Switzerland-based Roche has announced plans to invest $50bn in the US over the next five years, in a move to reinforce its presence in the country across both its pharmaceuticals and diagnostics divisions.
The decision is expected to create over 12,000 new jobs, including approximately 6,500 in construction and 1,000 within new and expanded company facilities.
The investment will support an expansion of Roche’s existing US workforce of more than 25,000 employees, who are spread across 24 sites in eight states.
Roche’s current footprint in the US includes 15 research and development (R&D) centres and 13 manufacturing sites. This new funding will significantly enhance those operations through new facilities and upgrades.
Key initiatives under this investment plan include new and expanded manufacturing and distribution infrastructure for pharmaceuticals and diagnostics in Kentucky, Indiana, Oregon, New Jersey, and California.
Additionally, Roche will establish a new gene therapy manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. It will also build a continuous glucose monitoring facility in Indiana and a large-scale manufacturing centre to support its weight loss medicine portfolio, with the location of this site to be confirmed.
Roche will also develop a new 900,000ft2 manufacturing facility, alongside a dedicated research and development hub in Massachusetts. This R&D centre will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) research and serve as a base for the company’s cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic drug development efforts.
The Swiss healthcare company also plans to enhance its existing pharmaceutical and diagnostics research centres in Arizona, Indiana, and California.
Roche group CEO Thomas Schinecker said: “Roche is a Swiss company with a strong heritage in more than 130 countries globally. Today’s announced investments underscore our long-standing commitment to research, development and manufacturing in the US.
“We are proud of our 110-year legacy in the US which has been a key driver for jobs, innovation and the creation of intellectual property in the US, across both our pharmaceutical and diagnostics divisions.”
With the completion of the planned capacity enhancements, Roche anticipates a shift in its trade balance from the US, with exports of medicines surpassing imports.
