Merck has announced the start of construction for a $3bn, 400,000 sqft pharmaceutical manufacturing facility at its Elkton, Virginia, site.
The company's investment in the Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing is part of a more than $70bn investment beginning in 2025 to expand domestic manufacturing and research and development.
“Today is an important milestone for Merck, for Virginia, for manufacturing in the United States and, most importantly, for the patients we serve,” said Robert Davis, Chair and CEO, Merck.
“This investment helps advance our goal of providing new, innovative treatment options for people facing serious health challenges in the US and around the world.”
The $3bn expansion builds on Merck’s long history in Elkton, Virginia, enhancing the site with a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical Center of Excellence that will include both Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient and Drug Product investment.
This will support small molecule manufacturing and testing and will potentially create more than 500 full-time roles as well as 8000 construction jobs.
“Merck’s transformational $3bn commitment to locate its Center of Excellence marks a giant leap forward for both America’s and Virginia’s life sciences sector,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
“It deepens the company’s long-standing commitment to innovation and strengthens the Commonwealth’s position as the emerging national leader in biopharmaceutical advanced manufacturing and life sciences."
"With hundreds of new jobs and cutting-edge capabilities coming to the Shenandoah Valley, we’re building a future where Virginians lead the way in developing lifesaving medicines for patients around the world.”
This year alone, Merck has announced nearly $6bn in manufacturing investments across North Carolina, Delaware, Kansas and Virginia that are anticipated to create more than 1600 new American jobs.
The company’s efforts across the US will further fortify domestic production and distribution of US medicines and vaccines and are forecasted to create more than 48,000 construction-related employment opportunities by 2029.