The capital investment was driven by increasing demand for Lilly’s current medicines, as well as future medicines that will come from its pipeline, the company said.
Eli Lilly will add 100 jobs to its manufacturing facilities at the company’s Lilly Technology Center campus in Indianapolis following a $400 million investment to support the addition of additional manufacturing capacity, the company announced Wednesday.
The capital investment was driven by increasing demand for Lilly’s current medicines, as well as future medicines that will come from its pipeline, the company said. Among those medications that are in high demand are Eli Lilly’s insulin products and other diabetes medications. Details of the $400 million investment, which includes the additional capacity for a growing portfolio of diabetes medicines, were unveiled during a ceremony at Eli Lilly’s headquarters.
Myles O’Neill, head of manufacturing operations at Eli Lilly, said the $400 million investment will support upgrades to the company’s active ingredient, syringe filling, device assembly and packaging operations.
“All of these projects support Lilly’s investment in next-generation manufacturing and feature high levels of automation, robotics, new technologies and advanced data analytics,” O’Neill said in a statement.
O’Neill added that not only is the company expanding its manufacturing but the investment will also allow the company to expand its headcount to support the development of those medications. O’Neill said the company has need of “highly skilled technicians, scientists and engineers” who will provide the support for patients taking the company’s medications.
This $400 million investment isn’t the first the company has made to expand its diabetes manufacturing. In 2017, the company announced plans to invest $72 million to expand insulin manufacturing in Indianapolis. That was part of an overall $850 million investment program in the United States set up that year. Since 2012, Lilly said it has invested more than $5 billion to support its manufacturing efforts, with an emphasis on its diabetes programs. The bulk of the investments were made in the United States, according to the company.
Eli Lilly Chief Executive Officer David Ricks said the manufacturing investment demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to its hometown of Indianapolis, as well as maintaining a manufacturing footprint in the United States. He said the investment was made possible by the tax reform measures spearheaded by the Trump administration in 2017.
“With more capital available as a result of tax reform, Lilly and other Indiana companies are able to re-invest and expand production here at home. This is crucial for us to continue to advance our state’s economy and drive future investment – adding high-tech jobs and facilities that keep Indiana competitive in the global marketplace,” Ricks said in a statement.
