The pharma giant’s new 10,000-square-foot Carlsbad plant strengthens its US manufacturing network and supports its overarching $50 billion investment plan committed to operations.
Novartis has unveiled a 10,000-square-foot radioligand therapy (RLT) production plant in Carlsbad, CA, representing a move that’s a component of the company’s greater mission to invest $50 billion into its US operations over the next half decade, including $23 billion toward infrastructure.1
RLTs are a type of precision medicine that connect a tumor-targeting molecule—also known as a ligand, to a therapeutic radioisotope—which allows radiation to be delivered directly to cancer cells, while also limiting harm to any surrounding healthy tissue. Being that each RLT dose is custom-made and highly time-sensitive (its radioactive half-life is measured in only hours), proximity to treatment centers and transportation hubs are critical in order to ensure patients receive therapy both quickly and safely.
This new RLT manufacturing facility is intended to help prepare Novartis for future demand—as noted by the boost in capacity—boosting its supply chain services in the process. The plant can start commercially manufacturing the therapies once the FDA officially approves the location as US supply point.
“At Novartis, we tackle the toughest challenges in medicine by doing what’s never been done before for patients,” said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. “Radioligand therapy is a breakthrough we’ve unlocked at scale, made possible by reimagining how innovation reaches patients. As the global leader in RLT for more than seven years, we’ve advanced this technology with a deep belief in its power to transform cancer care. The opening of our Carlsbad facility underscores our strong commitment to the US and dedication to bringing this pioneering treatment to patients across the country.”
The Carlsbad location represents Novartis’ third US RLT facility, with the first two in Millburn, NJ and Indianapolis, IN; the latter opened in early 2024, spanning 70,000 square feet while welcoming enough space for continued line expansion. The manufacturer is reportedly the only pharma company that has a portfolio completely dedicated to commercial RLT.
“We commend Novartis for supporting our broader mission of bringing manufacturing capacity in the United States,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH. “Our unique partnership approach is working.”
In regard to upcoming projects in the US, Novartis plans to
All of these efforts lead back to the company’s interest in reimagining operations. At this year’s LogiPharma Europe, Steffen Lang, Novartis’ president of operations and executive committee member, mentioned to Pharma Commerce3 that, “at Novartis, we are focused on reimagining medicine—pioneering new treatments, discovering innovative delivery methods, and ultimately extending and improving patients' lives. For our operations team, this means rethinking the entire way we work.
“Significant changes are required in how we forecast demand, prepare medicines, and deliver them to patients. Many of today’s therapies are highly individualized and designed for smaller patient populations, which calls for very different processes than those used in the past. This shift has been a central theme of our transformation over the past 10 to 15 years—one that we’ve been proud to help pioneer across the industry.”
References
1. Novartis Opens New Radioligand Therapy Manufacturing Facility in California as Part of $23B US Expansion Plan. Novartis. November 10, 2025. Accessed November 12, 2025.
2. Saraceno N. Novartis Opens New Radioligand Therapy Manufacturing Facility in Indianapolis. Pharmaceutical Commerce. January 5, 2024. Accessed November 12, 2025.
3. Saraceno N. LogiPharma Europe 2025: Reimagining Operations to Deliver the Future of Personalized Medicine. Pharmaceutical Commerce. April 9, 2025. Accessed November 12, 2025.
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