(Reuters) – Novo Nordisk took a step forward on Monday to increase production of Wegovy, its anti-obesity drug, with its parent company’s acquisition of Catalent, a key subcontractor in the manufacturing of product.
Kasim Kutay, chief executive of Novo Holdings, told Reuters the deal was central to the group’s strategy to support Novo Nordisk and enable the drugmaker to meet Wegovy’s growing demand.
Novo Holdings will buy Catalent’s shares for $11.5 billion, with the value of the deal reaching $16.5 billion including debt.
Once the merger is complete, Novo Holdings will sell three of Catalent’s fill-pack and finish sites – located in Italy, Belgium and the United States – to Novo Nordisk for $11 billion.
The acquisition announcement comes as Novo Nordisk faces competition from U.S. rival Eli Lilly’s Zepbound treatment in the obesity drug race, and as both companies struggle to increase production to meet demand. request.
Converting Catalent’s sites to Novo’s exclusive use will help the drugmaker ramp up Wegovy’s production faster than expected, JP Morgan analysts wrote in a note.
According to Novo Nordisk, the acquisition of Catalent should help increase its filling and packaging capacity from 2026.
Catalent is already the main provider of syringe and injection pen filling and packaging services for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.
(Reporting Leroy Leo and Bhanvi Satija in Bangalore and Maggie Fick in London; Diana Mandiá)
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