The start of a new project, like the one in Kankakee, rightly turns our focus to the future. In Illinois and beyond, we celebrated this news with those who care deeply about how we’ll meet the growing need for plasma-derived medicines. Joining us at our launch announcement was Jorey Berry, whose presence and remarks rank as my No. 1 takeaway:
1. Patients power our vision.
Berry, who heads the Immune Deficiency Foundation, spoke on behalf of primary immunodeficiency (PI) patients.
“Manufacturing plasma-derived therapies is a lengthy and complex process, and maintaining reliable supply is an ongoing challenge. Patients depend on meaningful investment from industry partners — and on policies that support, rather than hinder, that commitment,” she said. “For the Immune Deficiency Foundation, this expansion in Kankakee is a powerful sign that patients' hopes are truly being prioritized."
As head of the Immune Deficiency Foundation, Berry advocates for people living with PI diseases, a group of 550+ conditions that weaken the immune system. They’re at risk of serious, sometimes life-threatening infections and depend on immunoglobulin, a plasma-derived medicine.
2. We’re incorporating a new, more efficient technology at Kankakee.
Plasma-derived therapies occupy a unique space in medicine, treating serious and rare diseases by harnessing proteins found in human plasma. Those proteins enable critical bodily functions, such as fighting infection or helping blood clot. As part of the Kankakee expansion, CSL will incorporate a patented technology that treats donated human plasma as the precious resource it is.
The expanded Kankakee facility will feature an enhanced process known as “Horizon 2” that increases efficiency and enables significantly greater production of immunoglobulin from the same base amount of plasma. We will increase the protein yield from each gram of plasma collected, strengthening Kankakee's role as a vital site and positioning our U.S. network to support sustained growth of CSL therapies.
Plasma-based medicines are possible because of the people who donate plasma and employees who have the expertise needed to fractionate it. Fractionation means to separate human plasma into various components – and it’s complex, requiring workers with specialized skills.
3. The Kankakee project will create 300 pharmaceutical jobs – a point emphasized by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
“This expansion will create hundreds of good-paying jobs and strengthen domestic supply chains for critical therapies,” Pritzker said. “CSL's continued growth in Kankakee County builds on decades of innovation and manufacturing leadership right here in Illinois.”
In addition, the construction phase is expected to create 800 construction and related jobs.
4. With this expansion, we’re building upon decades of history at Kankakee.
The Kankakee location, home to 1,200 current employees, has been making essential medicines since 1953. The new project adds to that legacy and increases our commitment to the community and U.S. manufacturing.
Since 2018, CSL has invested more than $3 billion in its U.S. operations, creating over 6,500 new American jobs and bringing its total U.S. headcount to nearly 19,000, representing about 60% of CSL's global workforce.
5. The expanded facility is expected to be operational by 2031.
That’s a five-year journey, but we know all about the long game. After collection and testing, it takes many months to transform donated plasma into medicine through a highly regulated, multistep process that includes additional testing, protein separation, viral clearance, purification and final formulation. The process cannot be meaningfully accelerated without compromising safety or quality. There are no shortcuts.
Through the Kankakee expansion, I’m proud to say that CSL is building and expanding the infrastructure to support this integrated supply chain and all it requires: a long-term investment, specialized expertise and a deep commitment to patients, donors and the community where this essential manufacturing takes place.
