Global biotech leaders Amgen and Gilead announcing expansions in California, the #1 state for life sciences

Earlier this month, biotechnology leader Amgen announced a $600 million investment to expand its global headquarters in Thousand Oaks with a new research center. The new development will expand their Ventura County-based workforce of 5,500 and bring together researchers, engineers and scientists from across disciplines to advance the next era of scientific discovery and human health.

In the same week, biopharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences broke ground on a new pharmaceutical development and manufacturing center as part of its broader $847 million investment to expand its Foster City campus. Once complete in 2029, these new facilities are anticipated to support nearly 2,500 jobs, contribute $227 million in annual GDP and strengthen the region’s role as a leader in biotechnology.

California dominates in life sciences

Together, these investments underscore the strength of the Golden State’s life sciences sector. In 2024 alone:

• The sector contributed $396 billion in economic output statewide, bolstered by over 17,200 establishments supporting more than 1.15 million jobs, 452,000 of which are directly employed life sciences workers. Manufacturing-focused roles make up 31.2% of the state’s total life sciences workforce, ranking California above Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
• California life science companies raised over $63 billion in VC investment, far more than other state.
• Companies exported $8.3 billion in pharmaceuticals and medicine products, and the state was the #1 exporter of medical equipment and supplies.

California is advancing career pathway initiatives to create good-paying jobs – with and without a college degree – while investing millions to bolster the life sciences sector as a part of the California Jobs First initiative. The state’s universities and private sector are also fueling breakthroughs in biotech, with the state investing $55 million of its higher education R&D into the industry. It is no surprise then that one in four U.S. Nobel Prizes in science has gone to a California institution, and that California is home to more Nobel Prize winners than any country in the world except the U.S. itself.

California’s economic strength 

California is not only sustaining our national economy — it is driving the future. With the world’s fourth-largest economy, an increasing state population and record-high tourism spending, California is the nation’s top state for new business starts, access to venture capital funding, and manufacturing, high-tech and agriculture.