A Novo Nordisk A/S workplace constructing is in peril of collapsing after catching hearth on the drugmaker’s headquarters advanced in Denmark, lower than every week after a hearth incident involving one in every of its different Danish amenities.
The Wednesday hearth is now below management, although the constructing is “not able to be saved,” a Novo spokesperson mentioned by electronic mail. The situation isn’t used for manufacturing, Novo mentioned.
Weight-loss and diabetes medicine Wegovy and Ozempic have remodeled Novo into Europe’s most dear firm, and the drugmaker is investing closely to broaden in Denmark and overseas. This week’s hearth follows a Could 16 blaze on the roof of a constructing below building at Novo’s manufacturing hub in Kalundborg, the place the corporate is spending greater than $8 billion to spice up manufacturing.
The Wednesday hearth broke out exterior a constructing on the firm’s website in Bagsvaerd within the morning hours, then unfold to an adjoining workplace constructing. Extinguishing remains to be estimated to take one other four-to-six hours, Martin Kjaersgaard, the native hearth service chief of operations, mentioned by cellphone round 2:40 p.m. native time. The construction is a “quite large multi-story building” and the chance of its collapse is slowing down extinguishing work. Folks in surrounding buildings have been evacuated, he mentioned.
The corporate has a number of workplaces in Bagsvaerd, and the principle headquarters constructing was not affected, Novo mentioned. “All activity in the impacted area is expected to be back to normal tomorrow,” the corporate mentioned.
Shares of Novo fell as a lot as 2.7% earlier than paring again. The inventory is up 32% year-to-date.
Some 100 firefighters had been on website Wednesday to battle the “massive fire,” Kjaersgaard mentioned. The smoke from the hearth isn’t poisonous, and there aren’t any accidents, in keeping with Novo’s spokeswoman.
Broadcaster TV2 confirmed pictures and video clips of fireplace vehicles arriving on the website in Bagsvaerd earlier on Wednesday, and fighters utilizing drones to assist them as they attempt to extinguish the hearth. The pictures displayed intensifying clouds of smoke, although no flames had been seen.
In a put up on X, the native police power mentioned the hearth was affecting visibility on the Hillerod motorway.