Merck Animal Health Partners With State Of Kansas To Invest $895 Million In De Soto’s Manufacturing And R&D Expansion

Merck Animal Health, also known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada and a division of Merck & Co., Inc., has announced a major \$895 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas. The capital investment will be directed toward the expansion of Merck Animal Health’s existing biologics manufacturing site in De Soto. The investment consists of \$860 million to enhance the existing manufacturing facility and an additional \$35 million to improve its research and development laboratories.

The expansion includes the construction of a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will increase capacity for filling and freeze-drying large molecule vaccines and biologic products. This facility will serve as a Center of Excellence, playing a key role in the production of Merck Animal Health’s products and complementing the company’s extensive global network of animal health product manufacturing plants.

Richard DeLuca, president, Merck Animal Health, said in a statement, “Our De Soto, Kansas manufacturing facility is strategically located in the heart of the Animal Health Corridor. This region is renowned for its concentration of animal health companies, fostering an unparalleled ecosystem for innovation, collaboration and industry leadership. This investment in our site is designed to increase Merck Animal Health’s ability to meet the growing customer demand for its portfolio of animal biologics products and ensure the company remains at the forefront of innovation in the animal health sector. This initiative also reflects our dedication to advancing animal health and our on-going investment in the communities where we operate.”

Governor Laura Kelly, mentioned, “This extraordinary investment by Merck Animal Health underscores my administration’s commitment to securing a strong economic future for our state and ensuring prosperity for generations to come. Public-private partnerships that lead to major global projects, such as those with Merck, Fiserv and Panasonic – just to name a few recent successes – are occurring because people believe in Kansas. They believe in who we are, what we are doing, and the direction we have taken.”

Site preparation and facility design will begin immediately, creating approximately 2,500 construction jobs. Commercial manufacturing is expected to start in 2030, and once operational, the expansion will create over 200 full-time jobs. In addition to the manufacturing facility, the investment in Merck Animal Health’s research and development laboratories will strengthen its capabilities in drug discovery and development. This will support the continued advancement of novel parasiticides and therapeutics, underscoring the company’s commitment to improving animal health and welfare globally.

“Merck’s massive expansion in De Soto further elevates Kansas’ long-established status as a global leader in animal health. The opportunities and ripple effects of having almost $1 billion surge into the local economy will have far-reaching and long-lasting reverberations across the entire state. Historic investments such as these truly benefit all Kansans, both now and into the future,” stated David Toland, Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce.

The expansion is being carried out in partnership with the state of Kansas and marks one of the largest economic development projects in the state’s recent history. This move highlights Merck Animal Health’s ongoing commitment to the U.S. market, where it has made substantial investments to develop innovative solutions for the prevention and treatment of animal diseases. Since the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Merck has allocated more than \$12 billion to enhance its domestic manufacturing and research operations, with further investments totaling more than \$9 billion planned through 2028.