Novartis has revealed its intention to construct a new 35,000 square-foot radioligand therapy (RLT) product facility in Winter Park, FL, representing the fourth in the United States.¹ The future plant is a component of the company’s greater mission of investing $23 billion over the next five years toward US infrastructure, while also serving as a way to strengthen the US pharma supply chain.

The facility is expected to be completed by 2029, and is anticipated to bolster the Big Pharma company’s specialized supply chain and manufacturing services across its vast RLT production facility network.

How will the Florida facility improve RLT access and delivery for patients?

Given its location, this specific plant will be prioritizing RLT medicine delivery to patients in the Southeast region of the country. Novartis also reportedly has a greater than 99% rate of doses that are administered on the scheduled day, which is a critical characteristic given the high expectation of these treatments.

“Building this new facility in Florida marks an important step in fulfilling the promise of RLT for patients,” commented Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. “Radioligand therapy has fundamentally changed how we approach certain cancers, and our growing US manufacturing network ensures we can continue to deliver these critical medicines with speed and reliability to patients who need them.”

What makes radioligand therapy manufacturing unique and time-sensitive?

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.

As the only company with two FDA-approved RLT therapies and a pipeline that spans multiple tumor types and targets, Novartis’ know-how has helped to not only grow capacity, but offer reliable, high-quality delivery for patients and providers.

Why is Florida emerging as a hub for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing?

Being that RLT manufacturing requires a specialized technical skillset, Florida has gradually been investing in higher education for the life sciences and tech spaces. The state has plenty of potential to achieve pharma manufacturing prowess, given these efforts that it is putting forth, as demonstrated by its growing skilled workforce.

“Thanks to deliberate, focused, intensified investments and world class health innovation partnerships, we have led Florida to become a national and world-recognized leader for breakthroughs in cancer treatment, neurological innovations, and more,” said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “Novartis’ investment in manufacturing cancer medicines here in Florida—where we’re already #2 nationally in both manufacturing for medicine and medical device technology—is an incredible opportunity to welcome world class innovators to our incredibly collaborative and impactful life sciences community.”

How does the Winter Park site fit into Novartis’ national RLT network?

Given that the new Florida location is now the fourth of five RLT facilities in the US that are currently in the works, the first two had been constructed in Millburn, NJ and Indianapolis, IN; meanwhile, the latter opened in early 2024, spanning 70,000 square feet while welcoming enough space for continued line expansion.

Late last year, Novartis also unveiled a 10,000-square-foot RLT production plant in Carlsbad, CA, intended to help prepare Novartis for future demand—as noted by the boost in capacity.

Plans for the final RLT facility are ongoing and have yet to be revealed.

Reference

1. Novartis to Add Radioligand Therapy Manufacturing Facility in Winter Park, Florida, Fourth in US to Serve patients and Advance $23 Billion Investment. Novartis. January 9, 2026. Accessed January 13, 2026. https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-add-radioligand-therapy-manufacturing-facility-winter-park-florida-fourth-us-serve-patients-and-advance-23-billion-investment