AbbVie is making a bold $1.4 billion bet on US manufacturing, unveiling plans to build a 185-acre pharmaceutical campus in Durham, North Carolina—its first major investment in the state and one of its largest capital projects to date.

 

The new campus, located near Research Triangle Park, will combine advanced manufacturing, laboratory facilities, and artificial intelligence (AI) to produce medicines across AbbVie’s immunology, neuroscience, and oncology portfolios. Construction is set to begin this year, with completion expected by the end of 2028.

 

"Our investment in North Carolina represents a significant milestone for AbbVie as our largest capital investment to date and an important expansion of our manufacturing footprint into a new region of the United States," said Robert A. Michael, chairman and chief executive officer, AbbVie. 

 

"By establishing this campus, we are strengthening our ability to support future medical breakthroughs while also creating new jobs and a long-term partnership with Durham and the State of North Carolina."

 

The project is expected to bring substantial economic impact. Over the next four years, AbbVie plans to hire 734 employees, including engineers, scientists, manufacturing operators, and laboratory technicians, while also generating more than 2,000 construction jobs during development.

 

The first phase will include small volume parenteral (SVP) drug product manufacturing facilities, next-generation laboratories, a warehouse, administrative offices, and employee wellness spaces, with capacity built in for future pipeline expansion. 

 

Once complete, the site will serve as AbbVie’s U.S. center of excellence for SVP manufacturing—producing sterile injectable medicines such as vials, prefilled syringes, and cartridges used in treatment and infusion therapies.

 

"We welcome AbbVie's major investment to North Carolina," said Governor Josh Stein. "When you combine our world-renowned research and innovation with a strong, thriving life sciences hub, North Carolina quickly becomes the premier location for biopharmaceutical companies to do business."

 

AbbVie currently employs about 29,000 people in the United States, including more than 6,000 across its manufacturing sites. The Durham campus adds momentum to the company’s broader strategy, following more than $2.2 billion in US manufacturing investments over the past year and a commitment to expand hiring and production capacity across multiple states, including North Carolina, Illinois, and Arizona.