Inside Novo Nordisk’s CEO's Strategy for Weight-Loss Market

Novo Nordisk has announced its plans to expand its production facility in Ireland to make its blockbuster Wegovy weight-loss pill, making it accessible to patients outside of the US, according to Bloomberg.

CEO Mike Doustdar told Bloomberg in an interview that its Athlone facility in Ireland will be expanded.

This acts as part of the company’s strategy to regain leadership in the weight-loss market, which the pharma company has been fighting for since it lost ground to rival Eli Lilly & Co, the manufacturer of the injectable Zepbound.

Mike said: “If we were about to throw in the towel we would not be investing in factories in Ireland.”

Ireland is a major global hub for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, consistently ranking as one of the world’s top exporters of medicinal and pharmaceutical products.

Many of the world’s top pharma companies operate in the country, including Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and AbbVie.

In a post on LinkedIn on 12 February, the CEO wrote: “I’m in the US talking to investors and media during a time where Novo Nordisk is getting a lot of headlines and questions. What was my message to them?

“Two billion people live with obesity, overweight or diabetes worldwide. Our job is simple: serve as many as possible with safe and science-backed options that fit their needs and preferences.”

Innovation in the weight-loss space

Novo announced at the start of 2026 that it would be aggressively expanding access to Wegovy in the US through new formulations and lower-cost options, specifically addressing supply constraints and competition by introducing vials to supplement their existing pre-filled pens.

On 12 February, the company announced plans to introduce the drug in vials in the US in 2026 to compete with Eli Lilly’s vials, allowing for easier and potentially higher-volume manufacturing compared to pen devices.

This follows the introduction of the oral Wegovy pill a month earlier - a once-daily pill available in 1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg and 25mg. It is widely available in the US for a starting cost of US$149 per month, and has seen a strong initial uptake.

Discussing the pill-form, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Patient Solutions at Novo Ed Cinca said: “We know there are people who are interested in addressing their weight but have been waiting on the sidelines for a medicine that was right for them.

“For many of them, that wait is over as we can now offer the powerful efficacy of Wegovy in a once-daily pill that demonstrated about 17% weight loss, if all patients stayed on the treatment.”

However, the vial format allows patients who prefer injections to use the same medication without the need for oral administration.

Is the strategy paying off?

Mike added on LinkedIn: “While it’s still early days, I’m encouraged to see that our strategy to expand the market is working: we’re in the midst of one of the most successful pharma launches ever.

“This is the direct result of having a strong pipeline, 100+ years of innovation, manufacturing capabilities that can deliver at global scale and a commercial strategy we’ve sharpened to focus on what matters most.”

The news of expansion in Ireland and the vials comes just a week after the company announced its 2025 full-year results and 2026 guidance.

The results showed a 10% sales increased to DKK 309.064bn (US$49.086bn), driven by a 41% rise in Wegovy sales. However, Q4 saw a 2% sales decline and 4% lower operating profit.

Net debt for the full-year was reported at DKK 95.424bn (US$15.155bn), following acquisitions.

Looking into 2026, the company expects sales and operating profit to decline by 5-13%, driven by competition and pricing pressures in the US.

“Our guidance shows that we will face headwinds from lower drug prices, and we will also be dealing with patent expires,” Mike shared in a video on LinkedIn, “but we will continue to expand and serve more patients this year than ever before.”