AbbVie to create 300 new jobs with $380m Illinois manufacturing investment
AbbVie has announced a $380m investment to build two new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facilities at its North Chicago campus, expanding U.S. production capacity for next-generation medicines and creating around 300 new jobs.
The new facilities will support production of AbbVie’s future neuroscience and obesity treatments, integrating advanced manufacturing technologies and artificial intelligence into API production processes. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2026, with both plants expected to be operational by 2029.
AbbVie CEO Robert A. Michael said the project reflects the company’s long-term commitment to U.S. manufacturing.
“This milestone demonstrates further progress against our $100bn commitment to U.S. R&D and capital investments over the next decade,” he said. “By strengthening our U.S. manufacturing capabilities, we are well-positioned to support our investment in innovation and enhance our ability to deliver next-generation medicines to patients.”
API manufacturing involves producing the active components responsible for a drug’s therapeutic effects, a complex multi-step process often outsourced globally. AbbVie has spent the past six months outlining plans to expand API capacity in the United States.
In September 2025, the company broke ground on a chemical synthesis facility intended to bring production of selected neuroscience, immunology and oncology APIs back from Europe and Asia to the U.S.
The latest investment is expected to support approximately 300 new roles in North Chicago, including engineers, scientists, manufacturing operators and laboratory technicians.
AbbVie employs around 29,000 people across the United States, including more than 6,000 at its domestic manufacturing sites and over 11,500 in Illinois. The North Chicago expansion reinforces the company’s long-standing presence in the state, where it is headquartered.
The investment also forms part of a wider U.S. manufacturing push. AbbVie recently announced plans to acquire a device manufacturing facility in Arizona and expand operations in Massachusetts, and said it is in talks with several states about additional projects expected to be announced in 2026.
AbbVie’s move reflects a wider trend across North American pharmaceutical manufacturing, where companies are investing in domestic API production to improve supply-chain resilience, meet regulatory expectations, and take advantage of government incentives.
As demand rises for obesity and neuroscience treatments, increased U.S. API capacity could play a key role in ensuring reliable supply while accelerating the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies.
