News Summary
AstraZeneca announces a $4.5 billion investment in Albemarle County, Virginia, to build two new manufacturing facilities. The project aims to create 600 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs, focusing on drugs for chronic diseases, cancer therapies, and supporting AstraZeneca’s oncology and metabolic portfolios. The investment includes grants and state funding, reflecting Virginia’s strong biotech industry and talented workforce, and aligns with AstraZeneca’s national plan to boost domestic manufacturing and research.
Albemarle County, Virginia – AstraZeneca has announced a significant investment of $4.5 billion to establish two new manufacturing facilities in Albemarle County. This investment marks the largest single manufacturing investment in AstraZeneca’s history and is expected to create 600 direct jobs while generating an estimated 3,000 additional indirect jobs in the surrounding area.
One of the facilities will focus on the production of drugs for chronic diseases, while the other will be dedicated to manufacturing antibody-drug conjugates aimed at treating cancer. The sites in Virginia will also produce small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides that will support AstraZeneca’s weight management and metabolic portfolios, along with their oncology pipeline.
AstraZeneca’s CEO emphasized that this investment is a crucial step in driving life sciences innovation and economic development in Virginia. Construction of the facilities will take place at the Rivanna Futures Site located in northern Albemarle County, an area that has previously benefited from a $9.7 million grant from the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program to facilitate such developmental projects.
The decision to invest in Virginia was influenced by several factors, including the state’s strong talent pool, proximity to research universities, and a favorable business environment. Governor Glenn Youngkin declared this investment a milestone for Virginia’s expanding life sciences sector.
Rapid negotiations saw AstraZeneca secure the investment partnership in just 33 days following initial discussions. The company could qualify for up to $191.3 million in state funding for creating 500 jobs at the facility dedicated to chronic diseases, in addition to a further grant from Virginia’s Opportunity Fund set to support the cancer-therapy facility.
Officials from Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade emphasized the significance of the deal as a representation of Virginia’s strengths in biotech and advanced manufacturing. The investment is expected to be transformative for Albemarle County, creating high-quality jobs that offer competitive wages.
Bipartisan support from local officials and lawmakers has been expressed, seeing the project as beneficial not only economically but also in terms of health impact. AstraZeneca’s commitment to Virginia comes as part of a long-term plan to invest $50 billion nationwide by 2030, which aims to boost domestic manufacturing and enhance research capabilities across the United States.
Overall, AstraZeneca currently employs over 18,000 people across 19 sites in the U.S. The new operations in Virginia will also benefit from the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, an initiative focused on workforce development and training.
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- Virginia Mercury: AstraZeneca to build $4.5 billion manufacturing hub in Albemarle County
- CBS 19 News: Blue Ridge pig ranks fourth in survey of Virginia businesses
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- Hunton: Virginia Business names three Hunton attorneys to the Virginia 500: The 2025 Power List
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- Wikipedia: AstraZeneca
- Google Search: Virginia businesses
- Google Scholar: biotech in Virginia
- Encyclopedia Britannica: biotechnology
- Google News: AstraZeneca Virginia
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