Lilly Expands Manufacturing in Sesto Fiorentino, Tuscany Lilly moves about 200 employees to Florence to free up space for manufacturing at its Sesto Fiorentino campus, where tirzepatide is produced.

Lilly expands manufacturing in Sesto Fiorentino and moves about 200 employees to FlorenceFollowing the success of tirzepatide, the drug produced at its Sesto Fiorentino plant to treat both type 2 diabetes and obesity, US pharmaceutical group Eli Lilly is reorganising its space and workforce to increase production capacity even further. “We want to give more strength to manufacturing in Sesto,” said Elias Khalil, President and General Manager of Lilly Italy Hub.

A new office hub in central Florence
The reorganisation will see about 200 employees in commercial roles move from the Sesto campus to an office hub in central Florence. The address has not yet been disclosed, as the contract has not been signed, but trade unions have already been informed and the move is expected in early 2027. The space vacated in Sesto will be allocated to manufacturing.

A campus with a strong export profile
The Sesto Fiorentino campus has been operating for 67 years. In 2025 it reached an industrial turnover of €1.3 billion, up 31% on the previous year, with 95% of it exported and 1,500 people employed.

Further expansion under discussion
A further expansion of the Sesto plant is already under discussion between Lilly and local institutions. Eugenio Giani, President of the Tuscany Region, praised Lilly’s role in the Florentine area. Khalil recalled that in 2023 the company announced €750 million of investment to expand its production capacity in Italy.