Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) has announced an investment of $1.6bn in two new manufacturing sites within LEAP Innovation Park in Boone County, Indiana, US.
The investment is expected to generate another 200 new positions at both sites.
According to the pharmaceutical company, the latest investment will bring its total commitment to $3.7bn and increase the number of new jobs to 700.
Lilly’s commitment to the LEAP Innovation Park will be the company’s largest manufacturing investment at a single location to date.
Lilly chair and CEO Dave Ricks said: “Through these new facilities, Hoosiers will make life-changing medicines that patients around the world need to address serious health challenges, including diabetes and cancer.
“We’re investing at record levels in our home state to help our communities and economy thrive and enhance educational opportunities for more students. We look forward to doing our part to make Indiana an even better place to work and live, while fostering cutting-edge innovation in our state.”
Since 2014, Lilly has launched 19 new drugs, including Jaypirca, and has plans to introduce several additional potential medicines this year.
Jaypirca was approved recently by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma.
The new plants will expand the company’s manufacturing network for active pharmaceutical ingredients.
They will also support the growing demand for existing products of the company and will help launch the next generation of therapeutic modalities like genetic medicines to patients around the world.
Additionally, Lilly has committed $15m for five years to the US-based Ivy Tech Foundation to fund scholarships for students seeking careers in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The pharmaceutical firm has invested around $6.4bn over the last three years in manufacturing sites in the US to deliver medicines to patients globally.
In January this year, Lilly announced plans to invest an additional $450m to expand the manufacturing capacity at its Research Triangle Park facility in North Carolina.