The FDA has issued a Form 483 to Novo Nordisk's manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Indiana, citing significant quality control violations including contamination and pest infestations discovered during an inspection conducted between late June and mid-July 2025. The facility, which produces therapies for Regeneron and Scholar Rock, was acquired by Novo Nordisk in December 2024 as part of its $16.5 billion purchase of Catalent's operations.
Contamination and Safety Violations
FDA inspectors documented multiple instances of "atypical extrinsic particles," including cat and human hair found in vial stoppers, along with pest infestations in classified production areas. The inspection revealed systemic failures in the company's contamination control processes, with the FDA noting that "Your investigation failed to determine a root cause for the contamination, assess the potential impact to the rest of the lot, or evaluate whether similar issues may have occurred in upstream batches."
The agency's inspection report, obtained by STAT, highlighted that the company's contamination review "was limited to a one-year time frame, and no complaints were assessed. Although components were considered a potential root cause, no corrective or preventative actions were taken to address this."
Ongoing Quality Control Issues
The contamination problems at the Bloomington facility are not new, with client concerns extending back to June 2022 when reports of "foreign matter" and "particles" were first raised. Since the initial investigation, approximately 20 additional deviations related to hair contamination during 100% manual visual inspection have occurred, along with 14 deviations uncovered through a gap analysis.
Equipment reliability has also been a persistent issue, with roughly 10 work orders logged in 2024 and 2025 for "recurrent leaks and other failures" in a key system, with some repairs delayed for extended periods.
Strategic Acquisition Context
The Bloomington facility became part of Novo Nordisk's manufacturing network when Novo Holdings completed its acquisition of Catalent's operations in December 2024. At the time of the acquisition, company leadership emphasized the strategic importance of adding US fill-finish capacity to strengthen the supply chain for diabetes and obesity treatments.
"We are very pleased with the agreement to acquire the three Catalent manufacturing sites which will enable us to serve significantly more people living with diabetes and obesity in the future," said Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk. "The acquisition complements the significant investments we are already doing in active pharmaceutical ingredients facilities, and the sites will provide strategic flexibility to our existing supply network."
Regulatory Implications
The Form 483 serves as formal notification of conditions that may violate FDA regulations and prompts manufacturers to implement corrective actions before further regulatory measures are considered. While the issuance does not constitute final regulatory action, it signals areas requiring immediate attention to ensure compliance with federal standards governing drug manufacturing practices.
The violations come at a time when Novo Nordisk is expanding its manufacturing capabilities to meet growing demand for its diabetes and obesity treatments, making resolution of these quality control issues critical for the company's operational strategy.
