Eli Lilly and Company has announced plans to invest more than USD 6 billion in a new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama. The site will focus on producing synthetic and peptide-based medicines, including Lilly’s first oral GLP-1 weight-loss therapy, Orforglipron, which the company expects to submit for regulatory approval early next year.

Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion targeted for 2032. The project is expected to create around 3,000 construction jobs during the build phase and approximately 450 permanent roles once operational, covering engineering, scientific, operational and laboratory functions.

The Huntsville plant will become the third of four new manufacturing sites Lilly is developing in the USA as part of a wider strategy to expand domestic pharmaceutical production and strengthen supply-chain resilience. The company’s overall manufacturing expansion plan represents an investment of at least USD 27 billion across these sites.

Lilly selected Huntsville from more than 300 proposed locations. Proximity to the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology—a major bioscience and workforce development hub in Alabama—was a key factor, providing access to specialised talent and research capabilities.

The new facility will incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies, including automation, AI-driven systems, machine learning, digital process monitoring and integrated data analytics. Lilly also plans to operate the site with carbon-neutral processes, reinforcing its sustainability commitments.

With rising global demand for metabolic and weight-management medicines, the investment positions Lilly to expand capacity significantly while ensuring a more secure, domestically located supply chain. The expansion aligns with broader national efforts to bolster USA-based pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign production sources.