In its latest manoeuvre amid a well-publicised global restructuring, Novo Nordisk has announced a €432m investment in the company’s tableting facility in Athlone, Ireland, aimed at expanding manufacturing capacity for oral GLP-1 therapies.
Planned works
The funding injection will fund upgrades and retrofitting at the site, with the dual goal of increasing production power and mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities by positioning Ireland as a priority manufacturing hub.
“With the investment in the Athlone facility, Novo Nordisk is expanding its production capacities for oral products, which will strengthen our ability to meet both current and future demand, outside the US,” said Kasper Bødker Mejlvang, Executive Vice President, CMC and Product Supply, Novo Nordisk. The construction project, which has already begun, will be finalised from the end of 2027 through to 2028.
Recent approvals
The need to bolster the supply of oral GLP-1s is clear. In late 2025, the FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s oral formulation of semaglutide for chronic weight management – the first approval of its kind – marking a key milestone for patients with obesity seeking alternatives to injectable treatments.
At the time, Ed Cinca, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Patient Solutions, Novo Nordisk, said: “We know there are people who are interested in addressing their weight but have been waiting on the sidelines for a medicine that was right for them. For many of them, that wait is over.”
More recently, oral semaglutide has entered regulatory review for a weight management indication in the EU and the UK, with decisions expected in 2026. Approval in both markets would further justify the company’s move to accelerate production capacity sooner rather than later.
Wider context
The Athlone announcement follows reports of more than 100 redundancies at the factory at the end of last year. Nevertheless, Novo Nordisk has confirmed that 260 employees still work at the site, with Mejlvang underscoring the company’s commitment to its “highly skilled workforce” in the central Irish town and its role in safeguarding GLP-1 supply.
Outside of Novo Nordisk, competition is intensifying. Rival drugmaker Eli Lilly is advancing its own oral GLP-1 candidate and this week announced head-to-head trial data evaluating its therapy orforglipron against Novo’s treatment. The results point to a looming battle for market share in the rapidly expanding oral obesity treatment market, further underscoring the importance of securing supply chain capacity at scale.
