AstraZeneca says it expects to invest $2 billion to expand its long-standing manufacturing footprint in Maryland. This includes a significant expansion of its flagship biologics manufacturing facility in Frederick and construction of a new facility in Gaithersburg for the development and clinical supply of innovative molecules to be used in clinical trials, according to a company spokesperson, who adds that the investment will support 2,600 jobs across the two sites in the state, including the retention of local roles, construction activity, and the creation of 300 highly skilled jobs.
The Frederick facility currently produces biologics. The planned expansion will nearly double commercial manufacturing capacity, enabling increased supply of existing medicines and, for the first time, production across the company’s rare disease portfolio. It is expected to be operational in 2029.
In parallel, AstraZeneca will build a new clinical manufacturing facility to expand its footprint in Gaithersburg. The facility is planned to be fully operational by 2029. Both the expanded facility in Frederick and the new facility in Gaithersburg will leverage AI, automation, and data analytics and be built to the highest environmental standards.
“Today marks a landmark moment for Maryland and American patients,” noted Pascal Soriot, CEO, AstraZeneca. “As the state’s largest biopharmaceutical employer, we are deepening our long-standing commitment to Maryland—supporting 2,600 jobs, catalyzing economic growth, and bringing our extensive rare disease portfolio onshore for the first time. This investment strengthens the resilience of the U.S. medicines supply chain and accelerates access to transformative therapies for patients across America and around the world.”
Today’s announcement is part of AstraZeneca’s $50 billion investment announced in July and follows a series of U.S. commitments over the past six months, including unveiling a new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville, MD, a new drug substance manufacturing facility in VA, and the expansion of the company’s existing manufacturing facility in Coppell, TX.
The U.S. is AstraZeneca’s largest market by sales and is also home to 19 R&D, manufacturing, and commercial sites. The company’s U.S. workforce exceeds more than 25,000 people and supports more than 100,000 jobs overall across the country. In 2025, AstraZeneca created approximately $20 billion of overall value to the American economy, point out company officials.
