Eli Lilly today revealed a $4.5 billion investment toward building the Lilly Medicine Foundry, which will be a hub for advanced manufacturing and drug development. The company said the facility is designed for exploring new ways of producing medicines, while also scaling up manufacturing of medicines for clinical trials.
The combined research and manufacturing facility will be located in Indiana’s LEAP Research and Innovation District in Lebanon, Indiana, and will expand the company’s investment there to more than $13 billion.
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“As we accelerate our work to discover new medicines for the toughest diseases, we’re continuing to invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure to support our growing pipeline,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly’s chair and CEO. “In addition to supplying high-quality medicine for our clinical studies, this new complex will further strengthen our process development and scale up our manufacturing capabilities to speed delivery of next-generation medicines to patients around the world.”
The Medicine Foundry will allow Lilly to further develop solutions to optimize manufacturing processes and increase capacity for clinical trial medicines, while also reducing costs and environmental impact. The flexible design of this new facility will enable production of various molecular therapies, including drug substances for small molecules, biologics and nucleic acid therapies. New technologies developed at the Medicine Foundry will be transferred to Lilly’s other manufacturing sites for full-scale production. The site’s location in LEAP will support close collaboration with Lilly Research Laboratories’ teams in Indianapolis and Lilly’s manufacturing sites in Lebanon.
The State of Indiana will support the new site with infrastructure improvements for roads, water, electricity and other utilities. The state will also offer economic incentives tied to Lilly’s investment and employment goals in Lebanon. Once fully operational, the Medicine Foundry is expected to add 400 full-time jobs for highly skilled workers including engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians.
“Lilly’s continued investment in Indiana solidifies our state’s role as a hub for cutting-edge science and technology,” said Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “For nearly 150 years, Lilly has been committed to growing its roots and reach in Indiana, cultivating local talent, and driving scientific advancements that benefit patients around the world. I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities Lilly’s Medicine Foundry will bring to communities throughout our great state.”
“Lilly’s increased investment in Indiana is creating tremendous new career opportunities for Hoosiers,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg. “The LEAP district in Lebanon is quickly becoming an international destination, with $18 billion in committed capital investment on 2,300 acres since its launch in 2022. LEAP and the Hardtech Corridor are attracting global leaders, talent and innovation to Indiana.”
This new facility will add to Lilly’s previous manufacturing commitments in Lebanon:
- In May 2022, Lilly announced plans to invest $2.1 billion in two new manufacturing sites in Lebanon to expand its network for active ingredients and new modalities, such as genetic medicines.
- In April 2023, Lilly broke ground on these facilities and announced an additional $1.6 billion investment.
- In May 2024, Lilly announced an additional $5.3 billion commitment to enhance capacity to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients for its latest diabetes and obesity medicines. This milestone marked the largest single investment in active pharmaceutical ingredients production in U.S. history.