New manufacturing facility to be located near Charlottesville, in Albemarle County, Virginia will develop and manufacture a broader range of medicines including weight management, metabolic and cancer technologies
Facility marks cornerstone of $50 billion investment in medicines R&D and manufacturing in America
WILMINGTON, Del.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AstraZeneca today announces that it will invest $4.5 billion in its new manufacturing facility in Virginia, a proposed increase of $500m to support the enhanced manufacturing capability of a broader range of medicines including cancer treatments. This is part of the historic $50 billion investment announced in July 2025. The new facility will be located at Rivanna Futures in Albemarle County and is expected to create approximately 3,600 direct and indirect jobs, powering economic growth and Virginia’s leadership at the forefront of life sciences innovation.
The manufacturing facility is expected to create 600 highly skilled jobs in Virginia including engineers, scientists, process facilitators which includes an additional 100 jobs as a result of the expansion. A further 3,000 jobs will be created to support the construction of the facility including engineers, skilled trades and construction workers. It will be at the forefront of technological innovation, leveraging AI, automation, and data analytics to optimise production.
The new facility will produce drug substance for AstraZeneca’s weight management and metabolic portfolio, including oral GLP-1, baxdrostat, oral PCSK9 and combination small molecule products. Today, the Company is announcing it has expanded the scope to also include state-of-the-art manufacturing for our leading antibody drug conjugate (ADC) cancer portfolio. Work will start immediately with the facility expected to be operational in the next four to five years. This investment will bring critical medicine manufacturing capabilities to the United States and offers assurance from a national security and health sovereignty perspective.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator, said: “We cannot truly be a wealthy nation without being a healthy nation. Today’s groundbreaking demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to onshoring drug manufacturing and strengthening supply chains to improve Americans’ access to medication. I congratulate AstraZeneca for their investment and invite other foreign manufacturers to follow suit.”
Governor Glenn Youngkin, Commonwealth of Virginia, said: “AstraZeneca’s $4.5 billion investment is the largest in the company’s history and a game-changer for American drug manufacturing. The investment is set to create 3,600 jobs in Virginia, strengthening America’s ability to produce life-saving medicines. Thanks to programs like the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program and the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, AstraZeneca is going to be able to hit the ground running. That means better jobs, better medicine, and better opportunities for the people of Virginia.”
Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca, said: “With our $4.5 billion investment in Virginia, the largest in AstraZeneca’s history, we are not only building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, but also driving life sciences innovation and economic growth. This new facility will create thousands of jobs and strengthen America’s national security and health sovereignty. I also want to thank Governor Youngkin and his team for their energy and vision. We have found in Virginia an amazing team that moves at incredible speed to build a better future for this Commonwealth and the American people.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Albemarle County and the General Assembly’s Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission to secure the project for Virginia.
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AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca’s innovative medicines are sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit www.astrazeneca-us.com and follow the Company on social media @AstraZeneca.
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