AstraZeneca To Invest $4.5 Bln In Virginia Facility, Create 3,600 Jobs

(RTTNews) - AstraZeneca Plc. (AZN, AZN.L, ZEG.DE,AZN.ST) announced a $4.5 billion investment in a new advanced manufacturing facility at Rivanna Futures in Albemarle County, Virginia—an increase of $500 million from its original commitment. The expansion supports enhanced production capabilities for a broader range of medicines, including cancer treatments, and is part of the company's historic $50 billion investment plan unveiled in July 2025.

The facility is expected to generate approximately 3,600 direct and indirect jobs, reinforcing Virginia's leadership in life sciences innovation. This includes 600 highly skilled roles such as engineers, scientists, and process facilitators—100 of which are newly added due to the expanded scope. An additional 3,000 jobs will support the construction phase, involving skilled trades and engineering professionals.

The site will leverage cutting-edge technologies including AI, automation, and data analytics to optimize production. It will manufacture drug substances for AstraZeneca's weight management and metabolic portfolio, including oral GLP-1, baxdrostat, oral PCSK9, and combination small molecule therapies.

AstraZeneca has also expanded the facility's scope to include manufacturing for its leading antibody drug conjugate (ADC) cancer portfolio. Construction begins immediately, with operations expected to commence within four to five years.