Major pharma is ramping up US manufacturing footprint, with recent announcements pointing to large, multi-year capacity builds for biologics and advanced modalities. The updates include AstraZeneca’s new manufacturing investment in Virginia, Merck breaking ground on a $3 billion center in Elkton, and Eli Lilly’s announced $5 billion facility in Goochland County, along with a separate $3.5 billion Pennsylvania investment supporting advanced therapies and injectables. USP’s commentary frames the push as a workforce challenge as much as a capacity one, arguing that sustained output depends on training, qualification, and regulatory-ready staffing for biologics manufacturing, testing, and quality systems. The cluster of capital expenditures underscores that near-term throughput gains will hinge on talent pipeline scaling alongside plant construction and technology transfer.