Where Is Ozempic Made? What's Confirmed About US GLP-1 Plants
Lilly is building a $9 billion site in Lebanon, Indiana, to make the active ingredient for Mounjaro and Zepbound, and it fills injectable products at a Wisconsin plant. The sources used here do not document where Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus semaglutide is made.
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The GLP-1 medicines with confirmed US manufacturing plans today are Lilly’s: a $9 billion site in Lebanon, Indiana, is under construction to make the active pharmaceutical ingredient for Mounjaro and Zepbound (tirzepatide), with production expected toward the end of 2026 [3]. Lilly also operates an injectable manufacturing facility it acquired in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, in Kenosha County, which it is expanding with a $3 billion investment [3][5]. On top of that, Lilly has pledged at least $27 billion for four brand-new US plants announced in 2025; three of the four had been named as of December 9, 2025 — in Virginia, Texas, and Alabama — with the fourth location still unnamed [9][6][8].
Where Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus (semaglutide) are made is not documented in the sources used for this page. Novo Nordisk, Lilly’s main GLP-1 rival, has also poured billions into manufacturing capacity, and that spending by both companies has helped ease US shortages [9]. But the sources here do not name any site where semaglutide or its active ingredient is made, so no specific location can be given for them.
Which Lilly sites make GLP-1 medicines or their ingredients in the US?
Lilly’s US footprint for these drugs centers on two places. Lebanon, Indiana, in the LEAP Research and Innovation District, is the site where Lilly will make active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) — the drug substance itself — for Zepbound and Mounjaro; it is under construction, with production expected toward the end of 2026 [3]. Kenosha County, Wisconsin, is where Lilly acquired an injectable manufacturing facility in Pleasant Prairie from Nexus Pharmaceuticals, a site Lilly uses for injectable products [3][5].
Lilly also names other sites in its manufacturing network: Indianapolis, plus Research Triangle Park and Concord in North Carolina, and outside the US, Limerick, Ireland, and Alzey, Germany [3]. A September 2025 report named sites in North Carolina, Indiana, and Wisconsin as examples of Lilly’s other US plants — not as a complete list [9]. Those sites serve Lilly’s whole portfolio, not just GLP-1 drugs.
What is the Lebanon, Indiana plant, and when will it start making medicine?
Lebanon, Indiana, is where Lilly plans to make the active pharmaceutical ingredient for tirzepatide at scale, though the site is not yet producing medicine. In May 2024, Lilly added $5.3 billion to the site, raising its total investment there from $3.7 billion to $9 billion, specifically to expand API production for Zepbound and Mounjaro [3]. Lilly broke ground at the site in 2023, and it covers nearly 600 acres [3].
The company expects to begin making medicines there toward the end of 2026, with operations scaling up through 2028 [3]. CEO David Ricks said the May 2024 announcement tops the largest manufacturing investment in Lilly’s history and, he believes, represents the single largest investment in synthetic medicine API manufacturing in US history [3].
Lilly made the decision to expand in 2020 at risk — before the drugs were approved. Mounjaro was approved in 2022 and Zepbound in 2023 [3]. In its May 2024 announcement, Lilly described tirzepatide as the only approved treatment activating two incretin hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1, and pointed to strong demand for both drugs as the reason for the build-out [3].
What did Indiana contribute to the Lebanon project?
The state of Indiana partnered on infrastructure — road improvements, water, electric, and other utilities — along with workforce development commitments and economic incentives tied to Lilly hitting investment and employment goals [3]. The state also agreed to contribute land, pending approval, for a learning and training center in the LEAP district, plus a commitment to work with Lilly on raising capital to finish it [3].
Lilly itself funds scholarship and training programs with Purdue University and Ivy Tech Community College, and a BioCrossroads-led training center at 16 Tech in Indianapolis [3]. On August 5, 2026, Lilly committed an additional $4.5 billion to expand its Indiana manufacturing sites [1]. Separately, the Lilly Medicine Foundry in Indiana — a $4.5 billion integrated manufacturing and R&D facility announced in October 2024 — is expected to be operational in late 2027 with around 400 jobs [5].
What is Lilly doing at its Wisconsin injectable site?
Lilly is expanding its Kenosha County, Wisconsin facility — the injectable manufacturing plant it acquired in Pleasant Prairie — to boost its global manufacturing network for injectable products, including supply of its diabetes and obesity medications marketed as Zepbound and Mounjaro [5]. In December 2024, Lilly announced a $3 billion expansion of that facility, bringing its total Wisconsin investment to $4 billion [5].
The expansion is expected to create 750 new high-skill jobs, with construction starting the following year and more than 2,000 construction jobs over its duration [5]. Edgardo Hernandez, Lilly’s head of manufacturing operations, called it the company’s single largest US manufacturing investment outside Indiana [5].
The timing matters for patients who followed the compounded GLP-1 story. The expansion was announced while compounders were contesting the end of the tirzepatide shortage: the FDA removed tirzepatide from its drug shortage list in October 2024, and the Outsourcing Facilities Association, which represents FDA-registered compounding pharmacies, then sued the regulator, calling the decision reckless and arbitrary [5].
What are the four new US plants Lilly announced in 2025?
In February 2025, Lilly pledged at least $27 billion to build four new US plants, on top of $23 billion it had invested since 2020 [9]. The plan was announced at a press conference in Washington, D.C. [8]. Three sites have been named:
- Goochland County, Virginia — $5 billion, announced September 16, 2025. This plant is planned to develop active ingredients for cancer and autoimmune drugs, particularly antibody drug conjugates and monoclonal antibodies — not GLP-1s. It is expected to bring more than 650 jobs plus 1,800 construction jobs [9].
- Generation Park, Houston, Texas — $6.5 billion, announced September 23, 2025. A small molecule synthetic API plant covering cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience, expected to be operational within five years. It will bring 615 jobs and about 4,000 construction jobs, and it will be among the sites making orforglipron [8].
- Greenbrier South, Huntsville, Alabama — more than $6 billion, announced December 9, 2025. A small molecule synthetic and peptide API plant that will also be among the sites making orforglipron, with 450 jobs and about 3,000 construction jobs. Construction begins in 2026 and completion is expected in 2032 [6].
Huntsville is Lilly’s ninth US manufacturing site announced since 2020, and Houston was the eighth [6][8]. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey called the Huntsville project the largest initial investment in the state’s history [6]. Both the Huntsville and Houston sites were chosen from more than 300 applications; Huntsville was picked partly for its proximity to the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology [6], and Lilly’s committed capital and jobs for Houston exceeded what it originally submitted in the Texas incentive process [8].
The fourth site had not been named as of December 9, 2025 — Lilly said another US location would be announced in the coming weeks [6]. Lilly has said it expects to begin making medicines at all four facilities within five years [9]; the Huntsville announcement carries its own timeline, with construction beginning in 2026 and completion expected in 2032 [6].
Where will the oral GLP-1 pill orforglipron be made?
Orforglipron is Lilly’s first oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, and the named production sites are Huntsville, Alabama and Houston, Texas [6][8]. Both are planned facilities, not yet operating: Lilly says each site will be among those that will manufacture orforglipron [6][8]. Lilly said it expected to submit orforglipron to global regulators for obesity by the end of 2025 [6], and it reported the US type 2 diabetes submission in the second quarter of 2026 [1].
Lilly’s Q2 2026 earnings release also lists a product called Foundayo among its Key Products, with $98 million in Foundayo revenue for that quarter [1].
Where is semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) made?
The sources used for this page do not document it. They describe Novo Nordisk as Lilly’s GLP-1 rival, and both companies have funneled billions into capacity that helped alleviate US shortages of these treatments [9]. But no site where semaglutide or its API is made is named in these sources, so no location can be confirmed here. Figures sometimes cited for Novo’s North Carolina operations are not verified in this source set.
Why is all this US building happening now?
Two forces are behind the build-out. The first is demand: Lilly cites strong demand for Mounjaro and Zepbound and what it calls an urgent unmet need in type 2 diabetes and obesity as the driver of its capacity expansion [3]. The second is politics: drugmakers have been increasing US production as President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals [9].
Ricks, though, has pushed back on the idea that tariffs are the main reason. He said “the main thing about building in America was really related to the tax situation,” pointing to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which cut the corporate tax rate to 21% [9]. He also said some production will move to the Virginia site from third parties and other nodes in Lilly’s network, mostly from Europe [9].
On January 29, 2026, a stock commentary piece citing Reuters reported that Trump said Lilly plans six new US plants [2]. That six-plant figure is a presidential statement; the company announcements in this packet describe four new sites, three of them confirmed in Alabama, Virginia, and Texas, and they do not confirm the six-plant count [2][6][8][9].
How many jobs come with Lilly’s announced US manufacturing sites?
The job counts vary a lot by site, and most are company projections, not hires already made. Not all of these sites are GLP-1 capacity: the Virginia plant is for cancer and autoimmune treatments, and the Medicine Foundry is a general manufacturing and R&D facility.
| Site | Focus | Permanent jobs | Construction jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon, Indiana | Tirzepatide API [3] | About 900 when fully operational [3] | More than 5,000 [3] |
| Kenosha County, Wisconsin | Injectable products [5] | 750 [5] | More than 2,000 [5] |
| Lilly Medicine Foundry, Indiana | Manufacturing and R&D [5] | About 400 [5] | Not stated |
| Goochland County, Virginia | Antibody drug conjugates and monoclonal antibodies — not GLP-1s [9] | More than 650 [9] | 1,800 [9] |
| Houston, Texas | Small molecule API, including orforglipron [8] | 615 [8] | 4,000 [8] |
| Huntsville, Alabama | Small molecule and peptide API, including orforglipron [6] | 450 [6] | 3,000 [6] |
Lilly also estimates that every dollar it invests in Houston and Huntsville generates up to four dollars in additional local economic activity, and that each manufacturing job creates several more jobs in supply chain, logistics, and retail [8][6]. Those figures are Lilly’s own estimates. In total, the Huntsville site is planned for 3,450 manufacturing and construction jobs and the Houston site for 4,615 [6][8].
Which plants are announced, under construction, or actually producing?
This distinction matters. A press release is a plan; a plant making medicine is a fact. Here is the status of each site as Lilly has announced it:
| Site | Status | Expected output |
|---|---|---|
| Lebanon, Indiana | Under construction since 2023 [3] | Medicines toward the end of 2026, scaling through 2028 [3] |
| Kenosha County, Wisconsin | Existing facility; $3 billion expansion construction starting 2025 [5] | Not stated |
| Lilly Medicine Foundry, Indiana | Announced October 2024 [5] | Operational late 2027 [5] |
| Goochland County, Virginia | Announced September 2025 [9] | Medicines within five years [9] |
| Houston, Texas | Announced September 2025 [8] | Operational within five years [8] |
| Huntsville, Alabama | Announced December 2025 [6] | Construction 2026, completion 2032 [6] |
Lilly’s own releases flag these dates as forward-looking statements, subject to risks in cost, completion timing, expected capacity, and personnel [6][8]. Announced dollars and dates can change.
Will US-made GLP-1s be cheaper for patients?
No published figure ties drug prices to where the medicine is made. What has been published shows Lilly’s US prices falling for other reasons. In the second quarter of 2026, Lilly’s US revenue rose 33% to $14.4 billion on 37% volume growth, with realized prices about 3% lower; excluding adjustments to rebate and discount estimates, US prices would have declined about 9% [1].
Zepbound’s US revenue grew 44% to $4.9 billion in that quarter, with lower realized prices that include previously announced reductions in cash-pay prices [1]. In other words, the price movement that has been reported is connected to cash-pay pricing and rebate dynamics, not to plant locations [1].
How big is the GLP-1 business behind these plants?
The scale explains the spending. Lilly’s worldwide revenue hit $23.0 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 48%, driven primarily by Mounjaro and Zepbound volume [1]. Mounjaro alone brought in $9.9 billion worldwide that quarter, up 91%, and Zepbound added $4.9 billion in the US [1].
Lilly is also preparing the next wave: retatrutide has a complete Phase 3 data package for obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and knee osteoarthritis pain, with a US Biologics License Application planned for the first quarter of 2027 [1].
Sources
- Eli Lilly and Company. Lilly reports second-quarter 2026 financial results, raises full-year guidance, and highlights continued growth and pipeline progress. August 5, 2026.
- Yahoo Finance. Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) Expands U.S. Manufacturing and Advances Breakthrough Therapies. January 31, 2026.
- American Pharmaceutical Review. Lilly Increases Manufacturing Investment to $9B at Newest Indiana Site to Boost API Production for Tirzepatide and Pipeline Medicines. May 28, 2024.
- European Pharmaceutical Review. Major manufacturing investment to support API production for tirzepatide.
- BioSpace. Lilly Pumps $3B Into Wisconsin Site as Compounders Close In on Tirzepatide. December 6, 2024.
- Eli Lilly and Company. Lilly to build $6 billion facility to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients in Alabama. December 9, 2025.
- Facebook. WHNT News 19 post on Eli Lilly manufacturing investment announcement.
- Eli Lilly and Company. Lilly plans to build a new $6.5 billion facility to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients in Texas. September 23, 2025.
- CNBC. Eli Lilly to build $5 billion Virginia facility to boost production of targeted cancer drugs, other treatments. September 16, 2025.
- Chemical & Engineering News. GSK and Lilly to spend billions on US manufacturing. September 17, 2025.
- Reuters. Eli Lilly to invest $1.2 billion in Puerto Rico as part of US manufacturing push. October 29, 2025.
- Business North Carolina. NC Trend: Novo Cuts Back, Natron Implodes.
- YouTube. Novo Nordisk Is BLEEDING Jobs — While Pouring $4.1 Billion Into North Carolina. May 5, 2026.
- Facebook. Gwinnett County Government post on UCB building its first U.S. manufacturing facility.
- People Matters. Novo Nordisk confirms 9,000 job cuts globally amid restructuring.
- Fierce Pharma. Amid restructuring, Novo Nordisk directs employees to return to office. September 11, 2025.
- NJ1015. Novo Nordisk quietly cuts over 800 jobs at New Jersey U.S. headquarters.
- GeneOnline News. Pharmaceutical Industry Restructuring: Novo Nordisk and Merck Lead 39,000 Job Cuts. September 18, 2025.
- The White House. Adjusting Imports of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Ingredients into the United States. April 2, 2026.
- Ropes & Gray LLP. 100% On Brand: U.S. Imposes New Tariffs (and Key Exemptions) on Patented Pharmaceuticals. April 2026.
- Federal Register. Adjusting Imports of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Ingredients into the United States. April 9, 2026.
- Novo Nordisk. Financial report for the period 1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026. August 4, 2026.
- The Wall Street Journal. Eli Lilly and Other Drugmakers Pledge $350 Billion to Boost U.S. Manufacturing and Research in Wake of Tariff Threats.
- Reuters. Trump says generic drugs to face no US tariffs for 2 years, then 100% and 200% tariffs later. July 21, 2026.
- Reuters. Novo Nordisk slashes 9,000 jobs to slim down for fierce weight-loss drug battle.
- Lehigh Valley Press. Upper Macungie gives approval for final development plan for Eli Lilly. September 11, 2026.
- Construction Review Online. Eli Lilly’s $3.5B Manufacturing Campus Advances in Upper Macungie, Pennsylvania. August 26, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which state makes the active ingredient for Mounjaro and Zepbound?
Indiana. Lilly's site in Lebanon, in the LEAP Research and Innovation District, will produce active pharmaceutical ingredient for Zepbound and Mounjaro, both of which use tirzepatide. The $9 billion site is under construction, with production expected toward the end of 2026 and about 900 employees when fully operational.
When will the Lebanon, Indiana plant start making medicine?
Lilly expects to begin making medicines in Lebanon toward the end of 2026, with operations scaling up through 2028. The company broke ground in 2023 on the nearly 600-acre site. These dates are company projections and can shift.
Where is Ozempic made, and can that be confirmed?
Not from the sources used here. They describe Novo Nordisk only as Lilly's GLP-1 rival, and they do not name any plant where semaglutide — the medicine in Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus — or its active ingredient is made. Both companies' capacity spending has helped ease US shortages, but no semaglutide site can be confirmed.
Where will the oral GLP-1 pill orforglipron be manufactured?
Lilly says its planned plants in Huntsville, Alabama and Houston, Texas will be among the sites that will manufacture orforglipron. Both are announced, not yet operating: Huntsville is a more than $6 billion site with completion expected in 2032, and Houston is a $6.5 billion site expected to be operational within five years.
How many jobs do Lilly's announced US manufacturing sites create?
Company projections range from 450 permanent jobs in Huntsville to about 900 in Lebanon, Indiana, with 615 in Houston, more than 650 in Virginia, and 750 in Wisconsin. Construction jobs add thousands more at each site, including more than 5,000 in Lebanon. The Virginia site is for cancer drugs, not GLP-1s.
How much is Lilly spending on US manufacturing in total?
Lilly pledged at least $27 billion in February 2025 for four new US plants, on top of $23 billion invested since 2020. Individual sites include $9 billion in Lebanon, Indiana, $6.5 billion in Houston, more than $6 billion in Huntsville, and $5 billion in Virginia.
Are tariffs the reason for the new plants, or taxes?
Drugmakers boosted US production as Trump threatened pharmaceutical tariffs, but Lilly CEO David Ricks said the main driver was the tax situation, citing the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that cut the corporate rate to 21%. He also said some Virginia production will shift from third parties in Europe.
Will US-made GLP-1s be cheaper for patients?
Published figures do not link prices to plant locations. Lilly's US realized prices fell about 3% in Q2 2026 — roughly 9% excluding rebate and discount estimate adjustments — and Zepbound prices fell partly due to previously announced cash-pay price reductions. Those moves reflect pricing and rebate dynamics, not onshoring.
This article summarizes FDA labeling, published research and company information current as of September 14, 2026. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with your own healthcare provider. How we research and verify.