Lilly to invest $1.2 billion in Puerto Rico plant for oral GLP-1 pill orforglipron

Eli Lilly said on Oct. 29 that it will invest more than $1.2 billion to expand and modernize its Lilly del Caribe manufacturing site in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to make more oral solid medicines — including orforglipron, the company's experimental GLP-1 obesity pill ^[3]. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with plans to start producing medicine by the end of 2028 ^[3][4].

The Carolina site has operated for 60 years, and for the past two decades it has made active pharmaceutical ingredients for Lilly's insulin products ^[1]. Lilly said the upgraded facility will produce oral solid medicines for cardiometabolic health, neuroscience, oncology and immunology ^[3]. The company said it will use dock-to-dock automation and material flow, paperless manufacturing, process analytical technology and spray-dried dispersion, a technique that allows oral medicines to be effectively absorbed ^[3].

Orforglipron is Lilly's first oral, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, and the Puerto Rico site will be among those manufacturing it, according to the company ^[3]. The drug has not been approved by the FDA ^[2]. In a Phase III trial in diabetes, it lowered A1C by 1.5% at 40 weeks, and in the late-stage ATTAIN-2 weight-loss trial it produced a 10.5% drop in body weight at 72 weeks ^[2]. FiercePharma reported peak sales forecasts for the drug of between $10 billion and $15 billion ^[1].

Lilly said the project will create up to 1,000 construction jobs and 100 additional high-tech manufacturing positions ^[3]. BioSpace reported about 1,000 construction-related roles and 100 new jobs ^[2].

"After sixty years, Lilly del Caribe continues to play an important role in making life-changing medicines for people in the U.S. and beyond," said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations ^[3].

The investment is part of a previously announced $50 billion commitment to expand U.S. manufacturing capacity, Lilly said ^[3]. The company has earmarked more than $50 billion since 2020 to increase domestic manufacturing, FiercePharma reported ^[1]. Lilly recently announced a $5 billion active pharmaceutical ingredient plant near Richmond, Virginia, and a $6.5 billion complex for oral drugs in Houston ^[1][4]. It plans to announce the locations of two more facilities, which it calls "mega sites," in the next few months ^[3][4].

BioSpace described the Puerto Rico project as constructing a production facility, while Lilly and other outlets described it as expanding and modernizing the existing campus ^[2][3].

The spending comes as President Donald Trump has threatened to tax drugs imported into the United States. Last month he said a 100% tax would be added to imported pharmaceuticals, with exemptions for companies building manufacturing facilities in the U.S. ^[1]. Reuters reported that Lilly is looking to increase its U.S. production capacity to hedge against potential tariffs ^[4].

Separately, Novo Nordisk has filed for an oral formulation of its weight-loss drug Wegovy. The FDA accepted that application in May and is expected to decide on it before the end of the year ^[2].

Why it matters for patients

Orforglipron is not approved and is not on the market, so this announcement does not change what patients can get today ^[2]. The Puerto Rico site is not expected to start producing oral medicines until the end of 2028 ^[3][4].

If orforglipron is approved, a daily pill would be an alternative to injected GLP-1 drugs. Manufacturing capacity is one factor in how quickly a new drug reaches the market, but Lilly has not disclosed how much capacity the expansion will add, what the drug would cost, or when it would reach pharmacies beyond the 2028 production target ^[3]. It also has not reported how many doses the site would supply.

The Carolina campus sits in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory that Lilly and Puerto Rico officials describe as part of the U.S. supply chain ^[3].

What happens next

By the end of 2025, Lilly expects to submit orforglipron to global regulatory agencies for obesity ^[3][4], and the FDA is expected to decide on Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy before the end of the year ^[2]. In 2026, construction on the Puerto Rico expansion is estimated to begin ^[3]. Over the next few months, Lilly will reveal the locations of its last two new U.S. manufacturing sites ^[3][4]. The company plans to begin producing oral medicines at the Carolina site by the end of 2028 ^[3][4].