Eli Lilly has announced its plans to build the second of four US manufacturing facilities at Generation Park in Houston, Texas in the US.
The next-generation synthetic medicine active pharmaceutical product (API) facility will cost $6.5bn and will focus on manufacturing the company’s pipeline of small molecule medicines across therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neuroscience.
Lilly will bring 615 new high-wage jobs to the Greater Houston area, including highly skilled engineers, scientists, operations personnel, and lab technicians. The company also expects to generate 4,000 construction jobs as the site is being built and brought online.
Lilly’s first oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist for obesity, orforglipron, will be manufactured at the site.
“Our new Houston site will enhance Lilly’s ability to manufacture orforglipron at scale and, if approved, help fulfil the medicine’s potential as a metabolic health treatment for tens of millions of people worldwide who prefer the ease of a pill that can be taken without food and water restrictions,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO. “This significant U.S. investment and onshoring of our API production capabilities will ensure faster, more secure access to orforglipron and to other life-changing medicines of the future.”
Earlier this year, Lilly announced plans to bolster its domestic medicine production across therapeutic areas by building a total of four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in the US.
To maximise the latest technology, digital integrations and automation, the company plans to engage locally, partnering with local universities and supporting community educational initiatives in Texas.
“With this new chemical synthesis facility, we are expanding our vital advanced pharmaceutical capabilities in the US and setting a new global benchmark for innovation and technical leadership in our industry,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations. “Additionally, we are committed to sustainability, being a responsible steward of natural resources, and strengthening the communities where our employees live and work.”
The facility is expected to be operational within the next five years.