Roche Diagnostics will build a $550 million expansion to produce continuous glucose monitors at an Indianapolis facility. Roche will use the site to make its Accu-Chek Smartguide devices, which launched last year in Europe as the company’s first CGM.
“Our goal is to initiate production within three years, followed by preparing for future generations of that CGM solution,” Richeal Cline, head of global operations for Roche Diagnostics, said in a Monday press conference.
The Indianapolis site is Roche Diagnostics’ North American headquarters. It houses research and development, laboratories, manufacturing and other functions, and produces Roche’s Accu-Chek diabetes test strips. The facility is one of two global distribution hubs for the company.
Roche will refurbish an existing building for the manufacturing space and may construct new buildings to meet future demand, Cline said.
The company expects the expansion to create 650 jobs. Roche will receive a 10-year property tax abatement from the city of Indianapolis and about $20 million in tax credits from the state of Indiana, Roche Diagnostics North America CEO Brad Moore said.
Roche received a CE Mark in July for its Accu-Chek Smartguide CGM. The device, which can be worn for 14 days, incorporates predictive algorithms to estimate users’ glucose levels over two hours and nocturnal hypoglycemia risk. However, users must calibrate the CGM using a finger stick, which some newer devices from Abbott and Dexcom don’t require.
During the event, Roche did not comment directly on whether the expansion is being built in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Last month, the company said it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years.
“The expansion helps expand access to U.S. patients here,” Cline said, adding that the Indianapolis facility “provides both capacity growth and resilience of our global manufacturing network.”
The Accu-Chek Smartguide CGM is not yet cleared for use in the U.S. Roche spokesperson Jen Dial wrote in an email that the company is committed to “diligently navigating the necessary development, manufacturing scale-up, and regulatory processes to bring this product to the U.S.,” but declined to share details on timing.
