ABPI Restores Novo Nordisk’s Membership

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The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) reinstated Novo Nordisk’s membership in the group.¹ The company had previously been subjected to a two-year suspension of its membership, with renewal being contingent on Novo Nordisk being able to demonstrate that it will adhere to the ABPI’s standards.

In a press release, the ABPI’s chief executive Richard Torbett said, “The UK rightly has some of the highest standards in the world for how pharmaceutical companies can behave and operate–embodied by the ABPI Code of Practice. In 2021, Novo Nordisk fell short of these standards, and it is right that their peers held them accountable. Over the past two years, Novo Nordisk has responded positively and actively to the requirements laid down by the ABPI Board, and I am pleased to welcome them back into full engagement as ABPI members.”

In the same news release, Novo Nordisk UK’s general manager Sebnem Avsar added, “We welcome the decision today to have our membership to the ABPI restored. Throughout the audit process we have considerably strengthened our compliance processes and we firmly believe that we now have the right foundations and governance in place to be fully and effectively self-regulating.”

Avsar continued, “From day one, we have taken the decision to suspend our membership extremely seriously, and we have greatly valued the cooperation from the ABPI and the PMCPA during what has been a very robust and thorough review process. Novo Nordisk has had a significant presence in the UK for more than fifty years and we remain committed to our purpose of driving change to defeat serious chronic diseases and look forward to participating as a full member of the ABPI”

The ABPI first announced Novo Nordisk’s suspension in a press release dated March 16, 2023.² According to the release, the suspension was related to concerns over the company’s connection to an advertisement on LinkedIn. The company’s involvement in the ad was unclear, as was whether the services being offered were promotional or not.

At the time, the ABPI’s president-elect Susan Rienow said, “The ABPI Board has carefully considered the PMCPA’s case report into Novo Nordisk and the subsequent audit of their compliance procedures. The Board expressed significant concern about Novo Nordisk’s compliance activities and the very serious issues identified. As a result, the ABPI Board have taken the decision to suspend Novo Nordisk from ABPI membership.

Rienow continued, “Such measures are never taken lightly, but will ensure a rapid return to industry compliance standards as set out in the ABPI Code of Practice.”

Sources

1. Novo Nordisk ABPI Membership Restored. ABPI. March 17, 2025. https://www.abpi.org.uk/media/news/2025/march/novo-nordisk-abpi-membership-restored/
2. Novo Nordisk is Suspended from ABPI Membership. ABPI. March 16, 2023. Accessed March 20, 2025. https://www.abpi.org.uk/media/news/2023/march/novo-nordisk-is-suspended-from-abpi-membership/