Roche to Invest $50 Billion in U.S. Manufacturing, R&D Amid Tariff Threats
The pharma company said it would export more medicines from the U.S. than it imports once its new and expanded manufacturing becomes operational
Roche plans to invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, joining Swiss rival Novartis in expanding its footprint in the country amid President Trump’s tariff threats.
The Swiss pharma giant said Tuesday that the investment includes new research hubs and new and expanded manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California. The company said the investment would create more than 12,000 new jobs, including nearly 6,500 in construction, as well as 1,000 at new and expanded facilities.
Roche said it would export more medicines from the U.S. than it imports once its new and expanded manufacturing becomes operational, while its diagnostics division currently already holds an surplus from the U.S.
The Basel-headquartered company plans to create a new manufacturing center to produce its weight-loss drugs, for which it will announce its location soon. It aims to create a new gene-therapy manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, a new R&D center in Massachusetts and one for continuous glucose monitoring in Indiana. Its investments also entail expanded research and manufacturing capabilities at eight existing sites.
“Today’s announced investments underscore our long-standing commitment to research, development and manufacturing in the US,” Roche’s Chief Executive Thomas Schinecker said.
The announcement comes as the pharmaceutical industry braces for potential tariffs on drugs imported into the U.S. Medicines were so far exempted, as Trump said two weeks ago that major tariff on pharmaceuticals were coming “very shortly”.
Roche currently has 15 R&D centres and 13 manufacturing sites in the U.S., employing more than 25,000 staff on the continent.