Novo Nordisk to Acquire Manufacturing Sites Upon Catalent Acquisition and Acquires Novavax’s Czech Republic Site
The European Commission’s approval of the Catalent acquisition by Novo Holdings includes the related acquisition of three manufacturing sites by Novo Nordisk, which is also acquiring the Czech Republic manufacturing site of Novavax for $200 million.
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The European Commission (EC) has approved Novo Holdings’ acquisition of Catalent and the subsequent related acquisition of three Catalent manufacturing sites from Novo Holdings by Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk announced on Dec. 6, 2024 (1). Novo Holdings is a holding and investment company responsible for managing the assets and the wealth of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Meanwhile, earlier on Dec. 4, 2024, Novavax announced that it signed a definitive agreement to sell its manufacturing facility in Bohumil, Czech Republic, to Novo Nordisk for $200 million (2).
Novo Nordisk had announced on Feb. 5, 2024 that it will acquire the three Catalent manufacturing sites from Novo Holdings upon completion of the Catalent transaction (3). These three sites are located in Anagni, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; and Bloomington, Ind., United States. The sites specialize in the sterile filling of drugs and employ more than 3000 personnel, all with ongoing collaborations with Novo Nordisk. Under the transaction, Novo Nordisk pays $11 billion upfront.
The acquisition of the three sites will be completed immediately following the merger of Catalent and a Novo Holdings subsidiary, which is expected towards the end of 2024. Until the close of the Catalent acquisition, Catalent will continue to operate independently and separately from Novo Holdings and Novo Nordisk. Following the close, Novo Nordisk will honor all customer obligations at the three Catalent sites it is acquiring (2).
Meanwhile Novo Holdings’ acquisition of Catalent is expected to be completed near the end of 2024, pending customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions (1).
“We are very pleased with the agreement to acquire the three Catalent manufacturing sites which will enable us to serve significantly more people living with diabetes and obesity in the future,” said Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, president and chief executive officer at Novo Nordisk, in a company press release issued at the time of the sites acquisition announcement (3). “The acquisition complements the significant investments we are already doing in active pharmaceutical ingredients facilities, and the sites will provide strategic flexibility to our existing supply network.”
The acquisition of these three Catalent sties will enable an expansion of Novo Nordisk’s manufacturing capacity at scale and speed and provides future options and flexibility for the company’s existing supply network. Novo Nordisk expects to gradually increase its filling capacity from 2026 and onwards through the acquisition of these sites.
Under the Novavax transaction, Novo Nordisk will gain that company’s Bohumil manufacturing site, which includes a transfer of assets such as a 150,000-square-foot state-of-the-art recombinant protein manufacturing facility, support buildings, and the existing workforce as well as all related and required infrastructure, for $200 million (2). This transaction is expected to close by Dec. 30, 2024, at which time Novo Nordisk will take over full responsibility for the manufacturing facility.
"The decision to sell the Czech Republic manufacturing facility aligns with our previously announced commitment to evolve Novavax into a more lean and agile organization focused on partnering our pipeline assets and technology platform," said John C. Jacobs, president and chief executive officer, Novavax, in that company’s press release (2). "We are thankful to our dedicated colleagues in the Czech Republic who have contributed to Novavax's mission of delivering our technology to address unmet needs. We look forward to working with Novo Nordisk to ensure a successful transition."
References
1. Novo Nordisk. The European Commission Approves the Acquisition of Catalent by Novo Holdings and the Related Acquisition by Novo Nordisk of Three Manufacturing Sites from Novo Holdings. Press Release. Dec. 6, 2024.
2. Novavax. Novavax Announces Sale of Czech Republic Manufacturing Site to Novo Nordisk for $200 Million. Press Release. Dec. 4, 2024.
3. Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk to Acquire Three Fill-Finish Sites from Novo Holdings A/S in Connection with the Catalent, Inc. Transaction. Press Release. Feb. 5, 2024.
