Novo Nordisk Partners with Thermo Fisher to Boost Wegovy Production Amid Surging Demand

According to FIERCEPharma, to meet the continuously growing market demand for semaglutide (Wegovy), Novo Nordisk has reached a production cooperation agreement for semaglutide with contract manufacturer Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Image Source: FIERCE Pharma

According to informed sources from Reuters, Thermo Fisher Scientific, through its CDMO subsidiary Patheon, provides Novo Nordisk with semaglutide-filled pen production services at a facility in Greenville, North Carolina.

The Greenville site is a multi-purpose pharmaceutical production base, covering solid dosage forms, sterile drugs, and secondary packaging. According to the Thermo Fisher website, this is the first facility of Thermo Fisher Scientific to feature a full-function continuous production line.

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk confirmed that the collaboration between Thermo Fisher and Novo Nordisk was launched in April.

In the same month, Novo Nordisk raised its 2023 revenue growth forecast from 13%-19% in February to 24%-30%. Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, CEO of Novo Nordisk, stated in the company’s Q1 earnings call in May that the significant growth was achieved with the help of Patheon, a production contractor.

In early August, Novo Nordisk further raised its full-year sales forecast by 7 percentage points.

According to the press release, Thermo Fisher Scientific is the second contract manufacturer for Novo Nordisk's semaglutide production, with the first being Catalent. However, due to various issues with the syringe filling facilities, Catalent temporarily halted the delivery of semaglutide by the end of 2021. Catalent's manufacturing plant was also shut down again in August 2022.

In March this year, semaglutide quickly gained popularity due to its superior weight-loss effects, leading to a situation of temporary shortages. To address this, Novo Nordisk suspended some promotional activities around semaglutide in May, including TV advertisements and marketing promotions with healthcare professionals. To manage the onset of new patients, Novo Nordisk A/S, the Danish pharmaceutical company, also began restricting the supply of low-dose semaglutide.

At the end of 2021, Novo Nordisk announced a $2.58 billion plan to expand its industrial park in Kalundborg, Denmark, and build three new production facilities. The plan is expected to be completed by 2027 and aims to enhance Novo Nordisk's capacity for active pharmaceutical ingredient production.

Source: https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/novo-nordisk-contracts-thermo-fisher-make-wegovy-amid-catalent-woes-reuters

Editor: Pea Shooter

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