Key Takeaways
- Massive U.S. Commitment: British drugmaker GSK announced a five-year, $30 billion investment in U.S. research, development, and manufacturing, including a new biologics “flex” factory in Pennsylvania.
- Trump’s Policy Influence: The move reflects President Trump’s push for Big Pharma to bring operations home under threat of tariffs as high as 250% on foreign-made drugs.
- Jobs and Global Leadership: The project will create hundreds of American jobs, strengthen U.S. supply chains, and cement America’s role as the world leader in life sciences innovation.
President Donald Trump’s “America First” economic vision continues to pay dividends—literally. British pharmaceutical giant GSK announced a five-year, $30 billion investment in U.S. research, development, and manufacturing just as Trump touched down in the U.K. for his state visit.
The money will be spread across GSK’s American supply chain, drug discovery, and clinical trials. In fact, the company says the U.S. will host more of its trials than any other country in the world during this period. Translation: America is the center of gravity for global biotech.
Of that $30 billion, $1.2 billion is earmarked for advanced manufacturing and AI—funding a new biologics “flex” factory in Upper Merion, Pennsylvania, and expanding digital capabilities at plants in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland, and Montana. Hundreds of jobs will follow, from construction workers to engineers and scientists.
GSK CEO Emma Walmsley called the plan a reflection of the “shared interests that connect the U.K. and the United States,” noting both nations’ leadership in healthcare innovation. That may be true—but make no mistake, this is also about Trump’s tough trade policy. By threatening tariffs of up to 250% on foreign-made drugs, the president made it clear: invest in America, or risk losing America. Big Pharma listened.
They’re not alone. Roche has pledged $50 billion in U.S. projects, Johnson & Johnson $55 billion, Sanofi and Novartis $20 billion each. Eli Lilly just unveiled a $5 billion cancer drug facility in Virginia. Meanwhile, across the pond, the U.K. is bleeding investment as Merck, Sanofi, and AstraZeneca scale back.
Once again, Trump is proving that strong leadership, tough negotiations, and unapologetic economic nationalism don’t just bring jobs home—they make America the undisputed leader in life sciences.