the Triple Bottom Line and Policies as well as a business ethics policy and related procedures. This framework is applicable to all employees in Novo Nordisk including the Board of Directors and Management.
The Novo Nordisk Way of Management is principle-based and describes corporate values and required mindsets on business conduct and ethics including a number of the topics dealt with in the rules on Code of Ethics set forth in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and in the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual.
Novo Nordisk has not established a separate Code of Ethics as a response to the requirement set forth in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act because the framework is already well integrated in the Company, and includes rules and guidelines reasonably similar to those required by Code of Ethics in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual.
For further information on the Novo Nordisk Way of Management please visit Novo Nordisk´s home-page at www.novonordisk.com (The contents of the website are not incorporated by reference into this Form 20-F.)
ITEM 16C PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Audit fees
Reference is made to Note
8 in our Annual Report 2007 regarding aggregate audit fees.
Statutory audit fees
Statutory audit fees consist
of fees billed for the annual audit of the Companys Annual Report, the
financial statements of the Parent Company, Novo Nordisk A/S and financial statements
of fully-owned affiliates including audit of internal controls over financial
reporting (Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 404). The fees also include fees billed
for other audit services, which are those services that only the statutory auditor
can provide, and include the review of documents filed with the SEC.
25
Audit-related fees
Fees for audit-related services
consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are related to
the performance of the audit or review of the Companys non-financial reporting
included in the Annual Report and include consultations concerning financial
accounting, reporting standards and financial due diligence.
Tax fees
Fees for tax advisory services
include fees billed for tax compliance services, tax consultations, such as
assistance and representation in connection with tax audits and appeals, transfer
pricing and tax planning services.
All other fees
All other fees include fees
billed for services such as financial due diligence.
Pre-approval policies
The Audit Committee assesses
and pre-approves all audit and non-audit services provided by Pricewa-terhouseCoopers.
The pre-approval includes the type of service and a fee budget. Furthermore,
the Audit Committee receives a quarterly update on actual services provided
and fees realized.
ITEM 16D EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES
Not applicable.
ITEM 16E PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS
2007 | Total
Number of Shares Purchased (a) |
Average
Price Paid per Share in DKK (b) |
Total
Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (c) |
Maximum Approximate |
January
131
|
0 |
NA
|
0
|
7,000,272,205
|
February
128
|
0 |
NA
|
0
|
7,000,272,205
|
March
131
|
0 |
NA
|
0
|
7,000,272,205
|
April
130
|
0 |
NA
|
0
|
7,000,272,205
|
May
131
|
276,000 |
286.64
|
276,000
|
6,921,159,565
|
June
130
|
0 |
NA
|
0
|
6,921,159,565
|
July
131
|
0 |
NA
|
0
|
6,921,159,565
|
August
131
|
7,739,800 |
303.59
|
7,739,800
|
4,572,416,953
|
September
130
|
1,297,700 |
315.68
|
1,297,700
|
4,161,983,531
|
October
131
|
1,234,000 |
316.35
|
1,234,000
|
3,771,609,761
|
November
130
|
3,156,500 |
314.67
|
3,156,500
|
2,778,359,894
|
December
131
|
1,833.012 |
333.92
|
1,833,012
|
2,166,278,959
|
Total
|
15,537,012 |
311.13
|
15,537,012
|
Note to column (a)
The Board of Directors has an authorization from the shareholders meeting to buy up to 10% of the share capital at the price quoted at the time of the purchase with a deviation of up to 10%.
26
Under this authorization the shares were repurchased under a program announced on January 31, 2007. Shares up to a total amount of DKK 10 bill. can be repurchased. The shares are purchased through a bank directly in the market or directly from named shareholders as for example Novo A/S.
Notes to columns (c)
and (d)
In order to maintain capital
structure flexibility the Board of Directors will at the Annual General meeting
on 12 March 2008 also propose a reduction in the B share capital, by cancellation
of nominally DKK 12.96 million (12,960,000) shares) of current treasury B shares,
to DKK 526.5 million. This corresponds to a 2% reduction of the total share
capital.
PART III
The financial statements required by this item accompany this Annual Report as the Novo Nordisk Annual Report 2007 (see Exhibit 14.1).
RECONCILIATION OF NON-COMPARABLE FINANCIAL MEASURES
In our Annual Report 2007, Novo Nordisk discloses some financial measures that may not be comparable with similarly titled measures of other companies including:
| Free cash flow; |
| Cash/earnings; and |
| Return on invested capital (ROIC). |
| Financial resources at the end of the year. |
Free cash flow
Free cash flow is defined as cash flow from operating activities plus
cash flow from investing activities excluding Net change in marketable
securities (> 3 months).
Management uses the measure of free cash flow to monitor the operating activities ability to finance the investing activities of the Group. A positive free cash flow shows that the operation is able to finance the investing activities of the Group and thus external financing is not necessary.
Below is a reconciliation of free cash flow to Cash flow from operating activities.
Reconciliation
of free cash flow
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
DKK
Million
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
|
Free
cash flow
|
4,833
|
4,707
|
9,012
|
|
+ |
Net
change in marketable securities (>3 months)
|
(1,032)
|
514
|
(541)
|
+ |
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
4,911
|
2,517
|
1,516
|
= |
Cash
flow from operating activities
|
8,712 | 7,738 | 9,987 |
Cash/earnings
Cash/earnings is defined
as free cash flow as a percentage of net profit.
27
Cash/earnings measures the Groups ability to turn earnings into cash and is, therefore, in the eyes of Management a meaningful measure for public use to demonstrate a sound cash flow development from operations. That is why free cash flow is used as the numerator instead of net cash flow, because it is the ability of operations to generate cash which should be captured. Cash/earnings is reconciled to Cash flow from operating activities / earnings in %as follows:
Reconciliation
of cash/earnings
|
||||
|
||||
DKK
Million
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
|
Numerator
|
||||
Free
cash flow
|
4,833 | 4,707 | 9,012 | |
|
||||
Denominator
|
||||
Net
profit (as reported in Annual Report)
|
5,864 | 6,452 | 8,522 | |
|
||||
Cash/earnings
(as reported in Annual Report) in %
|
82.4% | 73.0% | 105.7% | |
|
||||
Numerator
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Free
cash flow
|
4,833 | 4,707 | 9,012 | |
+ |
Net
change in marketable securities (>3 months)
|
(1,032) | 514 | (541) |
+ |
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
4,911 | 2,517 | 1,516 |
= |
Cash
flow from operating activities
|
8,712 | 7,738 | 9,987 |
|
||||
Denominator
|
||||
Net
profit (as reported in Annual Report)
|
5,864 | 6,452 | 8,522 | |
|
||||
Cash
flow from operating activities
|
8,712 | 7,738 | 9,987 | |
/ |
Net
profit (as reported in Annual Report)
|
5,864 | 6,452 | 8,522 |
= |
Cash
flow from operating activities / Net profit in %
|
148.6% | 119.9% | 117.2% |
Return on invested
capital (ROIC)
ROIC is defined as operating
profit after tax (using the effective tax rate) as a percentage of average stocks,
debtors, tangible and intangible fixed assets less non-interest bearing liabilities
including provisions (where average is the sum of above assets and liabilities
at the beginning of the year and at year-end divided by two).
ROIC is used by Management as a measure for financial performance. Management believes that ROIC captures the Groups ability to provide a competitive return on investments in the Group compared to investing in the capital market.
Reconciliation
of ROIC
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
DKK
Million
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
profit after tax
|
5,759
|
6,420
|
6,948
|
/
|
Average
non-interest bearing balance sheet items
|
23,295
|
24,890
|
25,557
|
=
|
ROIC
(as reported in Annual Report) in %
|
24.7%
|
25.8%
|
27.2%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Numerator
|
|
|
|
|
Reconciliation
of Operating profit after tax to Operating profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
profit after tax
|
5,759
|
6,420
|
6,948
|
/
|
(1-effective
tax rate) in %
|
71.2%
|
70.4%
|
77.7%
|
=
|
Operating
profit (as reported in Annual Report)
|
8,088
|
9,119
|
8,942
|
|
Denominator
|
|
|
|
|
Reconciliation
of Average non-interest bearing balance sheet items to Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average
non-interest bearing balance sheet items as used in ROIC calculation
|
|
|
|
*
|
2
|
46,590
|
49,780
|
51,114
|
-
|
Non-interest
bearing balance sheet items at the beginning of the year
|
22,384
|
24,206
|
25,575
|
|
|
|
|
|
=
|
Non-interest
bearing balance sheet items at the end of the year
|
24,206
|
25,574
|
25,539
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-interest
bearing balance sheet items at the end of the year
|
24,206
|
25,574
|
25,539
|
+
|
Investments
in associated companies
|
926
|
788
|
500
|
+
|
Other
financial assets
|
169
|
169
|
131
|
+
|
Marketable
securities and derivative financial instruments
|
1,722
|
1,833
|
2,555
|
+
|
Cash
at bank and in hand
|
3,303
|
3,270
|
4,823
|
-
|
Long-term
debt
|
(1,248)
|
(1,174)
|
(961)
|
-
|
Short-term
debt
|
(1,444)
|
(338)
|
(405)
|
=
|
Equity
at the end of the year (as reported in Annual Report)
|
27,634
|
30,122
|
32,182
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
profit (as reported in Annual Report)
|
8,088
|
9,119
|
8,942
|
/
|
Equity
|
27,634
|
30,122
|
32,182
|
=
|
Operating
profit / Equity in %
|
29.3%
|
30.3%
|
27,8%
|
28
Financial resources
at the end of the year
Financial resources at the
end of the year is defined as the sum of cash and cash equivalents at the end
of the year, bonds with original term to maturity exceeding three months and
undrawn committed credit facilities.
The Registrant has responded to Item 17 in lieu of responding to this item.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Enforceability of civil
liabilities
The Company is a Danish
corporation and substantially all of its directors and officers, as well as
certain independent accountants named herein, are non-residents of the United
States. A substantial portion of the assets of the Company, its subsidiaries
and such persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may
be difficult for shareholders of the Company to effect service within the United
States upon directors, officers and independent accountants who are not residents
of the United States or to enforce judgments in the United States. In addition,
there can be no assurance as to the enforceability in Denmark against the Company
or its respective directors, officers and independent accountants who are not
residents of the United States, or in actions for enforcement of judgments of
United States courts, of liabilities predicated solely upon the federal securities
law of the United States.
29
a. Annual Report
The following pages from our Annual Report 2007, filed on Form 6-K, dated 11 February 2008, are incorporated by reference.
Page(s) in the Annual Report | ||
|
||
Business results | [8-19] | |
Risk management | [8-9 | ] |
Research and development pipeline | [16-19] | |
Business environment | [20-25] | |
Corporate governance | [42-43] | |
Executive remuneration | [44-45] | |
Board of Directors | [46-47] | |
Executive Management | [48 | ] |
Shareholder information | [49-50] | |
Financial highlights | [52 | ] |
Consolidated income statements for the years ended 31 December | ||
[2005, 2006 and 2007] | [54 | ] |
Consolidated balance sheets at 31 December 2006 and 2007 | [55 | ] |
Consolidated cash flow and financial resources for the years | ||
ended 31 December [2005, 2006 and 2007] | [56 | ] |
Consolidated statements of changes in equity for the years ended 31 | ||
December [2006 and 2007] | [57 | ] |
Notes to the consolidated financial statements | [58-88] | |
List of companies in the Novo Nordisk Group | [100-101] | |
Summary of financial data 2003-2007 | [102-103] | |
Management Statement | [113 | ] |
Additional required
information
Reference is
made to note 19 in our Annual Report for additional information regarding valuation
and qualifying accounts.
30
b. Exhibits
List of exhibits:
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
Method
of filing
|
|
|
|
8.1 | List of companies in the Novo Nordisk Group | Incorporated by reference to pages 100-101 of our Annual Report 2007 filed on Form 6-K dated 11 February 2008.Filed together with this Form 20-F for 2007. |
12.1 | Certification of Lars Rebien Sørensen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Novo Nordisk, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
12.2 | Certification of Jesper Brandgaard, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Novo Nordisk, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | Filed together with this Form 20-F for 2007. |
13.1 | Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | Filed together with this Form 20-F for 2007. |
14.1 | Registrants Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 2007. | Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Report on Form 6-K dated 11 February 2008. |
14.2 | Registrants Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 2006. | Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Report on Form 6-K dated 8 February 2007. |
31
Novo Nordisk A/S
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Novo Nordisk A/S
In our opinion, the Consolidated Financial Statements listed in the accompanying index appearing under Item 19 present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Novo Nordisk A/S and its subsidiaries (the Company) at December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007 expressed in Danish kroner and incorporated with reference to the Registrants Annual Report (the pages listed in Item 19 of the Form 20-F) filed on Form 6-K dated February 11, 2008 in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), and with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Companys Management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Report of Novo Nordisk Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by Management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
A companys internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A companys internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the companys assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
30 January 2008
Copenhagen, Denmark
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Statsautoriseret Revisionsaktieselskab
32
The Registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this Annual Report on its behalf.
NOVO NORDISK A/S
/s/ Lars Rebien Sørensen |
/s/
Jesper Brandgaard
|
|
|
|
|
Name: Lars Rebien Sørensen | Name: Jesper Brandgaard | |
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer | Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
Dated: 30 January 2008
33