Novo Nordisk Confirms New Plant in Denmark

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Pharma major Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) (Bagsværd, Denmark) has announced that it is investing 8.5 billion Danish kroner (US$1.2 billion) to build a new production facility in Odense, Denmark.

The investment marks the first time this century that the company has broken ground at a new location in its home country and comes on the back of investment plans for its long-standing operations at Hillerød. The company said that the new facility will feature a state-of-the-art finished production facility and warehouse spanning over 40,000 square meters (m2). Designed to be "modular and flexible," it will accommodate multiple product types for rare diseases, such as haemophilia. It is scheduled to be completed in 2027 and will create 400 permanent jobs upon completion. Novo Nordisk has become Europe's most valuable listed company, thanks to the runaway success of its hugely popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy.

"The facility will utilise advanced technology and innovative equipment to ensure the highest quality to patients and meet the growing global demand for our life-changing medicines," said Henrik Wulff, executive vice president of Product Supply, Quality & IT at Novo Nordisk. "We are proud to build on our heritage in Denmark and look forward to embarking on this journey in Odense, a well-connected city with a dynamic community and talented workforce."

Last month the company announced plans to spend more than US$400 million to build a new, 53,000-m2 quality control laboratory in Hillerød, its main manufacturing hub for chronic diseases and injections pens of Wegovy and Ozempic. Construction has begun on what is described as the company's largest investment in advanced quality control to date, with commissioning expected in 2027. The new laboratory will serve as a central hub for quality control operations in Denmark and is designed to comply with the demands of current and future good manufacturing practice (GMP).

The popularity of its obesity drugs has led to manufacturing strains and shortages in recent years, something on which the company has worked hard in 2024 to remedy. In August it announced a US$220 million project to build a new raw materials plant in Denmark. The new 8,000-m2 factory at Ådalen 16 in Køge will comprise production, storage, offices and a laboratory, and uses part of a 47,000-m2 site that the company bought in 2023 to help expand production. In November 2022, the company announced a US$6 billion expansion to its Denmark-based manufacturing operation at Kalundborg. A new active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) manufacturing facility is being built on a 170,000-square-meter area located within the existing site and will focus mainly on boosting output for its diabetes and obesity products. At the start of last year, the company went on a US$11 billion shopping spree to boost its manufacturing output, buying Catalent Incorporated's (NYSE:CTLT) (Somerset, New Jersey) three key manufacturing plants in Brussels (Belgium), Anagni (Italy) and Bloomington (Indiana). For additional information, see February 15, 2024, article - Novo Nordisk Spends $11 Billion to Make More Weight Loss Drugs.

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