Bio Industry South Summer 2004

DOUBLE QUIZ

Which of these counties in the South was the fastest-growing county in population in the country in 2003? (a) Loudoun County in northern Virginia. (b) Gwinnett County near Atlanta (c) Orange County in Orlando (d) Hilllsborough County in Tampa.

True or False? The combined Composite Cost of Living Index for Atlanta, Tampa and Houston is below the national average.

(Scroll down for answer)

South Lands Three Markets on Biotech Dozen

The bio-industry's strongholds remain outside the South, yet the region is moving up. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill ranked third in the Milken Institute's 2004 Biotech Index, a ranking of the top metros in the U.S. in life sciences. The Washington, D.C.-Baltimore-Northern Virginia region ranked sixth in the study followed by Austin-San Marcos being ranked 12th. San Diego ranked as the most active biotech market in the U.S. followed by Boston.

FLORIDA

Medical Device Company Expands in Miami-Dade

Boston Scientific Symbiosis is expanding its presence in South Florida. The company is investing $12 million and creating 120 new jobs at its Miami facilities. The company conducts materials science, engineering and manufacturing at its 350,000-square-foot operation in Miami. Its products support less invasive surgical techniques.

University of Miami Wants to Build Research Park

The University of Miami has presented a proposal to the city to develop a research park near UM's School of Medicine. The new park would be jumpstarted by a 60,000-square-foot research facility. Part of the area around UM's School of Medicine is in an empowerment zone.

Vaccine Maker Expands in Boca Raton

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals is expanding its vaccine manufacturing center in Boca Raton by $20 million. The public company will make three vaccines at the plant, one that treats nicotine addiction.

Florida Biotech Moving HQ

Dyadic International, which currently operates in Jupiter, Fla., announced in August it will move its headquarters and R&D operations to the 2,000-acre, master-planned community of Abacoa. Both locations are in Palm Beach County where the Scripps Institute will be built.

MARYLAND

John Hopkins' Research Tops $1 Billion

John Hopkins University invested over $1 billion in research in fiscal year 2003, making it the No. 1 institution in research dollars spent in the U.S. for the 24th straight year according to the National Science Foundation. It's the first time any research institution has ever passed the $1 billion threshold in a year.

MISSOURI

$1B in Life Science Industry Construction in Kansas City

Over $1 billion in construction by the life sciences industry has been completed or announced in the Kansas City area over the last five years. Projects in the Kansas City area included in that total are the Bayer Animal Health's $120 million expansion; Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica's $125 million expansion; Kansas Medical's new $76 million biomedical research center and The Stowers Institute for Medical Research's $300 million expansion.

Bill to Criminalize Stem Cell Research Shot Down in Missouri

Missouri Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit, proposed a bill in early summer to the Missouri General Assembly that would have criminalized stem cell research in the state, essentially snuffing out Missouri's growing life sciences industry. But Missouri Sen. Anita Yeckel cast the single swing vote that kept Bartle's bill from emerging from committee. More specifically, Bartle wanted to ban therapeutic cloning, a procedure that creates cells for stem cell research. Yet, Yeckel, a Republican and Catholic, single-handedly stopped Bartles ban on stem cell. Science vs. faith battles will continue for years in the bio industry.

NORTH CAROLINA

Aquatics Concern Announces Campus in Rocky Mount

SePro Corp., an aquatics and ornamental horticulture company headquartered in Indiana, is purchasing the former 410-acre Zeneca facility in Rocky Mount, N.C. for their new research campus. SePro is known for its aquatic herbicide Sonar, which is used to manage invasive aquatic weeds like hydrilla. The project will create 21 new jobs. The company is making a $7 million investment.

University of North Carolina Launching Genomics Research Lab

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is planning a $245 million science campus that it hopes will move the school to the top of genomics and biotech research. About $100 million of the $245 million is slated for a 200,000-square-foot genomics research laboratory facility. The university just completed its Medical Biomolecular Research building that represented a $65 million investment.

Triangle Labs Files for C-7 Bankruptcy

Twenty-year-old Triangle Labs, a Durham, N.C.-based company that identified hazards created by natural and manmade disasters, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The company detected contaminants in the Exxon Valdez oil spill as well as at the World Trade Center disaster. The company also worked in cancer research and earned a contract in 2002 with the National Institutute of Health.

Pharmaceutical Headquarters to Locate in Research Triangle

Synthon Pharmaceuticals is locating its U.S. headquarters, as well as research, development and manufacturing operations in the Research Triangle Park creating 157 new jobs and a $10 million investment for North Carolina. Synthon, a privately held company, is based in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The company develops and markets both active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished pharmaceutical dosages. North Carolina won the project over Virginia, New York, Spain and Argentina.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Device Company Expands in Sumter

Becton, Dickinson and Co., a manufacturer of medical supplies, lab equipment, devices and diagnostic products is investing $65 million and creating 125 new jobs at its facility in Sumter, S.C. BD has made medical products in Sumter since 1970. The expansion will add four production lines to BD's plant.

New Tenant Leases Space at S.C. Bio Facility

Capsugel, a division of Pfizer Inc., announced it is leasing research space at the South Carolina Biotechnology Incubation Facility located in Greenwood, S.C. The company formulates and develops drug delivery systems. Headquartered in Morris Plains, N.J., Capsugel employs more than 2,000 people in manufacturing facilities throughout the world.

TENNESSEE

Medegen Medical Completes Distribution Facility in Tennessee

A maker of plastic products for the health care industry has completed a 115,000-square-foot distribution facility in Fayette County, Tenn. Medegen Medical Products, which manufactures lab disposables, lab kits and and patient utensils, added the space to its existing manufacturing operations in Fayette County. The company expects to add 45 employees.

Nashville Life Sciences Facility Signs Tenant

Avatar BioSci, a company that develops drugs for treatment of infectious diseases, has signed a lease with Cumberland Emerging Technologies. CET, which operates biolab space in downtown Nashville, helps manage the development process of life science startups. It is a joint venture of Vanderbilt University, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals and the Tennessee Technology Development Corp.

TEXAS

UT San Antonio to Spend $500M

The University of Texas San Antonio is launching an expansion that will include the creation of three new research centers. The school will build the San Antonio Institute for Cellular and Molecular Primatology, the Institute for Aging Research and the Institute for Bioengineering and Translational Research. Together the three centers represent as much as $500 million in construction.

Houston Area Bio Firms Expect Expansions

A survey of Houston area life science companies done by LCS Constructors showed that of the 46 companies surveyed, 55 percent predict they will be adding lab and office space over the next three years. The survey showed that most of the expansions are small, up to 3,000 square feet. However, 16 percent of those who responded estimated their expansions would total from 50,000 to 100,000 square feet.

VIRGINIA

Bio Deal in Virginia

Mediatech, a bio industry concern, is building a headquarters and manufacturing center in Prince William County, Va. The 110,000-square-foot facility will house about 200 workers. The deal is expected to cost $10 million.

DOUBLE QUIZ ANSWERS

Based on population, the U.S. Census Bureau named Loudoun County, Va., located west of Washington, D.C., the fastest-growing county in the U.S. in 2003.

It's true. Atlanta, the markets that make up Tampa Bay and Houston are three of the South's five largest markets and their average Composite Cost of Living Index is 94.9, or about five points below the national cost of living average. In contrast, the average Composite Cost of Living Index of Los Angeles, Boston and Philadelphia is 130.7, or more than 30 points greater than the national cost of living average.