On Oct. 20, 2025, Merck announced the start of construction for a $3 billion, 400,000-square-foot pharmaceutical manufacturing facility at its Elkton, Virginia, site.

Merck’s investment in the Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing is part of a more than $70 billion investment beginning in 2025 to expand domestic manufacturing and research and development — not including any future business development transactions in R&D — to drive its long-term growth and strengthen the status of the U.S. as a global leader in biopharmaceutical innovation.

This expansion builds on Merck’s nearly 85-year history in Elkton, Virginia, enhancing the site with a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical Center of Excellence that will include both Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient and Drug Product investment supporting small molecule manufacturing and testing and will potentially create more than 500 full-time roles as well as 8,000 construction jobs.

In addition, Merck plans to invest $3 billion in biologics and small molecule manufacturing sites and capabilities in the U.S., which is expected to create more than 800 jobs, while also investing more than $3.5 billion in its Rahway, N.J. headquarters, which is expected to create roughly 1,000 jobs across research and clinical manufacturing.

The company’s efforts across the U.S. will further fortify domestic production and distribution of U.S. medicines and vaccines to protect patients and are forecasted to create more than 48,000 construction-related employment opportunities by 2029.