Eli Lilly and Company has announced plans to invest $6.5bn in an active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) manufacturing facility at Generation Park in Houston, in the US state of Texas.
The new facility will produce APIs for small-molecule medicines, including those targeting oncology, cardiometabolic health, immunology and neuroscience.
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It will create 615 permanent jobs, including positions for scientists, engineers, lab technicians and operations personnel.
The construction phase will generate 4,000 jobs.
The new manufacturing facility, scheduled to be operational by 2030, will expand Lilly’s domestic production capabilities in the US.
Lilly chair and CEO David Ricks stated: “Our new Houston site will enhance Lilly’s ability to manufacture orforglipron at scale and, if approved, help fulfil the medicine’s potential as a metabolic health treatment for tens of millions of people worldwide who prefer the ease of a pill that can be taken without food and water restrictions.
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By GlobalData“This significant US investment and onshoring of our API production capabilities will ensure faster, more secure access to orforglipron and to other life-changing medicines of the future.”
Lilly selected Generation Park from more than 300 locations based on its local incentives, workforce potential and business-friendly environment.
The Houston facility is the company’s eighth manufacturing site in the US announced since 2020 and the second of four new sites planned for 2025.
It will primarily produce orforglipron, an oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, planned for regulatory submission in obesity treatment by December.
Lilly plans to implement advanced technologies, including AI, machine learning and digital automation, to optimise operations and ensure consistency.
The company will partner with local universities and plans to invest in educational initiatives to nurture a skilled workforce in Texas.
Lilly expects the site to have a substantial economic impact on the Houston area. It is estimated to generate up to four dollars for every dollar spent in local economic activity.
Each manufacturing job is expected to create additional employment in sectors such as supply chain and logistics.
Lilly recently confirmed Goochland County, Virginia, as the site for its first dedicated API and drug product facility, part of a $5bn investment in bioconjugate and monoclonal antibody production.
