Overview

• Celltrion USA signed an agreement to acquire Eli Lilly’s Branchburg, N.J., manufacturing facility for 460 billion won (about $330 million) with closing targeted by year-end.
• The company plans at least 1.4 trillion won in total investment for acquisition, initial operations, and a capacity expansion on adjacent land.
• The FDA-approved, cGMP-compliant site will serve as a one-stop U.S. hub spanning production through commercialization to localize supply and reduce costs.
• Celltrion will continue contract manufacturing for Lilly at the plant and expects product validation in roughly a year, targeting about half of the facility for its own products by the end of 2026.
• Executives cast the move as a hedge against potential U.S. drug import tariffs after earlier steps such as pre-shipping inventory, and Celltrion shares jumped about 8.9 percent on the announcement.