Bayer plans to build $2.2B Ohio drug manufacturing site

Bayer plans to put $2.2 billion toward the construction of a new drug production site in Ohio, with a starting focus in oncology, cardiovascular and kidney therapies.

Described as a modular campus that will span drug substance and product manufacturing, the site outside Columbus in New Albany is slated to create about 600 new jobs. The project is part of a broader $7 billion that Bayer has set aside for R&D and manufacturing in the U.S. over the past five years.

“Bayer has long seen the United States as a key manufacturing base and innovation hub. This landmark investment underscores our commitment,” CEO Bill Anderson said in a statement.

The location’s first drug substance manufacturing lines will aim to come online in 2031, followed by a product manufacturing module in 2034. The construction at the New Albany International Business Park is expected to support about 1,500 jobs.

Bayer also maintains sites in Pennsylvania, California, Massachusetts and North Carolina, in addition to its U.S. pharmaceutical headquarters in New Jersey.

Related: Bayer plans significant job cuts as it restructures

“The facility will be a strong strategic addition to our global Product Supply network,” said Holger Weintritt, Bayer’s head of pharmaceutical product supply. “As we continue to invest in our existing manufacturing sites around the globe, our planned presence in Ohio will further enhance our ability to serve our markets with greater resilience and reliability.”

Last year, Bayer marked the launch of a 70,000-square-foot expansion at its Myerstown, Pennsylvania site, following a $44 million investment in 2022 toward the production of brands such as Aspirin, Aleve, Claritin, One A Day, Alka-Seltzer Plus, Midol and more.