Roche announces massive US$50B expansion plan in the United States  

USA—Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche has announced a major investment plan, committing US$50 billion over the next five years to expand its operations in the United States.

This announcement comes a month after Johnson & Johnson (J&J) revealed plans to invest over US$55 billion in U.S. manufacturing, research, and technology over the next four years, significantly enhancing America’s healthcare infrastructure.

This significant financial commitment is set to bolster Roche’s already considerable presence in the country, where it currently operates 13 manufacturing and 15 research and development (R&D) sites, employing over 25,000 people across 24 locations in eight states.

The investment aims to create more than 12,000 new jobs nationwide, including nearly 6,500 construction roles and 1,000 permanent positions at new and expanded facilities.

Roche’s expansion will not only increase its workforce but also enhance its capabilities in both the pharmaceutical and diagnostics sectors.

A key part of this initiative involves upgrading and expanding Roche’s manufacturing and distribution infrastructure in several states, including Kentucky, Indiana, New Jersey, Oregon, and California.

The company plans to establish a state-of-the-art gene therapy manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania and a new manufacturing center in Indiana dedicated to continuous glucose monitoring devices.

Additionally, Roche will build a 900,000-square-foot facility to support its growing portfolio of next-generation weight loss medicines, with the exact location to be announced soon

Roche is also investing in innovation through the creation of a new R&D center in Massachusetts. This center will focus on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) research and serve as a hub for cutting-edge work in cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases.

 Moreover, the company will significantly expand and upgrade its existing R&D centers in Arizona, Indiana, and California, further strengthening its research capabilities in the US.

Commenting on the announcement, Roche Group CEO Thomas Schinecker emphasized the company’s deep-rooted commitment to the United States, where it has maintained a presence for 110 years.

He noted that Roche’s investments have been a driving force for job creation, innovation, and the development of intellectual property in both its Pharmaceutical and Diagnostics Divisions.

“Our investments of $50 billion over the next five years will lay the foundation for our next era of innovation and growth, benefiting patients in the US and around the world,” Schinecker stated.

Once all new and expanded facilities are operational, Roche expects to export more medicines from the US than it imports, marking a significant shift in its trade balance.

Currently, the company’s diagnostics division already exports more products from the US to other countries than it imports.

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