Novo Nordisk (NVO) expects to increase its investments in Ireland, where it intends to manufacture its recently approved oral weight loss therapy, the Wegovy pill, for markets outside the U.S., Bloomberg reported, citing Mike Doustdar, CEO of the Danish drugmaker.
The company will expand its manufacturing site in Athlone in Ireland’s midlands region, Doustdar, who took over Novo’s (NVO) leadership last year, said during an interview while highlighting the GLP-1’s recent launch in the U.S.
According to Doustdar, the Wegovy pill, which made its U.S. debut in January, has been one of the strongest pharmaceutical rollouts ever, with more than 45K patients already receiving the once-daily therapy.
He declined to comment on the size of the investment. Doustdar’s remarks came days after Novo (NVO) projected its 2026 revenue to decline by as much as 13% YoY this year amid competition from its weight loss rival Eli Lilly (LLY) and patent expiries for Wegovy’s active ingredient semaglutide in several markets.
During the second half of 2025, the company submitted regulatory filings seeking approvals for the Wegovy pill in the EU and other regions.
“If we were about to throw in the towel, we would not be investing in factories in Ireland,” Doustdar said.