Lilly Breaks Ground on $6.5 Billion API Manufacturing Site in Houston, Texas

Eli Lilly and Company broke ground on September 21 on a $6.5 billion manufacturing site in Houston, Texas. The facility will make active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for Foundayo (orforglipron), Lilly’s first synthetic oral GLP-1 medicine, along with other small-molecule medicines and advanced therapeutics.

More than 600 jobs

Lilly expects the site to create more than 600 high-wage jobs for engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians, along with 4,000 construction jobs.

One of ten new U.S. sites

Houston is one of ten U.S. manufacturing sites and the fifth domestic API location Lilly has announced since 2020, part of its $50 billion push to reshore medicine production. The site will also produce oligonucleotides and use AI, machine learning and digital automation.

Workforce partnership

Lilly is providing $12.5 million to San Jacinto College to build a training pipeline for advanced chemical synthesis manufacturing careers.

David A. Ricks, Lilly Chair and CEO said:

“We are thrilled to break ground on our latest ‘medicines made in America’ site in the great state of Texas. This $6.5B investment will help change the game for tens of millions of people suffering from overweight, obesity and its consequences like diabetes.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said:

“This $6.5 billion Lilly investment in Houston is the largest active pharmaceutical ingredient project in Texas history and will create more than 600 high-wage jobs, right here in Texas.”