AstraZeneca has solidified its American manufacturing investment by making an additional $500 million in its upcoming manufacturing facility in Albemarle County, Virginia, making the project cost $4.5 billion. The injection is to leverage the firm’s decision to enhance the facility’s capacity and endow it with better technological capabilities as part of its broader $50 billion investment initiative in R&D and manufacturing in America.
Located at Rivanna Futures in Charlottesville, the new cutting-edge facility will manufacture and conduct research on a wider range of medicines, including drugs aimed at treating metabolic and weight disorders. In operation, the project is expected to generate around 600 highly qualified positions, as well as an additional 3,000 jobs associated with construction while in development.
Large-scale pharmaceutical projects reshaping the U.S. manufacturing landscape
AstraZeneca’s expanded investment comes amid a surge of large-scale pharmaceutical projects reshaping the U.S. manufacturing landscape. Eli Lilly has announced multiple high-value facilities this year, including a $6.5 billion manufacturing complex at Houston’s Generation Park and a $5 billion site in Virginia dedicated to producing ingredients for cancer and autoimmune drugs. AbbVie is also scaling its American operations, recently breaking ground on a $195 million active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) facility in North Chicago and starting a $70 million expansion of its Worcester Bioresearch Center. Meanwhile, Lupin is advancing plans for a $250 million respiratory drug manufacturing facility in Coral Springs, Florida. Together, these projects highlight a nationwide effort by major drugmakers to strengthen domestic production capacity and enhance the resilience of U.S. pharmaceutical supply chains.
Construction underway
Construction begins immediately, with production to commence in four to five years. AstraZeneca added that the plant will leverage AI, automation, and data analytics for maximum output and supply chain resilience in the United States.
Inside AstraZeneca’s Virginia Facility Expansion
With our record $4.5 billion investment in Virginia, we are not only building a world-class manufacturing campus but also driving life sciences innovation and economic growth,” said Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca Chief Executive Officer.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin hailed the expansion as “a game-changer for American drug manufacturing.” He credited state efforts such as the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program and Virginia Talent Accelerator Program for enabling the project to go through so quickly.
The investment is a component of AstraZeneca’s strategy for onshoring greater production of essential drugs in the United States, a trend gathering momentum across the pharmaceutical sector as manufacturers strengthen in-country manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Albemarle County and the Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission to bring the project to the state of Virginia. The facility, when it is developed, is expected to be a pillar in the growing life sciences community in Virginia and a force in regional economic growth.
AstraZeneca’s growing footprint in North America
AstraZeneca’s growing footprint in North America underscores its long-term commitment to strengthening pharmaceutical manufacturing and R&D capacity across the region. Beyond its latest Virginia expansion, the company has rolled out an ambitious investment plan worth up to $50 billion by 2030 to boost its U.S. operations — including new biologics, cell therapy, and specialty manufacturing sites in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas.
In 2024, AstraZeneca unveiled a $3.5 billion program to expand R&D hubs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and build advanced manufacturing infrastructure nationwide. The company has also been active on the acquisition front, completing a $2.4 billion purchase of Canada-based Fusion Pharmaceuticals to enhance its precision oncology pipeline, and recently entering a $555 million collaboration with U.S.-based Algen Biotechnologies to develop next-generation gene therapies. Together, these moves reflect AstraZeneca’s accelerated push to localize production, advance biologics innovation, and deepen its role in North America’s biopharma ecosystem.
With construction expected to begin immediately, AstraZeneca’s Virginia site represents not only a milestone in the company’s $50 billion U.S. investment plan but also a defining moment for America’s reshoring of critical medicine manufacturing.
AstraZeneca Manufacturing Facility – Albemarle County, Virginia
Project Overview
Location: Rivanna Futures, Albemarle County, Virginia (near Charlottesville)
Investment Amount: $4.5 billion (proposed increase of $500 million)
Project Type: New pharmaceutical manufacturing facility
Timeline: Expected operational in 4-5 years
Construction Start: Immediate(Sept. 9, 2025)
AstraZeneca Virginia Facility to Anchor $50B U.S. Investment Plan
This facility is part of AstraZeneca’s $50 billion investment in medicines R&D and manufacturing in America, announced in July 2025. The $4.5 billion represents the largest investment in AstraZeneca’s history. It also comes as Virginia continues to advance major infrastructure projects, such as the Franconia-Springfield Rail Bypass, which will improve passenger and freight efficiency across the state’s busy rail network.
Manufacturing Scope
The facility will produce drug substance for:
Weight Management and Metabolic Portfolio:
Oral GLP-1
Baxdrostat
Oral PCSK9
Combination small molecule products
Cancer Treatments:
Antibody drug conjugate (ADC) cancer portfolio
Technology Features
AI integration
Automation
Data analytics to optimize production
Employment Impact
Direct Jobs: 600 highly skilled positions, including:
Engineers
Scientists
Process facilitators
Additional 100 jobs from expanded scope
Construction Jobs: 3,000 positions, including:
Total Job Creation: Approximately 3,600 direct and indirect jobs
Economic Development Partners
Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Albemarle County
General Assembly’s Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission
State Programs Supporting Project:
Virginia Business Ready Sites Program
Virginia Talent Accelerator Program
What the AstraZeneca Virginia Facility Means for U.S. Manufacturing
Brings critical medicine manufacturing capabilities to the United States
Supports national security and health sovereignty objectives
Strengthens America’s pharmaceutical supply chains
Powers economic growth and Virginia’s life sciences innovation leadership
