Merck Breaks Ground on $3 Billion Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Elkton, Virginia
The expansion underscores Merck's commitment to invest more than $70 billion in U.S. research, development and capital projects
Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced today the start of construction for a $3 billion, 400,000-square-foot pharmaceutical manufacturing facility at its Elkton, Virginia, site.
Merck's investment in the Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing is part of a more than $70 billion investment beginning in 2025 to expand domestic manufacturing and research and development — not including any future business development transactions in R&D — to drive its long-term growth and strengthen the status of the U.S. as a global leader in biopharmaceutical innovation.
"Today is an important milestone for Merck, for Virginia, for manufacturing in the United States and, most importantly, for the patients we serve," said Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. "This investment helps advance our goal of providing new, innovative treatment options for people facing serious health challenges in the U.S. and around the world."
The $3 billion expansion celebrated today builds on Merck's nearly 85-year history in Elkton, Virginia, enhancing the site with a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical Center of Excellence that will include both Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient and Drug Product investment supporting small molecule manufacturing and testing and will potentially create more than 500 full-time roles as well as 8,000 construction jobs.
"Merck's transformational $3 billion commitment to locate its Center of Excellence marks a giant leap forward for both America's and Virginia's life sciences sector," said Gov. Glenn Youngkin. "It deepens the company's long-standing commitment to innovation and strengthens the Commonwealth's position as the emerging national leader in biopharmaceutical advanced manufacturing and life sciences. With hundreds of new jobs and cutting-edge capabilities coming to the Shenandoah Valley, we're building a future where Virginians lead the way in developing lifesaving medicines for patients around the world."
A continued commitment to investing in U.S. innovation
For more than 130 years, Merck has been committed to saving and improving lives by developing and delivering life-changing medicines and vaccines to treat diseases in both humans and animals. And as a U.S.-based company, Merck has put capital behind American biotech projects for decades with real results — not just promises.
"Merck's investment announced today shows exactly what happens when pro-growth policies like H.R. 1 are signed into law," said NAM President and CEO, Jay Timmons. "By strengthening and making permanent a full suite of competitive tax policies, Congress provided manufacturers with the tax certainty we need to plan, invest, hire and lead. Manufacturers will continue to work with policymakers to advance a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that not only helps manufacturers win — it helps America win."
This year alone, Merck has announced nearly $6 billion in manufacturing investments across North Carolina, Delaware, Kansas and Virginia that are anticipated to create more than 1,600 new American jobs — punctuated by shovels in the ground and ribbon cuttings:
- In March, Merck announced the completion of construction on a $1 billion, 225,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility to expand vaccine production capacity in Durham, North Carolina, expected to generate nearly 400 full-time roles and roughly 4,000 construction jobs.
- In April, the company broke ground on Merck Wilmington Biotech, a $1 billion, 470,000-square-foot state-of-the-art biologics center of excellence in Wilmington, Delaware, to enable the launch and commercial production of next-generation biologics and therapies.
- In May, Merck Animal Health announced the $895 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas, anticipated to create 2,500 construction jobs and more than 200 full-time commercial manufacturing roles.
In addition, Merck plans to invest $3 billion in biologics and small molecule manufacturing sites and capabilities in the U.S., which is expected to create more than 800 jobs, while also investing more than $3.5 billion in its Rahway, N.J. headquarters, which is expected to create roughly 1,000 jobs across research and clinical manufacturing. The company's efforts across the U.S. will further fortify domestic production and distribution of U.S. medicines and vaccines to protect patients and are forecasted to create more than 48,000 construction-related employment opportunities by 2029.
"For almost 85 years, our Elkton site has been a beacon of innovation in our proud legacy of delivering leading-edge science for patients," said Sanat Chattopadhyay, executive vice president and president, Merck Manufacturing Division. "We're proud to be part of the Elkton community, where generations have contributed to our important work with determination, accountability, teamwork and grit."
Please visit the Merck media library for additional materials and information about our ongoing commitment to investing in U.S. manufacturing and innovation.
About Merck
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).
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