Shantha Biologics will provide cartridge filling services for Novo Nordisk

Vaccine maker Shantha Biologics has signed an agreement with Novo Nordisk to manufacture injectable drug containers at its Hyderabad facility for the Danish pharmaceutical major.

It will fill the cartridges and prepare them for use, the final and highly sensitive step in the production of drugs such as insulin and other injectable therapies, Shantha Biologics said in announcing the deal.

Financial terms and production volume under the deal remain undisclosed, the company said. Novo Nordisk has been better known in recent months for its blockbuster diabetes and obesity drugs Ozempic and The Wegs.

“The selection of Novo Nordisk as a CDMO partner is a strong endorsement of the quality of our workplace, processes and technical capabilities. It validates years of investment in building manufacturing systems that meet the standards expected by global innovators,” Shantha Biologics CEO Vishy Chebrol said in a press release.

He said the development also strengthens the case that India can be a serious partner in advanced manufacturing, not just a low-cost manufacturing base.

Filling a cartridge involves placing the drug in a thin, pre-filled cartridge that snaps into a pen, a format that patients use to self-administer their medications at home rather than in the hospital. The process requires sterile, contamination-free conditions and close dosing accuracy as the drug goes directly into the body. This manufacturing format is used in a variety of chronic and long-term conditions, including diabetes, obesity and oncology treatments delivered through biologic therapies, the company said.

Shantha Biologics, which has its roots in the Indian vaccine business founded by Varaprasad Reddy in 1993, entered a new chapter in 2024 under a consortium led by Ravi Penmetsa and Mr. Chebrol. Mr. Reddy now serves as the Chairman of the Board. Today, the company operates two businesses – one is the original vaccine business. The second is a cartridge filling unit, built to serve the growing demand for injectable drugs such as insulin, GLP-1 therapy and antibody therapy.

CDMO partnerships for biologics – drugs made from living cells rather than chemicals – are driving a fast-growing global market. It was valued at $25.32 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $38.29 billion by 2031, the company said, citing industry estimates.

Shantha Biologics said it plans further expansion in vaccines, biologics and injectables as demand grows. Without mentioning the existing number of employees, he said that the number of employees in Hyderabad is expected to increase to around 500 employees in the near future.

Published – 02 Jul 2026 18:02 IST