- Eli Lilly and Company will invest $6.5 billion to build a new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas.
- The site will create 615 new jobs and support production of small molecule medicines, including Lilly’s oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, orforglipron.
Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) has announced plans to construct a $6.5 billion manufacturing facility at Generation Park in Houston, Texas. The new site will be dedicated to producing small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients, with operations expected to begin within five years.
The facility will support Lilly’s pipeline across cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. It will also be one of the sites producing orforglipron, the company’s first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, which Lilly expects to submit for regulatory approval for obesity later this year.
“Our new Houston site will enhance Lilly’s ability to manufacture orforglipron at scale and, if approved, help fulfil the medicine’s potential as a metabolic health treatment for tens of millions of people worldwide.”
David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO
The investment is expected to generate 615 high-wage jobs in Houston, alongside 4,000 construction roles during the build phase. Lilly estimates the project will provide up to four times its direct investment in wider local economic impact, with additional employment opportunities across supply chain, logistics, and retail.
The site will use digital automation, machine learning, AI, and advanced analytics to optimise manufacturing operations. Lilly selected Generation Park from more than 300 proposals, citing the availability of skilled workers, infrastructure, and a favourable business environment as key factors.
