Biopharmaceutical company UCB has said that it is planning to make a "significant investment" in a new, state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing facility in the US.
The company did not indicate how much it was set to invest, but said that the project will serve its growing patient numbers in the US as well as “delivering a total estimated economic impact of approximately $5 billion.”
This news from UCB, headquartered in Belgium, comes just weeks after Switzerland’s Roche said that it will invest $50bn into the US over the next five years. At the end of 2024, AstraZeneca said that it was set to expand its research and manufacturing footprint in the US with a total of $3.5 billion in capital investment.
UCB’s CEO Jean-Christophe Tellier said: “This investment reflects our growing impact in the US and our ambition to bring our forthcoming pipeline to patients around the world. By expanding our biologics manufacturing footprint, we’re not only reinforcing our global supply chain - we’re also contributing to the vitality of biomedical innovation, high-skilled jobs, and long-term economic impact in the US.”
The location of the new facility is yet to be finalised but the company said that it is carrying out a “comprehensive feasibility study” to determine the ideal US location, with a focus on regions that offer strong talent pipelines and innovation ecosystems.
The new facility is expected to create around 300 permanent, direct jobs in biologics manufacturing and more than 500 jobs during construction. The company added that it is also continuing to scale up its partnerships with US contract manufacturing organisations to ensure its future pipeline.
UCB noted that it has had a growing presence in the US where, since 2017 the company’s workforce has increased by 73% to around 2,000 employees. This has been accompanied by $4.5 billion in acquisitions and capital investments that have strengthened the company’s innovation capabilities and infrastructure.
With continued uncertainty surrounding the level of US tariffs on pharmaceuticals produced outside of the country, there has been significant investment in the US. Data from Eurostat has indicated that the European Union’s medicinal and pharmaceutical sector is sitting on a record high trade surplus of €193.6 billion with exports of medicinal and pharmaceutical products totalling €313.4 billion during 2024 - an increase of 13.5% compared with 2023. At the same time imports rose to €119.7 billion, representing a 0.5% increase over the same period.
Further reading on pharma innovation and investment:
• Roche plans $50bn pharma and diagnostics investment in US
• AstraZeneca makes big investment in US R&D, manufacturing
• US tariffs: Understanding the impact on the chemicals industry
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