Lilly Commits $1.2 Billion to Expand GLP-1 Pill Manufacturing Facility in Puerto Rico

Eli Lilly will invest over $1.2 billion to expand and modernize its Lilly del Caribe plant in Carolina, Puerto Rico, marking one of the largest private-sector investments ever in the territory124.

The project aims primarily to support manufacturing of orforglipron, Lilly’s first oral, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, which they plan to submit for global regulatory approval as an obesity therapy by the end of 2025124.

The expansion will upgrade existing facilities with advanced manufacturing technologies, including automation, data analytics, and paperless systems, and will incorporate renewable energy systems to enhance efficiency and sustainability24.

The site will focus on producing oral solid medicines for major therapeutic areas:
cardiometabolic health, neuroscience, oncology, and immunology124.

Construction is expected to start in 2026, with facility operations beginning by 20282.

The project will create up to 1,000 construction jobs and add 100 high-tech manufacturing positions27.

Lilly’s investment is part of a broader $50 billion commitment to U.S. manufacturing capacity, which also includes recent or planned new sites in Texas and Virginia125.

Lilly intends to support local workforce development, including scholarships for students in STEM and business fields2.

Sources:

1. https://www.prfaa.pr.gov/recent-press-releases/lilly-announces-more-than-1-2-billion-investment-in-puerto-rico-facility-to-boost-oral-medicine-manufacturing-capacity-in-the-united-states

2. https://www.gurufocus.com/news/3167715/eli-lilly-lly-pours-12-billion-into-puerto-rico-expansion

4. https://newsismybusiness.com/lilly-invests-1-2b-to-expand-puerto-rico-operations/

5. https://www.dcatvci.org/top-industry-news/lilly-announces-1-2-bn-expansion-of-puerto-rico-oral-solid-drug-mfg-facility/

7. https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/articles/lilly-plans-1-2b-expansion-in-puerto-rico-adding-100-manufacturing-jobs