- Eli Lilly will invest more than $1.2 billion to expand and modernise its manufacturing site in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
- The project will support the production of oral solid medicines, including orforglipron, and create around 1,000 construction jobs and 100 new manufacturing positions.
Eli Lilly and Company has announced plans to invest more than $1.2 billion to expand and modernise its Lilly del Caribe manufacturing site in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The investment will integrate advanced technologies and expand production capacity to support the company’s growing portfolio of oral solid medicines in cardiometabolic health, neuroscience, oncology and immunology.
The enhanced facility will be among those that manufacture orforglipron, Lilly’s first oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, which the company expects to submit for global regulatory approval for obesity by the end of 2025. The project is part of Lilly’s previously announced $50 billion capital investment to expand U.S. manufacturing capacity, including new facilities in Texas and Virginia and two further sites to be revealed soon.
“After sixty years, Lilly del Caribe continues to play an important role in making life-changing medicines for people in the U.S. and beyond,”
Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations
The facility will feature advanced manufacturing technologies, including dock-to-dock automation, paperless systems, process analytical technology and spray-dried dispersion for improved oral drug absorption. Construction is set to begin in 2026, with production expected to start by the end of 2028.
The expansion is expected to create up to 1,000 construction jobs and 100 high-tech manufacturing roles. Lilly also plans to continue supporting Puerto Rico’s bioscience ecosystem through scholarships for local students in engineering, science, technology and business.
Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon described the investment as “a resounding vote of confidence in our people, our infrastructure and our long-term competitiveness within the U.S. supply chain,” highlighting Puerto Rico’s growing role as a hub for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing.
