Lilly to site next US manufacturing facility in Texas

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Lilly has chosen Generation Park in Houston, Texas to site the second of its four new US manufacturing facilities.

The first plant in Virginia was announced last week, with the remaining two expected by the end of the year.

The new $6.5 billion facility in Texas will manufacture next-generation small molecule synthetic medicines across Lilly’s therapeutic areas including cardiometabolic, oncology and neuroscience.

Edgardo Hernandez, Executive Vice President and President of Lilly Manufacturing Operations said: “With this new chemical synthesis facility, we are expanding our vital advanced pharmaceutical capabilities in the US and setting a new global benchmark for innovation and technical leadership in our industry.” 

To streamline operations and ensure a reliable supply of medicines, advanced technologies such as machine learning, AI and advanced data analytics are planned to be integrated into the facility. These capabilities will be supported by 615 new pharma jobs.

A hub for production of Lilly’s first oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist

The Houston site will be among those that will manufacture orforglipron, Lilly’s first oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Regulatory submission for the drug in obesity is anticipated by year end. Recent topline results from its phase III ATTAIN-2 trial, showed that for adults with obesity or who had excess weight and type 2 diabetes, orforglipron provided significant weight loss, meaningful A1C reductions, and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors at 72 weeks.

David Ricks, Lilly Chair and CEO, said: “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 who prefer the ease of a pill that can be taken without food and water restrictions.

“This significant US investment and onshoring of our API production capabilities will ensure faster, more secure access to orforglipron and to other life-changing medicines of the future.”