Singapore, Aug. 26 -- Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, broke ground on its newest US manufacturing site in Holly Springs, North Carolina. This significant development marks the establishment of Genentech's first manufacturing facility on the East Coast.

The 700,000-square-foot facility is strategically designed to support production of the company's future portfolio of metabolic medicines, including next-generation treatments for obesity.

The project will add more than 400 local manufacturing jobs when the site is operational and more than 1,500 construction jobs during the development phase. Genentech's initial investment in North Carolina is estimated at more than $700 million, part of a larger $50 billion commitment to Preside...