Novo Nordisk $NVO builds a new Ozempic stronghold, this time in Bohumil
Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk has officially launched production at its modernized plant in Bohumil near Prague. The investment exceeded 8 billion crowns, creating capacity for proteins and key components for next-generation diabetes and obesity drugs.
- The plant currently employs around 300 people and is starting with clinical manufacturing, gradually transitioning to commercial operation.
- It's an expansion and modernization of an existing site, not a greenfield build.
Why it matters
2025 was Novo Nordisk's worst year in Copenhagen trading history - shares plunged due to lowered outlooks, management changes, and rising competition from Eli Lilly. Yet the stock surged 22% year-to-date in early 2026, partly thanks to a promising launch of the oral Wegovy version in the US.
Currently, $NVO shares trade around $51.6 with a market cap over $230 billion. The company is betting that oral Wegovy and a new injectable drug CagriSema will help it regain share in the key US market.
The Bohumil investment thus fits into a broader strategy: in 2026 the company aims to expand Wegovy availability to more markets and needs to boost production capacity. For the Czech Republic, it confirms it can compete for high-value pharma manufacturing.
Takeaway: Novo Nordisk remains a company in a transition year - fighting to win back investor confidence after the slump, but demand for GLP-1 drugs is still growing faster than the company can produce.
