Feb 25 (Reuters) – Novartis said on Wednesday it intends to expand its U.S. footprint by establishing a radioligand therapy manufacturing site in Texas, which would be the first such facility in the state and fifth nationwide.
The investment is part of the Swiss drugmaker’s previously announced plan to spend $23 billion to build and expand facilities in the United States, as global drugmakers scramble to bolster their domestic manufacturing capabilities and inventories in response to the Trump administration’s steep tariffs on imported U.S. drugs.
Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, said: “The establishment of our fifth RLT manufacturing site in the United States strengthens our ability to meet growing demand, establishing the capabilities needed to deliver these next-generation treatments with the speed and precision required.”
Radioligand therapy is a targeted cancer treatment that delivers radiation directly to tumor cells. Novartis already markets the radioligand drug Pluvicto for prostate cancer and Lutathera for rare gastrointestinal tumors.
Construction on the 46,000-square-foot site in Denton, Texas, will begin this year and could be fully operational in 2028, the company said. The site is expected to create jobs in bioengineering, advanced manufacturing, quality and operations.
The Texas facility will join Novartis’ existing network of RLT sites covering New Jersey, Indiana and California, as well as the recently announced Florida facility.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
