On Feb. 23, 2026, AbbVie unveiled plans to invest $380 million in two new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facilities in North Chicago as it expands U.S. production of neuroscience and obesity drugs.

Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2026, with both facilities expected to be operational by 2029. The company plans to hire approximately 300 employees in North Chicago to support the expansion, including engineers, scientists, manufacturing operators and laboratory technicians.

The new plants will incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies and artificial intelligence to improve production efficiency and scale. The move also advances AbbVie’s previously announced $100 billion commitment to U.S. research, development and capital expenditures over the next decade.

Active pharmaceutical ingredients are the core compounds responsible for a drug’s therapeutic effects. API manufacturing is a complex, multi-step process, and pharmaceutical companies have increasingly sought to strengthen domestic production amid ongoing supply chain concerns and rising demand in areas such as obesity and neurological disorders.

In September 2025, AbbVie broke ground on a separate chemical synthesis facility as part of a broader effort to bring production of certain neuroscience, immunology and oncology APIs back to the United States from Europe and Asia.

Reshoring and Supply Chain Strategy

AbbVie’s latest expansion reflects a broader industry trend toward reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing amid supply chain disruptions and geopolitical pressures. Drugmakers have faced increasing scrutiny over reliance on overseas API production, particularly for high-demand therapies such as obesity and neurological treatments.

That push is evident elsewhere in the sector. Eli Lilly and Company is also moving forward with a $6 billion investment in a new active pharmaceutical ingredient facility in Huntsville after receiving formal city approval in February 2026. The project marks the largest initial private investment in Alabama’s history. And underscores the scale of capital flowing into domestic drug manufacturing.

Additionaly, AbbVie employs about 29,000 people in the United States, including more than 11,500 in Illinois. And more than 6,000 at U.S. manufacturing sites, according to the company. In addition to its Illinois expansion, the company has announced plans to acquire a device manufacturing facility in Arizona and to expand operations at an existing plant in Massachusetts. It said further U.S. manufacturing investments could be announced in 2026.

Project Fact Sheet: AbbVie API Manufacturing Expansion — North Chicago, Illinois

Company: AbbVie

Investment: $380 Million

Location: North Chicago, Illinois

Scope: Two new API manufacturing facilities on existing campus

Construction Start: Spring 2026

Operational: 2029

New Hires: 300 (engineers, scientists, operators, lab technicians)

Technology: Advanced manufacturing integrated with artificial intelligence (AI)

Focus Areas: Next-generation neuroscience and obesity medications

Project Background

This investment builds on AbbVie’s September 2025 groundbreaking of a new chemical synthesis facility at the same campus. The first phase of a broader effort to return API production for neuroscience, immunology, and oncology products from Europe and Asia to the U.S.