Swiss healthcare giant Roche Holding AG (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) has announced a major investment plan, committing USD 50 billion to its operations in the United States over the next five years. This substantial capital infusion aims to bolster Roche’s manufacturing and research capabilities across pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, reinforcing its extensive U.S. presence and creating thousands of new jobs.
Roche’s investment will enhance its existing infrastructure, which currently includes 13 manufacturing sites and 15 research and development (R&D) centers spread across eight states, employing over 25,000 people. The company plans to expand and upgrade facilities in Kentucky, Indiana, New Jersey, Oregon, and California to support its innovative medicines and diagnostics portfolio.
Key projects include a new gene therapy manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, a 900,000-square-foot manufacturing center dedicated to next-generation weight loss medicines with the location yet to be announced, and a manufacturing plant for continuous glucose monitoring devices in Indiana. Additionally, there is a new R&D center in Massachusetts focused on artificial intelligence research and serving as a hub for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism (CVRM) research, along with significant expansion and upgrades of existing R&D centers in Arizona, Indiana, and California.
Roche advises that these developments are expected to generate more than 12,000 new jobs, including approximately 6,500 construction roles and 1,000 permanent positions within Roche’s operations.
Roche’s CEO, Thomas Schinecker, highlighted the company’s long-standing commitment to the U.S., noting its 110-year legacy in the country as a driver of innovation, job creation, and intellectual property. The investment is designed to lay the foundation for Roche’s next phase of growth and innovation, benefiting patients domestically and globally.
Once the new and expanded manufacturing capacities are operational, Roche anticipates exporting more medicines from the U.S. than it imports, signaling a shift toward greater U.S.-based production and global distribution. Currently, Roche’s diagnostics division already maintains an export surplus from the U.S. to other countries.
Roche’s announcement comes amid a broader trend of pharmaceutical companies increasing their U.S. investments, partly in response to evolving trade policies and the potential imposition of tariffs on imported medicines. This move aligns Roche with peers such as Novartis and AstraZeneca, which have also recently announced significant U.S. investment plans.
The company’s focus on advanced manufacturing technologies, gene therapies, and AI-driven R&D underscores its strategy to remain at the forefront of personalized healthcare and biotechnology innovation.
Founded in Basel, Switzerland, in 1896, Roche is the world’s largest biotechnology company and a leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company operates globally, with a strong emphasis on scientific excellence to develop medicines and diagnostics that improve and save lives. Roche integrates diagnostics and pharmaceuticals with data insights to transform healthcare delivery.
Roche is committed to sustainability, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2045 in line with the Science Based Targets initiative. Its U.S. operations include Genentech, a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, and it holds a majority stake in Japan’s Chugai Pharmaceutical.
This investment marks a significant expansion of Roche’s U.S. footprint, reinforcing its role as a major contributor to the American pharmaceutical and diagnostics sectors through job creation, innovation, and enhanced manufacturing capabilities.
