Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced plans to invest more than $1 billion in the construction of a new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. This move is part of the company’s broader initiative to invest $55 billion in the United States by early 2029.
The new plant is expected to employ 500 people when fully operational, with job creation set to occur over the next 12 years, according to Pennsylvania state authorities. At a press conference, J&J CEO Joaquin Duato stated that construction will begin in the second half of 2026, and production of cell therapies for patients is scheduled to start at the site in 2031. Duato also mentioned that some employees would be hired earlier for validation work at the facility.
The planned site will support J&J’s growing cell therapy portfolio. The company received FDA approval for its BCMA-directed CAR T cell therapy Carvykti in 2022 and partnered with Legend Biotech on a five-year agreement to outsource production to Novartis starting in 2024. Carvykti sales nearly doubled in 2025, reaching $1.9 billion.
Looking ahead, J&J’s pipeline features a CD20-based CAR T therapy, which it anticipates could generate annual sales exceeding $5 billion. Duato commented on the facility’s role, stating that once fully operational it will “serve thousands of patients each year, shortening delivery times for these very personalized therapies.”
Duato explained that Pennsylvania was chosen for its strong talent pool and academic resources. The state government is providing up to $2.5 million to support workforce development training through a local community college or technical school as part of a larger $41.5 million package including tax credits, grants, and other financial incentives.
The region near Philadelphia has become a hub for cell therapies due to pioneering research by teams at Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Researchers such as Carl June and Bruce Levine contributed significantly to early CAR T developments like Novartis’ Kymriah. Numerous startups have emerged from these institutions, attracting companies like Iovance—which manufactures tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte cell therapies locally—and contract manufacturer Minaris Advanced Therapies.
This announcement follows another major investment in Pennsylvania: three weeks ago, Eli Lilly revealed plans to spend $3.5 billion on a manufacturing plant for injectable obesity drugs such as tirzepatide and retatrutide in Lehigh Valley. The Lilly facility will also begin operations in 2031 as part of its larger reshoring strategy.
