Virongy Biosciences Inc., a developer of viral diagnostic technologies, anti-viral drugs, and therapeutic viral vectors, will expand in Prince William County, Virginia. The $471,000 project is expected to create 70 jobs.

The company recently relocated to occupy over 2,000 square feet of the Northern Virginia Bioscience Center, where it will begin to develop new diagnostic technologies to monitor and quantify SARS-CoV-2 variants and other viral pathogens.

“Virongy Biosciences Inc. chose Virginia as its company location mainly because it is inside the rapid-growing biotech park of Prince William County, and right beside the Science and Technology Campus of George Mason University,” said Virongy’s Chief Scientific Officer Brian Hetrick.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with Prince William County to secure the project for Virginia and will support Virongy’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state-funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.

“Virongy’s expansion in Prince William County reinforces the region’s robust industry talent, world-class education institutions, and advanced culture of innovation that supports the company’s mission,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick. “We thank Virongy for creating valuable jobs while improving the health of our communities, and look forward to its continued growth in Virginia.”

Established in 2014, Virongy focuses on creating cutting-edge technologies in virology, viral vector-based gene therapy, virus-host cell biology, and viral immunology. The company develops new technologies that can be used for scientific discoveries, clinical diagnostics, and disease treatment. Virongy has discovered and developed key technologies and products including rapid quantitative COVID-19 neutralizing antibody test, Infectin, Cellment, HIV Rev-dependent Lentiviral Vector, and HIV drug and neutralizing antibody discovery technologies. The company’s mission is to provide scientists and clinicians with innovative technologies for studying viruses and viral vectors, and to provide virological services that meet the highest academic and industry standards, facilitating scientific discoveries, clinical diagnostics, and disease treatment.