AstraZeneca announced plans to invest $2 billion to expand its long-standing manufacturing footprint in Maryland, including a significant expansion of its flagship biologics facility in Frederick and construction of a new state-of-the-art facility in Gaithersburg for clinical supply of molecules used in trials.
The investment will support 2,600 jobs across both Maryland sites, including retention of existing roles, construction activity, and creation of 300 highly skilled positions. Both facilities are expected to be operational by 2029.
Fourth Major US Investment This Year
The Maryland expansion represents AstraZeneca’s fourth major US manufacturing investment announced since July 2025, when the company unveiled its historic $50 billion commitment to medicines manufacturing and R&D in the United States. Previous announcements included a cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland, a drug substance manufacturing facility in Virginia, and the expansion of the existing Coppell, Texas, manufacturing site.
“Today marks a landmark moment for Maryland and American patients,” said Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer of AstraZeneca. “As the state’s largest biopharmaceutical employer, we are deepening our long-standing commitment to Maryland – supporting 2,600 jobs, catalyzing economic growth and bringing our extensive rare disease portfolio onshore for the first time.”
Frederick Expansion to Double Capacity
The Frederick facility currently produces biologics used across AstraZeneca’s portfolio of cancer, autoimmune, respiratory, and rare disease treatments. The planned expansion will nearly double commercial manufacturing capacity, enabling increased supply of existing medicines and, for the first time, production across the company’s rare disease portfolio.
The Frederick expansion will:
- Create 200 highly skilled jobs
- Support 900 construction roles
- Nearly double commercial manufacturing capacity
- Enable first-time domestic production of rare disease portfolio
New Gaithersburg Clinical Manufacturing Facility
AstraZeneca will build a new clinical manufacturing facility to expand its footprint in Gaithersburg. The facility will focus on development and clinical supply of innovative molecules for use in clinical trials.
The Gaithersburg investment will:
- Create 100 new jobs
- Retain 400 existing roles
- Support 1,000 construction-related jobs
- Be fully operational by 2029
Both the expanded Frederick facility and the new Gaithersburg site will leverage cutting-edge AI, automation, and data analytics, and be built to the highest environmental standards, according to the company.
Strategic Significance for US Supply Chain
Maryland Governor Wes Moore emphasized the investment’s broader implications: “AstraZeneca’s commitment to Maryland speaks to our unique, world-class biotech ecosystem. This landmark investment affirms our reputation as a global leader in life sciences, while strengthening the US medicine supply chain, accelerating the development of life-saving therapies, and creating hundreds of jobs.”
The announcement comes as pharmaceutical companies increasingly focus on strengthening US-based manufacturing capabilities and supply chain resilience. AstraZeneca’s decision to bring its “extensive rare disease portfolio onshore for the first time,” as noted by Soriot, addresses both supply security concerns and market access considerations.
Substantial US Footprint
The US is AstraZeneca’s largest market by sales and home to 19 R&D, manufacturing, and commercial sites. The company’s US workforce exceeds 25,000 people and supports more than 100,000 jobs overall across the country. In 2025, AstraZeneca created approximately $20 billion of overall value to the American economy.
The $50 billion investment program, announced in July 2025, represents one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most substantial commitments to US-based operations in recent years. The Maryland investment follows a broader industry trend of pharmaceutical manufacturers expanding domestic production capacity, particularly for complex biologics and advanced therapies requiring sophisticated manufacturing infrastructure.
