Listen to this article

The basics:

• Novartis progressing on $23B US manufacturing, R&D investment
• New facilities to enable 100% domestic production of key medicines
• Expansion spans advanced platforms including gene, cell, RNA therapies
• 5,000+ total jobs expected across construction, operations

A year after announcing a commitment to invest $23 billion by 2030 to boost U.S.-based manufacturing, research and development, Novartis said it is progressing on its plan.

According to the Swiss drugmaker, construction is underway on several new facilities that will support its goal of being able to produce 100% of key medicines domestically.

The company said it will soon have the capability to handle end-to-end manufacturing for all advanced technology platforms in the U.S., including small and large molecules, radioligand treatments, RNA therapeutics, cell therapies and gene therapies.

That’s a first for the pharma with its U.S. base in East Hanover, it noted.

‘Enabling timely access to innovation’

Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan commented, “We are strengthening our ability to locally develop, produce and deliver medicines at scale, enabling timely access to innovation for patients in the U.S.”

An April 30 press release recapped efforts so far. Novartis highlighted several groundbreakings and recent investments including:

• A new biomedical research center in San Diego to support discovery across disease areas like neuroscience and oncology
• A flagship manufacturing hub in North Carolina that will produce solid dosage tablets, capsules and packaging across oncology, immunology, neuroscience, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases
• New radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facilities in Texas and Florida
• Another facility in North Carolina focused on active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing

We are strengthening our ability to locally develop, produce and deliver medicines at scale, enabling timely access to innovation for patients in the U.S.
– Vas Narasimhan, Novartis CEO

Additionally, Novartis opened a new RLT manufacturing site in California. The debut marked its first such facility in the region to serve the western part of the country. Expansions of existing RLT locations in New Jersey, Indianapolis and Indiana are ongoing to support current and future demand for these cancer treatments, the company said.

Overall, Novartis expects to create more than 1,000 new positions for skilled workers, like scientists and engineers, and an additional 4,000 jobs for support staff and construction overall.

Drug cost deals

Novartis is among more than a dozen American drugmakers to reach deals with the White House to lower prescription drug costs in exchange from an exemption from U.S. pharmaceutical tariffs.

Since calling on the industry last summer to voluntarily reduce costs, the White House has secured deals with more than a dozen companies to cut medicine prices for the government’s Medicaid program and for cash-paying consumers.

The list includes several pharma giants with a New Jersey presence in addition to Novartis, such as Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk. These companies have also unveiled billions of dollars aimed at boosting domestic capabilities amid pressure from the Trump administration.

The list includes the following commitments:

• $20 billion from Sanofi
• 70 billion from Merck
• $40 billion from BMS
• $10 billion from Novo Nordisk
• $55 billion from Johnson & Johnson