Another Big Pharma is opening up its wallet to pour billions into its U.S. operations amid political pressure from the Trump administration.
This time it’s Gilead coming to the table with a fresh $11 billion in hand to spend across its manufacturing and research centers in the U.S.
Gilead broke down the new spending routes in a Wednesday release. The majority, $5 billion, will be funneled into technology, operations, and R&D site activities, while $4 billion will go into capital projects, including labs and equipment. The final $2 billion will be “invested in digital and advanced engineering initiatives,” the pharma said.
Exact details of just how, when and where this money will go were not provided.
Gilead did say, however, that this investment will help create around 800 “new direct jobs” while supporting "more than 2,200 indirect jobs by 2028.”
This $11 billion is on top of the already planned spend of $21 billion in U.S. manufacturing and R&D through 2030, Gilead said in its statement.
Altogether, that $32 billion will also be used to “support the building three new, state-of-the-art facilities, upgrading three existing sites to expand U.S. manufacturing and R&D capabilities, and investing in new technology and advanced engineering initiatives.”
This follows similar splashy U.S. investment moves over the past two months from the likes of J&J, AbbVie, Novartis and Roche, to name but a few. It also comes as the Trump administration has made public demands for more companies to either return to, or boost investment in, the U.S., as well as the government's general desire to see more manufacturing in the country.
While investing with one hand, like many pharmas, Gilead has not been immune to cutting with the other.
During the past two years, the infectious disease and oncology specialist has laid off 72 workers in Seattle, while also outlining plans to shutter its R&D support site in the city. Those culls, made last winter, came one year after it cut around 7% of its biotech buyout Kite’s total workforce in November 2023.