Merck has started construction on a 470,000-square-foot biologics facility in Wilmington, Delaware that will cost $1 billion to build.
The site, named Merck Wilmington Biotech, will serve as a launch and commercial production center for next-generation biologics — including antibody-drug conjugates — and will become the future U.S. manufacturing home for its blockbuster cancer therapy Keytruda.
The immunotherapy is used to treat various cancers and is currently being studied in more than 1,600 clinical trials. Merck’s expansion in Delaware aims to bring production of the therapy closer to U.S. patients while supporting the company’s growing biologics portfolio.
Located at the Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park, the facility is expected to create more than 500 full-time jobs and about 4,000 construction jobs. Lab operations are slated to start by 2028, with investigational compound production beginning by 2030. Merck said the site’s proximity to universities and its existing operations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will help attract scientific talent.
The Wilmington site is part of Merck’s broader investment in U.S. manufacturing. Since 2017, the company has invested more than $12 billion in domestic infrastructure, including recent expansions in North Carolina, according to the company. Merck plans to spend an additional $9 billion over the next four years to further grow its U.S. manufacturing and R&D footprint.
“The company plans to invest $3.5 billion in biologics and small molecule manufacturing sites and capabilities in the U.S., creating an anticipated 650 additional full-time roles,” Merck said in its announcement. “Our efforts across the U.S. are forecasted to create more than 37,600 construction-related employment opportunities by 2028.”
In March, Merck announced the opening of a 225,000-square-foot vaccine manufacturing facility at its site in Durham, North Carolina. The company invested $1 billion in the plant, which manufactures Merck’s human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines Gardasil and Gardasil 9.