AstraZeneca has announced the next phase of its $50bn investment programme to strengthen its US manufacturing network, with plans for a new $4.5bn facility in Virginia.
The site was initially designed to produce drug substances for AstraZeneca’s weight management and metabolic disease portfolio, including oral GLP-1, baxdrostat, oral PCSK9 and combination small-molecule therapies.
The expanded investment – an additional $500m beyond the original commitment – will broaden the site’s remit to include antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) manufacturing, supporting AstraZeneca’s growing oncology pipeline.
The facility is expected to become operational within five years and will significantly enhance the company’s US-based manufacturing capacity. Around 600 high-skilled roles will be created in Virginia, including positions for engineers, scientists and process facilitators. The expansion is also projected to generate a further 3,000 jobs during the development and construction phases.
Pascal Soriot, CEO, AstraZeneca, said: “With our $4.5bn investment in Virginia, the largest in AstraZeneca’s history, we are not only building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, but also driving life sciences innovation and economic growth.”