Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) has broken ground on a USD 5 billion manufacturing facility in Goochland County, west of Richmond, Virginia, as part of its more than USD 50 billion investment to expand medicine production in the US.
The Richmond facility is one of 10 US manufacturing sites announced by Lilly since 2020 and one of five that will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). It will be the company’s first fully integrated facility in the US to manufacture both APIs and finished medicines, with dedicated API production capacity for bioconjugates and large-molecule medicines.
The facility will manufacture antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), targeted cancer treatments that combine the precision of antibodies with potent cytotoxic drugs to attack diseased cells while limiting exposure to healthy tissue. ADCs are also being investigated for potential applications in autoimmune diseases and other conditions.
David A. Ricks, Lilly’s chair and chief executive officer, said, “We are developing a new generation of medicines designed to target cancer cells with greater precision, yielding more powerful treatments with potentially fewer side effects. This USD 5 billion investment means we can make them right here in America.”
Investment in workforce development
Lilly is also investing in building a highly skilled workforce to support advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing in Virginia. The company has committed USD 40 million to the Virginia Center for Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, a statewide network of industry, government and higher education partners that will prepare workers for careers in the sector.
The network will include a pilot-scale, hands-on training centre in Goochland County, which is targeted to open in 2028.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said, “Lilly’s investment is a powerful vote of confidence in Virginia, our people, and our ability to compete for the industries and good jobs that will shape our future. Today’s groundbreaking marks an exciting milestone in this partnership, and we are proud that Virginia will play an important, durable role in Lilly’s continued global growth and innovation.”
Lilly is already hiring for the Richmond facility, which is expected to create 650 high-wage jobs, including positions for engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians. The project is also expected to generate approximately 1,800 construction jobs as the site is built and brought into operation.
Jonathan Christy, chairman of the Goochland County Board of Supervisors, said, “Lilly’s groundbreaking marks a significant investment in Goochland County and an exciting step forward for our community. We proudly welcome Lilly and the opportunities this project will create for quality jobs, economic growth, and lifesaving innovation.”
Advanced technologies to support manufacturing
The Richmond facility will combine a highly skilled workforce with advanced technologies and specialised manufacturing capabilities to support a reliable supply of safe, high-quality medicines.
According to Lilly, the site will incorporate machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), digitally integrated systems and advanced data analytics to drive right-first-time execution, with digital automation embedded throughout the site to streamline operations.
Lilly’s US manufacturing expansion
Lilly has announced 10 US manufacturing sites since 2020, spanning API production, injectable medicines, medical devices and genetic medicines.
Five sites will produce APIs: Richmond, Virginia; Huntsville, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and two sites in Lebanon, Indiana — Lebanon API and the Lilly Medicine Foundry. The latter will also focus on developing new production methods and manufacturing medicines for clinical trials.
Four sites will manufacture injectable medicines and devices: Research Triangle Park and Concord in North Carolina, Kenosha in Wisconsin, and Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania.
The tenth site, Lebanon Advanced Therapies in Lebanon, Indiana, will focus on genetic medicines.
