Aurelius Systems Opens U.S. Manufacturing Line for High-Power Fiber Lasers



Autonomous laser defense company launches domestic production of high-power laser sources

SAN FRANCISCO, April 29, 2026–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aurelius Systems, the autonomous laser defense company behind the Archimedes counter-UAS system, today announced Aurelius Manufacturing, a new division that will build high-power fiber laser source modules in the United States.

The U.S. defense laser supply chain has a gap. Demand for high-power fiber lasers is growing across military and industrial applications. A small number of established domestic manufacturers produce laser sources, but the market is shifting. Chinese laser companies have taken majority share in Asia Pacific, a region that accounts for nearly half the global fiber laser market, and are expanding into the U.S. through new automation products and service networks. For defense programs that need ITAR-compliant components from a supplier they can trace end to end, the pool of qualified domestic options is small and getting smaller relative to demand.

Aurelius set out to build Archimedes, its autonomous counter-UAS system, to give American forces scalable defense against drone threats. In doing so, the team found that domestic production of high-power fiber lasers has been shrinking for over a decade, with most remaining suppliers no longer American-owned. Aurelius Manufacturing is the company’s response: a U.S. production line for the same fiber laser source modules and components that sit at the heart of any directed-energy system, and that American manufacturers have had to import for years.

The launch comes as the Pentagon pushes to field laser weapons at scale within 36 months, backed by $250 million in directed energy R&D funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill. The Department of Defense’s fiscal year 2027 budget requested more than quadruples that figure, proposing over $2 billion in directed energy RDT&E. The Army’s Enduring High Energy Laser program is moving toward its first production contract, with plans to acquire up to 24 systems. Navy leadership has called for lasers on every ship in the surface fleet. As these programs move from prototyping into production, the number of domestic suppliers building defense-grade laser sources has not kept pace. Lead times from qualified vendors are long, and the industrial base needs more capacity.

Aurelius Manufacturing’s first product is a compact, rack-integrated fiber laser source module rated at multi-kilowatt output. Units will be available from prototype quantities through full-rate production, with configurations tailored to directed-energy and industrial manufacturing applications.

Aurelius’s laser sources are designed to be ITAR-compliant with full domestic traceability and no dependency on foreign allocation schedules. For industrial customers running laser welding, metal cutting, surface treatment, or additive manufacturing lines, domestic production will mean shorter lead times and direct access to the engineers building the hardware.

“It’s clear the domestic production of high-power lasers in the US is significantly lower than necessary to support both our directed energy and defense needs. Laser system production has been continually offshored outside of our lands. In order to support our customers, the directed energy industry at large and the growing material processing industry in the US, we’ll be vertically integrating and producing lasers here in the homeland,” said Michael Laframboise, CEO of Aurelius Systems.

Production capacity reservations for Q1 2027 are open. Customers can reach Aurelius at aureliusmanufacturing.com.

About Aurelius Systems

Aurelius Systems is a San Francisco-based defense technology company building autonomous laser systems. Its first product, Archimedes, is a counter-drone system designed to defeat Group 1 and 2 UAS threats. Through Aurelius Manufacturing, the company is building domestic production of high-power fiber laser sources for defense and industrial customers. All products are designed and built in the United States. For more information, visit aureliussystems.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260429408874/en/

Contacts

Media Contacts:
Wilson Wiangchanok
marketing@aureliussystems.us

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Nexans Acquires Republic Wire To Establish U.S. Manufacturing Platform In Low-Voltage Cable Market


Nexans, a Paris-based global electrification company, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Republic Wire, a family-owned American manufacturer of low-voltage copper and aluminum wire products headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The deal, valued at approximately 680 million euros with a potential earn-out of up to 43 million euros, establishes Nexans’ first significant manufacturing and distribution platform in the United States and complements its recent acquisition of Electro Cables in Canada.

Founded in 1982, Republic Wire serves electrical wholesale distributors, utilities, and municipalities across the United States and Canada. The company operates a 32,500-square-meter manufacturing facility and a newly completed 30,000-square-meter warehouse and distribution center, employing more than 200 people. A recently completed expansion program is expected to be fully online by the end of 2026, increasing production capacity by approximately 30%. Republic Wire generated approximately 520 million euros in revenue over the twelve months through February 2026.

The U.S. low-voltage cable segment is estimated at approximately 12 billion euros and is driven by sustained demand across residential, commercial, and data center construction. Nexans projects approximately 23 million euros in run-rate synergies over three years, driven by commercial cross-selling, manufacturing technology deployment, and purchasing scale.

The transaction is expected to be immediately earnings-per-share accretive before synergies and is anticipated to close in the early third quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval. Republic Wire’s current management team, led by Ron and Jeremy Rosenbeck, will remain in place.

KEY QUOTES:

“The acquisition of Republic Wire marks a transformative moment in Nexans’ journey to become a reference pure player in electrification. The United States represents the single largest growth opportunity in low- and medium-voltage cable. Republic Wire gives us the expanded platform, the customer relationships and the operational credibility we need to compete in this highly dynamic market.”

Julien Hueber, Chief Executive Officer, Nexans

“Republic Wire has always been more than a business to our family — it is a legacy built on hard work, loyalty, and a deep responsibility to our customers and the people who chose to build their careers here. In Nexans, I found a partner who shares those values, not just a buyer.”

Ron Rosenbeck, CEO, Republic Wire

“The acquisition of Republic Wire represents an important strategic milestone, meaningfully strengthening our position in the North American market. As a highly respected brand with a proven track record of exceptional quality and customer centricity, Republic Wire brings deep market relationships and an extensive commercial network.”

Tim King, Managing Director North America, Nexans

 

 

 

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Teknor Apex Joins OSS Ventures €75M Fund to Scale Industrial Software Across U.S. Manufacturing


Teknor Apex Joins OSS Ventures €75M Fund to Scale Industrial Software Across U.S. Manufacturing

Teknor Apex Joins OSS Ventures €75M Fund to Scale Industrial Software Across U.S. Manufacturing

PR Newswire

BOSTON, April 28, 2026


BOSTON, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Teknor Apex Company, a global leader in material science solutions, today announced it has joined as a founding partner in OSS Ventures’ new investment fund, targeting €75M million to scale proven industrial software companies across North America and Europe.



Building Software Where It Matters: On the Manufacturing Floor

Founded in 2019 by Renan Devillieres, OSS Ventures is a venture studio building next-generation industrial software that operates at the intersection of software development and manufacturing operations. The firm’s thesis is straightforward: industrial software only drives lasting change when it’s built from the manufacturing floor up – alongside the operators, supervisors, and engineers who use it daily.

With OSS Ventures now expanding operations beyond Europe to its new office in Boston, MA, Teknor Apex will serve as the regional industrial anchor partner, becoming the first U.S. manufacturer to both invest in and operate OSS portfolio software at scale.

“This partnership reflects a shared view that the future advancements in industry will be innovated by people and technology working in tandem to create measurable impacts” said Donald Wiseman, CEO, Teknor Apex.

Teknor Apex: From Co-Builder to Co-Investor

This partnership started on the factory floor. Teknor Apex deployed three of OSS Ventures’ portfolio companies in their Rhode Island and Tennessee sites. The impact was immediate:

  • Oplit allows Teknor Apex to set their plants up for success through a reduction in changeovers, improved yield, and a stronger foundation for more automated planning over time.
  • Fabriq helps to strengthen a culture of continuous improvement, with problem-solving embedded at every level of the manufacturing organization.
  • Mercateam supports operators, mechanics, and lab technicians in building critical skills and advancing their careers – helping Teknor Apex better invest in its most valuable resource: its people.

Teknor Apex and OSS Ventures are aligned as both core business partners and venture partners, with Teknor Apex joining as a founding partner in the €75M amplification fund alongside DECATHLON PULSE, the investment and innovation arm of global sports company DECATHLON, and Peugeot Family Group.

“As we shape our next 100 years of manufacturing, digital transformation is the sole viable path to not only short-term efficiency, but long-term competitiveness,” said Michael Roberts, CIO, Teknor Apex.

Contact: 
Faustine Ladeiro Levent, Head of Marketing
faustine@oss.ventures

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2965406/OSS_Ventures_x_Teknor_Apex.jpg

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SOURCE OSS Ventures; Teknor Apex

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Crazy Beanies Tests Domestic Manufacturing Model in a US


"We kept seeing the same pattern -- people were looking for something beyond mass-produced basics, but the market wasn't giving them many options that were actually made here. We handle everything from the initial sketch to the finished product in our o

“We kept seeing the same pattern — people were looking for something beyond mass-produced basics, but the market wasn’t giving them many options that were actually made here. We handle everything from the initial sketch to the finished product in our o

As the U.S. headwear market continues to grow and consumer surveys show sustained interest in domestically made goods, a small manufacturer based in Washington state is testing whether in-house production and a rapid release cycle can compete in a category overwhelmingly supplied by overseas factories. Crazy Beanies designs and produces beanies at its own facility, releasing new styles on a weekly basis, according to the company.
The vast majority of headwear sold in the United States is manufactured abroad. In 2023, U.S. apparel imports totaled $79.3 billion, with the bulk sourced from China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India, according to U.S. International Trade Commission data analyzed by the FASH455 Global Apparel & Textile Trade program at the University of Delaware. Domestic apparel and textile production, while holding steady, remains a fraction of what American consumers purchase, and more than 74 percent of U.S. apparel manufacturers operate as micro-factories with fewer than 50 employees, according to data compiled by the U.S. Fashion Industry Association.

At the same time, consumer interest in domestically manufactured goods has remained elevated. A 2023 survey by Morning Consult found that 65 percent of U.S. consumers said they routinely look for products made in America. A separate 2024 poll, conducted by Morning Consult for the Alliance for American Manufacturing, found that 77 percent of respondents said they prefer to buy Made in America items when purchasing gifts.

It is within that gap – strong stated consumer preference for domestic goods alongside limited domestic supply – that a small number of manufacturers are attempting to build businesses in categories historically ceded to overseas producers. The headwear market is one such category. The U.S. headwear market is projected to reach approximately $11.6 billion by 2030, growing at an estimated 6.6 percent annually from 2023, according to Grand View Research. Industry market reports have noted growing consumer demand for beanies in particular as everyday fashion accessories, with interest rising among younger consumers drawn to streetwear and athleisure styling.

Crazy Beanies, an e-commerce brand based in Washington state according to the company, is one business operating in that space. The company says it designs, manufactures, and fulfills orders for its beanie line entirely from its own facility, without importing finished goods or outsourcing production to third-party factories. It says it introduces new designs on a weekly basis – a pace it attributes to the speed advantages of controlling every stage of production in-house.

Many small headwear brands purchase decorated blanks from wholesale suppliers or import finished products from contract manufacturers overseas. The fully in-house model that Crazy Beanies describes – where design, production, and fulfillment all occur at a single facility – is a less common approach at a small-business scale, though the company’s claims about its manufacturing process have not been independently verified.

Whether the approach is commercially sustainable is an open question. Domestic manufacturing carries higher labor and material costs than overseas sourcing, and the company competes for consumer attention in a crowded online accessories market where price sensitivity is a significant factor. The brand must also build recognition without the distribution advantages that established headwear companies hold through wholesale and retail partnerships.

The broader context, however, suggests that the market conditions the company is attempting to leverage are real and measurable. Consumer preference for domestically produced goods has persisted across multiple years of survey data from independent polling firms, the headwear category is growing, and the expansion of direct-to-consumer e-commerce has lowered some of the barriers that once made it difficult for small manufacturers to reach buyers without wholesale intermediaries.

MEDIA CONTACT: https://crazybeanies.com

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Company Name: Crazy Beanies
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Email:Send Email [https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=crazy-beanies-tests-domestic-manufacturing-model-in-a-us-headwear-market-dominated-by-imports]
Country: United States
Website: https://CrazyBeanies.com

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This release was published on openPR.

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Budweiser maker boosts US manufacturing investment to $600M


American beer giant Anheuser-Busch is boosting its investment in U.S. operations to $600 million, building on its pledge to create and sustain American manufacturing jobs.

The Budweiser and Michelob ULTRA maker announced Wednesday that it plans to open 15 new technical skills training centers at its operating facilities across the U.S. in collaboration with local trade schools. The company will also accelerate programs dedicated to providing veterans with career opportunities as part of its investment across 2025 and 2026.

“Anheuser-Busch’s $600 million investment is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the future of American manufacturing,” said Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth in a release. “By strengthening our manufacturing operations, we are creating sustainable careers – not just jobs – and investing in the people who are vital to our success. We are proud to continue building the next generation of manufacturing leaders through our new technical training centers while also providing new opportunities in the workforce for our nation’s veterans.”

The training centers will serve to improve Anheuser-Busch employees’ capabilities, covering technical fundamentals, digital tools, management systems and mechanical and electrical systems. The company said it plans to “upskill” more than 90% of its manufacturing workforce over the next five years.

Anheuser-Busch will also continue its partnership with the Manufacturing Institute on its Heroes MAKE America initiative. Since the initiative was announced in May 2025, the beer manufacturer has adopted the institute’s Manufacturing Readiness Badges, incorporating 20 credentials that translate military training into skills required for Anheuser-Busch manufacturing roles.

In 2026, Anheuser-Busch and the Manufacturing Institute will accelerate adoption of the Heroes MAKE America Talent Network, powered by SmartResume. The SmartResume platform supports veterans in the hiring process by making their military skills and experience clear and verifiable for employers.

Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, praised Anheuser-Busch’s investment boost.

“By partnering with the Manufacturing Institute, Anheuser-Busch is powering a new generation of opportunity for the world’s finest workforce – the manufacturing workforce,” said Timmons. “These local technical skills training centers and partnerships with trade schools will transform careers and enable the manufacturing workforce of today and tomorrow to develop the critical skills they need to build life-changing careers, grow our economy and shape American communities.”

Anheuser-Busch highlighted its commitment to maintaining local production for the past 165 years, with 99% of its beer sold in the U.S. being made in the U.S.

In addition to supporting its workforce, the $600 million will also go toward improving Anheuser-Busch’s technology systems, upgrading manufacturing facilities and increasing production and packaging capabilities.

While Anheuser-Busch did not specify where the training centers will be located, FOX2Now reported that one center will be built at Anheuser-Busch’s brewery in St. Louis, Missouri. Another center training center will open at the company’s facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, according to the Coloradoan.

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Anheuser-Busch Doubles US Manufacturing Investment to U$600m


Anheuser-Busch Companies has doubled its previously announced manufacturing investment from £222m (US$300m) to to £445m(US$600m), marking a significant commitment to US operations and workforce development that could offer lessons for food and drink industry leaders navigating similar strategic decisions around domestic manufacturing capabilities.

The manufacturer of brands including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra and Busch Light is deploying the funds across 2025 and 2026 to strengthen its brewing facilities, establish technical training infrastructure and expand its veteran hiring initiatives. The scale of investment reflects growing industry focus on operational resilience and workforce sustainability.

For C-suite executives in the food and drink sector, the move highlights the increasing strategic importance of balancing capital investment in physical infrastructure with human capital development, particularly as manufacturers face ongoing challenges in attracting and retaining skilled technical workers.

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AI drone company Skydio announces $3.5 billion investment in technology race


Artificial intelligence-powered drone manufacturer Skydio on Friday announced a $3.5 billion investment to expand its domestic production and supply chain as the technology race against China intensifies.

The investment, unveiled during a press conference with local law enforcement in Fairfax County, Virginia, will be deployed over the next five years to scale U.S.-based manufacturing, develop critical components, and create thousands of jobs. 

“This is going to go squarely into the U.S. drone ecosystem,” Skydio CEO Adam Bry said, adding that the company plans to “5x the size of our own factory” and dedicate roughly $1 billion toward sourcing key components domestically.

The announcement comes amid heightened warnings from U.S. officials about foreign threats to American innovation. 

A memo circulated this week by White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios warned that China has been actively attempting to steal United States advances in AI, raising concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities.

Bry emphasized that the global drone market has been dominated by foreign manufacturers, many based in China.

“It’s just untenable to be dependent on our adversaries for technology this important,” he said. 

A central component of the investment is a new initiative aimed at “onshoring” production of drone parts, including motors, batteries, and microchips. The effort seeks to build a fully domestic supply chain for robotics and AI-enabled systems, reducing reliance on overseas manufacturing hubs. 

“It’s not a mystery that right now, the world-leading manufacturing ecosystem for electronics is in China,” Bry said. “But there’s no law of physics that says it has to be that way.” 

Bry said the investment will create thousands of jobs, primarily in California, where the company is based, but will also look nationally.

Kratsios, who attended the announcement event, called the announcement “a real turning point” for U.S. industrial policy, tying it to broader federal efforts to secure supply chains and strengthen domestic manufacturing. 

“We are going to ensure that the most advanced, most reliable and most trusted systems in the world are built here in the United States,” he said, describing domestic production as a “national security imperative.” 

Drone technology is increasingly linked to broader geopolitical competition with China, particularly as AI-driven systems become integral to military, infrastructure, and public safety operations. 

Skydio drones are already used by U.S. military branches, law enforcement agencies, and infrastructure operators, driving demand for expanded domestic production.

US MILITARY SITES DEPLOY DRONES FOR SECURITY AS RECRUITMENT FLUCTUATES

President Donald Trump has pushed for what he has dubbed “drone dominance,” signing an executive order that seeks to build a strong domestic drone sector. 

Skydio is already part of the administration’s movement, as it secured a record-breaking contract with the Department of War in March, making a $52 million sale of its drones to the agency, the largest small drone procurement from a single manufacturer.

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Anheuser-Busch Doubles U.S. Manufacturing Investment To $600M


St. Louis — Anheuser-Busch is increasing its investment in its U.S. operations to $600 million across 2025 and 2026.

The new figure doubles a previously announced $300 million commitment. The announcement is part of Anheuser-Busch’s ongoing Brewing Futures initiative and builds on the company’s more than 165-year legacy of investing in its people, breweries and communities.

Three key pillars

The expanded investment centers on three key pillars:

  • First: creating and sustaining manufacturing jobs by increasing investments in U.S. operations to $600 million total over two years.
  • Second: building the manufacturing workforce for the future by opening 15 new technical skills training centers at facilities across the country and collaborating with technical trade schools.
  • Third: strengthening manufacturing career opportunities for veterans by helping former and current service members pursue manufacturing careers in the private sector.

Brewery upgrades and capacity

The investment will fund brewery upgrades, advance technology systems and increase production and packaging capabilities across the company’s brewery network. Those capabilities support production for brands including Michelob Ultra, Busch Light, Budweiser and Bud Light.

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said the investment underscores the company’s commitment to U.S. manufacturing.

“Anheuser-Busch’s $600 million investment is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the future of American manufacturing,” Whitworth said.

Technical skills training centers

The 15 new technical skills training centers will offer employees instruction in technical fundamentals, digital tools, management systems and mechanical and electrical systems.

Anheuser-Busch said it plans to upskill more than 90 percent of its manufacturing workforce over the next five years. The company has embedded its trade school collaboration into the opening of the new training centers, ensuring that curriculums address local skills gaps and community needs.

Supporting veteran career pathways

Anheuser-Busch is continuing to work with the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America initiative to provide former and current service members with resources to pursue careers in manufacturing.

Since announcing its industry-leading adoption of MI’s Manufacturing Readiness Badges in May 2025, Anheuser-Busch has integrated more than 20 total credentials that translate military training into skills required for manufacturing roles within its operations.

In 2026, Anheuser-Busch and MI are accelerating adoption of the Heroes MAKE America Talent Network, powered by SmartResume. The jointly developed platform is designed to make military skills and experience visible, verified and easily understood by employers.

Anheuser-Busch has embedded the tool into its career website to support veteran hiring and guide candidates through the application process. The platform has driven strong engagement, with nearly 25 percent of the more than 600 industry-wide SmartResumes completed to date originating from Anheuser-Busch’s platform.

Broader legacy

The company said investments in these areas are not new for Anheuser-Busch and represent the latest evolution in the company’s long-standing commitment to its workforce and communities.

Details about specific facility investments, including in Williamsburg, Virginia, are expected later this year.

[RELATED: Kearney Cites ‘Unpredictable’ Consumer Behavior In Beverage Outlook]

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AbbVie Expands US Manufacturing with $1.4B Plant Investment


AbbVie has announced plans to invest $1.4 billion in building a pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Durham, NC, its largest capital investment to date. 

The new 185-acre campus will integrate advanced manufacturing and laboratory technologies with artificial intelligence (AI) to support the production of AbbVie’s immunology, neuroscience, and oncology medicines, according to a news release from the global drug maker. 

This is AbbVie’s first major investment in North Carolina. The AbbVie Durham campus, located near Research Triangle Park, was selected for the strength of the region’s local workforce and its ability to support future expansion, the biopharmaceutical company added in the news release. 

Construction will begin this year, with completion expected by the end of 2028.

“Our investment in North Carolina represents a significant milestone for AbbVie as our largest capital investment to date and an important expansion of our manufacturing footprint into a new region of the United States,” Robert A. Michael, chairman and chief executive officer of AbbVie said. 

Related:International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering Announces 2026 Facility of the Year Winners

Over the next four years, AbbVie plans to hire 734 people, including engineers, scientists, manufacturing operators and laboratory technicians. The project will also generate more than 2,000 construction jobs during campus development. 

The first phase of construction will include small volume parenteral (SVP) drug product manufacturing facilities, next-generation laboratories, a warehouse, administrative offices, and employee wellness facilities.

Small volume parenterals are sterile injectable pharmaceutical products with volumes typically less than 100 mL, including vials, prefilled cartridges, and prefilled syringes containing medicines for injection or infusion. When completed, this campus will serve as AbbVie’s US center of excellence for SVP manufacturing and deliver medicines to patients in the US and worldwide.

This project is part of the pharmaceutical company’s $100 billion commitment to US research and development (R&D) and capital investments, including manufacturing, over the next decade. 

In March, AbbVie announced a $380 million investment to build two new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facilities at its North Chicago, IL, campus. The facilities will use advanced manufacturing technologies with AI to support the production of neuroscience and obesity medications.

Over the last several months, AbbVie has announced plans to significantly expand its API manufacturing capabilities and capacity in the US. In September 2025, AbbVie broke ground on the first phase of this investment, a new chemical synthesis facility that will enable the return of API production for some neuroscience, immunology, and oncology products from Europe and Asia to the US.

Related:2 More Pharma Companies Sell Medicines on TrumpRx

The Skyrizi and Rinvoq maker also announced plans in September 2025 to invest $70 million to expand its biologics R&D and manufacturing facility in Massachusetts.

Like more than a dozen other pharmaceutical manufacturers, AbbVie signed an agreement with the Trump Administration to lower prescription drug prices and invest in research domestically in exchange for a three-year tariff exemption. 

As part of the agreement, which AbbVie announced in January, the multinational pharmaceutical company will provide drugs through Medicaid at lower prices under most favored nation status.

Additionally, the drug maker will participate in TrumpRx, the direct-to-consumer platform, expanding its direct-to-patient offerings for medicines including Alphagan, Combigan, Humira, and Synthroid, making them available at significant discounts. The agreement to sell medications on the platform reportedly will allow patients without insurance coverage of the drugs and Medicaid access to rates comparable to other developed countries.

Related:ISPE Announces 2026 Europe Conference Keynotes, Sessions

Nearly a dozen other drug companies, including J&J, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi, AstaZeneca, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer have signed agreements to sell some medications at discount prices on the direct-to-consumer platform, over the last several months.

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Billionaire behind ‘American Factory’ firm warns of US exit amid trade friction with China


As one of the world’s largest automotive glass producers, and the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, Fuyao Glass is a familiar name in the United States. Now, its founder has warned he is prepared to shut down his American plants if trade friction and tariffs cause severe losses.

Responding to questions regarding geopolitical risks at the company’s annual general meeting, Cao Dewang said that the company would not engage in loss-making ventures.

“How much in duties you want to impose is your business,” said the billionaire, who turns 80 next month. “If we encounter unreasonable situations, we’ll simply shut down the [US] factories.”

While Fuyao’s American roots stretch back to 1995, its presence is now anchored by its plant in Moraine, Ohio – a shuttered General Motors factory that Fuyao purchased in 2014.

The 2019 film American Factory documented the site’s transformation, tracing both its role in revitalising a depressed local economy and Cao’s harsh campaign against unionisation.

Today, Fuyao Glass employs thousands of American workers across facilities in Ohio, Illinois and South Carolina, supplying leading automotive manufacturers including General Motors, Ford and BMW in the United States, according to its website.

The company also holds the distinction of being the first Chinese firm to successfully sue the US Department of Commerce, winning a landmark case that virtually exempted Fuyao from anti-dumping duties in 2004.

09:42

Trump promises to bring US manufacturing back from China, but will his tariffs work?

Trump promises to bring US manufacturing back from China, but will his tariffs work?

Cao’s comments earlier this week – widely reported by Chinese media, including state-owned The Paper – came just over a year after US President Donald Trump launched his “Liberation Day” tariffs on major trading partners. The move ignited a renewed trade war with Beijing that saw duties on Chinese imports peak at 145 per cent before tensions de-escalated.

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