Eli Lilly Announces Four New Domestic Production Sites

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Eli Lilly announced plans to significantly increase its domestic production capabilities.¹ Since 2020, the company has invested more than $50 billion on U.S. capital expansion. Lilly’s latest expansion includes the building of four pharmaceutical manufacturing sites, all within the U.S. Three of the sites will focus primarily on producing pharmaceutical ingredients for domestic usage, while the fourth will primarily focus on producing ingredients for global distribution.

In a press release, Lilly chair and CEO David A. Ricks said, “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. Our confidence positions us to help reinvigorate domestic manufacturing, which will benefit hard-working American families and increase exports of medicines made in the U.S.A. This bold move reflects our commitment to stay ahead of anticipated demand for safe, high-quality, FDA-approved medicines of the future."

While the press release doesn’t mention them, President Trump’s proposed tariffs are likely an inspiration for this increase in US production. Ricks does mention other legislation passed by the Trump administration, however, saying, “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislation passed in 2017 during President Trump's first term in office has been foundational to Lilly's domestic manufacturing investments, and it is essential that these policies are extended this year. We believe that our investments in America and upskilling our nation's workforce will spark a significant ripple effect. For every job we create, many more will be generated, positively impacting the communities that host our innovative new sites."

In the same press release, Lilly executive vice president and and president of Lilly manufacturing operations Edgardo Hernandez said, “To deliver on our big bets on next-generation modalities like small molecules, biologics and nucleic acid therapies, Lilly is investing in the state-of-the-art manufacturing infrastructure needed to deliver tomorrow's safe and reliable medicines. We are not just building facilities. We are creating a future where American innovation leads the world in pharmaceutical manufacturing, requiring a highly skilled workforce prepared to shape the future of health care. This is a significant step for our company, our communities and the patients we serve."

In other news, Lilly also recently announced new single dose vials of Zepbound for members of the Self Pay Journey Program.² The new doses will be offered in 7.5 and 10 mg.

In a press release, Lilly executive vice president and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA Patrik Jonsson said, “Every major medical organization and establishment recognizes obesity as a chronic disease, yet insurance and federal programs do not systematically cover people living with obesity for medical care—this needs to change. Lilly is committed to working with all parties to solve this problem, and in the meantime, we'll continue to implement new options that improve the affordability and availability of our safe, approved and studied Zepbound for patients who are being asked to pay out-of-pocket."

Sources

1. Lilly Plans to More Than Double U.S. Manufacturing Investment Since 2020 Exceeding $50 Billion. Eli Lilly. February 26, 2025. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lilly-plans-more-double-us-manufacturing-investment-2020
2. Lilly Launches Additional Zepbound Vial Doses and Offers New Savings for Self-Pay Patients. Eli Lilly. February 25, 2025. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lilly-launches-additional-zepbound-vial-doses-and-offers-new