How Wegovy Weight-Loss Drug is Driving Novo Nordisk Growth

Novo Nordisk has revealed plans to expand its production facility in Ireland to manufacture its popular weight-loss treatment Wegovy, making the drug more accessible to patients beyond the US market.

CEO Mike Doustdar confirmed to Bloomberg in an interview that the company's Athlone facility in Ireland will undergo expansion. The move forms part of Novo Nordisk's broader strategy to reclaim its position in the weight-loss market, where the pharmaceutical company has been competing since losing ground to rival Eli Lilly, the maker of injectable treatment Zepbound.

"If we were about to throw in the towel we would not be investing in factories in Ireland," Mike says.

Ireland is a significant global centre for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, consistently ranking among the world's leading exporters of medicinal and pharmaceutical products.

Many of the world's top pharmaceutical companies operate in the country, including Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie.

In a LinkedIn post on 12 February 2026, the CEO wrote: "I'm in the US talking to investors and media during a time where Novo Nordisk is getting a lot of headlines and questions. What was my message to them? Two billion people live with obesity, overweight or diabetes worldwide. Our job is simple: serve as many as possible with safe and science-backed options that fit their needs and preferences."

Developments in weight-loss treatments

In January 2026, Novo announced it would be aggressively expanding access to Wegovy in the US through new formulations and lower-cost options, specifically addressing supply constraints and competition by introducing vials to supplement existing pre-filled pens.

On 12 February, the company revealed plans to launch the drug in vials in the US in 2026 to compete with Eli Lilly's vials, allowing for easier and potentially higher-volume manufacturing compared to pen devices.

This followed the introduction of the oral Wegovy pill in January 2026 – a once-daily tablet available in 1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg and 25mg dosages. It is widely available in the US for a starting cost of US$149 per month and has seen strong initial uptake.

Discussing the pill formulation, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Patient Solutions at Novo Ed Cinca 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 as we can now offer the powerful efficacy of Wegovy in a once-daily pill that demonstrated about 17% weight loss, if all patients stayed on the treatment."

The vial format, however, allows patients who prefer injections to use the same medication without the need for oral administration.

Assessing the company's approach

Mike says on LinkedIn: "While it's still early days, I'm encouraged to see that our strategy to expand the market is working: we're in the midst of one of the most successful pharma launches ever.

"This is the direct result of having a strong pipeline, 100+ years of innovation, manufacturing capabilities that can deliver at global scale and a commercial strategy we've sharpened to focus on what matters most."

The announcement regarding expansion in Ireland and the vials arrived on 5 February 2026, following the company's release of its 2025 full-year results and 2026 guidance.

According to the results, sales increased by 10% to DKK 309.064bn (US$49.086bn), driven by a 41% rise in Wegovy sales. However, Q4 saw a 2% sales decline and 4% lower operating profit. Net debt for the full year was reported at US$15.155bn, following acquisitions.

Looking into 2026, the company expects sales and operating profit to decline by 5-13%, driven by competition and pricing pressures in the US.

"Our guidance shows that we will face headwinds from lower drug prices, and we will also be dealing with patent expiries," Mike says in a video on LinkedIn, "but we will continue to expand and serve more patients this year than ever before."