Eli Lilly to build $3.5bn weight-loss drug facility in Pennsylvania
The $3.5 billion Lehigh Valley plant will make next-generation weight-loss medicines, including retatrutide.
Eli Lilly will invest more than $3.5 billion in a new injectable medicine and device manufacturing facility in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, to produce next-generation weight-loss treatments, including retatrutide.
The US pharmaceutical company said the site, located in the Lehigh Valley region, was chosen from over 300 applicants and will create 850 jobs. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and generate 2,000 construction roles, with operations scheduled to start in 2031.
The facility will support the production of retatrutide, a first-in-class investigational therapy targeting GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon hormone receptors.
David Ricks, chair and chief executive, said, “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.”
Lilly cited the region’s proximity to science and engineering universities, its skilled manufacturing workforce and strong infrastructure as key factors in the site selection.
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The facility will incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, integrated monitoring and data analytics. The company said it would partner with local universities and invest in education and training to develop talent.
Since 2020, Lilly’s total capital expansion commitments have exceeded $50 billion, including projects in Alabama, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana, as well as its Lilly Medicine Foundry in Indiana, expansions in Puerto Rico and Indianapolis, and recent acquisition and development activity in Wisconsin.
The Recap
- Lilly to build injectable facility in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.
- Company plans more than $3.5 billion capital investment.
- Construction expected to begin in 2026; operations start in 2031.
