What to Know about Columbus’ Red Hot Biotech Industry

With a string of major fundraising announcements, product developments, and new facility debuts, Columbus is shaping into a force in the biotechnology space.

In fact, it’s among the nation’s fastest-growing biotech hubs, says Eddie Pauline, president and CEO of Ohio Life Sciences, a trade group for biotech, pharmaceutical, gene therapy, and academic organizations.

“Nationwide Children’s and its spinoffs have built so many state-of-the-art research facilities that it’s starting to create a new city skyline,” he says.

In addition to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus is home to Ohio State University, many of its spinoffs, and established biotechs from around the world that are helping to build a reputation, especially around cell and gene therapy innovations.

Here are some of the noteworthy headlines in recent months:

• Ohio State last year set a record for commercialization income

• Ohio State’s Carmenton innovation district opened on west campus

• Amgen opened its most technologically advanced facility

• Forge Biologics was acquired for $600 million by Japan’s Ajinomoto Company

• Clarametyx Biosciences raised a $33 million Series A round

• Ohio State spinoff Basking Biosciences raised $55 million to test a novel stroke treatment

• Avation Medical raised a $22 million Series C to launch its Vivally System, a non-invasive wearable neuromodulation system to treat patients with urge urinary incontinence and urinary urgency caused by overactive bladder syndrome

• Redi Health raised $14 million in a Series B round

• AmplifyBio opened a 350,000-square-foot lab in New Albany to expand into manufacturing materials 

Companies including Forge Biologics, Andelyn Biosciences, Sarepta Therapeutics, and AmplifyBio are hiring hundreds of people, attracting top research talent with many other jobs in high demand. One of the industry’s great challenges is finding enough talent to fill open positions.

Check out our list of fast-growing biotech companies that are based in Central Ohio or with substantial operations in the region.  

The life sciences field is big business beyond Columbus, so be sure to consider opportunities around Ohio. According to Ohio Life Sciences, the industry employs about 83,700 in the state.