AbbVie is set to develop a new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in North Carolina, US, to support the production of medicines in its immunology, neuroscience and oncology portfolios.
Announced in April 2026, the facility will be built in phases with a planned investment of $1.4bn. This represents AbbVie’s first major capital project in North Carolina and an expansion of its manufacturing presence into a new US region.
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The initiative forms part of the company’s previously stated $100bn, ten‑year commitment to research and development and capital projects, including manufacturing, in the US.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion targeted for late 2028.
Over the subsequent four years, AbbVie intends to recruit 734 employees, spanning engineering, scientific research, manufacturing operations and laboratory technician roles. The average annual salary for these roles is estimated at $118,041, which could have an annual payroll effect of more than $86.6m for the region.
The campus development is also expected to contribute to the regional economy by supporting more than 2,000 construction jobs over the buildout period.
Location
AbbVie’s planned manufacturing campus will occupy a 185‑acre site near the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in Durham County, North Carolina.
The RTP is anchored by three major Tier-1 research universities: Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina.
The location was chosen for the depth of the regional talent pool and the capacity of the area to accommodate potential future expansion.
AbbVie’s pharmaceutical manufacturing campus details
AbbVie’s new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Durham will combine advanced manufacturing and laboratory technologies with AI to support the production of the company’s immunology, neuroscience and oncology medicines.
The first phase of construction is scheduled to deliver a 440,000ft² (40,877m²) campus housing small volume parenteral (SVP) drug product manufacturing facilities with the capacity to accommodate AbbVie’s expanding pipeline. It will also include next-generation laboratories, a warehouse, administrative offices and employee wellness spaces.
SVPs are sterile injectable medicines, generally in volumes below 100ml, including vials, prefilled cartridges and prefilled syringes for injection or infusion.
On completion, the manufacturing campus is intended to operate as AbbVie’s US centre of excellence for SVP manufacturing and to support the supply of next-generation medicines to patients domestically and internationally.
Incentives and economic impact of the project
AbbVie’s North Carolina operation will be supported in part by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee.
Under the JDIG agreement, the company is entitled to receive reimbursements of up to $19.35m over a 12‑year period. The agreement also provides for up to $6.45m to be transferred to the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account, which assists rural communities across North Carolina in funding infrastructure improvements to attract future business investment.
Over the 12‑year term, the project is projected to add approximately $8bn to North Carolina’s economy. The anticipated return on public funds is put at 189%, indicating that for every $1 of potential state cost, an estimated $2.89 in state revenue would be generated.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina are among the principal public sector entities involved in the project.
Contractors involved
Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company, a site selection and incentives advisory consultancy, provided support to AbbVie on the project.
Marketing commentary on AbbVie
Headquartered in Illinois, US, AbbVie is among the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies. Its portfolio spans several major therapeutic areas including immunology, neuroscience and oncology, and also encompasses products and services within the Allergan Aesthetics business.
AbbVie has a presence across 70 countries globally and employs more than 57,000 people. It has operations in all 50 US states and in Puerto Rico, employing around 29,000 people nationwide, more than 6,000 of whom work at its US manufacturing sites. Including the North Carolina project, AbbVie has announced commitments of more than $2.2bn in US manufacturing investment over the past 12 months, alongside plans to create in excess of 1,300 jobs across North Carolina, Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts.
