Eli Lilly recently announced two major expansion projects that speak to the company’s ambitions in, and beyond, the obesity/GLP-1 and cardiometabolic arenas, as well as the expansion of supply chain operations.
In Europe, Lilly plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Katwijk, Netherlands (within the Leiden Bio Science Park) valued at $3 billion (~€2.6 billion) to boost capacity for oral solid dose medicines.
The facility will focus on, among other things, Lilly’s upcoming oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, orforglipron, which the company expects to file regulatory submissions for by the end of the year.
Lilly said the site will create approximately 500 permanent, high-paying manufacturing jobs in South Holland province that will include engineers, scientists, operations staff and lab technicians.
Construction, expected to begin next year, will create roughly 1,500 additional jobs. The investment is contingent on final government permits and local approvals.
Concurrently, Lilly is expanding its US manufacturing footprint with a $1.2 billion investment in its Lilly del Caribe manufacturing site in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to support production of the company’s growing pipeline of oral solid medicines in cardiometabolic health, neuroscience, oncology and immunology, with a focus on orforglipron production.
Related: Eli Lilly Announces $27B Investment to Boost US Manufacturing
Eli Lilly Manufacturing Site Upgrades in Puerto Rico
The upgraded Puerto Rican facility will be among the sites slated to produce orforglipron.
The expansion now puts Lilly’s US expansion commitments to over $50 billion since 2020.
Lilly explained that the facility expansion and modernization will incorporate “cutting-edge oral solid dose technologies,” including dock-to-dock automation and material flow, paperless manufacturing, process analytical technology (PAT) and spray-dried dispersion to enhance oral drug absorption.
Lilly projects up to 1,000 construction jobs and about 100 additional high-tech manufacturing roles will be generated. The company is also investing in local bioscience talent through scholarships for students in engineering, science, technology and business.
“After 60 years, Lilly del Caribe continues to play an important role in making life-changing medicines for people in the US and beyond,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations, in the news release announcing the new investment.
“Our continued investments in capacity, infrastructure, advanced technologies and highly specialized jobs will further cement the site’s significance in Lilly’s global manufacturing network. Our progress builds on the dedication and expertise of our local team, helping us deliver new medicines for patients around the world.”
Construction on the expanded oral solid manufacturing facility is slated to begin in 2026, with production expected to start by late 2028.
“This announcement reflects the very essence of our public policy, which is to position Puerto Rico as a strategic hub for advanced manufacturing, innovation and national economic security,” said Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, Governor of Puerto Rico.
“Lilly’s multimillion-dollar expansion is a resounding vote of confidence in our people, our infrastructure and our long-term competitiveness within the US supply chain. It demonstrates that global companies can continue to grow and thrive here, while Puerto Rico contributes in a meaningful way to the resilience of the nation’s most critical industries.”
Last month, Amgen also announced a significant $650 million investment to expand its biologics facility in Juncos, Puerto Rico, adding advanced technology and infrastructure upgrades to boost production at the site.
In 2025, Lilly has concentrated much of its manufacturing initiatives in the US, unveiling plans for “mega-sites” in Virginia and Texas and a major upgrade to its Puerto Rico plant.
In February, the company outlined a $27 billion plan to build four large US facilities.
With Texas and Virginia now chosen, Lilly said in Monday’s press release that the locations of the remaining two sites will be announced in the coming months.
Netherlands Facility to Boost Oral Medicine Capacity
Internationally, the new Netherlands investment marks Lilly’s third European greenfield site since 2020, reinforcing its plan to scale oral medicines manufacturing while deepening ties to one of Europe’s top life sciences hubs.
“With extensive investments already underway in the US, our planned expansion in Europe further strengthens our ability to deliver medicines to patients worldwide. Localized manufacturing ensures we can quickly respond to meet regional demand and accelerate distribution within Europe,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO.
“Leiden Bio Science Park offers access to a skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure and proven pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities. We look forward to working closely with the EU, national and local governments to create a more favorable and predictable policy environment open to fully harnessing innovative medicines to deliver faster access to patients.”
Lilly noted the choice of Katwijk was partly because of proximity to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and a multilingual, skilled workforce.
Lilly already operates four European manufacturing sites in France, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
To keep pace with rising demand, it has announced three additional EU facilities since 2020: greenfield projects in Ireland, Germany and, most recently, the Netherlands.
Lilly cited that in a global benchmark of 32 countries, the Netherlands ranked among the top locations for the life sciences business climate.
Through its expansion in the country, Lilly said it expects to create “operational synergies and supply chain flexibility” while supporting early-stage innovation and strengthening partnerships with universities and governments.
“At Lilly, we are investing in next-generation manufacturing facilities around the world to ensure our medicines are made and distributed closer to the communities and patients we serve. Expanding our capabilities in Europe strengthens our global supply chain and reflects our commitment to getting innovative treatments to patients who need them,” said Hernandez.
Lilly has additionally allocated $1 billion to expand manufacturing capacity in India, working through regional contract partners.
The wave of manufacturing expansions is being driven by Lilly’s accelerating financial growth in recent years, largely due to a rapid ascent in the obesity market with its tirzepatide GLP-1 products Mounjaro and Zepbound, overtaking early leader Novo Nordisk.
Lilly’s announcements signal that the company continues to anticipate strong demand for oral medicines, especially GLP-1 and cardiometabolic treatments. With orforglipron in the wings and a large injectable portfolio already built (e.g., tirzepatide-based), the move into oral solid dose at scale is significant.
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