Pennsylvania Life Science Industry: A Soaring Future
Corporate, higher ed and startup synergy creates a thriving life science and health scene throughout the state.
Pennsylvania is fertile ground for established companies and startups alike in life sciences and medical technology, with an array of resources to support entrepreneurs.
For example, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners helps accelerate the growth of technology-based industries, and the PA Business One-Stop Shop guides businesses through all stages of development.
In the life sciences sector, three regional “greenhouses,” created some 20 years ago from tobacco settlement dollars, provide early-stage funding for startups.
In This Article
Filling the Gaps
“Pennsylvania is fortunate to have a legacy of excellence in the life sciences,” says Michele Washko, president and CEO of Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania. “The scope and growth of the industry here, both in terms of sheer employment numbers and number of life sciences firms, means we are increasingly at the top of the list for folks who want to work in this sector.”
The greenhouses, which include Washko’s in Central Pennsylvania, LifeX Greenhouse in Southwestern Pennsylvania and BioAdvance in the Philadelphia area, leverage specific aspects and strengths of each region.
“The idea is to fill the space that private capital markets often don’t,” Washko says. “We were founded specifically to invest in early-stage life sciences assets, and all of us focus on human health-related technologies.”
When the greenhouses invest in a company, they take an active role.
“We like to say that once the negotiations are done and we’ve invested, we are on their side of the table thereafter, doing all we can to make them successful,” Washko says. “Our goal is to help emerging entities learn from our deep expertise.” That support includes board service and connections to talent resources and experts in arenas specific to life sciences industries.
Did You Know?
The state has a highly developed cell and gene therapy network of 30-plus companies in the Philadelphia area alone that has raised more than $1 billion in investment capital and created more than 3,000 jobs.
Healthy Ecosystem
Pennsylvania has excelled at leveraging academic resources and making more opportunities in life sciences available to a broader range of people, from two-year degrees to four-year, master’s and Ph.D. programs, Washko says.
While an “ideal and necessary blend” of discovery is taking place at local research institutions, academic centers are churning out talent who have an opportunity to work for companies of all sizes, from startups to global pharma.
“To be at the forefront of emerging health care technology is really exciting because it offers not just the opportunity for economic growth in our region, but also the opportunity to bring new therapies, cutting-edge technology and better health care to patients everywhere,” she says. “We live and work in Pennsylvania, but the work we do has a global impact.”
Visionary Leadership
As founder and CEO of LucasPye BIO in Philadelphia, Dr. Tia Lyles-Williams is at that forefront.
“We are the only full-service contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biologic drugs in Pennsylvania,” Lyles-Williams says. “We help startup companies develop their manufacturing process, and then we manufacture it at scale.”
She also founded HelaPlex, the first commercial accelerator for life sciences startups and virtual biotechnology companies.
“I realized these companies needed to understand the difference between their work at the benchtop versus what it took to turn it into a drug product and get it approved by a regulatory agency,” she says. “HelaPlex is a place they can learn how to do all that.”
The first Black Queer woman to own and lead a biopharmaceutical manufacturing company, Lyles-Williams has dedicated her career to the biotech and biopharma industries. The company’s C-suite is 50% women and nearly 90% people of color.
Education, Careers & Opportunity
Sustainability in Pennsylvania: A Recipe for Success
The Keystone State is growing innovation where academia and industry intersect.
Creating Opportunities
Lyles-Williams’ companies are working to remove health inequities by partnering with a research and development firm to map the human genome for the BIPOC community, including researching and developing drugs to improve health care outcomes and treatment options.
LucasPye BIO also is a partner in a venture to create the Southwest Philadelphia Bio-Manufacturing Campus. This manufacturing, workforce and economic development project has been awarded a $2.5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant from the state.
“A lot of things are coming full circle,” says Lyles-Williams. “For me, it’s also a way to provide something different to my community. This industry has been one of the best-kept secrets as a way to generate a high-wage salary and enjoy high-quality benefits. I’m using it as a tool to close the wealth gap for underserved communities and offer them a path to take care of their families.”
Innovation Park Opens in Philly
Spring House Innovation Park (SHIP) is open for innovation.
SHIP is a 600,000-square-foot business and research campus with a mission to foster companies involved with innovation ventures. The park is located in Montgomery County in suburban Philadelphia, headquartered in the former Rohm and Haas complex. It is owned by an affiliate of Beacon Capital Partners, a leading private real estate investment firm owning and operating office and life science properties.
SHIP is designated as a Keystone Innovation Zone – a statewide tax credit program to advance technology and help tech companies grow. The campus includes labs, research and development facilities, and Class A office space. Future plans include adding a conference center, on-site food service, a fitness center and expanded walking trails. Ownership continues to invest in the further redevelopment of the campus to bring additional first-class, lab-ready shell space online.
More than 20 tenant companies are already on-site at SHIP, and there is room for many more. Some of the current on-site tenants include Ben Franklin Technology Partners and companies like AgroFresh, Capstone Group, Evertree, Organon, Oriental Yuhong and Tavotek Biotherapeutics.
The campus is well connected via Interstates 476 and 76 and PA Route 309, which connect to key metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia (12 miles away) as well as Lehigh Valley, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston.
– Staff Writer Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.
Get to Know Pennsylvania
Want to learn more about living and working in Pennsylvania? Check out the latest edition of Livability Pennsylvania: Work Smart. Live Happy.
