AstraZeneca to Invest $2 Billion in New U.S. Biologics Facilities

AstraZeneca recently announced plans to invest $2 billion to expand its long-term manufacturing footprint in Maryland. The plan includes a major expansion of its flagship biologics manufacturing site in Frederick and the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility in Gaithersburg for research and the supply of innovative molecules used in clinical trials. The investment will create 2,600 jobs across the two sites in the state, including retaining existing local positions, supporting construction activities, and adding 300 high-skill roles.

The Frederick plant currently manufactures biologics used broadly across AstraZeneca’s portfolio of treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, respiratory diseases, and rare diseases. The expansion will double the site’s commercial production capacity, increasing the supply of existing medicines and enabling full production of the company’s rare-disease portfolio in the U.S. for the first time. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca will also build a new clinical manufacturing facility in Gaithersburg to expand its operations there.

Both the expanded Frederick facility and the new Gaithersburg plant will leverage cutting-edge artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics technologies, and will be built to the highest environmental standards.

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot stated: “Today marks a milestone moment for Maryland and for patients in the United States. As the state’s largest biopharmaceutical employer, we are deepening our long-term commitment to Maryland—supporting 2,600 jobs, driving economic growth, and introducing our robust rare-disease portfolio to U.S. shores for the first time. This investment strengthens the resilience of the U.S. medicine supply chain and accelerates access to transformative therapies for patients nationwide and around the world.”

The announcement is part of AstraZeneca’s $50 billion investment plan unveiled in July. In the previous six months, the company made a series of investments in the United States, including a new cell therapy manufacturing plant in Rockville, Maryland; a new active pharmaceutical ingredient facility in Virginia; and the expansion of an existing manufacturing plant in Coppell, Texas. The U.S. is AstraZeneca’s largest market and home to 19 of its R&D, manufacturing, and commercial sites.