AbbVie invests $380 million to expand U.S. API manufacturing

CHICAGO – AbbVie announced Monday that it will invest $380 million to build two new active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing plants at its North Chicago, Ill., campus, further expanding its U.S. production footprint and supporting its previously announced $100 billion domestic investment commitment.

The new state-of-the-art facilities will utilize advanced manufacturing technologies and artificial intelligence to support the production of the company’s next-generation neuroscience and obesity medicines. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2026, with the site expected to be fully operational by 2029.

The investment is part of AbbVie’s broader plan to allocate $100 billion toward U.S. research, development, and capital expenditures, including manufacturing, over the next decade. Chairman and CEO Robert A. Michael said the expansion strengthens the company’s domestic manufacturing base and positions it to deliver innovative therapies to patients more effectively.

AbbVie plans to hire about 300 employees in North Chicago to support the new facilities, including engineers, scientists, manufacturing operators, and laboratory technicians.

Active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing involves producing the core chemical components responsible for a drug’s therapeutic effect. Over the past six months, AbbVie has worked to expand its API capacity in the U.S., including breaking ground in September 2025 on a new chemical synthesis facility designed to bring select neuroscience, immunology, and oncology API production back from Europe and Asia.

Headquartered in Illinois, AbbVie employs approximately 29,000 people across the United States, including over 6,000 at U.S. manufacturing sites and more than 11,500 in Illinois. The company recently announced plans to acquire a device manufacturing facility in Arizona and to further invest in its Massachusetts operations, with additional U.S. manufacturing investments expected to be announced in 2026.