Novo Nordisk, a Denmark-based pharmaceutical company, has announced a €432 million investment at its Athlone-based plant to advance manufacturing capacity for GLP-1 drugs according to a Silicon Republic report.

The investment focuses on upgrading and retrofitting the Athlone facility to improve manufacturing capacity for weight loss tablets. The expansion will allow Ireland to serve as a critical hub for servicing markets outside the US, the company stated.

Kasper Bødker Mejlvang, Executive Vice-President of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control, and Product Supply at Novo Nordisk, stated the investment expands production capacities for oral products. "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," he said.

The investment comes after Novo launched its popular weight loss drug Wegovy in pill form in January. Early uptake of the pill in the US was more than twice that of any previous weight loss drug launch in the country. Chief Executive Officer Mike Doustdar told Bloomberg last month that more than 240,000 Americans are already taking Wegovy since the pill launch.

The retrofitting and expansion projects in Athlone cover 45 acres of land and are set to create up to 500 construction jobs. The projects will be finalised from the end of 2027 through 2028.

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke stated the investment represents confidence in Athlone and the midlands. "Today's investment announcement is a vote of confidence in Athlone, the midlands and the skilled workforce we have worked hard to develop. It will help drive innovation, create highly skilled jobs and further strengthen Ireland's pharmaceutical ecosystem," he said.

Access the complete details on Novo Nordisk's Athlone investment in the full report.