Novartis opens radioligand therapy manufacturing facility in California

Novartis (NVS) announced the opening of a new 10,000-square-foot radioligand therapy manufacturing facility in Carlsbad, California. This site represents a key milestone in the company’s previously announced $23B investment in US infrastructure over the next five years. The opening of the Carlsbad manufacturing facility allows Novartis to seamlessly meet future demand for RLT, adding additional capacity and augmenting the company’s world-class supply chain capabilities. The Carlsbad facility has been filed with the FDA as an additional US point of supply, and commercial manufacturing may begin once approval is granted. RLTs are a form of precision medicine that combines a tumor-targeting molecule with a therapeutic radioisotope, enabling the delivery of radiation to the tumor with the goal of limiting damage to the surrounding cells. Because each RLT dose is custom-made and time-sensitive, with a radioactive half-life measured in hours, proximity to treatment centers and transit hubs helps ensure patients receive their treatment when and where they need it. In addition to the Carlsbad opening, Novartis has announced multiple construction initiatives and future plans in the US, including: Two additional RLT manufacturing facilities in Florida and Texas. Expansion of existing sites in Durham, North Carolina, Indianapolis, Indiana, and Millburn, New Jersey. Establishing its second global R&D hub in the US with a new state-of-the-art biomedical research innovation facility in San Diego, California. These investments, enabled by a pro-innovation policy and regulatory environment in the US, reflect Novartis’ broad commitment to the market and building its infrastructure. Novartis expects to invest nearly $50 billion in its US operations over the next five years, including the $23 billion announced earlier this year, underscoring its long-term commitment to strengthening the US healthcare ecosystem.