Novo and partner Torrent plan major plant expansion in India

Novo Nordisk, which relies on Indian drugmaker Torrent Pharmaceuticals to produce much of the insulin it sells in that country, has plans for a major capacity boost there. 

The two companies, which have been partners in India since 1992, this week announced plans for Torrent to expand a plant at its site in Indrad near Ahmedabad that is dedicated to producing Novo insulins, the Hindu Business Line reported.  

Torrent has invested more than $9 million in the current facilities, which produce about 26 million vials of insulin a year. With the expansion, the capacity will be increased by 30% to 35%, a Torrent executive said at the announcement.

The current facility meets about 75% of Novo’s needs in the country. With the expansion, Novo, which holds a 60% market share for insulin in India, expects to be able to serve another 2 million patients.  

RELATED: Novo picks Clayton, NC, for its first U.S. API plant

The most valuable insulin market, of course, is the U.S., and in 2015 the Danish company picked a site in Clayton, North Carolina, for its first U.S. facility. Its plans call for investing about $1.2 billion and adding 700 jobs there. The drugmaker, like other producers of diabetes medications, has faced tough pricing in the U.S. market in recent years.