In recent years, Eli Lilly has been making significant investments in manufacturing, each bigger than the last. Recently, they announced their largest investment yet—a $27 billion plan to build four new production facilities in the U.S. This doubles their U.S. manufacturing investment since 2020 to over $50 billion, making it the largest pharmaceutical expansion in U.S. history.
This plan will create more than 3,000 jobs for various professionals. The locations of the new facilities will be announced later, but they aim to have them running in five years. Three of these factories will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients, while the fourth will make injectable drugs.
This investment comes as the Trump administration encourages American companies to invest more domestically. For comparison, Apple also announced a $500 billion U.S. investment over four years. The U.S. Department of Commerce praised Lilly’s efforts as aligning with the administration’s goals of boosting American manufacturing.
Eli Lilly is optimistic about developing new drugs for a range of health issues, including diabetes, cancer, and more. They also want to stay competitive against pharmacies that produce cheaper versions of their drugs, like Mounjaro and Zepbound for diabetes and obesity.
CEO David Ricks stated that this investment would help meet future demand for high-quality, FDA-approved medicines and protect against supply chain issues. The company is focusing on producing active ingredients, which have been lacking in the U.S. supply chain.
Lilly has already made several other investments in the U.S., including a $3 billion upgrade to a plant in Wisconsin and a $1.7 billion facility in North Carolina, set to open in 2027. They’ve committed about $23 billion to U.S. manufacturing recently, with the new $27 billion plan adding to this.
Internationally, Lilly is spending $1.8 billion in Ireland and building a $2.5 billion plant in Germany, expected to start production in 2027. Lilly is currently experiencing rapid growth, with significant sales from drugs like Mounjaro, Zepbound, and Verzenio, boosting its market value to $902 billion, making it the fastest-growing company in the industry.