Emergent Biosolutions Taps East Baltimore for Bioprocessing Center
Emergent BioSolutions, a Maryland-based biopharmaceutical company, will open a biotechnology manufacturing facility in East Baltimore after purchasing MdBio Foundation's 55,000 square-foot BioProcessing Center at 5901 E. Lombard St. for $8.2 million. Emergent BioSolutions, which focuses on the development, manufacture and commercialization of vaccines and therapeutics, said the new facility will create up to 125 jobs over the next five years.
As part of the project, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development will offer Emergent a $50,000 grant through the Brownfields Revitalization Incentive Program to assist with the costs of assessment studies for the East Baltimore site. In addition, the company is eligible for Job Creation Tax Credits, the One Maryland Tax Credit and benefits from locating in an Enterprise Zone.
Baltimore City, which owns the land on which the BioProcessing Center sits, offered a $250,000 credit on the purchase price of the land as an incentive for job creation.
Emergent BioSolutions is the manufacturer of BioThrax, the only vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of anthrax disease. Emergent's development pipeline includes programs focused on anthrax, botulism, tuberculosis, typhoid, hepatitis B and chlamydia.
"Though no longer owner of the center, MdBio will continue its important mission to promote and support the bioscience community throughout the state," said J.J. Finkelstein, chair of MdBio Foundation, Inc. and president and chief executive officer of RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
The MdBio Foundation, Inc. is a charitable and educational organization whose mission is to provide and support the State of Maryland's bioscience community through bioscience awareness, education and workforce development programs including scholarships, post-doctoral conference and career expos, BioGENEius science competition and summer science camps. Since 2003, MdBio has operated the MdBioLab, an educational and well-known mobile bioscience laboratory that visits high schools throughout Maryland to educate youth on biosciences. Over the past six years, MdBioLab has held more than 2,800 classes with 55,000 students and 1,500 teachers. MdBio Foundation became an affiliate of the Tech Council of Maryland in 2006.
"The acquisition of the Baltimore facility reflects our commitment to both continually creating jobs and investing additional capital in the State of Maryland, where Emergent headquarters and one of its product development sites are located," said Daniel J. Abdun-Nabi, president and chief operating officer of Emergent BioSolutions. "We extend our sincere appreciation to the state and local governments for their ongoing support of our efforts to develop our local manufacturing capabilities and look forward to growing Emergent's presence in the state."