Eli Lilly announces new $4.5 billion US manufacturing and drug development site

Eli Lilly has announced it will invest $4.5 billion in a new US advanced manufacturing and drug development facility.

The Lilly Medicine Foundry will give the company the ability to explore new ways to make drugs while increasing production of drugs for clinical trials, Lilly said.

The new center will be located in the LEAP Research and Innovation District in Lebanon, Indiana, and is expected to create 400 full-time, highly skilled workforce positions when fully operational.

The company is designed to enable the production of various molecular therapies, including small molecule agents, biologics and nucleic acid therapies, adding that new technologies developed at the facility will be transferred to its other manufacturing sites for mass production.

David Ricks, Chairman and CEO of Lilly, said: “This new complex will not only deliver high-quality medicines for our clinical trials, but also further strengthen our process development and expand our manufacturing capabilities to accelerate the delivery of next-generation medicines.” Patients all over the world.”

The investment complements Lilly's previous $9 million production commitments in Indiana. The company initially announced plans to invest $2.1 billion in two new manufacturing sites in 2022 to expand its capacity for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and new therapeutic modalities, and later raised an additional $1.6 billion ready in the systems.

Earlier this year, the company announced an additional $5.3 billion investment to improve capacity to produce APIs for its latest diabetes and obesity drugs.

Commenting on the recent announcement, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb said: “For nearly 150 years, Lilly has been committed to expanding its roots and reach in Indiana, cultivating local talent and driving scientific advances that benefit patients around the world come.”

“I am thrilled about the opportunities Lilly’s Medicine Foundry will bring to communities across our great state.”

The investment comes just weeks after Lilly entered into a multi-year agreement with HAYA Therapeutics worth up to $1 billion to discover regulatory genomic targets for obesity and related metabolic diseases.

The company also recently partnered with artificial intelligence specialist Genetic Leap to develop genetic medicines. The research collaboration is worth up to $409 million.