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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Biogen Establishes Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Gene Therapy Production Campus

03/05/2021
Global pharmaceutical company Biogen announced a $200 million investment to build a 175,000-square-foot facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The company plans to add 90 more workers to its current RTP workforce of approximately 1,900 people.

The new facility, which will support clinical production for the company's gene therapy pipeline, will be designed in compliance with the most advanced sustainability standards regarding energy use, waste management and water consumption. Biogen said its priority is to continue to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities where it operates and the patients it serves.

“This additional investment underscores our commitment to RTP and our mission to deliver a reliable supply of high-quality medicines to the patients we serve,” said Nicole Murphy, senior vice president, global manufacturing and technical operations at Biogen. "We are poised with a diverse workforce that is passionate about making a difference in the lives of patients and we look forward to welcoming new colleagues from the community to join us in that mission.”

According to the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Biogen’s facilities are among more than 90 biopharma manufacturing sites in North Carolina. More than 27,000 people work at those sites, with more growth coming. Life sciences companies announced more than $2.3 billion in investment last year for facilities to manufacture biopharma products, promising 2,800 new jobs. Those announcements came from emerging gene- and cell-therapy companies as well as well-known multinational pharma players.

“North Carolina’s diverse and highly-skilled workforce continues to make NC a destination for investments from global leaders in the life sciences industry. Biogen represents the caliber of high-impact, innovative companies our state must continue to attract and support to secure good jobs for a strong economy," said Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. "Not only are they focused on improving people’s lives with breakthrough, best in-class therapies, but as a former Biogen executive, I can attest to their commitment to serve our communities and contribute to a sustainable, equitable economy.”

Biogen has established a global reputation as a pioneer in neuroscience, N.C. Biotechnology Center noted. Its products and pipeline cover neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as conditions related to those diseases or treated by similar therapies. Its gene therapy pipeline targets multiple therapeutic areas.

“Biogen is a company that we know well, dating back to the 1990s when it chose North Carolina as the location to produce treatments for multiple sclerosis,” said Laura Rowley, Ph.D., director of life science economic development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. “Today’s announcement marks its continued success and evolution as a company, and we’re excited for our community to be entrusted with this next step.”

Partners in the recruitment project included the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce. Talent, North Carolina’s strength in recruiting biopharma manufacturing, was represented by the NC Community Colleges BioNetwork, North Carolina Central University’s Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Training Enterprise, and North Carolina State University’s Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center. While the project did not leverage financial incentives, the array of partners in North Carolina’s ecosystem strengthened North Carolina’s pitch for the project.

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