This manufacturing site in Richmond, Virginia, is the first of four projects that Eli Lilly plans to reveal this year as part of a $27 billion U.S. investment announced earlier this year.
Eli Lilly has unveiled plans to construct a $5 billion manufacturing facility in Richmond, Virginia, which will produce the pharma’s bioconjugate and antibody therapies.
Lilly expects to create 2,450 jobs in the region, according to a statement from the company on Tuesday. Of these new roles, 650 will be “high-paying jobs” for skilled engineers, scientists, lab technicians and operations personnel, while the other 1,800 will be involved in the construction of the facility. The company expects to complete this project “within the next five years.”
At the new manufacturing plant, Lilly plans to concentrate operations on producing its monoclonal antibody and antibody-drug conjugate therapies, with a particular focus on cancer and immune-mediated indications. The new Virginia site will also incorporate “advanced technologies” such as automated systems and artificial intelligence, enabling what Lilly calls “right-first-time execution” for its products.
In February, in response to President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, Lilly pledged a $27 billion investment in the U.S., which at the time the pharma said would go toward the construction of four manufacturing facilities across the country over the next five years. The Richmond site is the first of these projects.
Lilly will announce the three remaining sites “this year,” according to Tuesday’s release, and expects to start production at these facilities “within five years.”
Since 2020, Lilly has announced some $50 billion of investments in the U.S., including a $2.1 billion commitment in May 2022 to construct two manufacturing facilities in Indiana. The pharma also made at least two big pledges last year: $5.3 billion in May for a plant dedicated to its blockbuster obesity and type 2 diabetes drug tirzepatide and $4.5 billion in October for a hybrid facility with both R&D and manufacturing capabilities.
Trump’s tariff threats, which he first made in February, have spurred an influx of hefty manufacturing investments from several major industry players. Lilly led the pack but has since been followed by other major commitments. Johnson & Johnson, for instance, announced in March that it would inject $55 billion into its domestic operations, thus far the biggest pledge of the year. AstraZeneca and Roche have also promised tens of billions in U.S. investments.
