AstraZeneca Plc (LON:AZN) has announced plans to invest $2 billion to expand its long-standing manufacturing footprint in Maryland. This includes a significant expansion of its flagship biologics manufacturing facility in Frederick and construction of a new state-of-the-art facility in Gaithersburg for the development and clinical supply of innovative molecules to be used in clinical trials. The investment will support 2,600 jobs across the two sites in the state including the retention of local roles, construction activity, and the creation of 300 highly skilled jobs.
The Frederick facility currently produces biologics, a type of medication used across AstraZeneca’s portfolio of cancer, auto immune, respiratory and rare disease treatments. The planned expansion will nearly double commercial manufacturing capacity, enabling increased supply of existing medicines and, for the first time, production across the Company’s rare disease portfolio. It will create 200 highly skilled jobs and 900 construction roles and is expected to be operational in 2029.
In parallel, AstraZeneca will build a new clinical manufacturing facility to expand its footprint in Gaithersburg. The facility, which will be fully operational by 2029, will create an additional 100 jobs, retain 400 roles and support a further 1,000 construction-related jobs.
Both the expanded facility in Frederick and the new facility in Gaithersburg will leverage cutting-edge AI, automation and data analytics and be built to the highest environmental standards.
Maryland Governor, Wes Moore, said: “AstraZeneca’s commitment to Maryland speaks to our unique, world-class biotech ecosystem. This landmark investment affirms our reputation as a global leader in life sciences, while strengthening the U.S. medicine supply chain, accelerating the development of life-saving therapies, and creating hundreds of jobs. We are proud to partner with AstraZeneca to grow our economy and build new pathways to work, wages, and wealth for all.”
Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca, said: “Today marks a landmark moment for Maryland and American patients. As the state’s largest biopharmaceutical employer, we are deepening our long-standing commitment to Maryland – supporting 2,600 jobs, catalysing economic growth and bringing our extensive rare disease portfolio onshore for the first time. This investment strengthens the resilience of the US medicines supply chain and accelerates access to transformative therapies for patients across America and around the world.”
Today’s announcement is part of AstraZeneca’s historic $50 billion investment announced in July and follows a series of US commitments over the past six months, including unveiling a new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland, a new drug substance manufacturing facility in Virginia and the expansion of the Company’s existing manufacturing facility in Coppell, Texas.
The US is AstraZeneca’s largest market by sales and is also home to 19 R&D, manufacturing and commercial sites. The Company’s US workforce exceeds more than 25,000 people and supports more than 100,000 jobs overall across the country. In 2025, AstraZeneca created approximately $20 billion of overall value to the American economy.
