Area Development
Pacific Edge Diagnostics, Ltd. plans to open its first U.S. franchise in Hershey, PA, to market its bladder cancer detection test. The Dunedin, New Zealand-based company expects to hire 100 people in Pennsylvania over the next three years.

Pacific Edge is a cancer diagnostics company specializing in the discovery and commercialization of diagnostic and prognostic technology for the early detection and monitoring of cancer.

The firm's new 11,348-sq.-ft. space will serve as an office and processing facility for the analysis of its Cxbladder test, which uses the expression of genes in the patients' urine to detect the presence of bladder cancer accurately and non-invasively.

Planning and construction for the facility is currently underway. It will be located at the Hershey Center for Applied Research (HCAR), which is now building a "Knowledge Community" in partnership with Penn State University and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This community offers tenants access to advanced technology and other research resources, and immerses them in a climate of innovation.

According to HCAR, Pacific Edge chose to bring its product to Hershey because of the Center's "direct engagement in nearly every aspect of the company's U.S. commercialization to date."