Charlie, your article leaves the reader with the impression that Novo Nordisk will stop all supplies of insulin to Greece. This is not the case. We continue to supply human insulin in vials at the reduced price.
The products we have decided not to reduce the price on are the latest generation of insulin products (what you refer to as 'modern insulins') and our insulin pen injection systems. The price of these products in Greece is already among the lowest in Europe, and a 25% reduction would bring the price way below the price in other European countries. Moreover, because the price in Greece is used as a reference price in other countries in and outside Europe, a reduction of prices in Greece will trigger similar reductions elsewhere.

Best regards,
Mike Rulis, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Novo Nordisk A/S

Dear Mike Rulis,
i think that its a disgrace what you are claiming here; why dont you tell the public how much you charge your products in Denmark and how much you charge them in Greece in comparison. Your company has been (and still is) producing a tremendous surplus (far more than 25%) all these years from the Greek market.
The cut in medicine prizes from the Greek government (which is not yet in force) affects only hospital aquired Nordisk products and not pharmacies; so your move to withdraw 17 of your products from the Greek market is indeed a blackmail.
Minimal corporate social responsibility would have dictated that for at least a period of time you should have continued to supply your products.
Your only plausible argument is about the reference price (only for UK and not for all products), but that shows how cynical your company is; spare the 700 kids in Bangladesh.

best regards
Steve Gaudis,
MD, Athens

Greeks need to do a little more work and less caverna time. The Japanese and Germans seem to be doing alright.

I have never heard more stupid complaints than greeks. So you spend 3% of BNP on the military and you expect foreign companys to reduce their prices because you have had a party for other peoples money, which you cant pay back and knew you couldent repay when you borrowed them.
So the arms producers can keep their profit and the pharma co's pay the bill. Close you military you cant afford it - OK
NOVO gives you old tech insulin for free like you were Bangladesh or something.
This not about profit and capitalism but about greek recklessness and a disgusting idea that the rest of Europe have to pay for your way of life you cant afford because you produce nothing anyone will buy.
Start working instead of your luxury retirement in your 50's while the rest of us stop close to 70.
Like other communist you dont want to work but steal the fruits of other peoples labour.
You have to live the way you can afford, not let us pay for your excesses.
Everybody knew what was going on in greece and nobody did anything about it. Corruption and lazy workpractices. Start working start saving and stop complaining about other people being smarter and more dillegent tha your on madhouse

Another way at looking at its Steve, is that the Greek government unilaterally cut the price of medicine to hospitals to be able to spend money to continue to purchase German armaments. Who is the bad guy then? http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=ms_mil_xpnd_gd_zs&idim=co...

to all that responded to my comments:
this is not about Greek economy and Greek 'laziness'; this is about how pharmaceutical companies blackmail governments in order to achieve greater profit.
One of the reasons Greek economy is in today's weary state is the profit party that pharmaceutical companies enjoyed the last decades by overcosting drugs (in some cases 450% more than other European countries), admittedly through a corrupt public health system.
What you see now from the Danish pharmaceutical companies is a brutal blackmail to a weak Greek government against any humane or corporate social responsibility.
Rather than disseminating nationalist stereotypes try to see the facts.

Steve, a disclaimer - i work in pharma, and thank you for revealing your MD status too. Let me say there was a lot more underhand activity in pharma years ago than now (much of it targeted at (and accepted by) physicians. But please also accept that the costs of developing new meds are far higher now than previously, and these must be paid for.