From the anti-obesity pill to the monkeypox vaccine, Denmark is turning out to be a global powerhouse in the pharmaceutical industry. After the Novo Nordisk case, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) warning about the risks of monkeypox has turned the spotlight on another Danish company, Bavarian Nordic, producer of the only vaccine approved by the authorities against mpox: in five days, the stock gained 47% on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, 69% in six months. The Danish group plans to increase production to 10 million doses by the end of 2025, while two million doses will be available by the end of this year. The example for the whole industry is Novo Nordisk, the world’s largest producer of insulin, which has become the most valuable company in Europe, with a capitalisation (EUR 540 billion) greater than the GDP of the whole of Denmark, thanks to Ozempic and Wegovy, two extraordinarily effective drugs against diabetes and obesity. The boost to the pharmaceutical industry comes from the collaboration between the public sector, excellent universities and easy access to financing: a structure that prioritises long-term strategies over the short term has also contributed to stable development. For example, Novo Nordisk is controlled by a foundation: the shareholder base is more stable and protected from hostile takeovers. The resounding success of Novo Nordisk in recent years has accelerated the development of the entire sector, attracting investors from all over the world: the investments are not only financial, a real ecosystem has been created.
