Biostatisticians and Statistical Programmers

At Novo Nordisk, we are dedicated to development of new treatments. Biostatisticians and statistical programmers play an important role in developing the next generation of products, providing input from drug discovery to market. They play key roles in everything from informing the planning and design of clinical trials to conducting statistical analyses and reporting statistical results. 

A look inside the biostatistics area

Biostatisticians and statistical programmers are core to bringing a new drug from research, through the development phase and to market. Our team comprises around 250 people, based mostly in Denmark and India with smaller teams in China and Japan. Our area is split - approximately 50:50 - between statisticians and programmers. Watch the video to learn more about the department, the work we do, our future aspirations and how you might fit into them.

How we work 

Together, biostatisticians and statistical programmers follow the trends in the industry, and apply state-of-art statistical methodology and contribute to scientific communities. Statistical analyses conducted by our biostatistics team are critical to the preparation of the regulatory filings that are required to obtain approvals from health authorities and bring the product to patients via market access analyses.

Working alongside stakeholders from across the organisation, biostatisticians design clinical trials, including calculation of sample sizes and selection of statistical methodology. They conduct the statistical analyses and interpret the data for submissions to authorities and scientific papers. Biostatisticians often co-author articles for scientific journals, outlining the clinical development programme and establishing its credibility in the market. The continued development of the biostatistical expertise is maintained by internal and external scientific meetings and focus groups.

Who we’re looking for 

Biostatisticians need to have either a Master or a PhD in Statistics, as the role requires a strong background in mathematical statistics. A sound theoretical foundation is essential, along with a good knowledge of how to apply statistical models. 

Meet Randi Grøn, a Statistical Specialist from Biostatistics in Global Development who joined Novo Nordisk in 2015. Randi enjoys having the opportunity to work on various aspects of clinical trials and the culture of teamwork at Novo Nordisk.

Statistical programmers conduct programming of publications as well as market access and clinical trials. This includes standardisation, pooling of data, ensuring traceability and engaging in authority interactions. Statistical programmers can come from more diverse backgrounds than biostatisticians but should either have a Master or a PhD in natural or computer science. They need to be fluent in one of the major programming languages and must have a solid understanding of data and strong analytical skills.

Meet Henning Föh, Principal Statistical Programmer from Biostatistics in Global Development, who is responsible for leading an international programming team. He enjoys the diverse nature of his role and doing meaningful work that benefits patients. 

Would you like to find out more about Novo Nordisk R&D?

Explore our Research & Development site