Novo Nordisk hired Thermo Fisher Scientific to serve as a second contract manufacturer of diabetes drug Wegovy, Reuters reported Wednesday.

The Danish drugmaker, dealing with production issues at a Belgian factory operated by its first contract manufacturer, Catalent, is seeking to boost output of Wegovy to meet high demand in the U.S. 

The Catalent facility has “repeatedly breached U.S. sterile-safety rules in recent years,” Reuters reported, with staff failing to perform required quality checks. 

In addition to Catalent, Novo had signed up another contract manufacturer in the U.S. in the spring but it had not been previously identified.

A source told the outlet that Thermo Fisher is filling semaglutide injection pens at its facility in Greenville, North Carolina but it was not clear how much the factories are producing.

A Novo spokesperson declined to comment to Reuters.

The enlistment of Thermo Fisher to help ease manufacturing woes is the latest development in the ongoing rollercoaster ride related to Wegovy.

Since its domestic launch in 2021, the diabetes drug and its sibling drug Ozempic have been in high demand across the U.S. Those this class of weight loss drugs are meant for use by patients with diabetes or obesity, the two drugs have experienced widespread off-label use for weight loss.

As a result of nationwide interest in the drugs, Novo experienced severe shortages at the end of last year and had to adjust its production capabilities and marketing strategies in order to resupply pharmacies.

Still, despite the controversy over off-label use and availability, the record sales of the GLP-1 drugs has been a boon for the company. A recent analysis found that Novo’s market capitalization has matched the gross domestic product of its home country.

According to Novo’s most recent earnings report released earlier this month, its operating profit grew 32% year-over-year at constant exchange rates (CER), to $7.2 billion, as North American sales increased 44% during the first half of 2023.

Sales within Novo’s diabetes and obesity business — which includes Wegovy and Ozempic — rose 37% at CER.

Beyond the financial or cultural impact of the drugs, Novo remains bullish on the clinical possibilities ahead.

Two weeks ago, the drugmaker announced that its once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg treatment cut the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 20% in a clinical trial.

The study results point to the possibility of semaglutide not only cutting weight for patients but also slashing the risk of heart disease and MACEs, too.

In the coming months, Novo said it plans to file for regulatory approval of label indication expansion for Wegovy, in the U.S. and E.U.