INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly and Company announced a plan to invest over $1.2 billion to expand and upgrade its Lilly del Caribe manufacturing facility in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The new investment will incorporate advanced technologies and increase production capacity on the existing campus to support the company’s growing portfolio of oral solid medicines in cardiometabolic health, neuroscience, oncology, and immunology.
The enhanced facility will be among those that will manufacture for orforglipron, Lilly’s first oral, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, which the company expects to submit to global regulatory agencies for obesity by the end of this year. This strategic expansion underscores Puerto Rico’s role in Lilly’s historic manufacturing plan as part of the previously announced $50 billion capital investment commitment to expand U.S. manufacturing capacity. The company recently shared plans to build sites in Texas and Virginia, with two additional locations to be announced in the next few months. These new sites are part of Lilly’s broader efforts to expand existing U.S. manufacturing facilities to increase capacity.
“After sixty years, Lilly del Caribe continues to play an important role in making life-changing medicines for people in the U.S. and beyond,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations. “Our continued investments in capacity, infrastructure, advanced technologies and highly specialized jobs will further cement the site’s significance in Lilly’s global manufacturing network. Our progress builds on the dedication and expertise of our local team, helping us deliver new medicines for patients around the world.”
This facility will implement advanced technologies in oral solid dosage manufacturing, including dock-to-dock automation and material flow, paperless manufacturing, process analytical technology, and spray-dried dispersion, which facilitate effective absorption of oral medicines.
Lilly estimates that the project will create up to 1,000 construction jobs and 100 additional high-tech manufacturing positions. The company supports local bioscience growth by providing scholarships for students in engineering, science, technology, and business administration.
“This announcement reflects the very essence of our public policy, which is to position Puerto Rico as a strategic hub for advanced manufacturing, innovation and national economic security,” said Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, Governor of Puerto Rico. “Lilly’s multimillion-dollar expansion is a resounding vote of confidence in our people, our infrastructure and our long-term competitiveness within the U.S. supply chain. It demonstrates that global companies can continue to grow and thrive here, while Puerto Rico contributes in a meaningful way to the resilience of the nation’s most critical industries.”
“This historic investment stands as proof of what can be achieved when the private sector and government work hand in hand toward a shared vision of competitiveness and economic growth,” said Sebastian Negron Reichard, Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, Puerto Rico. “For over sixty years, Lilly has trusted Puerto Rico, its people, its talent and its potential. Today, that trust translates into new capacity, advanced technologies, investment and long-term economic value for our island. This is exactly the kind of partnership that defines our economic development strategy and strengthens Puerto RicRico’s's position as a global leader in life sciences manufacturing.”
Construction of the expanded oral solid medicine manufacturing facility is expected to begin in 2026, with plans to start production by the end of 2028.
