Editor’s note: This is a breaking story that we will continue to update as more information is learned. (updated 8/27/25 11:20am)
The cat may out of the bag earlier than planned. Newly approved economic development incentives released by Virginia officials and reported on by the Richmond Times late Tuesday afternoon have revealed the locations where AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly may be establishing major new biomanufacturing facilities in the Commonwealth. Neither company has issued an official statement on the location yet, but the state’s economic development incentives have been made public: AstraZeneca is targeting Albemarle County near UVA. The bigger story is that Eli Lilly had not previously announced Virginia as an intended location so this is a brand new development. They appear to have selected a location just west of Richmond in Goochland County. Together, these are two huge developments that signal a massive win for Virginia and the broader life sciences sector, with hundreds of high-skilled jobs expected to follow.
The tip‑off came from announcements about state economic incentives, signaling Virginia’s commitment to landing these landmark projects with $10M economic incentive packages. It is unclear whether these were meant to be public just yet or not. That makes this a true breaking scoop, born from policy files rather than company press rooms.
The Eli Lilly Surprise!
Meanwhile, this is the first insights into Eli Lilly’s intention to open a facility in Virginia via the same incentive disclosures. This marks a significant shift—Virginia had not previously been named among Lilly’s announced U.S. manufacturing sites. Today’s documents suggest Goochland, just west of Richmond, is now on the map, though Lilly hasn’t yet weighed in specifically about the site selection.
BioBuzz did reach out and a company spokesperson from Eli Lilly provided this statement – “As announced in February, Lilly is actively evaluating manufacturing site locations throughout the U.S. to expand capacity to meet the growing demand for our current and future pipeline medicines across multiple therapeutic areas. Any future decisions will be shared at the appropriate time.“
While Goochland itself isn’t a historic biotech hub, it offers industrial readiness and proximity to Richmond’s Bio+Tech Park and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and to the manufacturing hub in Petersburg — home to one of the state’s most established biotech ecosystems. This strategic placement links Lilly to a growing corridor of pharmaceutical manufacturing and R&D stretching through Central Virginia.
AstraZeneca’s $2B Bet near UVA and Charlottesville
The Major Employer Investment Project Approval Commission (MEI) voted unanimously to advance incentive packages, each worth more than $10 million, according to a recap from CVille BioHub on LinkedIn. The approval underscores Virginia’s determination to cement itself as a hub for pharmaceutical innovation, manufacturing, and supply chain strength (CVille BioHub post).
“This marks another significant step in positioning our region — and the Commonwealth as a whole — at the center of global pharmaceutical innovation, manufacturing, and supply chain strength,” CVille BioHub wrote following the Times-Dispatch’s scoop.
Albemarle offers a rich ecosystem: see previous BioBuzz coverage
- University of Virginia (UVA) anchors biotech R&D through the forthcoming Manning Institute, a $350M biotech center slated to open by 2026/27.
- The Commonwealth Bio Accelerator at UVA’s North Fork Research Park, launched in partnership with CVille BioHub, provides lab space and commercialization support for startups.
- More than 65 biotech companies already operate in the Charlottesville area, supplying both talent and an innovation pipeline.
Why It Matters
- Jobs & Growth: Both facilities are expected to generate hundreds of direct positions and thousands of indirect jobs.
- Regional Competition: These projects vault Virginia into the same tier as Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania for life sciences investment.
- Unintended Reveal: The projects surfaced through state incentive approvals, not corporate announcements — leaving both AstraZeneca and Lilly poised to respond with official statements.
At a Glance
Editor’s note: At press time, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly had not issued official confirmations of their Virginia facilities. The details disclosed here originate from state incentive filings and legislative votes, as first reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
