Ozempic maker set to build mega factory in Dublin

NOVO Nordisk, the Danish manufacturer of blockbuster obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is planning a “mega manufacturing facility” outside of Dublin in a bid to keep up with soaring demand.

The pharmaceutical giant has applied to build a campus covering 147,192 square metres in Clondalkin which would create up to 1,100 jobs in the region, according to reporting by the Sunday Times which cites detailed documents submitted with the planning application.

The runaway success of Ozempic and Wegovy has turned 100-year-old Novo Nordisk into Europe’s most valuable listed company, with a market capitalisation bigger than Denmark’s domestic economy. The demand has also tested the company’s manufacturing capacity, and it has struggled to keep up.

The investment will likely exceed two billion euros (S$2.9 billion), based on similar-sized developments by the company, the report said. It will take between 18 and 24 months to complete and should be fully operational by 2026.

If approved, the Dublin development will include three filling and packaging manufacturing facilities, a warehouse building, two assembly and packaging facilities, an administration building and a laboratory, according to the Sunday Times. BLOOMBERG