AbbVie has tapped North Carolina as the location for a new $1.4bn manufacturing site as part of its $100bn US manufacturing pledge – adding another giant to the growing list of pharma companies ramping up their presence in the state.
With this investment, the largest in a single campus in AbbVie’s history, the Illinois-based pharma will build an 185-acre site to produce its range of oncology, immunology, and neuroscience therapies.
Located close to Research Triangle Park, a key life sciences hub in the state, the new campus will create 734 skilled roles ranging from manufacturing operators and engineers to scientists and laboratory technicians. During the site’s construction, which is expected to reach a conclusion by the end of 2028, there will also be 2,000 construction roles.
To ensure that the facility runs smoothly, AbbVie will incorporate both advanced manufacturing technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) into the workflow to help support production.
In a 22 April statement, AbbVie noted that the first stage of the North Carolina build would focus on creating facilities for small volume parenteral (SVP) drug product manufacturing – including vials for injectables, as well as prefilled cartridges or syringes. This phase of construction will also see the company establish offices, laboratories and a warehouse at the Durham site.
AbbVie’s investment comes as several pharma companies boost their US manufacturing capacity amid the US government’s continued onshoring efforts. The Trump administration has threatened companies with 100% tariffs on branded imports if they did not pledge to build a manufacturing facility in the US.
In a commentary piece for Pharmaceutical Technology, GlobalData analysts noted that domestic manufacturing investment in the US has become a key factor in shaping policy decisions.
Big pharma bets on North Carolina
AbbVie’s North Carolina bid marks the pharma’s first manufacturing expansion into the state, which complements its other facilities in Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts.
AbbVie is not the only big pharma opting to scale its US manufacturing operations in North Carolina, as Swiss giant Novartis decided it would build its “flagship manufacturing hub”, comprising three facilities in Durham, back in November 2025.
Roche-owned Genentech is also boosting its presence in the state by building a new $2bn production site in Holly Springs, which will manufacture therapies from its cardiovascular, renal and metabolic portfolio.
In a previous conversation with Pharmaceutical Technology, experts noted that North Carolina’s attractiveness as a biotech and pharma hub is growing – primarily driven by its business-friendly policies, reasonable cost of living compared with other states and its large pool of skilled workers.
