Dive Brief:
- Pharmaceutical giant Novartis said it will create a flagship manufacturing hub in North Carolina in an effort to produce all of its medicines from start to finish in the United States. Total investment is expected to be $771 million, according to a news release from Gov. Josh Stein.
- The Switzerland-based company’s plans for Durham and Morrisville involve collectively constructing two sites with three new facilities, plus expanding an existing fourth facility in the area, according to the release.
- The manufacturing hub is scheduled to open as early as 2027. Novartis said the facilities will encompass more than 700,000 square feet and manufacture biologics, sterile packaging, solid dosage tablets and capsules.
Dive Insight:
The North Carolina investment is part of a previously announced pledge from Novartis to spend $23 billion to expand its U.S. manufacturing and research and development footprint over the next five years.
The company is bolstering its U.S. footprint in an effort to better serve one of its key markets amid tariff uncertainty. Approximately 42% of the company’s annual revenue last year came from U.S. sales, according to Novartis’ latest annual report. It has 33 manufacturing sites worldwide, with other key markets in Europe and Asia.
“By building a full, end-to-end manufacturing presence in North Carolina for our broader portfolio, we are expanding our capacity to deliver medical breakthroughs, securing a more resilient US supply chain, and investing in the local communities that make our mission possible,” Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said in a statement…