Biotech company Genentech increases investment into Holly Springs

Driving the news: Last year, Genentech, a maker of drugs for cancer and rare diseases, said it would invest $700 million into its Holly Springs site and create around 400 jobs there.

• Construction began last fall, but on Tuesday, the company said it would raise that total investment to $2 billion and the total number of jobs to 500.

Zoom in: Genentech, a subsidiary of the Swiss company Roche, is based in South San Francisco. Holly Springs will be the company's first East Coast facility.

• The goal is to be fully operational by 2029, with the facility producing products like a weight-loss drug.

Between the lines: New lines of weight-loss drugs have been a big boon for manufacturing jobs in the Triangle.

• Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly employ thousands of workers across the Triangle in roles for manufacturing ingredients for their weight-loss drugs.