The new facility in Concord, North Carolina will manufacture parenteral (injectable) products and devices and increase the company's manufacturing capacity; creating nearly 600 new jobs across science, engineering and manufacturing; alongside around 500 positions while the facility is under construction.
This follows on from a $470m investment in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park last year.
Lilly says it has chosen to expand in the region thanks to the manufacturing technology experience of the local labor force; the proximity to universities with strong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs; and access to major transportation infrastructure.
Edgardo Hernandez, senior vice president and president, Lilly Manufacturing Operations, said the sites respond to an ‘exciting period of growth’ for the company.
“Expanding our manufacturing footprint in North Carolina enables us to continue to produce today's medicines while providing additional capacity to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lilly will invest $500m in a new biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Limerick, Ireland. The company says it anticipates additional future investments in manufacturing to address growth expected from potential new medicines to treat diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cancer and autoimmune conditions.
Over the last five years, Lilly has invested over $4bn in global manufacturing, with around half of that in the US.