Lilly has announced plans to significantly expand its domestic medicine production by building four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in the US.
The company’s plans represent the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing investment in US history, according to Lilly.
This move brings the company's total US capital expansion commitments to over $50 billion since 2020, marking the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing investment in US history.
Three of the newly announced sites will focus on manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), reshoring critical capabilities for small molecule chemical synthesis, and strengthening Lilly's supply chain.
Three of the newly announced sites will focus on manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients
The fourth facility will expand the company’s global parenteral manufacturing network to support the production of future injectable therapies.
The company is currently in negotiations with several states for the locations of the four new sites and welcomes additional interest until 12 March 2025.
Lilly expects to announce the final site selections in 2025, with facilities anticipated to begin production within five years.
David Ricks, Chair and CEO of Lilly, said: “Lilly's optimism about the potential of our pipeline across therapeutic areas – cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience – drives our unprecedented commitment to our domestic manufacturing build-out. Our confidence positions us to help reinvigorate domestic manufacturing, benefiting hard-working American families and increasing exports of medicines made in the USA.
The fourth facility will expand the company’s global parenteral manufacturing network to support the production of future injectable therapies
Additionally, the new facilities are expected to create over 3,000 jobs for highly skilled workers, including engineers, scientists, operations personnel, and lab technicians.
The development of these sites could also generate nearly 10,000 construction jobs.
Edgardo Hernandez, Executive VP and President of Lilly Manufacturing Operations, said: “To deliver on our big bets on next-generation modalities like small molecules, biologics, and nucleic acid therapies, Lilly is investing in the state-of-the-art manufacturing infrastructure needed to deliver tomorrow's safe and reliable medicines.
“We are not just building facilities. We are creating a future where British innovation leads the world in pharmaceutical manufacturing, requiring a highly skilled workforce prepared to shape the future of healthcare.”
Beyond job creation, these new sites are expected to bring economic benefits to their local communities, including increased local spending, tax revenue, economic diversification, improved infrastructure, population growth, and workforce training opportunities.