WILMINGTON, DE — AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN) announced plans to invest $2 billion to expand its manufacturing footprint in Maryland, marking the company’s fourth major U.S. commitment this year and advancing its broader $50 billion strategy for domestic medicines production and R&D.
The investment will support major upgrades at the company’s biologics facility in Frederick and fund construction of a new clinical manufacturing site in Gaithersburg. Combined, the two projects are expected to support 2,600 jobs across the state, including 300 new high-skill roles and nearly 1,900 construction positions.
AstraZeneca said the Frederick expansion will nearly double its commercial biologics capacity, increasing supply for medicines across its cancer, autoimmune, respiratory, and rare disease portfolios. The site will also begin producing rare disease treatments in the United States for the first time. The upgraded facility is slated to be operational in 2029 and will add 200 permanent roles.
In Gaithersburg, the company plans to build a next-generation clinical manufacturing center to support development and supply of early-stage molecules for clinical trials. The new facility will retain 400 jobs, create 100 additional positions, and support 1,000 construction jobs. AstraZeneca expects the site to be fully operational by 2029.
Both facilities will incorporate advanced automation, AI-enabled systems, and data-driven manufacturing processes. The company said the sites will also be built to its highest environmental and sustainability standards.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said AstraZeneca’s expansion reflects the state’s strength in biotechnology and supports long-term economic priorities. Moore said the investment reinforces Maryland’s position as a global life-sciences leader and strengthens the U.S. medicine supply chain.
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot described the announcement as a major milestone for the company and for patients nationwide. He said the projects deepen AstraZeneca’s roots in Maryland, catalyze economic growth, and expand access to therapies across the company’s rare disease portfolio.
The Maryland expansions add to a series of major U.S. investments AstraZeneca has announced over the past six months, including a new cell therapy facility in Rockville, Maryland; a drug-substance manufacturing site in Virginia; and an expansion of its production operations in Coppell, Texas.
The United States remains AstraZeneca’s largest market, home to 19 R&D, manufacturing, and commercial facilities. The company employs more than 25,000 people nationwide and estimates it contributed about $20 billion to the U.S. economy in 2025.
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