A Loyal Brother and the Start of Novo

In 1923, Harald Pedersen, an engineer, joined Nordisk to build the machines used in insulin production. His brother, Thorvald Pedersen, was later recruited to analyze the chemical processes that occurred during insulin production. However, Thorvald did not get along with Hans Christian Hagedorn, and in 1924 Hagedorn fired him.

Out of loyalty to his brother, Harald resigned, and the two brothers set up on their own company. They were soon successfully producing insulin. So in 1925, the two brothers sent a letter to Danish pharmacists informing them that Insulin Novo and the newly developed Novo syringe were for sale. The two brothers named their company Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium.