BeOne Medicines, a pharmaceutical company based in Hopewell, New Jersey, is spending $300 million to expand its main manufacturing and research facility. This expansion will help produce more cancer-fighting drugs, especially for blood-related cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. The company has already invested over $1 billion in its Hopewell facilities, and this new project will add a three-story, 145,000 square-foot building next to its current site. This new building will include manufacturing and packaging for both biologic drugs (made from living cells) and small molecule drugs (made from chemical compounds), along with quality control labs. The expansion will also create about 120 new jobs in the area.
Aaron Rosenberg, the Chief Financial Officer of BeOne Medicines, said the company’s investment shows their dedication to improving drug manufacturing in the U.S. and making new, innovative treatments more accessible to patients with cancer.
This announcement comes at the same time as the U.S. President proposed new tariffs on generic medicines imported into the country. Currently, these medicines have a 0% tariff, but the plan is to increase it to 100% starting in August 2028 for one year, and then to 200%. A few months ago, the President also imposed a 100% tariff on brand-name patented medicines under a trade law called Section 232.
Evonik, another pharmaceutical company, recently invested $100 million to upgrade its drug manufacturing site in Lafayette, Indiana, showing that many companies are focusing on strengthening their U.S. manufacturing capabilities.