Novartis broke ground yesterday on its over 700,000-square-feet flagship manufacturing hub in North Carolina, moving rapidly to construct its recently announced investment in the state.

The North Carolina project will include the construction of a new facility in Morrisville and a new site in Durham encompassing two new facilities, as well as the expansion of an existing Novartis facility in Durham. Together, these investments are expected to create 700 new jobs in North Carolina by 2030 and support over 3,000 indirect jobs across the Novartis US supply chain.

Marty Makary, MD, MPH, Commissioner, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Josh Stein, Governor, North Carolina and other elected officials from the state, joined Novartis leadership and employees and members of the local community to celebrate the official start of construction of the manufacturing hub.

“It’s an exciting day for Novartis as we break ground on our new manufacturing hub, a crucial step toward delivering on our goal of producing all our key medicines for US patients domestically. Once complete, this new hub will become a central site for Novartis manufacturing in the US, strengthening our supply chain and underscoring our commitment to American patients,” said Vas Narasimhan, CEO, Novartis.  

With construction now underway, Novartis is strengthening its coast-to-coast manufacturing and research network, enabling full end-to-end manufacturing capabilities across its main therapeutic areas, supporting the delivery of its key medicines to patients across the US at scale.

“North Carolina continues to lead in cutting-edge life sciences. Novartis’ decision to deepen its roots here speaks to the strength of our talent, our research universities, and our commitment to leading the nation in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing. These investments bring in more good-paying jobs for North Carolinians and build a stronger, more resilient supply chain for patients across the country,” said Josh Stein, Governor, North Carolina.

This expansion is a key pillar in the company's USD 23 billion investment in US-based infrastructure over the next five years.

“The FDA is pleased to support the America First agenda in manufacturing. It’s common sense and it increases our national security. Novartis’ investment is a strong step toward making drugs for Americans in America,” said Marty Makary, MD, MPH, Commissioner, FDA.

Anticipated to open in 2027-2028, the company’s flagship manufacturing hub was marked by a formal ground-breaking ceremony at one of the new sites.