Eli Lilly Boosts Manufacturing Site With $5.3B Investment
Eli Lilly and Co. has announced an additional $5.3 billion investment at its Lebanon, Ind., manufacturing site, increasing its commitment within the LEAP Research and Innovation District from $3.7 billion to $9 billion.
According to Lilly, the new capital is geared toward production capabilities related to ingredients for the Zepbound and Mounjaro products, which are injectable antidiabetics and weight loss drugs.
Additionally, the company has also committed to the construction of a new manufacturing training center that will host programs with Ivy Tech Community College and Purdue University.
Capital injections
Construction on the 600-acre campus, located between Wilt Road and Interstate 65, began last year. The development is expected to spin up production at the end of 2026, increasing the scope of its operations over the following two years. During the development process, the project is expected to employ more than 5,000 construction workers, with another 900 full-time employees expected to work at the campus once it becomes operational.
Lilly’s initial commitment was announced in May of 2022, when the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant announced the allocation of $2.1 billion for the construction of two manufacturing facilities at the site. That announcement came roughly two years after the firm had made research breakthroughs related to Tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound and Mounjaro. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drugs for use that same month. Under a year later, the firm committed an additional $1.6 billion to the site, which added 200 long-term jobs.
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Lilly’s latest expenditure brings the company’s total manufacturing-related investments and developments this decade to $18 billion, motivated in part by its successes with Tirzepatide. The firm is also developing facilities in Concord and Research Triangle Park, N.C., as well as in Ireland and Germany. Outside of new development, Lilly has allocated $1.2 billion to upgrade its existing facilities in Indianapolis, in addition to acquiring an injectable drug production plant previously owned by Nexus Pharmaceuticals.
Leaping forward
The LEAP Lebanon Innovation District, located roughly 30 miles to the northwest of Indianapolis and 35 miles to the southeast of Purdue University, is a 9,000-acre site located along Interstate 65, dedicated to the development of life science and tech-related office, industrial, mixed-use and multifamily projects.
According to a March 2023 article from the Indiana Capital Chronicle, the Indiana Economic Development Corp., the development’s sponsor, bought more than 1,500 acres of land in the area for $126 million. To date, Eli Lilly remains the district’s only committed private entity.
One of the nation’s largest life science clusters, Indianapolis continues to see long-term investments from some of the industry’s biggest power players. In February, Simtra BioPharma went public with a $250 million expansion of a fill and finish manufacturing campus in nearby Bloomington, home to Indiana University. Two months prior, NexCore Gorup begun its development of Waterway Labs, a $60 million, 100,000-square-foot facility geared toward startups and larger companies.
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