On Jun. 24, 2024, Novo Nordisk announced plans to invest $4.1 billion US dollars to build a second fill and finishing manufacturing facility in Clayton, North Carolina, and grow its ability to produce current and future injectable treatments for people with obesity and other serious chronic diseases.

Marking one of the largest manufacturing investments in Novo Nordisk’s history, the expansion will add 1.4 million square feet of production space for aseptic manufacturing and finished production processes, doubling the combined square footage of all three of the company’s existing facilities in North Carolina. It will also add 1,000 new jobs, besides the nearly 2,500 Novo Nordisk employees already working in the region, a central hub for innovation and biotechnology in the United States.

Utilising state-of-the-art technology, roof-top solar panels and innovative water strategies, the facility is designed in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way to deliver the highest-quality products to patients around the world. The goal is to obtain LEED Gold certification, recognised as a standard of excellence in constructing healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green building.

Early clearing and foundational work are already underway to prepare the 56-acre facility footprint. Construction will gradually be finalized between 2027 and 2029. Around 2,000 external contractors will be engaged at the height of the project.

In 2024, Novo Nordisk will increase actual investments in production and plans to invest approx USD $6.8 billion (DKK 45 billion) in production compared to actual investments of USD $3.9 (DKK 26 billion) last year* to increase supply.