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Novo Nordisk to invest €430m in Athlone for Wegovy pill

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Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has announced a €430m expansion of its manufacturing operation in Athlone which will see it produce the tablet form of its weight loss drug Wegovy.

It was reported in recent weeks that the Danish pharmaceutical company was to begin making the Wegovy weight-loss drug in tablet form for markets outside the US.

Today Novo Nordisk confirmed a major expansion at its base in Monksland, Athlone and said a new tabletting facility will provide "additional capacity for current and future GLP-1 medicines".

GLP-1's are medicines used to treat diabetes and for weight loss.

Wegovy has been available in the form of injection, but it was launched in pill form at the start of this year.

More 240,000 Americans are already taking the drug, according to the company. Novo Nordisk makes the obesity pill for the US market in the US.

It is understood the Wegovy pill made in Athlone will be for use in Ireland and the European market.

The company, which is known for developing anti-diabetic medication Ozempic, has been facing strong competition in the obesity drug market.

This move is linked to the company's broader strategy to reclaim obesity market share lost to rival Eli Lilly, which also has Irish production facilities.

In a statement today, the company said the investment is a major strategic milestone "which further reinforces Novo Nordisk's long-term commitment to Ireland and global healthcare innovation".

It said the additional manufacturing capabilities for oral products, enhances supply, and allows Ireland to serve as a critical hub for servicing markets outside the US.

"With the investment in the Athlone facility, Novo Nordisk is expanding its production capacities for oral products, which will enable us to meet both current and future global demand outside the US," said Kasper Bodker Mejlvang, EVP CMC and Product Supply at Novo Nordisk.

"This investment, a historic milestone for Novo Nordisk in Ireland, marks our continued commitment to Athlone and our highly skilled employees while allowing us to make a difference for millions of people living with serious chronic diseases," he added.

Speaking at today's announcement, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said the investment is a vote of confidence in Athlone and the Midlands.

"It will help drive innovation, create highly skilled jobs and further strengthen Ireland's pharmaceutical ecosystem," the Minister said.

"Ireland hosts nine of the top ten global pharma companies, producing a significant portion of the world's most innovative drugs, solidifying our country’s role as a central hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing" he said.

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IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan said the investment underlines the importance of regional balance in driving sustainable economic growth.

"Athlone continues to prove its ability to attract large scale, high-value manufacturing projects, supported by a skilled workforce and collaborative ecosystem," he said.

"This expansion reinforces Athlone as a vital contributor to Ireland’s life sciences sector and our long-term regional development ambitions," he added.

The entire project at the site, covering 45 acres, will create up to 600 construction jobs.

The construction projects, which have already begun, will be finalised from the end of 2027 up to 2028.

"At Novo Nordisk, our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases," said Tom Quinn, Vice President and Site General Manager Novo Nordisk Production Ireland, Athlone.

"Our Athlone facility will play a key role in this mission by providing Novo Nordisk with additional manufacturing capacity for both current and future products, supported by deep expertise and capabilities in oral drug manufacturing," he stated.

"This investment strengthens our ability to serve even more patients and reflects Novo Nordisk’s long-term commitment to the growth and sustainability of the Athlone facility," he added.

Novo Nordisk acquired the long established former Elan Drug Technologies plant from pharma group Alkermes in 2024, in a deal that was worth €85m at the time.

In September last year, it announced plans to cut up to 75 of the 400 jobs at the Irish plant as part of a 9,000 reduction in headcount worldwide.

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