Eli Lilly and Company announced an additional investment of US$4.5 billion across two of its three sites in Lebanon, Indiana, bringing the company’s total investment in US manufacturing since 2020 to more than $50 billion, with $21 billion dedicated to Indiana.

The investment will support the Lilly Lebanon Advanced Therapies, which opened May 6, and Lilly Lebanon API, which the company plans to open next year.

Lilly Lebanon API, the upcoming active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) facility, will serve as Lilly’s domestic cornerstone for the production of the firm’s popular GLP-1 tirzepatide medicines Zepbound and Mounjaro, which doctors prescribe to treat obesity and type-2 diabetes. The investment will support new process designs and technologies at the site.

The newly opened Lilly Lebanon Advanced Therapies will support clinical and commercial production of gene therapies across modalities from research-stage development through large-scale commercial supply. The company stated that designing and building for such modalities required the development of new manufacturing processes that had no commercial precedent.

In its public release, Lilly cited a soon-to-be released report from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, Indiana Business Research Center, that identifies Lilly as a dominant economic force in the state. According to the report, “Lilly accounts for 70% of Indiana's pharmaceutical GDP, and every Lilly job supports more than two additional jobs across the state.”

"Lilly's legacy of firsts in Indiana continues today − and the best measure of that legacy is what we do next," said David Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO, following the announcement. "From genetic medicines that could one day prevent disease at its source, to Foundayo, a pill making weight-loss treatment accessible to millions, we are not just discovering the medicines of the future, we are building the world's most advanced plants to make them. When our Lebanon API site opens in 2027, it will be the largest API production site in US history, a commitment we chose to build here, at home."

"This expansion reflects the strength of a long-standing partnership between Lilly and the state of Indiana – one that continues to deliver real results for Hoosiers," said Mike Braun, Governor of Indiana. "With this investment in Lebanon and across the state, Indiana is reinforcing its position as a prime destination for life sciences and advanced manufacturing, spanning innovation, production and global distribution."