Go to main content
diaTribe LogoSubscribe
Type 1
Type 2

Sanofi to Build New State-of-the-Art Insulin Plant

2 Minute Read
French-based pharma company Sanofi confirmed the construction of a brand-new $1.4 billion insulin manufacturing facility in Germany, expected to be completed in 2029.

Key takeaways: 

  • The campus where the new facility will be located produces the basal insulin Lantus and is one of Sanofi’s largest plants. 
  • Sanofi will also invest over $1.1 billion to expand production capacity in France. 
  • Sanofi’s efforts to boost insulin production are especially important given that other insulin companies appear to be focusing their efforts on other medications like GLP-1s. 

The French pharma company Sanofi announced that it will build a new insulin manufacturing plant at its Frankfurt, Germany campus for $1.4 billion (1.3 billion euros). The 36,000-square-foot facility is expected to be operational by 2029 and will replace current Sanofi insulin production sites. 

Currently, the Frankfurt campus is one of Sanofi’s largest facilities and employs around 4,000 people in insulin production, according to the German newspaper CHEManager Online. Sanofi produces the basal insulin Lantus (insulin glargine) at this facility. 

Earlier this year, Sanofi announced that it planned to invest over $1.1 billion to expand its production capacity in France, with a focus on biologic medicines. 

Sanofi’s considerable investment in insulin production is especially important given that other insulin companies appear to be focusing their efforts on production of GLP-1 medications like Mounjaro and Ozempic, rather than insulin. This has left some patients worried that Novo Nordisk and Lilly will leave them behind to pursue more lucrative products for weight loss, especially after Novo Nordisk decided to discontinue the basal insulin Levemir. 

“Sanofi has a long history of developing strategic platforms to secure the supply of important medicines and vaccines for the present and future,” said Brendan O’Callaghan, Sanofi’s head of global manufacturing and supply. “As one of the world's largest manufacturers of insulin, we remain committed to producing this essential medicine for the growing number of people with diabetes around the world.”

“Our planned investment underlines the key role of our Frankfurt BioCampus in strengthening the resilience of global insulin production,” added Heidrun Irschik-Hadjieff, CEO of Sanofi in Germany. 

Learn more about insulin: