AbbVie has announced a $1.4 billion investment to build a new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in North Carolina, expanding its U.S. footprint with a focus on advanced sterile injectable production.
AbbVie announced a $1.4 billion investment to build a 185-acre pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Durham, North Carolina.
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The decision marks the company's largest capital investment to date and its first major presence in the state.
The campus, located near Research Triangle Park, is set to integrate advanced manufacturing and laboratory technologies with artificial intelligence to support production of AbbVie's immunology, neuroscience, and oncology medicines.1 The first phase of construction is expected to include small volume parenteral drug product manufacturing facilities for sterile injectables including vials, prefilled cartridges, and prefilled syringes, alongside next-generation laboratories, a warehouse, administrative offices, and employee wellness facilities.1
Upon complete, the Durham campus will serve as AbbVie's U.S. center of excellence for SVP manufacturing, supplying patients both domestically and internationally.1
Construction begins this year, with completion expected by the end of 2028.
AbbVie is expecting to hire 734 people over the next four years, including engineers, scientists, manufacturing operators, and laboratory technicians, along with the development phase expecting to generate more than 2,000 construction jobs. Durham was selected due to the strength of its regional workforce and its capacity to support future expansion.
"Our investment in North Carolina represents a significant milestone for AbbVie as our largest capital investment to date and an important expansion of our manufacturing footprint into a new region of the United States," said Robert A. Michael, chairman and chief executive officer of AbbVie. "By establishing this campus, we are strengthening our ability to support future medical breakthroughs while also creating new jobs and a long-term partnership with Durham and the State of North Carolina."
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein welcomed the investment, saying, "When you combine our world-renowned research and innovation with a strong, thriving life sciences hub, North Carolina quickly becomes the premier location for biopharmaceutical companies to do business."
The Durham campus is part of AbbVie's previously announced $100 billion commitment to U.S. research, development, and capital investments over the next decade.2 The company says it has now committed more than $2.2 billion in U.S. manufacturing investment over the past 12 months, including a
"AbbVie's mission is to make a remarkable impact for the patients we serve around the world through our innovative medicines," said Robert A. Michael, chairman and chief executive officer, AbbVie. "With approximately 29,000 U.S.-based employees and products treating 16 million Americans annually, we understand the complexity and access challenges in our healthcare system.”
The investment follows a broader trend of major pharmaceutical companies expanding U.S. manufacturing capacity, driven by a combination of supply chain resilience concerns, domestic policy incentives, and growing demand for complex biologics and injectable therapies across chronic disease indications.
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