Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis announced that it will build a radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas. The facility will be 46,000 square feet, joining the firm’s RLT domestic network, which has existing US sites in New Jersey, Indiana, and California, along with a recently announced Florida project.

The company stated in its public release that building a robust network of facilities is important for RLT manufacturing because such therapies are personalized and time sensitive, necessitating close proximity to patients.

Novartis expects the Denton site to add a wealth of new jobs to the region once it is completed and fully operational in 2028. The site will support work for bioengineers, manufacturers, and quality and operations experts. Construction is set to begin later this year.

Like many other recently announced facility builds, Novartis’s Texas expansion builds upon a general trend of onshoring in the US, joining this week’s AbbVie facility announcement in Chicago and last week’s Johnson & Johnson announcement in Pennsylvania.

And much like those projects, Novartis’s RLT manufacturing commitment builds on a long-term commitment to US manufacturing, in this case toward a total $23 billion investment over a five-year period. The company is currently constructing two facilities in Durham, North Carolina, that are dedicated to biologic manufacturing and sterile filling.

“RLT has the potential to revolutionize cancer care,” said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. “The addition of our fifth RLT manufacturing site in the US strengthens our ability to meet growing demand, building the capabilities needed to deliver these next-generation treatments with the speed and precision they require.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also responded positively to the news. “Texas is a leading biotech hub and home to groundbreaking advancements in medicine,” he said. “This significant investment by Novartis in Denton will establish their first manufacturing facility in Texas for cancer therapies and create good-paying jobs in bioengineering, advanced manufacturing, and more. Working together with innovative global leaders, we will continue to strengthen critical supply chains to help speed next-generation treatments to patients across Texas and the US.”