Eli Lilly, the US-based pharmaceutical company, announced a $1.8 billion investment across two manufacturing sites in Ireland to increase the production of its popular obesity drug Zepbound and a recently approved Alzheimer’s treatment. This investment aligns with Lilly's strategic effort to expand its manufacturing footprint to meet the growing demand for its blockbuster drugs.
The investment will be divided between Lilly’s existing facility in Kinsale, which began producing the company’s obesity and diabetes drugs last year, and an expansion of its facility in Limerick. The Kinsale site has already seen an $800 million investment and is a critical location for manufacturing Zepbound and Mounjaro, Lilly’s top-selling diabetes drug. Demand for Zepbound has surged, with supply struggling to keep pace for much of the year.
The Limerick site will focus on producing active biologic ingredients, including those used in Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug, which received regulatory approval in the United States in July. The drug is currently under review by health authorities in the European Union and the UK.
Lilly’s expansion in Ireland is part of a larger, global effort to ramp up production for its high-demand medications. The company has invested over $20 billion since 2020 to expand its manufacturing capabilities, both in the US and Europe. This move mirrors efforts by Danish competitor Novo Nordisk, which recently invested $11 billion to increase the production of its own weight-loss drug, Wegovy.
Lilly’s Zepbound has quickly captured approximately 40% of the US market since its launch in December 2023, and analysts predict the market could be evenly split between Lilly and Novo Nordisk by the end of the year. Some forecasts suggest the market for weight-loss drugs could reach $150 billion annually by the early 2030s, as both companies race to scale production to meet growing global demand.
