USA – Eli Lilly has invested a significant US $4.5 billion to establish the Lilly Medicine Foundry, an advanced hub for drug development and manufacturing.
The state-of-the-art facility will serve as a platform for developing innovative manufacturing techniques and scaling up the production of medicines for clinical trials.
This new initiative strengthens Eli Lilly’s commitment to expanding its footprint in Indiana, with the facility set to be located in the LEAP Research and Innovation District in Lebanon, Indiana.
The Lilly Medicine Foundry is designed to enhance the company’s ability to produce medicines efficiently, especially for clinical trials, and to explore new manufacturing solutions.
David A. Ricks, Chair and CEO of Lilly, stated that the project aligns with the company’s goal of advancing treatments for challenging diseases.
“This new complex will further strengthen our process development and scale-up manufacturing capabilities, speeding the delivery of next-generation medicines to patients around the world,” Ricks said.
Innovative design and impact
The new facility will not only expand manufacturing capacity but will also promote environmental sustainability and cost efficiency.
Its flexible design allows for the production of a wide range of molecular therapies, including small molecules, biologics, and nucleic acid-based therapies.
The technologies developed at the Lilly Medicine Foundry will eventually be transferred to the company’s global manufacturing sites to support large-scale production.
The strategic placement of the facility within the LEAP Research and Innovation District in Lebanon will foster close collaboration with Lilly Research Laboratories and other manufacturing facilities in Indiana.
This proximity ensures seamless integration between research and production, accelerating drug development timelines.
Boosting local economy and workforce
The State of Indiana is partnering with Eli Lilly by providing infrastructure improvements such as roads, utilities, and water supply, in addition to offering economic incentives based on Lilly’s investment and employment targets.
Once fully operational, the Medicine Foundry is expected to create 400 full-time positions for engineers, scientists, lab technicians, and other skilled workers.
Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb emphasized the importance of the investment, stating, “Lilly’s continued commitment to Indiana reinforces our state’s position as a hub for cutting-edge science and technology.”
Indiana’s Growing Investment Hub Lilly’s new facility adds to its growing investment portfolio in Indiana.
In May 2022, Lilly announced a US $2.1 billion investment to build two new manufacturing sites in Lebanon.
Further investments followed in 2023, with an additional US $1.6 billion, and in May 2024, the company committed another US $5.3 billion for expanding capacity in active pharmaceutical ingredients for diabetes and obesity treatments.
Driving Economic Growth in the LEAP District Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg highlighted the broader economic impact, noting that the LEAP District has attracted US $18 billion in committed investments across 2,300 acres since 2022.
“The LEAP district is quickly becoming an international destination for global leaders, talent, and innovation,” Rosenberg said.
Eli Lilly has also strengthened its research capabilities through a recent partnership with Insitro, a machine learning-driven drug discovery company.
This collaboration focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the development of novel therapies for metabolic diseases.
