By Josh Nathan-Kazis

The U.K.-based drugmaker GSK said late Tuesday that it plans to invest $30 billion over the next five years in the U.S., making it the latest drugmaker promising big spending on U.S. infrastructure.

President Donald Trump has made expanding domestic manufacturing a priority in his second term, while threatening tariffs as high as 200% on pharmaceutical imports. Drugmakers, in response, have been scrambling to plan multibillion-dollar investments in their U.S. operations.

GSK offered few details on the $30 billion headline number in its Tuesday press release. Its statement detailed plans for a $1.2 billion investment that would include construction of a manufacturing factory in Pennsylvania, set to begin next year, along with new AI capabilities to existing GSK manufacturing sites in the U.S.

Drugmakers like GSK have found themselves at the center of multiple Trump administration proposals, as the president and his allies have pushed for lower drug prices, higher drug tariffs, and limits on pharmaceutical advertising. Announcing big commitments to U.S. spending appears to be an effort to mitigate the threatened tariffs.

Eli Lilly has said it would spend $50 billion in the U.S. Earlier Tuesday it announced plans to build a $5 billion manufacturing facility outside of Richmond, Va., that the company says will "create 2,450 high-wage manufacturing and construction jobs." Johnson & Johnson said in March it would invest more than $55 billion in U.S. manufacturing, research & development, and technology over the next four years. In July, AstraZeneca said it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. by 2030, and Roche said in April that it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the same period.

GSK's announcement coincides with President Donald Trump's planned visit to the U.K., which begins Tuesday night. Trump will visit King Charles III at Windsor Castle and Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, his official country residence.

"This week's State Visit brings together two countries that have led the world in science and healthcare innovation," GSK CEO Emma Walmsley said in a statement. "We are proud to be part of both."

While GSK is headquartered in London, it relies heavily on U.S. sales. Through the first half of 2025, 50.7% of GSK's revenue came from the U.S. The company's top products include the shingles vaccine Shingrix, the COPD treatment Nucala, and a number of different HIV medicines. It also sells flu shots.

In its statement, GSK said the $30 billion investment would include capital investments in its U.S. supply chain and more spending on early stage R&D and drug development and testing in the U.S.

GSK's American depositary receipts are up 18.7% so far this year.

Write to Josh Nathan-Kazis at josh.nathan-kazis@barrons.com

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September 16, 2025 19:01 ET (23:01 GMT)

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