Medicago opens plant-based vaccine facility in RTP

Medicago's greenhouse

A biotech company that uses tobacco leaves to produce flu vaccines, Medicago is the perfect fit for the Research Triangle Park.  On Monday, just over one year after the ground breaking on the site, Medicago held a ribbon cutting ceremony at their $24 million, 97,000 square foot plant-based vaccine facility with a fully automated greenhouse. The state of-the-art plant has the capacity to produce 120 million doses of pandemic influenza vaccine.

Medicago Ribbon Cutting

During the ceremony, Medicago’s CEO, Andy Sheldon, said that the excellent workforce, quality of life, and of course famous North Carolina BBQ were the main reasons that Medicago decided to locate their new greenhouse in RTP.  Medicago, a Canadian company, located to RTP and proceeded to hire 55+ employees (with more to come), almost all from North Carolina.  Talk about a testament for the trained workforce that the Research Triangle prides itself on. 

At the grand opening ceremony, Governor Beverly Perdue, Senator Richard Burr and Congressman David Price were all on hand to give Medicago a warm welcome to the Research Triangle Park and the state of North Carolina. (literally – it was a beautiful 70 degree day in RTP as opposed to 4 inches of snow on the ground at Medicago’s Canadian headquarters). During Governor Perdue’s remarks she said, “When I grew up, tobacco was something you smoked or chewed or dipped.  Who would have thought it would have been used in 21st century vaccines and medical products…. Today, tobacco is something we use to cure disease, not something you smoke or chew necessarily. We transformed ourselves.” (See below for a clip of Governor Perdue’s comments at the ceremony).

We are proud to have Medicago in the Research Triangle Park.  This is the exact type of company that we aim to attract and grow and we know that their investment in this state will continue to provide the high quality jobs that fuel economic growth for the Triangle Region - the driving force behind the founding of RTP. 

The media throughout the state & Triangle Region also thrilled to welcome Medicago to the area as well, judging on the media coverage surround the event:

Biotechnology Company Locates U.S. Division in North Carolina (Thrive NC)

Officials Tout Medicago’s Tobacco-To-Vaccine Plant (NC Biotechnology Center)

Medicago USA opens new RTP facility (The Herald-Sun)

Medicago’s RTP vaccine facility opens to address pandemics (MedCity News)

Southeast BIO Investor Forum

What do you get when you put a room full of biotech start-ups with cutting edge innovations together with the largest constituency of biotech investors in the Southeast?

The answer is the Southeast BIO Investor Forum, which touts itself as “the Southeast’s premier life sciences investor conference since 1999.”  With one of the largest and continually booming concentrations of biotech and life sciences companies in the US, it was only logical that the conference was held in the Research Triangle Region.  The forum, which took place on November 2 & 3 carried the theme of “Data Driven Deals” focusing on the importance of data in driving grants, corporate sponsorships, investors, and exits. 

SE BIO fills a very important gap, allowing life sciences start-ups to get in front of potential investors and pitch their technology.  Since the first forum took place in 1999, presenting companies at SE BIO have raised over $2.5 billion. With early stage biotech companies, the challenge is always the same – the founders have a great innovation but lack the funds to bring their idea to market – so they need money (and more often than not, lots of it).  The opportunity to get up in front of an audience full of investors and pitch their innovation is invaluable for these young companies.

In the Research Triangle Park specifically, we are proud to have nearly 80 biotechnology and life sciences companies, employing over 10,400 local specialists.  One of the main stage presenting companies was a company located in one of RTP’s incubator’s, CivaTech Oncology.  CivaTech develops polymer based radioactive devices to treat early stage prostate, breast and lung cancer.  CivaTech’s Director of Research & Development, Seth Hoedl, explained to potential investors the technology behind the company’s two products – the CivaSheet and the CivaString.  The technology that CivaTech has come up with satisfies unmet an medical need and will revolutionize the treatment of breast, prostate and lung cancer. 

At the closing luncheon for the forum, the North Carolina Treasurer, Janet Cowell, made an exciting announcement about the founding of the “Accelerator,” a $35 million fund to support early-stage life sciences companies. A great step forward for the state of North Carolina in helping start-ups gain access to capital and the perfect way to close the SE BIO Investor Forum.

Turning World-Class Research into Economic Opportunities

Ahh, English proverbs. Popularly defined as short expressions of popular wisdom that are more widely used to articulate an attitude toward a situation.

• Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
• The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
• If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

It was at the N.C. Biotechnology Center yesterday, listening to Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation that inspired me to think even further about the collaborative culture of the Research Triangle Region. Minister Burton characterized Ireland’s trade mission to North Carolina in this wise, poetic way:

• If you come together, both with an apple, you will have an apple. But, if you come each with something different, then, you really have something to share.

Ireland's Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation visits RTP

While visiting the RTP Headquarters, the Minister also met with leaders from the UCD/RTI Applied Research Center (ARC). ARC is a joint venture between applied research leader, Research Triangle International (RTI) and Ireland’s largest research university, University College Dublin (UCD). Together, the institutes are driving initiatives whose efforts will help address significant global challenges such as health and aging, social and economic well-being, and the environment.

“North Carolina has an exceptional record of creating practical economic opportunities from world-class research,” said Gerry Murphy, Director for North America at Enterprise Ireland. “Your strategy to invest in research, attract the best scientific brains and smartest business operators, and link them with capital represents the gold-standard blueprint for a 21st century knowledge economy. Given the similar ambitions of North Carolina and Ireland in driving the knowledge economy, we see significant scope for ongoing collaboration.”

Some of the most profound discoveries have been influenced by scientists and researchers working in RTP. It is through collaboration and partnership that the spirit of discovery and innovation continues to flourish.

Opportunity is waiting, you need but to open the door.

Syngenta’s Groundbreaking Impact

Dawn McNamara breaks ground on Syngenta's new R&D complex

9 billion people.

That’s the number fueling Syngenta Biotechnology’s passion and commitment. By the year 2050, its projected that global population will increase to more than 9 billion people from about 6.5 billion today.  That’s a lot of mouths to feed.

“The significance of this event is worldwide, because it will help raise the living standard for the 35 percent of the world population that makes it living from agriculture,” exclaimed Congressman Price on the $70 million expansion of Syngenta’s operations in the Research Triangle Park.

Read more »

AG-Tech Landscape Grows in RTP

Agriculture is big business in North Carolina, bringing in $70.1 billion to the state annually – that’s 18% of N.C.’s income.  More than 4,000 North Carolinians work in over 70 ag-tech companies, which include RTP-based BASF Group, Bayer CropScience, Monsanto Company, and Syngenta. And soon, the landscape will grow with the exciting announcements made this week!

With the N.C. Biotechnology Center as its backdrop, a non-profit organization working to strengthen biotech initiatives in the state, two major announcements were made:

• Governor Perdue Announces $13.5M Greenhouse Incubator – Alexandria Ag-Tech Center
• Syngenta announces $71 million expansion in RTP

Alexandria AG-Tech Center

Announced Tuesday, the Alexandria AG-Tech Center is a $13.5 million, 50,000-square-foot agricultural research center near the Research Triangle Park that would include 18,000 square feet of greenhouse space.

The center will provide individual greenhouse modules and support areas along with shared amenities, according to Alexandria. Each greenhouse will have separate environmental controls, planting and support spaces. Completion is expected Summer 2012. Read more »