Novo Nordisk Struggles to Keep Up with High Demand for Wegovy, Enlists Thermo Fisher to Boost Production
Amid soaring demand for its widely popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, Novo Nordisk faces supply challenges and has turned to a new contract manufacturer to ramp up production. Reports reveal that Thermo Fisher is stepping in to assist Novo in filling the injection pens for Wegovy, utilizing its CDMO subsidiary Patheon. This partnership seeks to address supply shortages and cater to the surging interest in the drug.
Thermo Fisher’s manufacturing support is primarily being offered at a facility in Greenville, North Carolina, according to sources. Novo Nordisk acknowledges that a second contract manufacturer was engaged in April to augment the supply of Wegovy, a move that has had a notable impact on the company’s growth projections.
The demand for Wegovy has driven Novo to revise its 2023 revenue growth forecast significantly. The initial projection was adjusted from a range of 13% to 19% to an impressive 24% to 30%. Novo Nordisk’s CEO, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, attributed this substantial increase to the addition of the second Wegovy production contractor, as announced during the first-quarter earnings call in May.
In recent weeks, Novo Nordisk further elevated its full-year sales estimate by seven percentage points on both ends due to the continued robust demand for its diabetes and obesity medications. However, the journey to meet this demand has not been without challenges.
Novo Nordisk’s previous contract manufacturer, Catalent, encountered multiple setbacks that hindered the smooth supply of Wegovy. Catalent’s deliveries were temporarily halted by the FDA in late 2021 due to issues at its syringe-filling facility in Brussels. This situation was exacerbated when another FDA inspection prompted the plant’s closure in August 2022. Although the FDA later downgraded the citation and allowed operations to continue, these disruptions had ripple effects on Novo’s supply chain.
Thermo Fisher’s involvement presents a new opportunity for Novo Nordisk to address these obstacles and expand its production capacity. Despite Thermo Fisher’s support, challenges persist in meeting the demand for Wegovy and its companion medication Ozempic. The supply shortage has even extended to Novo’s earlier-generation obesity drug, Saxenda.
To mitigate these difficulties, Novo Nordisk took measures to pause certain promotional efforts around Wegovy, including TV advertisements and communications with healthcare professionals. In a bid to manage patient starts, the company also initiated supply limitations on lower doses of Wegovy.
Novo Nordisk assured that while it continues to ship all dose strengths, it is prioritizing quantities of three low-dose strengths to ensure existing patients receive uninterrupted care.
Related: Catalent’s Indiana Facility Faces FDA Observations After Eylea Rejection
Although demand continues to outstrip supply, Novo Nordisk remains confident in its plans to progressively expand Wegovy’s production capacity over the forthcoming years. A significant step in this direction was the announcement of a $2.58 billion investment to enhance its Denmark campus and establish three new manufacturing facilities. Anticipated to be operational by 2027, this initiative will substantially boost Novo’s capability to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Thermo Fisher’s involvement marks a pivotal chapter in Novo Nordisk’s efforts to balance supply and demand for its vital weight-loss drug, and the company’s commitment to expanding capacity underscores its determination to provide solutions in the long run.
