Biotech Giant Amgen to Invest $600M in SoCal HQ Expansion
The investment comes on the heels of similar, $1B expansions in Ohio and North Carolina
By Nick Trombola September 3, 2025 12:40 pm
reprints
One of the world’s largest biotechnology companies is planning a major expansion at its headquarters in Southern California, even as some life sciences landlords struggle to fill already-delivered space.
Amgen, which operates in over 100 countries and collected nearly $34 billion in revenue last year, will spend $600 million on a state-of-the-art science and innovation facility at its nearly 200-acre campus in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Amgen has been based in Thousand Oaks since its founding in 1980.
The building will bring together scientists, engineers and researchers to discover next-generation therapeutics for serious diseases. The facility will feature “advanced automation and digital capabilities” to help achieve that goal, per Amgen.
“This new center will empower our scientists with the tools and collaborative environment they need to shape the next era of scientific discovery and advance medicines that improve human health,” Robert A. Bradway, Amgen chairman and CEO, said in a statement via Amgen’s announcement on Tuesday.
Construction on the new building is expected to begin this quarter. It comes as Amgen significantly expands its facilities across the U.S., including a $900 million buildout of its Ohio manufacturing plant, as well as a $1 billion plan to build a second manufacturing center in Holly Springs, N.C.
Amgen has invested over $40 billion in manufacturing, research and development since the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, according to the company, including over $5 billion in direct investments within the U.S.
While Amgen expands in Thousand Oaks, other life sciences real estate developers are still in correction mode after the explosion and subsequent decline in demand in the wake of the pandemic. The U.S. life sciences market needs 20 to 25 million square feet of net absorption to regain stability, according to a recent market report from JLL, as developers like Alexandria Real Estate Equities fight over a shrinking pool of tenants for the millions of square feet they’ve recently constructed.
Nick Trombola can be reached at ntrombola@commercialobserver.com.
