Photo Courtesy of AbbVie
Durham, NC (Apr. 22, 2026) — AbbVie will create 734 new jobs and invest $1.4 billion in a new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Durham, marking the company’s largest-ever capital commitment to a single campus.
The announcement represents a major win for North Carolina’s life sciences sector and further strengthens the Research Triangle’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading hubs for biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and advanced manufacturing.
Governor Josh Stein said North Carolina’s combination of world-class research institutions, innovation capacity, and a thriving life sciences ecosystem continues to attract major biopharmaceutical investments.
The first phase of development will take place on a 185-acre campus and include:
- Small volume parenteral (SVP) drug product manufacturing facilities
- Next-generation laboratories
- Warehousing and logistics space
- Administrative offices
- Employee wellness facilities
- Room for future expansion tied to AbbVie’s growing product pipeline
Construction is expected to begin this year, with completion targeted by the end of 2028.
Average annual wages at the facility are projected to exceed $118,000, providing high-quality employment opportunities across manufacturing, engineering, operations, and life sciences disciplines.
AbbVie employs approximately 57,000 people in more than 70 countries, with medicines and treatments reaching an estimated 60 million people annually worldwide.
Although this will be AbbVie’s first direct operating presence in North Carolina, the company already maintains strong economic ties to the state. Last year alone, AbbVie spent $538 million with 361 North Carolina suppliers, reflecting the depth of the state’s pharmaceutical and manufacturing supply chain.
Christopher Chung said the decision validates the strength of North Carolina’s life sciences ecosystem, highly skilled workforce, and ability to support both innovation and manufacturing at scale.
North Carolina is currently home to more than 860 life sciences companies employing over 76,000 workers, making it one of the fastest-growing bioscience clusters in the United States.
The project involved collaboration among numerous state, regional, and local partners, including Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, higher education institutions, workforce organizations, utilities, and local government leaders.
For Durham and the broader Research Triangle region, AbbVie’s investment adds another marquee employer and reinforces North Carolina’s momentum as a premier destination for next-generation pharmaceutical manufacturing.
