Johnson & Johnson announced Feb. 18 that it will invest more than $1 billion to build a next-generation cell therapy manufacturing facility in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, expanding its U.S. production capacity for advanced treatments targeting cancer and neurological and immune-related diseases.
The new site, to be operated by subsidiary Janssen Biotech, will be located in Lower Gwynedd Township, north of downtown Philadelphia. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to create more than 500 permanent biomanufacturing jobs and generate approximately 4,000 construction trades positions.
The project builds on Johnson & Johnson’s significant presence in the Commonwealth, where the company operates 10 facilities totaling more than 2 million square feet.
“By uniting scientific excellence with state-of-the-art manufacturing and strategic investment, and by working collaboratively with our communities, we are delivering for patients and creating significant opportunities for workers and families,” Chairman and CEO Joaquin Duato said in a statement.
The Montgomery County facility is part of Johnson & Johnson’s previously announced $55 billion plan to expand its manufacturing and research and development footprint across the United States.
The announcement follows a separate major life sciences investment in the state by Eli Lilly, which said Jan. 31 it will invest more than $3.5 billion in a new injectable medicines and device manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.
To support the project, Johnson & Johnson secured a $41.5 million funding package from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The company also received a proposal for up to $12 million in tax credits through the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Qualified Manufacturing Innovation and Reinvestment Deduction program, as well as an additional $2 million in tax credits through the state’s Manufacturing Tax Credit program, which incentivizes companies that increase annual taxable payrolls by at least $1 million through the creation of new full-time jobs.
Additional state support includes a $15 million grant from the Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites program and a $10 million grant from Pennsylvania First.
Rick Siger, secretary of the state’s economic development agency, said the investment further strengthens Pennsylvania’s position as a national life sciences hub.
“We value Johnson & Johnson’s longtime partnership here in Pennsylvania,” Siger said in a statement. “This announcement sends a clear message that Pennsylvania is competing—and winning—when it comes to attracting world-class life sciences companies, growing high-quality jobs, and driving long-term economic growth across the Commonwealth.”
Pennsylvania’s life sciences sector employs more than 100,000 workers across nearly 3,100 companies and is projected to add more than 6,500 jobs over the next decade, with nearly two-thirds of that growth concentrated in research and development roles.
Major industry players with operations in the state include Bayer, Sanofi, and Merck & Co., underscoring Pennsylvania’s expanding footprint in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and innovation.
