Novartis (NVS) announced the opening of a new 10,000-square-foot radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facility in Carlsbad, California—its third RLT site in the United States. The expansion is part of the company’s previously stated commitment to invest $23 billion in the U.S. over the next five years.
The Carlsbad site is designed to increase manufacturing capacity for radioligand therapies, helping meet projected future demand while strengthening the company’s supply chain operations. Radioligand therapy combines a radioactive isotope with a cancer-targeting ligand to deliver precise treatment while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Because RLT doses are custom-made and time-sensitive, production sites must be located near treatment centers and major transport hubs. Novartis noted that the new California facility will help ensure timely access for patients across the western United States, Alaska, and Hawaii.
Commercial manufacturing is expected to begin once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants approval.
Novartis also plans to build two additional RLT manufacturing facilities in Florida and Texas. Alongside these new projects, the company aims to expand existing operations in Durham, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Millburn, New Jersey. It additionally plans to establish a second global R&D hub in the U.S., located in San Diego, California.
According to Novartis, the United States remains one of its key priority geographies, alongside China, Germany, and Japan.
