Indy-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to invest roughly $27 billion in manufacturing

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced Wednesday that it plans to invest roughly $27 billion in United States manufacturing — more than doubling its investment over the past five years.

The company said this will be the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing investment in United States history.

The Indianapolis-based organization aims to increase its medicine production across therapeutic areas by building four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites across the country. Altogether, Eli Lilly estimates that the project could create nearly 10,000 construction jobs, and more than 3,000 jobs for engineers, scientists and other staff.

Most of the future locations will focus on things including manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients and strengthening Lilly's supply chain.

One of the sites will focus on extending the company's global manufacturing network for future injectable therapies, in the hopes that facilities will begin making medicines for patients within five years.

David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO, said the initiative proves that the company is determined to remain ahead of demand for safe, high-quality, FDA-approved medicine and help reinvigorate domestic manufacturing.

"Lilly's optimism about the potential of our pipeline across therapeutic areas – cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neuroscience – drives our unprecedented commitment to our domestic manufacturing build-out,” Ricks wrote in a press release.

Eli Lilly plans to announce the locations of the future sites later this year.

"I couldn't be prouder that Lilly is expanding facilities in the U.S.,” said U.S. Indiana Senator Tim Banks. “These new investments will create good jobs and make our supply chains more secure."

Previously, Eli Lilly invested $23 billion in domestic capital expansion commitments, including new sites at the LEAP Innovation District and the development of the Lilly Medicine Foundry in Lebanon, Ind., and expansions to multiple Indianapolis manufacturing facilities.

The additional funds will bring the company’s investment to $50 billion since 2020.

Contact WFYI’s health reporter Elizabeth Gabriel at egabriel@wfyi.org