North Carolina Life Sciences Quick Facts

  • 860 life sciences companies, including 124 international companies representing 26 countries and employing 21,000 people[1]
  • 76,000 life sciences employees[1]
  • 2,500 life sciences support and related company sites, including construction companies, staffing firms, and IP attorneys[1]

Leading Production and Manufacturing Companies in NC

  • Eight of the top 10 largest pharma companies (based on 2025 revenue) will have operations in North Carolina, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, Roche/Genentech and Novartis.
  • North Carolina has 170+ life sciences manufacturing sites, employing 36,000 people, with leading companies such as Amgen, Baxter Healthcare, Biogen, Cook Medical, Genentech, Grifols, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Novonesis, Pfizer, Teleflex Medical, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Zoetis and more.[1]  Of these 170+ sites, more than 90 sites manufacture biologics or pharmaceuticals.
  • Drug substance and drug product manufacturing in North Carolina includes small-molecule therapeutics, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, treatments for obesity and diabetes, plasma-derived proteins and cell- and gene-based therapies, and industrial enzymes.  

1. NCBiotech Company Directory


How to Refer to NCBiotech

  • First reference: North Carolina Biotechnology Center
  • Subsequent references: NCBiotech

Media Contact

Christopher Capot 
Director of Public Relations 
North Carolina Biotechnology Center 
[email protected]
Mobile: 919-830-2052


Helpful Links

  1. NC Life Sciences News
  2. Life Sciences Sectors
  3. NCBiotech Company Directory
  4. NCBiotech Statewide Offices
  5. History of Biotechnology in North Carolina
  6. NCBiotech Newsletters
  7. Marketing Assets

Topics for Our Experts

  • Life sciences economic development

  • Biomanufacturing

  • Life sciences research and development 

  • Venture capital, private equity, and other funding opportunities 

  • Workforce development (training, education, community colleges, universities, and veterans) 

  • Real estate in life sciences 

  • Agtech (application of biology and technology for agriculture and plant science)

  • Regenerative medicine

  • Medical devices

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