Permission for development which will consist of extending the first floor of Building 15

Novo Nordisk Production Ireland Ltd has received conditional permission from Roscommon County Council to extend the first floor of Building 15 at its Monksland site in Athlone, Co Roscommon. The approved development involves constructing a single‑storey external pergola covering 40.75 m² on the roof top of the existing ground floor. The application was submitted on 6 May 2026 and the council’s decision, coded CONDITIONAL, was issued on 30 June 2026.

The Monksland facility already holds an Industrial Direct Licence (Reg. No P010002). The pergola extension is part of a broader expansion plan that Novo Nordisk announced earlier this year, when it revealed a €430 million investment to add a tabletting line for its weight‑loss drug Wegovy. The new line will provide additional capacity for current and future GLP‑1 medicines, including the tablet form of Wegovy which is now being produced for markets outside the United States.

The council’s decision allows construction to proceed once any conditions set by the planning authority are satisfied. While the exact timeline for the pergola’s completion has not yet been confirmed, it is expected to support the company’s expanded manufacturing operations at Monksland. The development will be carried out on a site that already supports pharmaceutical production and is situated in Athlone, a key industrial hub within County Roscommon.

Novo Nordisk’s expansion follows its acquisition of the former Elan Drug Technologies plant from Alkermes in 2024 for €85 million, which has enabled the company to increase capacity for both Wegovy and its diabetes therapy Ozempic. The new tabletting facility will manufacture Wegovy pills for European markets, complementing the injection version already produced in the United States.

The conditional approval reflects Roscommon County Council’s support for continued industrial development within the county while ensuring that any environmental or community impacts are managed appropriately. The council has indicated that further details on compliance with planning conditions will be monitored as construction progresses.

For more information see Roscommon County Council planning file 2660211 and the RTE article dated 2 March 2026.

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