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After weeks of speculation, French drugmaker Sanofi confirmed it will shell out 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion) to build a new insulin manufacturing facility at its campus in Frankfurt Höchst, Germany.
When completed by 2029, the 36,000-square-foot plant is expected to house “several hundred” new workers, the company said in an August 1 press release. The site currently employs more than 4,000.
The new facility will replace existing Sanofi insulin manufacturing sites and will feature renewable energy sources and use elements of passive waste reduction in buildings.
Speculation had been building for weeks with media reports suggesting the pharma giant decided against keeping its Lantus insulin production in France.
“Sanofi has a long history of developing strategic platforms to secure the supply of important medicines and vaccines for the present and future,” Brendan O’Callaghan, Sanofi’s head of global manufacturing and supply, said in a statement. “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.”