In recent years, North Carolina has emerged as a national and worldwide leader in the biotechnology and life-sciences sector. According to the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s 2018 TEConomy report, the state’s pharmaceuticals sector is No. 3 in the nation, generating $56.4 billion in economic activity, supporting 132,507 jobs earning $9.6 billion in labor income, and generating $1.4 billion in state and local government revenue.
In the subcategory of biomanufacturing, North Carolina stands tall on a global scale. In 2018, at least 25 biomanufacturing companies were open for business in the state, directly employing 9,163 people. Agricultural feedstock and industrial biosciences generate $7.3 billion in economic activity and supports 14,061 jobs, according to the report.
Business North Carolina magazine profiles four companies in this robust sector: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals in Monroe, which makes a variety of fixed-dose pharmaceutical formulations; Humacyte Inc. in Durham, a local regenerative medicine startup that is creating human blood vessels using donor cells; Pairwise Plants of Durham, a company that harnesses the potential of genome editing to enhance the growth and sustainability of healthy food; and Thermo Fisher Scientific, a bioscience company that manufactures sterile injectables, tablets and capsules in its 1.5 million-square-foot facility in Greenville.