AbbVie begins construction on a new API plant in Illinois, part of a $10+ billion U.S. manufacturing expansion to onshore drug production from Europe & Asia.
NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. – In a major commitment to strengthening the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has officially begun construction on a new Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturing plant at its headquarters in North Chicago, Illinois. The facility is a key part of the company’s ambitious, long-term plan to invest more than $10 billion in U.S. manufacturing capacity over the next decade.
The announcement signals a strategic shift to “onshore” critical drug production back to the United States, enhancing supply chain resilience for essential medicines.
A Strategic Move to Onshore Critical Drug Production
APIs are the biologically active components in medications that produce the intended therapeutic effects. Their manufacturing is a complex, multi-step process that forms the foundation of the pharmaceutical supply chain.
The new North Chicago facility is designed to expand AbbVie’s chemical synthesis capabilities. A primary goal is to transfer API production for select neuroscience, immunology and oncology medicines from existing facilities in Europe and Asia to the United States. This move will secure domestic production for both current treatments and next-generation therapies.
A Decade-Long, Multi-Billion Dollar Commitment
Azita Saleki-Gerhardt, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief operations officer at AbbVie framed the groundbreaking as a pivotal moment. “Today’s groundbreaking is an important milestone in AbbVie’s ongoing campaign to accelerate biopharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing capabilities in the U.S.,” she said. “Over the next decade, AbbVie plans to invest more than $10 billion in capital to add multiple new U.S. manufacturing plants.”
This previously announced $195 million investment in North Chicago is the first step in this expansive plan. It is expected to create new jobs and bolster AbbVie’s existing U.S. manufacturing network, which already supports over 6,000 jobs across 11 sites.
Reinforcing a Commitment to Illinois and American Jobs
The investment further cements AbbVie’s deep roots in its home state of Illinois, where it is headquartered and employs more than 11,000 people. With a presence in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, AbbVie’s broader U.S. workforce includes 28,000 employees dedicated to developing and manufacturing innovative medicines for patients worldwide.
By expanding its API manufacturing footprint domestically, AbbVie is not only future-proofing its supply chain but also reinforcing its role as a major employer and a leader in the American biopharmaceutical industry, ensuring that critical drug components are made on home soil.