Bagsværd, Denmark, 23 November 2023 – Novo Nordisk today announced the investment of more than 16 billion Danish kroner (2.1 billion euros) starting in 2023¹ to expand the existing production site in Chartres, France, for the current and future product portfolio within serious chronic diseases.

The investment will significantly increase the capacity of the manufacturing site, adding aseptic production and finished production processes and an extension of the current Quality Control Laboratory. The investment, which includes capacity for GLP-1 products, will increase Novo Nordisk’s ability to meet future demands for innovative medicines.

“This significant investment announced today confirms the importance of our French manufacturing site, one of our strategic production sites, as a cornerstone of the growth we are experiencing as a company. By maximising the skills and infrastructure we already have on the site, we are expanding our capacity in an efficient way”, said Lone Charlotte Larsen, corporate vice president of Novo Nordisk Production Chartres.

The new facilities will more than double the footprint of the site. The facility will be designed as a multi-product facility to accommodate current and future processes and displaying state-of-the-art technology and working environment. As a future-proof and cost-effective facility, the construction will focus on delivering the highest quality to patients globally in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way².

“Our continued investments in our manufacturing sites across the globe demonstrate the belief we have in our current and future product portfolio and its relevance for people living with serious chronic diseases,” said Henrik Wulff, executive vice president, Product Supply, Quality & IT, Novo Nordisk.

The construction projects have now been initiated and will gradually be finalised from 2026 to 2028. The investment is expected to create more than 500 new jobs to run production activities 24/7 when the construction is completed, and the facilities are finalised. During the construction phase, up to 2,000 external employees will be employed.

About Novo Nordisk manufacturing in Chartres
Novo Nordisk’s production facility in Chartres was established in 1961, and today the site employs around 1,600 people. The production facility manufactures high quality treatments to 10 million people with diabetes all over the world who use "Made in Chartres" therapeutic solutions every day.

About Novo Nordisk manufacturing
Novo Nordisk has a global manufacturing setup with five strategic production sites located in Denmark, US, France, Brazil and China. All Novo Nordisk’s medicines are manufactured at these sites and subsequently distributed to patients around the globe. This includes producing almost half of the world’s insulin, GLP-1 medicines for the treatment of diabetes and obesity and medicines to treat rare diseases such as haemophilia and growth disorders. Novo Nordisk’s manufacturing unit has almost 20,000 employees who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality to patients globally in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way.

About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 61,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Contacts for further information

References

1. A portion of this investment is included in the DKK 25 billion capital expenditure announced in connection with Novo Nordisk full year results in February 2023. The additional amount will be invested through the next 4 years.
2. The new facilities will reduce water consumption by 25% compared to current production lines.