Eli Lilly and Company announced today a significant increase in investment for its Lebanon, Indiana, manufacturing site. The company has committed an additional $5.3 billion, bringing the total investment to $9 billion. This expansion will boost Lilly’s capacity to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for Zepbound® (tirzepatide) and Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) injections, addressing the needs of adults with chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Since 2020, Lilly has invested over $16 billion in new manufacturing sites across the U.S. and Europe, including locations in North Carolina, Ireland, and Germany. Additionally, $1.2 billion has been allocated to upgrade existing facilities in Indianapolis, and Lilly recently acquired a manufacturing site in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. In total, Lilly’s manufacturing investments exceed $18 billion.
David A. Ricks, Lilly’s chair and CEO, highlighted that this marks the largest manufacturing investment in the company’s history and possibly the largest in synthetic medicine API manufacturing in U.S. history. This multi-site campus will utilize the latest technology and automation to enhance efficiency, safety, and quality control while creating high-wage jobs in Indiana.
Driven by promising research results for tirzepatide, Lilly’s strategic investment since 2020 ensured the timely availability of Mounjaro (approved in 2022) and Zepbound (approved in 2023). These medicines, the only approved treatments activating both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, meet an urgent need for effective treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity.
The Lebanon site, part of Indiana’s LEAP Research and Innovation District, will create 200 new full-time jobs, adding to an expected total of 900 full-time employees when fully operational. Additionally, over 5,000 construction jobs will be generated during the site’s development.
Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb praised Lilly’s transformative role in Indiana’s economy and their leadership in developing the LEAP Research and Innovation District. He emphasized that Lilly’s decision to invest in Indiana reflects the state’s supportive environment and skilled workforce.
To support Lilly’s expansion, the state will partner on infrastructure improvements and workforce development, including a proposed learning and training center within the LEAP industrial development. This aligns with Lilly’s previous commitments to educational programs with Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College, and BioCrossroads.
Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations, emphasized the company’s commitment to education and workforce development as integral to advancing innovation globally.
Lilly began construction at the Lebanon site in 2023, with operations expected to commence by the end of 2026 and scale up through 2028.
