Bayer invests $2.2 billion in a new pharmaceutical plant in Ohio — focus on the American market

Bayer, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical groups, will invest $2.2 billion in a new manufacturing plant in New Albany, Ohio, as the German company’s pharmaceutical unit announced on Friday. The investment is part of a broader push to increase the revenues of its business in the United States, where the company is increasingly strengthening its presence.

According to the company, the project is expected to create about 600 highly paid jobs in New Albany, while during the construction phase about another 1,500 temporary jobs will also be created.

Chief operating officer for pharmaceuticals Sebastian Guth said the prescription-drugs unit has increased the United States’ share of global revenues from 20 percent in 2018 to 35 percent today, and aims to double sales in the American market by the end of the decade.

Among the main products that will support the expansion are Kerendia for the treatment of chronic kidney disease, Nubeqa against prostate cancer, and the candidate asundexian for stroke prevention — drugs Bayer sees as the engine of future growth.

The news, reported by the Reuters agency, comes at a time when President Donald Trump is putting pressure on pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices in the U.S., which remain among the highest in the world.

“It is a very deliberate decision to strengthen our presence in the United States, alongside our historically strong presence in Europe and our powerful one in Asia,” Guth said. Under the plan, the plant for producing the active substance will come into operation in 2031, while the finished-product plant in 2034.