Eli Lilly to build $3B pharmaceutical plant in the Netherlands

American pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company announced plans to build a new $3 billion manufacturing facility in Katwijk, the Netherlands, located within the Leiden Bio Science Park. The state-of-the-art facility will create 500 high-wage jobs and 1,500 construction roles and enable Lilly to boost production of its experimental weight-loss pill and other oral medicines. This expansion is part of the organization's broader strategy to strengthen its global supply chain and better serve patients worldwide with advanced manufacturing technologies.

The new facility, according to the company, is strategically important for Lilly as it seeks to meet the growing demand for its medicines and to provide high-quality treatments worldwide. The plant will manufacture Lilly's first oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, orforglipron, intended for obesity treatment, with the company anticipating regulatory approval by the end of 2025. Furthermore, the facility will support Lilly's expanding portfolio of medicines across cardiometabolic health, neuroscience, oncology, and immunology.

The plant will incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies, including dock-to-dock automation, paperless manufacturing, spray-dried dispersion, and AI-driven real-time analytics. These technologies are expected to improve the speed, quality, and reliability of medicine delivery. The construction of the facility is projected to begin in 2026, pending regulatory approvals, with medicine production slated to commence in 2030.

Reasons for choosing the Netherlands

David A. Ricks, Lilly's chair and CEO, said: "Leiden Bio Science Park offers access to a skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure, and proven pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities. We look forward to working closely with the EU, national and local governments to create a more favorable and predictable policy environment open to fully harnessing innovative medicines to deliver faster access to patients."

"I'm truly proud that Lilly has chosen the Netherlands, Katwijk, and the Leiden Bio Science Park after considering many locations across Europe," said Vincent Karremans, Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands. "The arrival of Lilly will not only bring new jobs and investments but also boost collaboration in the field of innovative medicines, helping us work together on solutions that truly improve people's health and lives."