Zepbound and Mounjaro are intended to treat adults with chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.

According to Lilly, it has committed more than $16 billion to develop new manufacturing sites in the US and Europe since 2020. In addition, the company has invested $1.2 billion to update existing manufacturing facilities in Indianapolis, US, and recently acquired an injectable manufacturing facility in Wisconsin from Nexus Pharmaceuticals.

"Today's announcement tops the largest manufacturing investment in our company's history and, we believe, represents the single largest investment in synthetic medicine API manufacturing in US history," said David A. Ricks, Lilly's chair and CEO. "This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control," Ricks added.

Lilly embarked on a significant manufacturing expansion in 2020, driven by the research results for tirzepatide. The company made this strategic investment decision at risk so that upon the approval of Mounjaro (2022) and Zepbound (2023), it could make these medicines available to adults living with type 2 diabetes and obesity, respectively. Since then, the strong demand for these medicines – the only approved treatments activating two incretin hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1 – underscores the urgent unmet need for treatments in both type 2 diabetes and obesity.

As part of the additional investment in the Lebanon site, Lilly expects to add 200 full-time jobs, resulting in an estimated 900 full-time employees when the facility is fully operational.

The company expects to begin medicines production in Lebanon toward the end of 2026 – with operations scaling up through 2028.