In a significant boost to global manufacturing capacity for GLP-1-based treatments for diabetes and obesity, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have announced substantial investments aimed at meeting surging demand.

Eli Lilly is planning a $3 billion expansion of its manufacturing facility in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The site acquired earlier this year will become a major hub for producing, assembling, and packing injectable diabetes and obesity treatments. The expansion will add 750 highly skilled jobs and incorporate cutting-edge automation to accelerate production. Construction is slated to begin in 2025. This project is part of Lilly’s ongoing $23 billion global manufacturing expansion since 2020.

Novo Nordisk is investing 2.9 billion Danish kroner (~$409 million) to construct a state-of-the-art quality control laboratory in Hillerød, Denmark. The 53,000-square-meter facility will consolidate quality control operations into a single hub, improving overall efficiency and supporting future capacity expansions. This project complements Novo Nordisk’s broader manufacturing growth strategy, which includes a $2.3 billion multi-product facility at the same site to develop active pharmaceutical ingredients by 2029.

These strategic investments show how both companies are committed to addressing growing patient needs while adding production capacity and improving quality assurance for life-changing medicines.

For more information, please visit Fierce Pharma for Eli Lilly or Fierce Pharma for Novo Nordisk.