Eli Lilly has selected Huntsville, Alabama, for a $6 billion-plus API manufacturing facility, the third of four planned U.S. sites aimed at strengthening domestic production of next-generation medicines.
Eli Lilly is investing more than $6 billion in a new active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama, marking the company’s third announced U.S. site expansion and its largest single investment in the state’s history.
The facility will produce small molecule synthetic and peptide medicines, including orforglipron, Lilly’s oral GLP-1 receptor agonist candidate for obesity, which the company expects to submit for regulatory approval by year-end.
Construction is slated to begin in 2026, creating an estimated 3,000 construction jobs before the facility’s anticipated completion in 2032. Once operational, the site will employ 450 personnel, including engineers, scientists, and lab technicians.
The Huntsville location was selected from more than 300 applicants, with proximity to the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology cited as a key factor. The facility will incorporate machine learning, AI-driven monitoring systems, and advanced data analytics to optimize production.
“Today’s investment continues the onshoring of active pharmaceutical ingredient production, strengthening supply chain resilience and reliable access to medicines for patients in the U.S.,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly’s chair and CEO.
The investment is part of Lilly’s broader U.S. manufacturing expansion, which includes recently announced facilities in Texas and Virginia, as well as an expansion in Puerto Rico. A fourth U.S. location is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Myrna Whitaker 
Nils Lund 
Anna Broberg 
Lo Elmqvist 
