Denmark-based pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk plans to expand its production facility in Athlone, Co Roscommon, to manufacture weight loss drug Wegovy for markets outside the United States, according to Bloomberg.

Chief executive Mike Doustdar told the publication that new investment in the Monksland site will support manufacturing of the drug, which was launched in pill form at the start of 2026. Novo Nordisk said it plans to begin offering Wegovy in vials rather than injection pens.

Doustdar said more than 240,000 Americans are already taking the drug since it launched in pill form in January, but did not reveal the scale or timing of investment planned for Athlone.

The pharmaceutical company, known for developing anti-diabetic medication Ozempic, faces strong competition in the weight loss space from rivals including Eli Lilly, which also operates Irish production facilities geared towards this market.

Doustdar said: "If we were about to throw in the towel we would not be investing in factories in Ireland."

Novo Nordisk purchased its Monksland facility for $92.5 million (€78.4 million) in December 2023. Last autumn, the company implemented job cuts, both voluntary and mandatory, at the facility as part of a global round of redundancies. A company spokesperson said Novo was announcing a company-wide transformation to simplify its organisation and reallocate resources towards growth opportunities in diabetes and obesity.

In 2024, Novo Nordisk purchased council lands worth €1.55 million to further expand its Monksland site.

Discover how Novo Nordisk is strengthening its global manufacturing network in the full story.