Eli Lilly Opens 82K Sq Ft Biotech Hub In San Diego

Eli Lilly has opened its newest Gateway Labs biotech innovation hub in San Diego, a 82,514 square foot facility that can house up to 15 life sciences companies and 250 employees. This is the company's fourth U.S. Gateway Labs site, complementing locations in South San Francisco, Boston, and an international site in Beijing, developed in partnership with Alexandria Real Estate Equities. Gateway Labs offers early-stage biotech companies access to wet lab facilities, scientific guidance, and strategic support to foster drug discovery and development, with hosted companies having raised over $2 billion since 2019. Lilly's Chief Scientific Officer Daniel Skovronsky emphasized the company's commitment to collaborating with the biotech ecosystem and supporting innovation through these shared lab spaces. The opening also aligns with President Trump's threat of imposing 100% tariffs on pharmaceutical imports unless companies increase domestic manufacturing, with Lilly concurrently investing $27 billion in U.S. manufacturing, including a $6.5 billion plant in Houston. The Gateway Labs initiative is part of Lilly's broader Catalyze360 program, which integrates strategic capital, lab space, and R&D capabilities to accelerate biotech innovation.