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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Novartis Expands Durham-Wake County North Carolina, Manufacturing Operations

12/21/2025
Life science company Novartis plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Durham County and Wake County, North Carolina. The $771 million project is expected to create more than 700 jobs.

The investment will include new construction and renovations across multiple sites.

“North Carolina has been a home to Novartis for two decades, enabling our groundbreaking work to manufacture life-changing gene therapies. We are excited to deepen our ties to this local community that has had a key role in helping bring our innovation to patients in the US and around the world,” said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. “By building a full, end-to-end manufacturing presence in North Carolina for our broader portfolio, we are expanding our capacity to deliver medical breakthroughs, securing a more resilient US supply chain, and investing in the local communities that make our mission possible.”

The project will be supported, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) awarded to Novartis Gene Therapies, Inc., which was approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $3.1 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the initial 280 new jobs in Durham County, 100 new jobs in Wake County, and capital investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $7,555,500, spread over 12 years. State payments occur only following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

“Novartis’ expansion is yet another example of North Carolina’s global biotechnology leadership,” noted N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “We’re proud to work alongside partners like Novartis to grow the workforce, strengthen our biomanufacturing ecosystem, and ensure that North Carolina remains the top state for business and innovation.”

The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 215 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $3.15 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

“Novartis is a leader in innovative biotech, and it is inspiring to see the impact that Novartis medicines – including those manufactured in North Carolina – make in patient lives,” added Laura Rowley, Ph.D., vice president, life sciences economic development, at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. “With this investment spanning three sites, two counties, and multiple therapeutic modalities, North Carolina’s collaborative ecosystem is well poised to support this expansion of Novartis’ capabilities in the state.”

Because Novartis is expanding in Durham and Wake counties, which are classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $2,518,500 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities anywhere in the state finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.

“We are so excited to see Novartis furthering their investment in Durham and committing to hire more people,” said Geoff Durham, President and CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce. “Novartis is a wonderful community partner that supports community-building organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Durham Food Bank and is actively involved with Durham Tech. Novartis will be providing many high-paying jobs that only require a high school diploma or associate degree. This creates the economic mobility we need in the region.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, North Carolina Community College System, Durham Technical Community College, Wake Technical Community College, Duke Energy, Durham County, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Wake County, Town of Morrisville, and Wake County Economic Development, a program of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.

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