A producer of plasma-derived therapeutics will be breaking ground in Sachse on Wednesday, bringing with it 300 new jobs, and heralding the production of a more effective means of extracting medically beneficial proteins from human blood plasma.
David Holliday, chief commercial officer at Evolve Biologics Inc., said the region’s skilled workforce, expanding pharma sector, and central location were major factors in locating the facility in Sachse.
The announcement by Mississauga, Ontario-based Evolve Biologics reinforces the Dallas-Fort Worth region as a growing hub for biotech and life sciences.
Follows other big biotech moves into Dallas area
The move follows closely on the heels of the news that Verily—formerly Google Life Sciences—is opening its first Texas operation in the Cypress Waters development in northwest Dallas. Last year, Cambridge, Mass.-based BioLabs announced Dallas would be its first central U.S. location, at the newly completed Pegasus Park life sciences/biotech campus.
Holliday said Evolve’s research and development labs will remain in Mississauga, Ontario, while other offices will be located in the United States.
[Video still: Evolve Biologics]
He added that Evolve’s core technology—PlasmaCap EBA—uses a revolutionary means of extracting a number of beneficial proteins from human plasma, to derive a number of therapeutics that have the potential to treat various conditions including Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (PIDD), as well as other immunological, neurological, and hematological disorders.
A news release published today quotes Evolve Biologics CEO Jim Caggiano saying the Sachse facility will play an important role in providing patients with these much-needed plasma-derived therapeutics.
“Today marks another significant milestone for Evolve as we take the next step towards the commercialization of our products and our goal of bringing critical plasma proteins to patients who need them,” said Caggiano.
Facility will be ‘the foundation of our future growth and global strategy’
“Evolve’s patented next-generation technology, PlasmaCap EBA, is poised to revolutionize the plasma-derived therapeutics industry by harvesting significantly higher yields of these valuable proteins from human plasma through a cleaner, more efficient process, when compared to existing fractionation technologies,” Caggiano added. “The state-of-the art Sachse facility, powered by our PlasmaCap EBA technology, will be the foundation of our future growth and global strategy.”
[Video still: Evolve Biologics]
The release also quotes Sachse City Manager Gina Nash, who said the facility will further bolster Texas’ track record in life sciences.
“We are thrilled to welcome Evolve Biologics to Sachse as they grow to bring innovative therapeutic solutions to patients across the globe and deepen their roots here in Sachse,” said Nash. “Evolve is a great addition to our local community, the region, and the state of Texas. We welcome them as a neighbor contributing to our local economy and supporting Texas’s continued growth, particularly in the biotechnology space.”
Extracting plasma proteins more efficiently, at higher yields
Evolve Biologics extracts plasma proteins more efficiently and at higher yields to improve the long-term reliable supply of critical plasma-derived therapeutics, according to the release. Traditional plasma processing involves solvents such as ethanol.
The new, 200,000 square-foot facility in Sachse will initially produce Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) and Human Serum Albumin (HSA). The facility will initially have the capacity to process 1 million liters of plasma annually, with a planned expansion to 2 million liters.
Mark Krause, Evolve’s senior vice president of operations, added, “We are excited to put our footprint in Texas, and specifically in Sachse, and we would like to thank our multiple local and regional partners for the opportunity to collaborate with this vibrant community and skilled workforce. We are looking forward to many future successes.”
Evolve has selected DPR Construction as its general contractor for the project; Perkins + Will will be the lead designer.
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