Lilly Breaks Ground on $11.5B U.S. Drug Plants

Eli Lilly broke ground on a $5 billion manufacturing facility in Goochland County, Virginia, near Richmond, as part of its broader effort to invest more than $50 billion in U.S. medicine production. The site will be Lilly’s first integrated facility to make both active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished medicines, with a focus on antibody-drug conjugates, targeted cancer treatments also being studied for other conditions. Lilly expects the project to create about 650 permanent jobs and 1,800 construction jobs. The company has committed $40 million to workforce training in Virginia, including support for a hands-on training center planned to open in 2028. The facility is also targeting LEED Gold certification and is expected to use advanced technologies such as machine learning and data analytics.