Genentech Plans North Carolina Manufacturing Facility, Expanding Roche’s US Footprint

The biotechnology company Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced on May 12, 2025, that it will invest more than $700 million in a new, state-of-the-art drug manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, NC, Genentech’s first facility to be built on the East Coast of the United States (1). The Roche Group has several other East Coast properties outside the Genentech brand.

Few details were provided about specific equipment to be included in the construction, but a press release from Genentech said the development of the site would add more than 1500 construction jobs, and then more than 400 high-wage manufacturing jobs when the facility comes online (1). The facility is intended to support Roche and Genentech’s portfolio of next-generation obesity medicines.

East Coast expansion

In the pharmaceutical and diagnostics divisions, Roche and Genentech’s combined US footprint currently includes 13 manufacturing and 15 R&D sites across eight states, many of which will be expanded or supplemented by a $50 billion investment announced by Roche in April 2025 (2). North Carolina would add a ninth state to the footprint, joining Arizona, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

“I’m proud that Genentech has chosen North Carolina for its first facility on the East Coast,” North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said in the Genentech press release (1). “This major investment in Holly Springs shows that our state continues to be a leading destination for life sciences and advanced manufacturing. With more than 400 new jobs on the way, this project will strengthen our economy, create opportunities for our people, and advance cutting-edge scientific innovation right here in North Carolina.”

Genentech said that the initial $700 million-plus investment could expand even further based on business needs and the policy environment within the US; many companies are rethinking their US strategies in response to increased tariffs under the administration of President Donald Trump (3).

“Our new facility near Raleigh, NC, an established biopharmaceutical talent hub, will serve as an important new setting within our manufacturing network to help deliver on the promise of our company’s life-changing science and industry-leading pipeline,” Genentech CEO Ashley Magargee said in the May 12 press release (1). “We are thrilled to establish this relationship with the city of Holly Springs, where we expect to have a positive impact on the local economy and community, as we have across the United States since we pioneered the biotech industry nearly 50 years ago.”

Investment in China

Even with its recent commitments in the US, Roche—which is headquartered in Switzerland—is making other investments elsewhere in the world. On May 8, 2025, Roche Pharmaceuticals China announced an RMB 2.04 billion (approximately US $283.2 million) investment into building a new biopharmaceutical production base in Shanghai (4).

The May 12 press release from Genentech did not specify when the North Carolina facility might be completed.

References

1. Genentech. Roche and Genentech Announce New North Carolina Manufacturing Facility. Press Release. May 12, 2025.
2. Roche. Roche to Invest USD 50 Billion in Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics in the United States over the Next Five Years. Press Release. April 22, 2025.
3. Lavery, P. Tariff Pause Reinforces Uncertainty Among Biopharma Professionals. BioPharmInternational.com, April 10, 2025.
4. Roche Pharmaceuticals China. Roche Announces Investment of Over RMB 2 Billion to Build a New Biopharmaceutical Production Base in China. Press Release. May 8, 2025.