Eli Lilly and Company has announced plans to invest more than $3.5bn in a new manufacturing facility in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.
The site will serve as Lilly’s newest injectable medicine and device manufacturing facility that will produce next-generation weight-loss therapies, including retatrutide, a first-in-class investigational GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon triple hormone receptor agonist. This is the fourth new US manufacturing site Lilly has announced since February 2025, as part of its commitment to bolster domestic medicine production. Lilly will bring 850 jobs to the area, including engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians. Construction, expected to begin in 2026, is anticipated to generate 2,000 construction jobs. The site will be operational in 2031.
“Our mission starts with patients and delivering the medicines they need. To meet increasing demand, we’re expanding our US manufacturing network, with Lehigh Valley adding capacity for next‑generation weight-loss medicines. We’re creating high‑quality jobs and collaborating across the region—with suppliers, educators, and workforce‑development partners—to make critical medicines in the US,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO.
The Lehigh Valley site, in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, was selected from more than 300 applications, partly based on its proximity to STEM universities, its technical manufacturing economy, and its existing infrastructure. In addition, with increasing demand from the biotech industry, the region offers convenient access to utilities, transportation, and favourable zoning and incentives.
Lilly will use advanced technologies, including AI, machine learning, integrated monitoring, and data analytics, to enable efficient operations and a reliable supply of medicine. The company will partner with local universities and invest in education across Pennsylvania to develop talent.
“Lilly Lehigh Valley—our newest injectable medicine and device manufacturing facility—will increase access to next-generation weight-loss treatments and improve the domestic supply of essential medicines for current and future patients,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations.
“Our investment here is more than just building a facility—it’s about building a shared future with the people and communities of the Commonwealth. Through meaningful partnerships in Pennsylvania, we’re committed to fostering collaboration, driving innovation, advancing environmental stewardship, and creating lasting positive impact that extends far beyond our facility walls.”
Since 2020, Lilly’s capital expansion commitments total more than $50bn and include new sites in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana; development of the new Lilly Medicine Foundry in Indiana; site expansions in Puerto Rico and the Lilly Technology Center in Indianapolis; and the acquisition and expansion of Lilly’s manufacturing site in Wisconsin.