Pennsylvania

Richard Kilner, Managing Director of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania European Investment Office, is incredibly enthusiastic about both his State and the potential it offers investors: "We are the number one State in pharmaceuticals (by number of establishments, employment and GDP output) and rapidly closing in on Massachusetts, the number two in biotech. Pennsylvania is home to 2200 biotech companies."

"This critical mass and the 'bioscience continuum' in Pennsylvania — that's to say, world-class research, commercialization, emerging industry, device and diagnostics, a mature industry and global pharmaceuticals — is the great draw for UK biotech companies," he adds.

One of these companies is Northern Ireland's Almac, which has established a North American head office, due to open in 2010, in Pennsylvania. The 240000 sq ft production and office facility will replace current complexes in Audubon and Yardley with more than 500 jobs transferring over and up to 400 new positions becoming available by 2013.

Supporting biotechnology

Pennsylvania Bio, the association representing the State's bioscience community, called on the general assembly earlier this year to continue its support of the biosciences industry in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The association urged legislators to help companies stay and expand in the State by improving the commonwealth's business tax policies, supporting emerging companies, and ensuring that patients in Pennsylvania are able to access innovative therapies and devices.

"Pennsylvania's bioscience community is working tirelessly to find new ways to treat and cure patients who, in many cases, currently have no options. We find that our companies are investing heavily in new therapies for cancer, central nervous system disorders, infections, and endocrinology/metabolic disorders," says Pennsylvania Bio President, Dennis M. 'Mickey' Flynn. "We should all be proud of the efforts and progress that is being made by our companies, and we need to make sure that this work, and these jobs, stay in Pennsylvania."