Eli Lilly and Company has announced plans to build a new $6.5 billion manufacturing facility at Generation Park in Houston.
This next-generation synthetic medicine active pharmaceutical product (API) facility, the second of four new U.S. sites Lilly will announce this year, will focus on manufacturing the company’s pipeline of small molecule medicines across therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience.
It is expected to be operational within five years.
Lilly asserts it will bring 615 new high-wage jobs to the Greater Houston area, including highly skilled engineers, scientists, operations personnel, and lab technicians. The company also expects to generate 4,000 construction jobs as the site is being built and brought online.
Several years ago, State Rep. Harold Dutton (District 142) worked with McCord Development to establish the Generation Park Management District. In 2013, during the 83rd Legislature, Rep. Dutton successfully passed HB 3860, which created the Generation Park Management District.
“When I developed and passed HB 3860 in 2013, creating Generation Park, I was assured that this bill would stimulate the area of Northeast Houston and District 142 like none other,” said Dutton. “Eli Lilly’s Bio-Science Project in Generation Park, creating almost 5,000 jobs and capital investment of over $6 billion, is an installment of the promise and commitment of HB 3860.
“Additionally, the benefits of Eli Lilly’s project will greatly improve the health outcomes of people all around the globe.”
Importantly, the site will be among those that will manufacture 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.
“Eli Lilly’s Bio-Science Project in Generation Park, creating almost 5,000 jobs and capital investment of over $6 billion, is an installment of the promise and commitment of HB 3860.”
State Rep. Harold Dutton
“Our new Houston site will enhance Lilly’s ability to manufacture orforglipron at scale and, if approved, help fulfill the medicine’s potential as a metabolic health treatment for tens of millions of people worldwide who prefer the ease of a pill that can be taken without food and water restrictions,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO. “This significant U.S. investment and onshoring of our API production capabilities will ensure faster, more secure access to orforglipron and to other life-changing medicines of the future.”
Lilly officials believe expanding the company’s U.S. manufacturing footprint in Texas will boost the Houston economy. Lilly projects that for every dollar Lilly spends in the area, it estimates up to an additional four dollars in local economic stimulation. Additionally, for every job created in manufacturing, several more will be created in related sectors such as supply chain, logistics, and retail.
“Texas is proud to welcome Lilly to Houston as they make one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing investments in our nation’s history and provide good, high-paying jobs to hardworking Texans,” said Governor Greg Abbott.
“Lilly plans to use state-of-the-art technologies, including machine learning, AI, digitally integrated systems, and advanced data analytics, to drive right-first-time execution. Digital automation will be embedded throughout the site to streamline operations and ensure a reliable supply of safe, high-quality medicines. To achieve this, the company will collaborate with local universities and invest in educational initiatives across Texas to build a strong pipeline of talent,” read a statement by Lilly.
“With this new chemical synthesis facility, we are expanding our vital advanced pharmaceutical capabilities in the U.S. and setting a new global benchmark for innovation and technical leadership in our industry,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations. “Additionally, we are committed to sustainability, being a responsible steward of natural resources, and strengthening the communities where our employees live and work.”
Lilly selected Generation Park, a commercial development in the Lake Houston area northeast of the city, from more than 300 applications based on criteria including workforce potential, local incentives, access to utilities and transportation, and a favorable business environment.
