UCB Announces Major U.S. Investment to Expand Biologics Manufacturing Capacity

Rhea-AI Summary

UCB (UCBJY) has announced plans to build a new state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing facility in the United States, representing a major expansion of its U.S. presence. The investment is expected to generate an economic impact of approximately $5 billion and create 300 permanent high-skilled jobs plus 500 construction positions. Since 2017, UCB has grown its U.S. workforce by 73% to 2,000 employees and invested $4.5 billion in acquisitions and capital improvements. The company has achieved 15 FDA approvals or indication expansions, with 8 occurring in the past two years. The new facility aims to serve UCB's growing U.S. patient base while strengthening its global supply chain. The company is currently conducting a feasibility study to determine the optimal location, focusing on areas with strong talent pipelines and innovation ecosystems.

Positive

• Expected $5 billion economic impact from the new U.S. manufacturing facility
• Creation of 300 permanent high-skilled jobs and 500 construction jobs
• 73% growth in U.S. workforce since 2017, reaching 2,000 employees
• Strong regulatory success with 15 FDA approvals/expansions, 8 in past two years
• $4.5 billion invested in U.S. acquisitions and capital improvements since 2017

Negative

• Significant capital expenditure required for new facility construction
• Location still undetermined pending feasibility study
• Execution risks associated with major manufacturing facility construction

• Committed to serve U.S. patients and deliver economic impact of approximately $5 billion, including creation of 300 U.S. direct high skilled jobs and more than 500 construction jobs
• Scaling up U.S. based Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) partnerships to support the growth of UCB's growth drivers
• Building on years of U.S. expansion while reinforcing UCB's long-term commitment to innovation, sustainable healthcare, and economic contribution

BRUSSELS and ATLANTA, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of people with severe diseases, today announced plans for a significant investment in a new, state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing facility in the United States. The project is expected to serve UCB's growing number of patients in the U.S., while delivering a total estimated economic impact of approximately $5 billion. UCB is also continuing to scale up its partnerships with U.S. CMOs to ensure the support for the production of its growth drivers and future pipeline.

UCB's growing footprint in the United States reflects our long-term commitment to delivering scientific innovation, economic impact, and sustainable healthcare value. Since 2017, our U.S. workforce has expanded by 73% to around 2,000 employees, underpinned by $4.5 billion in acquisitions and capital investments that have strengthened our innovation capabilities and infrastructure. Over this time, we have achieved 15 FDA approvals or indication expansions—eight of which came in just the past two years— delivering meaningful advances in care for people living with severe diseases.

The planned U.S. manufacturing facility marks a key advancement in UCB's strategic ambition: it brings us closer to one of our fastest-growing markets and supports a more resilient and sustainable supply chain – while ensuring our global manufacturing capacity keeps pace with our innovation pipeline and prepare for the growth that lies ahead.

"At UCB, we are guided by a clear purpose—to create value for patients now and into the future," said UCB's CEO Jean-Christophe Tellier. "This investment reflects our growing impact in the US and our ambition to bring our forthcoming pipeline to patients around the world. By expanding our biologics manufacturing footprint, we're not only reinforcing our global supply chain—we're also contributing to the vitality of biomedical innovation, high-skilled jobs, and long-term economic impact in the US."

The new facility is expected to create around 300 permanent, highly skilled direct jobs in biologics manufacturing and more than 500 jobs during construction. UCB is currently undertaking a comprehensive feasibility study to determine the ideal U.S. location, with a focus on regions that offer strong talent pipelines and innovation ecosystems.

This latest investment will not only support future medicine delivery—it will also generate significant value across communities through increased economic activity, partnerships, and job creation.

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 9 000 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 6.1 billion in 2024. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news

For more information

Investor Relations
Antje Witte
Investor Relations, UCB
T +32.2.559.9414
Antje.witte@ucb.com 

Global Communications
Laurent Schots
Media Relations, UCB
T+32.2.559.9264
Laurent.schots@ucb.com 

U.S. Communications
Erica Puntel
Media Relations, UCB
T 404.938.5359
Erica.Puntel@ucb.com

Forward looking statements

This document contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "potential", "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "plans", "seeks", "estimates", "may", "will", "continue" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial information, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices and other such estimates and results. By their nature, such forward-looking statements are not guaranteeing future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions which might cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of UCB, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this document.

Important factors that could result in such differences include but are not limited to: global spread and impacts of wars, pandemics and terrorism, the general geopolitical environment, climate change, changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or to obtain them on acceptable terms or within expected timing, costs associated with research and development, changes in the prospects for products in the pipeline or under development by UCB, effects of future judicial decisions or governmental investigations, safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues, supply chain disruption and business continuity risks; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, product liability claims, challenges to patent protection for products or product candidates, competition from other products including biosimilars or disruptive technologies/business models, changes in laws or regulations, exchange rate fluctuations, changes or uncertainties in tax laws or the administration of such laws, and hiring, retention and compliance of its employees. There is no guarantee that new product candidates will be discovered or identified in the pipeline, or that new indications for existing products will be developed and approved. Movement from concept to commercial product is uncertain; preclinical results do not guarantee safety and efficacy of product candidates in humans. So far, the complexity of the human body cannot be reproduced in computer models, cell culture systems or animal models. The length of the timing to complete clinical trials and to get regulatory approval for product marketing has varied in the past and UCB expects similar unpredictability going forward. Products or potential products which are the subject of partnerships, joint ventures or licensing collaborations may be subject to disputes between the partners or may prove to be not as safe, effective or commercially successful as UCB may have believed at the start of such partnership. UCB's efforts to acquire other products or companies and to integrate the operations of such acquired companies may not be as successful as UCB may have believed at the moment of acquisition. Also, UCB or others could discover safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with its products and/or devices after they are marketed. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of UCB's products that implicate an entire class of products may have a material adverse effect on sales of the entire class of affected products. Moreover, sales may be impacted by international and domestic trends toward managed care and health care cost containment, including pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, and the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers as well as legislation affecting biopharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement activities and outcomes. Finally, a breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of UCB's data and systems.

Given these uncertainties, the public is cautioned not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this document, and do not reflect any potential impacts from the evolving event or risk as mentioned above as well as any other adversity, unless indicated otherwise. The company continues to follow the development diligently to assess the financial significance of these events, as the case may be, to UCB.

UCB expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements in this document, either to confirm the actual results or to report or reflect any change in its forward-looking statements with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless such statement is required pursuant to applicable laws and regulations.

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SOURCE UCB

FAQ

What is the economic impact of UCB's new U.S. manufacturing facility investment?

The new biologics manufacturing facility investment is expected to generate an economic impact of approximately $5 billion in the United States.

How many jobs will UCB's new U.S. manufacturing facility create?

The facility will create approximately 300 permanent high-skilled jobs in biologics manufacturing and over 500 construction jobs.

Where will UCBJY build its new biologics manufacturing facility?

The location is yet to be determined. UCB is conducting a feasibility study focusing on regions with strong talent pipelines and innovation ecosystems.

How has UCB's U.S. presence grown since 2017?

UCB has increased its U.S. workforce by 73% to 2,000 employees and invested $4.5 billion in acquisitions and capital improvements since 2017.

How many FDA approvals has UCB received in recent years?

UCB has achieved 15 FDA approvals or indication expansions, with 8 of these occurring in the past two years.