Scripps Breaks Ground

Construction is underway on the temporary site for Scripps Florida. At Florida Atlantic University MacArthur Campus in Jupiter, the state said the science building will house the institute's operations until builders complete a permanent Scripps Florida facility in Palm Beach County in the third quarter 2006. Based in La Jolla, Calif., the Scripps Research Institute is noted for research in Leukemia, ovarian cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's and AIDS.

California a No Show at BIO

Citing a lack of money, California state economic development officials did not participate in the recent BIO trade show in San Francisco. BIO is the world's largest biotech conference with approximately 20,000 participants each year. Officials representing North Carolina's biotech industry brought their largest contingent ever to the conference, which was held June 6-9.

Biotech Giant might Move to U.S.

Serono SA, one of Europe's biggest biotech companies with revenue of over $2 billion in 2003, is saying it might depart for the U.S. in what "would be the culmination of frustration with Europe's fragmented health care policies." CEO Ernesto Bertarelli says that the climate for biotech firms in Europe is poor and appears to be getting worse.

South Carolina Biotech Firm Expanding

Poly-Med, Inc., a biomedical device company based in Anderson County, S.C. has announced an expansion of its operations. The company will invest several million dollars in its current and future facilities in the Clemson Research Park and hire about 25 workers. Poly-Med is devoted to the development of absorbable and biodegradable materials for medical and pharmaceutical applications.

Vanderbilt Adds $110M Facility

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is constructing a $110 million medical research building. The new building will compliment its Light Hall and Langford Auditorium and will add 200,000 square feet of usable research space. The project will also connect the two buildings and expand both lobbies. The building will be named MRB IV. Construction is expected to be completed by 2006.

Baltimore Life Sciences Park in the Works

Maryland is expected to spend $26.5 million on the East Baltimore Life Science Park over the next five years. The park will cover 22 acres of an ongoing 80-acre redevelopment of East Baltimore near Johns Hopkins. The park will include 2 million square feet of research space, a biotech incubator for startups, a new mass transit connection, and green space. The project will create about 8,000 new jobs.

Texas Ranks Fifth for Nanotech

A Small Times magazine study ranks Texas number five among hot spots in the country for nanotechnology and microsystems business development. Texas is considered the most affordable of states in the Top 10. California leads the list of hot spots, followed by Massachusetts, New Mexico and New York. The magazine lists Arizona, Maryland, North Carolina and Washington as states to watch.

University of Florida Lands Grant for Biopharmaceutical Facility

The U.S. Economic Development Commission has awarded a $2 million grant to the University of Florida to fund a biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility. The grant will fund renovation of one of two buildings the school bought to house the Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology. The center was established in 2003 with a $10 million state grant matched by $10 million from the university. The goal of the center is to transform potential products discovered in the laboratory into medicines suitable for clinical trials.

Kansas House Passes Biosciences Bill

The Kansas House of Representatives approved a bill Thursday intended to spark economic development related to the biosciences industry in Kansas. The proposed Kansas Bioscience Initiative would require an estimated $500 million budget to cover research and commercialization efforts. If approved, the bill would establish incentives such as a seed fund for startup biosciences companies and tax breaks for companies to expand and locate in Kansas. Proponents of the initiative expect it to create more than 24,000 jobs in Kansas by 2013.

Biotech Bill Passes in Georgia

The Georgia Senate has passed a bill to increase the amount of state seed money a life sciences company can receive to $1 million. The bill modifies a statute passed by a voter referendum in 1989. The transactions must be authorized by the state-funded Advanced Technology Development Center at Georgia Tech. For a loan to be approved, every state dollar loaned must be matched by $3 from the private sector.

Noble Foundation Completing Expansion

The Noble Biology Research Center expansion is underway in Ardmore, Okla. A new 50,000-square-foot lab and research facility called LabLink is being added to Noble's campus. The new facility will enhance Noble's worldwide reputation for plant chemistry, agricultural biotechnology, biochemistry and genomics. The Noble Foundation is situated on 848 acres and employs 260 scientists, researchers and support personnel in Ardmore.

State Invests $53M in Health Science Center

Tennessee's Governor announced a $53 million investment for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the local Memphis biotechnology effort. More than $40 million is earmarked to build a new College of Pharmacy on the campus. The remaining $10 million will go to complete site preparation for the UT-Baptist Research Park.

Organization Moves into New Space in Maryland

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) recently moved into a new 55,000-square-foot office facility in Bethesda, Md. FASEB is a coalition of independent member societies that serve the interest of biomedical scientists.

Pharma Company Expands in St. Louis

Centocor, Inc., a Horsham, Pa.-based subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is acquiring Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' St. Louis biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility for an undisclosed amount. The facility will allow Centocor to increase material production for products currently in its pipeline. The company develops treatments for cancer and immune-related inflammatory disorders, such as arthritis.

Drug Company Expands in North Carolina

Generic drug maker Andrx is renovating an old 500,000-square-foot plant in Morrisville, N.C. that used to belong to Bristol-Myers Squibb. The project is worth $87 million and the company will hire at least 30 employees when the plant opens later this year.

Nanotech Start-Up Chooses Austin

Nano Vance, Inc., a nanotechnology startup, has chosen Austin for its corporate headquarters. The company plans to employ 60 people within the next 18 months. The office location is yet undetermined.