As RTP continues to solidify its position as a top hub for contract manufacturing organizations, the industry is making the pathway to biomanufacturing employment even easier by offering high school students in two counties the opportunity to earn a BioWork certificate. Additionally, Novo Nordisk, a sponsor of the BioWork expansion, could be making its expansion with an addition to the company’s facility in Durham.
A Research Triangle Park firm is taking charge in the fight against fentanyl addiction. Cessation Therapeutics received a $14.8 million grant to support the development of its anti-fentanyl monoclonal antibody, CSX-1004. G1 Therapeutics’ Cosela won additional support as a myeloid supportive agent in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer. New research coming from Duke University could reshape the treatment landscape for multiple sclerosis.
Several new services and products developed in the RTP area are hitting the market, including a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s developed by LabCorp, as well as Metabalon’s Liver Fibrosis and Kidney Function Discovery Panels. Merakris Therapeutics also unveiled its new personalized autologous serum tears that can be delivered to a patient’s front door. Area scientists also advanced research into peanut allergies and triple-negative breast cancer.
NCBio is undergoing a rebranding to NCLifeSci, which will reflect the expansion of the state’s ecosystem. Students and alumni from Wake Tech and Durham Tech participated in a massive life sciences jobs fair in Raleigh. Several RTP companies prepare for presentations at CHEST in Hawaii and Syneos Health announced a new CEO.
RTP will see a first-of-its-kind life sciences campus with HUB RTP. The new site will include offices, lab space, retail sites and even residential units. Pfizer will re-open its manufacturing facility in Rock Mount that was damaged by a tornado earlier this year. This will restore the flow of essential medicines used by hospitals across the country.
Two biopharma companies with deep ties to North Carolina saw setbacks this week. Nighthawk Biosciences announced plans to scale back operations and lay off 14% of its employees and a Novo Nordisk manufacturing facility in the state was flagged by the FDA for quality control issues. On the research front, researchers at N.C. State and UNC made strides on environmental and neurological fronts.
It has been a busy week for RTP life sciences companies heading into the last part of the year. TARGAN opened a new manufacturing facility in a converted 100,000 square-foot former grocery store. The National Sciences Foundation backed N.C. A&T’s quantum research programs with $5 million and the N.C. Board of Science, Technology & Innovation provided funding for dozens of small life sciences companies in RTP and across the state.
This week in RTP’s life sciences ecosystem, M&A deals were on the minds of multiple companies with three company acquisitions. At the same time, there were multiple investments made into various companies and organizations that could lead to future M&A deals. An industry snapshot composed by MassBio demonstrated the strength of employment in RTP over the last year. The USDA is also investing in a new plant research facility at N.C. State University.
Pfizer’s Rocky Mount-based manufacturing facility could reopen later this year after a portion of the facility was damaged by a tornado. That will restore the flow of some essential medicines disrupted by the storm’s impact. Also this week in RTP, Allucent snagged a COVID-related contract and new research from N.C. State suggests that online posts regarding mental health challenges could negatively impact job searches.
Weekly Quick Hits (Research Triangle Park) – Week of August 21, 2023 Animal health company Zoetis opened a new facility in Durham that is expected to help the company meet [….]
