The company will invest 15.9 billion DKK starting in 2023 to expand an existing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production facility in Denmark for the future portfolio within serious chronic diseases.

The investment in Hillerød will create additional production capacity and increase Novo Nordisk’s ability to meet future market demands and be a key enabler for Novo Nordisk to develop its future clinical late-phase product portfolio, it states.

The investment confirms Hillerød and Denmark as cornerstones in our global footprint.”

“This important investment will ensure the continuous development of our late-phase pipeline into deliveries of important medicines for treatments to patients worldwide,” says Henrik Wulff, executive vice president of Product Supply, Quality & IT. “The investment confirms Hillerød and Denmark as cornerstones in our global footprint, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Danish Government and Parliament for their continued focus on ensuring good and stable infrastructure and supplies – allowing us to continue to expand our production capacity to the benefit of patients living with serious chronic diseases.”

The 100th anniversary of its founding in Denmark

The investment comes as Novo Nordisk marks the 100th anniversary of its founding in Denmark, where 21,000-plus employees – approximately half of the company’s global workforce – still work today. The majority of these employees work at various production sites.

Start producing API by early 2029

The new facility – which will be approximately 65,000m² – will be designed as a multi-product facility, with maximum flexibility to accommodate new 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 worldwide in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way, describes the company. This will be done by designing optimal and compact process flows allowing a substantial reduction of water and energy consumption.

340 new jobs

Construction is underway and the facility is expected to start producing API by early 2029. This project is expected to create 340 new jobs when construction is completed, and the facility is fully equipped.

Photo: Biopharm production, Hillerød, Denmark. Employees working in the haemophilia API production. Photographer: Novo Nordisk