Novo Nordisk to invest more than $1B in Brazil facility to boost GLP-1 manufacturing

Novo Nordisk will invest more than $1 billion (6.4 billion Brazilian reais) to expand its manufacturing site in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The expansion aims to increase production capacity for injectable treatments used in obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

The project includes the addition of aseptic production lines, a warehouse, and a new quality control lab. The site will handle multiple product formats, including GLP-1 medications. Construction has begun, with operations expected to start in 2028.

The expansion will create 600 permanent jobs, with up to 2,000 temporary workers on-site during construction. The facility will incorporate sustainable features such as solar energy, low-carbon building materials, and rainwater reuse systems, and will pursue LEED certification.

Novo Nordisk has operated in Brazil since 1990 and employs more than 2,000 people in the country. The company’s Montes Claros plant is one of its global production sites, alongside facilities in Denmark, the U.S., France, China, and Belgium.

The Danish drugmaker has invested billions of dollars to ramp up its manufacturing capabilities to try and keep up with the unprecedented demand for their GLP-1 drugs. 

Novo Nordisk will spend approximately $9 billion this year to “create additional capacity across the supply chain,” according to its 2024 annual report released in February 2025. That amount is an increase from the nearly $6.3 billion it spent last year to bolster its manufacturing capabilities and similar projects.

“Our expanding global production network is operating around the clock to ensure a stable and consistent supply of Wegovy,” according to the Novo Nordisk’s annual report, which acknowledged that “production capacity has been stretched.”