Elanco Animal Health Shifts Focus to US, Redefining Livestock R&D and Manufacturing
by Andrea Bedford, Bovine Veterinarian
Elanco Animal Health is restructuring its global operations, shifting investment toward the US, while reducing parts of its overseas footprint.
During its 2025 Investor Day, the company announced plans to close its German animal health R&D facility and implemented targeted reductions to parts of its manufacturing workforce. Elanco plans to boost investment in US-based innovation and manufacturing, pointing to greater clarity around tariffs and accelerated USDA regulatory times central factors.
“We made some big announcements,” says Jeff Simmons, Elanco CEO. “We rolled out a very strong growth agenda. A portfolio of historical innovation serving farmers, veterinarians, pet owners, livestock, and industry. And it really leads to this growth agenda: a $400 million investment in American manufacturing and R&D.”
Consolidation Abroad, Investment at Home
As part of the restructuring, Elanco will shut down its German R&D site and reduce certain manufacturing operations abroad. According to the company, these actions are designed to streamline operations and consolidate resources where regulatory processes and market access are more predictable. At the same time, Elanco is redirecting capital toward its Innovation Laboratories at the company’s Indiana headquarters, a move intended to bring discovery, development, and regulatory preparation under a unified roof.
For livestock veterinarians and producers, this consolidation could translate into more efficient development and approval of animal-health products. Shorter regulatory lead times and centralized R&D could improve the company’s ability to respond to evolving disease threats and to deliver vaccines, biologics, or therapeutics in a more timely and consistent manner.
“Elanco is focused on delivering innovation into the farm animal space and creating more value for producers and veterinarians,” says Colleen Dekker of Elanco. “Farmers and veterinarians should expect Elanco to continue to focus on bringing innovation designed to meet their biggest challenges, supported by a team of technical experts.”
Building the One Health Innovation District in Indiana
Beyond the R&D and manufacturing shifts, Elanco is laying down physical roots in Indiana. In late August, the company announced the purchase of a 56-acre parcel of state-owned land, part of a former GM stamping plant, for $27 million. This plot sits adjacent to previously acquired land already earmarked for its new global headquarters campus. Together, these parcels form the foundation for a planned One Health Innovation District.
This district is envisioned to house research facilities, diagnostic and pilot-scale labs, clinical animal care facilities, and collaboration spaces linking industry, academic researchers, and other partners. In partnership with Purdue University and the state of Indiana, the development aims to foster a research ecosystem bridging animal, human, and environmental health. For those in food animal health, the district offers closer collaboration between academic science and industry application. That proximity could accelerate development of herd-level solutions for disease management, biosecurity, and animal welfare.
What it Means for the Product Pipeline
At Investor Day, Elanco laid out an expectation of five to six major differentiated product approvals between 2026 and 2031. Much of the public focus to date has been on the company’s companion-animal pipeline, including immunotherapeutics and monoclonal antibodies. Elanco also flagged a potential first-inclass pet immunotherapy, with a projected market launch within the next two to three years, aided by regulatory acceleration under USDA.
While these disclosures emphasize pets, the broader platforms and infrastructure supporting them could also benefit livestockfocused research and development. Biologics, immunemodulating technologies, and vaccine platforms developed for companion animals often inform approaches for food animals. The experience gained in those platforms could translate to cattle or swine health solutions.
Implications for Livestock Veterinarians and Producers
Elanco’s shift reflects a transition in how and where food-animal health work gets done. By consolidating R&D and manufacturing in the US, the company aims to improve coordination among product development, regulatory preparation, and supply chain logistics, factors that affect availability and reliability of herd-health tools.
This transition is worth watching as Elanco’s expanded US infrastructure supports future livestock product development within a more centralized regulatory and manufacturing framework. New product launches and regulatory activity will provide insight into how these investments translate into vaccines, parasiticides, and therapeutics relevant to production animal medicine..
