Novartis Taps Florida for New Radioligand Cancer Therapy Facility

WINTER PARK, FL – January 09, 2026 – Novartis, a global leader in innovative medicines, announced today its plans to construct a state-of-the-art radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facility in Winter Park, Florida. The 35,000-square-foot site, expected to be operational by 2029, represents a significant step in the company's broader $23 billion, five-year investment strategy to bolster its manufacturing and research footprint across the United States.

This new facility will be the company’s fourth RLT manufacturing site in the country, designed to enhance the supply chain for a new class of time-sensitive cancer treatments and improve access for patients throughout the southeastern United States.

Florida's Biotech Boom Attracts Global Pharma Leader

The selection of Winter Park is a major validation of Florida’s concerted effort to position itself as a premier destination for the life sciences industry. The state has cultivated a business and regulatory environment that champions pharmaceutical innovation, a key factor in Novartis's decision. Florida currently ranks second in the nation for both pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing, with its biopharmaceutical sector contributing over $82.7 billion to the state's economy in 2022.

Novartis specifically cited the state’s investment in higher education and the development of a specialized, skilled workforce as critical to its choice. Florida's life sciences sector employs nearly 40,000 professionals, a number bolstered by a steady stream of STEM graduates from its universities. The new facility is expected to create approximately 50 high-quality local jobs with an average salary of $90,000, further strengthening the region's economic base.

“Thanks to deliberate, focused, intensified investments and world class health innovation partnerships, we have led Florida to become a national and world-recognized leader for breakthroughs in cancer treatment, neurological innovations, and more,” said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “Novartis’ investment in manufacturing cancer medicines here in Florida... is an incredible opportunity to welcome world class innovators to our incredibly collaborative and impactful life sciences community.”

A Strategic Move in Precision Oncology

Radioligand therapy represents a frontier in precision oncology. The treatment works by pairing a tumor-targeting molecule, or ligand, with a therapeutic radioisotope. This combination acts like a guided missile, delivering radiation directly to cancer cells anywhere in the body while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

However, the potent radioisotopes used in these therapies have a short half-life, making manufacturing and logistics exceptionally challenging. Each dose is individually prepared and must be administered to the patient within a very narrow time window. This inherent time-sensitivity makes a decentralized manufacturing network crucial for ensuring patient access and treatment reliability.

By establishing a facility in Florida, Novartis aims to significantly reduce delivery times for patients in the Southeast, reinforcing its ability to maintain a delivery success rate of over 99% on the scheduled day of treatment. This new site will join a growing network of existing and recently completed facilities in Indiana, New Jersey, and California.

“Building this new facility in Florida marks an important step in fulfilling the promise of RLT for patients,” said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. “Radioligand therapy has fundamentally changed how we approach certain cancers, and our growing US manufacturing network ensures we can continue to deliver these critical medicines with speed and reliability to patients who need them.”

The High-Stakes Race for Radioligand Dominance

Novartis has firmly established itself as a pioneer in the RLT space, being the only company with two FDA-approved treatments: Pluvicto and Lutathera. Pluvicto, approved for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, has become a blockbuster drug, generating $1.39 billion in sales in 2024 and surpassing chemotherapy in market share for its indication. Lutathera, for treating certain neuroendocrine tumors, has also seen steady growth.

The global RLT market is experiencing explosive growth, with projections estimating its value could exceed $13 billion by 2030. This potential has ignited a high-stakes race among pharmaceutical giants. Competitors are aggressively entering the field through strategic acquisitions, including Eli Lilly's purchase of POINT Biopharma and AstraZeneca's acquisition of Fusion Pharmaceuticals. Novartis's proactive expansion of its manufacturing capacity is a clear strategic move to defend its leadership position and meet the surging demand for its treatments.

The company's pipeline underscores its commitment, with over 15 clinical trials underway or planned to investigate RLT applications across a wide range of cancers, including breast, colon, lung, and pancreatic tumors.

Part of a Broader National Investment

The Winter Park facility is a key component of Novartis's ambitious $23 billion US investment plan announced in April 2025. This five-year initiative is designed to ensure that 100% of the company's key medicines for American patients are produced domestically, creating nearly 1,000 direct jobs and an estimated 4,000 additional jobs across the country.

Beyond the RLT network expansion, which includes a fifth planned site in Texas, the investment encompasses several major projects. A new $1.1 billion biomedical research innovation hub is being established in San Diego, California, serving as a second global R&D center for the company in the US. The plan also includes building new facilities for biologics and chemical drug substance production and bringing the manufacturing of its advanced small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology to the US for the first time.

This comprehensive strategy not only strengthens the supply chain for existing therapies but also builds the infrastructure needed to support a deep and diverse pipeline of next-generation medicines, solidifying the company's long-term commitment to advancing cancer care in the United States and globally.