Life sciences companies from around the globe continued to favor North Carolina for both new sites and expanded operations in 2025.
Eighteen companies announced expansions, headquarters relocations, or new facilities totaling $3.79 billion during the year. The projects are expected to create 1,380 jobs in 10 communities across the state.
“North Carolina’s collaborative approach to life sciences economic development and workforce development strategy continued to shine bright in 2025,” said Laura Rowley, Ph.D., vice president of life sciences economic development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. “From welcoming new companies to celebrating milestone anniversaries to breaking ground on new training facilities, we were grateful to honor this vibrant community.”
Biogen, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in the state in October 2025, accounted for more than half of the total investment by announcing it would spend $2 billion to expand capabilities and modernize manufacturing technologies at the company's two existing campuses in Research Triangle Park. The company also pledged $250,000 to Durham Technical Community College for a new Life Sciences Center.
In another Durham Tech update, the college and Novo Nordisk officials broke ground in September 2025 on a new $41.2 million life sciences education center that will prepare students for careers in North Carolina's booming biotechnology sector.
Two other global brands, Novartis and Genentech, also announced major investments in the Research Triangle region for new manufacturing capacity.
Novartis, calling it “a new flagship manufacturing hub with end-to-end manufacturing capabilities,” said it would invest $771 million in three projects – three sites, spanning two counties (Durham and Wake), and three types of therapeutics – that will bring 380 new jobs: a small-molecule operation for advanced pharmaceutical ingredients in Morrisville, expanded aseptic fill/finish capabilities in Durham and acquisition of an existing biologics facility in Durham.
Genentech announced in 2025 that it would invest $700 million in a new fill/finish facility in Holly Springs, its first production site on the East Coast. The 700,000-square-foot facility will hire 420 employees.
Genentech joins Amgen, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies and CSL as having major biomanufacturing facilities in Holly Springs, about 20 miles southwest of Raleigh. Genentech’s site joins those of Lilly and Novo Nordisk that are working on treatments for metabolic conditions.
In addition to Genentech, Ypsomed Manufacturing USA also announced it would be joining the growing life sciences community in Holly Springs. The Swiss med device company announced plans to invest $195.4 million at its first North American manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, creating 62 jobs. The company develops and manufactures injection systems for the self-administration of liquid medicine, important for GLP-1s. Ypsomed will be anchoring space at THE YIELD Holly Springs, a purpose-built life sciences campus developed by Crescent Communities on New Hill Road, one of several speculative spaces in and around the Triangle that were developed with life sciences companies in mind.
Liquidia, a developer of therapies for rare cardiopulmonary diseases, announced it had leased 70,000 square feet of space in Morrisville for a new state-of-the-art facility that will include production cleanroom space to house additional manufacturing lines, analytical labs and additional cleanroom space for future production needs. Both Liquidia and Novartis, mentioned above, will be growing at Pathway Triangle, a new advanced manufacturing campus in Morrisville.
Coriolis Pharma, a German contract research, development and manufacturing organization, announced plans to invest $10.8 million and add 50 new jobs over the next five years to establish a U.S. headquarters and laboratory in Durham.
The company is leasing office and lab space at Alexandria's Center for Advanced Technology in RTP to provide clients with particle analysis, analytical method and liquid formulation development for biologics.
OXB, a British contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), acquired a gene therapy manufacturing site from Resilience (formerly owned by bluebird bio) for $4.5 million. OXB plans to invest in the facility and hire additional staff for commercial manufacturing.
LigaTrap transitioned to become ChromaGenix following receipt of a $35 million investment that will fund a new R&D and GMP manufacturing facility in Raleigh, expanded customer support, and up to 40 new jobs in scientific, commercial and operational areas. The company develops novel products to help biopharmaceutical manufacturers purify complex biologics more efficiently, with improved yields. ChromaGenix has planned a groundbreaking event in April 2026.
A busy year for Charlotte
The greater Charlotte region attracted three investments totaling more than $80 million in 2025.
Healsee Capsules announced it had acquired a building in Bessemer City, 25 miles west of Charlotte, to create a pharmaceutical capsule manufacturing plant. The company will invest $56 million and create 175 jobs.
Groninger USA, an international manufacturer of filling and closing machines for the pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare and cosmetics industries, announced a $15.1 million expansion of its manufacturing operations in Charlotte, creating 60 jobs.
DetraPel, a clean-tech advanced materials company, announced the relocation of its headquarters and advanced manufacturing operations to Charlotte from Massachusetts. The $3.5 million investment will bring 30 jobs.
The region also celebrated the grand opening of the Pearl Medical Innovation District in Midtown Charlotte. The Pearl is a 26-acre mixed-use development containing medical offices, labs, and retail and residential space, anchored by a second Wake Forest School of Medicine campus.
The Pearl hosted NCBiotech Summit 2025, a day-long event focused on economic development, innovation and workforce development.
Piedmont Triad gains investments
Other areas of the state also registered significant life science investments in 2025.
WH Farms announced plans to create a formulation and manufacturing site in Winston-Salem to develop and produce hemp-infused products. The $2.9 million investment will create 41 jobs.
Winston-Salem also welcomed ReAgent Chemical Services, with the company announcing its plans to create 30 jobs and invest $5.6 million in a new facility. The British company engages in bespoke chemical manufacturing and blending, ampoule filling, bottling, contract packaging and repacking, as well as making custom chemical coatings.
GMAX Industries, a manufacturer of medical disposable products for the healthcare industry, announced plans to establish its first North American medical products manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem. GMAX will invest $11.4 million and create 36 jobs.
Torvan Medical, a Canadian medical equipment manufacturing firm, announced plans to build a $35 million facility in High Point that will house the company's U.S. headquarters, research and development, training, manufacturing, assembly and distribution operations. The facility will employ 35 people.
Lots of accolades in 2025
For the third time in four years, CNBC ranked North Carolina as “America’s Top State for Business” in 2025. (Link to our coverage at the bottom of this article.)
Business Facilities, a source of news and trends for site-selection decision-makers, recognized the Accelerate NC Coalition with a 2025 Economic Development Organization award. The Accelerate NC Coalition is a statewide partnership dedicated to strengthening North Carolina’s life sciences manufacturing workforce. It is led by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center with involvement by about 30 industrial, academic and economic development partners.
In March 2025, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center wasCNBC honor named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025. The annual list shines a spotlight on businesses that are shaping industry and culture through their innovations to set new standards and achieve remarkable milestones in all sectors of the economy, according to the magazine. NCBiotech was among 10 companies in the Economic Development company category, and the magazine highlighted NCBiotech’s Accelerate NC Coalition as one of the big reasons for the honor.
The Raleigh-Cary metropolitan statistical area in N.C.’s Research Triangle region ranked as the top region for therapeutic biologics production in the latest Best Places for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Insights Report, which detailed the top 10 metro areas.
North Carolina was named the 2025 State of the Year by Business Facilities magazine, recognizing the state’s strong business climate and continued success in attracting investment and creating jobs in communities statewide. The designation reflects North Carolina’s performance across key economic development indicators, including workforce and education, infrastructure, business incentives, quality of life, and business attraction and retention.
“This recognition underscores the progress North Carolina is making to build a strong, resilient economy that works for all parts of our state,” said N.C. Gov. Josh Stein. “Last year, we had the best year in state history for job announcements and capital investments. We’re the number one state for business in the country and the top state for workforce development. We’ve got to keep our foot on the gas to make sure that everyone benefits from expanding growth and opportunity.”
Additional details on the 2025 designation will appear in the January/February 2026 issue of Business Facilities.
2026 off to a great start
Genentech, considered one of the biotech industry’s founding companies, announced in May 2025 that it planned to build a $700 million, 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Holly Springs and employ 420 people at the new high-volume fill-finish site.
On Jan. 20, 2026, the company announced it was more than doubling that investment to $2 billion, increasing production volume and scale at the facility, which broke ground in August 2025, and adding 100 new jobs, bringing the total to more than 500.
The expanded investment will allow the South San Francisco-based company, a member of the Roche Group, to significantly increase the facility’s output.
On Jan. 12, 2026, Johnson & Johnson, having already announced several manufacturing investments in North Carolina, announced another one: a new drug product manufacturing facility in Wilson, to add as many as 500 people making medicines for oncology and neurological diseases.
The company said this new multi-million-dollar additional investment is part of its efforts to deliver on its previously announced $55 billion investment to support U.S. drug manufacturing, research and development, and technology investments by early 2029.