Eli Lilly invests billions in German site
The US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly plans to invest more than two billion euros in a new production facility for drugs such as diabetes medication in Rhineland-Palatinate. The new site in Alzey near Mainz is to be built from 2024, Eli Lilly Vice President Edgardo Hernandez announced in Berlin on Friday. The planned production facility will cost 2.5 billion dollars (around 2.3 billion euros).
Up to 1000 people are to be employed there, said Hernandez. In addition, 1900 jobs would be created during the construction phase. With the planned production facility in Alzey, Lilly intends to expand its network of sites for injectable drugs and the associated injection pens. Hernandez said that one criterion for locating the plant was a good pharmaceutical infrastructure in the region. He therefore hoped to find enough skilled workers.
Lilly would then have a total of six production facilities in Germany. The company's portfolio of anti-obesity drugs is to be expanded. Production is intended for global sales, said Hernandez. He did not want to give any sales forecasts.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) praised the project: "It is a big exclamation mark that is being set here." The investment by Eli Lilly is one of the largest single economic decisions in Germany in this area. Habeck emphasized that the establishment of the company was taking place without state investment. It is in line with other investment decisions by the pharmaceutical industry and strengthens medical sovereignty in Germany and Europe.
Habeck and Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) emphasized that one reason for the investment decision was to dovetail with other players in the research and development landscape. According to Habeck, Germany is a highly innovative location. Germany has already had very good basic and engineering science for years. "We want to take the next step now," said Lauterbach. For example, a medical research law should simplify the requirements for investments.
Eli Lilly is a global pharmaceutical company with more than 40,000 employees and headquarters in Indianapolis. Among other things, the company produces drugs for diabetes and obesity.
Source: www.dpa.com
