The new Albemarle County site—reportedly the largest investment in AstraZeneca’s history—will focus on API and ADC production, create 3,600 jobs, while strengthening US pharma supply chain resilience.
AstraZeneca has decided to financially commit $4.5 billion toward its new production plant in Rivanna Futures’ Albemarle County, VA, which would be an additional increase of $500 million to benefit bolstered manufacturing efforts for various types of meds.1
The industry might remember that this is a component of the $50 billion investment that was announced this past July.2 AstraZeneca had also previously revealed that it will be investing $50 billion in the United States by the year 2030.2
The new plant is expected to generate a combinate of 3,600 direct and indirect jobs.
Specifically, this includes:
The highlight of this announcement is a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing plant in the Commonwealth of Virginia that is expected to produce drug substances—also known as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)—for AstraZeneca’s weight management and metabolic portfolio. This features oral GLP-1s, oral PCSK9, and baxdrostat, along with combination small molecule products. The new state-of-the-art center will be producing small molecules, peptides and oligonucleotides.
Beyond that, AstraZeneca also revealed that new facility will house state-of-the-art manufacturing for its antibody drug conjugate (ADC) cancer portfolio. ADCs deliver chemotherapy agents directly to cancer cells using a linker that binds to a monoclonal antibody.
The plant is anticipated to open in the next four to five years.
“We cannot truly be a wealthy nation without being a healthy nation,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator. “Today's groundbreaking demonstrates the Trump Administration's commitment to onshoring drug manufacturing and strengthening supply chains to improve Americans' access to medication. I congratulate AstraZeneca for their investment and invite other foreign manufacturers to follow suit.”
Indeed, many Big Pharma companies have begun the shift of their manufacturing processes back to the United States, with the avoidance of 100% tariffs on branded or patented pharma products as an incentive. For one, Eli Lilly previously announced that it would be constructing a new $6.5 billion manufacturing facility at Generation Park in Houston, TX.3 The Texas plant—expected to be operational within five years—is going to focus on the production of active pharmaceutical product (APIs) facility, prioritizing the manufacturing of Lilly’s small molecule meds spanning various therapeutic areas, featuring cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neuroscience.
The development represents the second of four sites in the United States that Lilly plans to reveal this year, with the first being a $5 billion production plant in Goochland County, VA.3 This site located just west of Richmond and will be considered the company's first fully integrated facility dedicated to APIs pharmaceutical ingredient and drug product.
"Our new Houston site will enhance Lilly's ability to manufacture orforglipron at scale and, if approved, help fulfill the medicine's potential as a metabolic health treatment for tens of millions of people worldwide who prefer the ease of a pill that can be taken without food and water restrictions," commented David A. Ricks at the time, Lilly chair and CEO. "This significant US investment and onshoring of our API production capabilities will ensure faster, more secure access to orforglipron and to other life-changing medicines of the future."
As for AstraZeneca, the company’s CEO, Pascal Soriot, highlighted the scale and impact of the company’s latest investment, adding, “With our $4.5 billion investment in Virginia, the largest in AstraZeneca’s history, we are not only building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, but also driving life sciences innovation and economic growth” said Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca’s CEO. “This new facility will create thousands of jobs and strengthen America’s national security and health sovereignty.”
References
1. AstraZeneca Plans to Increase Investment and Scope of Its Virginia Manufacturing Facility to $4.5 Billion, Creating 3,600 New Jobs. AstraZeneca. October 9, 2025. Accessed October 10, 2025.
2. Saraceno N. AstraZeneca Commits $50 Billion to US Manufacturing and R&D Efforts by 2030. Pharmaceutical Commerce. July 22, 2025. Accessed October 10, 2025.
3. Saraceno N. Eli Lilly to Invest $6.5 Billion in New Houston Manufacturing Facility. Pharmaceutical Commerce. September 24, 2025. Accessed October 10, 2025.
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