An Emerging BioScience Sector

BioScience Sector Growth adds to the Region’s Business Diversity

When you are supporting the growth and vitality of the overall economy, sector diversity is a huge asset. And while we can’t take credit for it, it certainly makes our jobs easier. Every additional sector supports the regional market’s long-term sustainability. If national or global economic conditions adversely affect one sector, the diversity found in the remaining sectors helps sustain the region’s economy.

The region’s bioscience sector has grown steadily for years. That growth is thanks, in part, to several foundational assets in the region including: NDSU as a premier research university; the growth of Aldevron, a vaccine technology company; the influence of Sanford research, and the presence of a cluster of clinical trial firms.

Recently, the momentum has increased as a surge of new medical device and vaccine therapeutic companies have relocated here or expanded further galvanizing the emerging biosciences cluster here.

A snapshot of the region’s BioScience related companies

Aldevron manufacturers plasmid DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, and other biologicals to support the scientific work of its partners in a variety of life science applications. Aldevron was acquired by Danaher Corporation ($DHR) in 2021 for $9.6 billion and currently employs more than 670 highly-skilled people in high-paying bioscience positions at its Fargo locations. Aldevron has several prominent buildings around the metro with the most notable being its 250,000 square foot Breakthrough Campus, built as part of the company’s south Fargo headquarters.

Access Point Technologies (APT) is a global supplier of innovative medical devices focused on the cardiovascular market and electrophysiology (EP). APT chose to expand to the Greater Fargo Moorhead area opening a new research and design facility to develop, test and manufacture innovative medical devices. APT occupies space out of a custom built 6,000 square foot building of lab and office spaces in Horace, ND.

Algorithme Pharma USA According to their website, Algorithme Pharma USA conducts Bioequivalence trials and represents an extension of its Canadian sister company. The facility offers access to 200 beds. Clients can also benefit from a full-range of support services, including Bioanalysis, Data Management, Biostatistics, Regulatory Support, Clinical Pharmacology and Project Management. The team conducts early development clinical trials. The company has conducted more than 20,000 clinical pharmacology studies in a variety of therapeutic areas such as, asthma, allergies, dermatology and diabetes.

Agathos Biologics is developing biological systems to facilitate better delivery of therapeutic molecules, including proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids, directly to cells. The firm is rapidly growing its team of experts and scientists out of their new south Fargo offices. In August, Agathos was awarded funds through the state’s Bioscience Innovation Grant program to create new materials and methods for research and biomanufacturing and use them for drug development to address unmet medical needs and increase the availability of genetic medicines to more patients.

CorVent Medical is a medical devise technology company that manufactures an innovative, easy-to-use ventilator to support day-to-day clinical use and overflow ventilation needs. They are exploring a number of options with plans to announce a new office and research lab in the Fargo area in 2022. They expect to hire talent generated out of NDSU’s world class engineering and science programs.

Checkable Medical produces at-home testing kits for strep, UTI’s and COVID-19 antibodies. The company moved their operations and team to West Fargo this last year and is working through FDA trials to begin offering its products commercially.

Genovac Antibody Discovery offers cDNA synthesis and antibody sequencing that enables rapid antibody screening and development of drugs to fight infectious diseases. Genovac currently occupies 8,500 feet of space in NDSU’s Research and Technology park. In August, Genovac was awarded funds through the state’s Bioscience Innovation Grant Program to support the commercial development and production of multiple therapeutic, diagnostic and research antibody products.

ImmunoPrecise Antibodies a full-service, therapeutic antibody discovery company offering species agnostic advancements such as the B cell Select™ single-cell interrogation technology

Lillestol Research performs clinical trials to assess the safety and effectiveness of trial medication and/or new treatment techniques.

Lincoln Therapeutics is a North Dakota based company with the core mission of identifying gaps in military medicine and closing those gaps. Its first product will be an intranasal ketamine aimed at providing non-narcotic, acute pain therapy after battlefield injury. Lincoln will be building an analytics and formulations lab as it scales to full pharmaceutical production that supports the development of a variety of drugs.

Novum Pharmaceutical Research conducts clinical trials on a drug before it goes to market. Novum has facilities in several cities across the U.S. with offices in south Fargo.

Sanford Fargo Research Programs
Sanford Research has a 30+ year history conducting a wide array of clinical research in the Fargo region and beyond. These trials offer patients access to the most advanced treatment options, screening strategies, and symptom management close to home for the people of this region. Sanford has more than 300 clinical trials actively enrolling patients and more than 1,900 participants from the Fargo region. Research opportunities cover many health and disease areas including cancer, biobehavioral research (related to mental and behavioral health), child traumatic stress, and technology-informed delivery health services for rural settings.

Our Biotech Partners

The GFMEDC is fortunate to have strong partners within the bioscience industry that, like us, work hard to develop a thriving bioscience ecosystem and to attract and grow new opportunities in the region.

The Bioscience Association of North Dakota (BioND) is a tremendous advocate for the region and continues to help make connections to the GFMEDC, working together to recruit new companies like CorVent and Lincoln Therapeutics.

Partnerships across NDSU with the School of Engineering, Department of Research and Creative Activities, and School of Pharmacy enhance our ecosystem through world-class research capabilities, a steady stream of highly-skilled talent and a host of visionaries and technical expertise.

The ND Department of Agriculture contributes to the growth of the biosciences sector by delivering impactful programing like the Bioscience Innovation Grant (BIG) and Ag Products Utilization Commission (APUC). North Dakota Department of Commerce has helped solidify deals with innovate programs like LIFT Fund (Innovation Technology Loan Fund) and the North Dakota Development Fund. Together, all of these pieces make a difference. And we’re just getting started.

A Ripple Effect

Using the GFMEDC’s *Emsi Burning Glass data tool, we can estimate that for every job created in the bioscience sector, two and one-half additional jobs are created as ripple effects throughout the region. The flow of additional earnings also reverberates through our region; every dollar created generates $1.22 in additional earnings. The data tool also measures sales with an additional $0.70 generated for every dollar of new sales in the bioscience sector.

Our economy is strong thanks in large part to our sector diversity. We support growth in the region’s leading sectors including ag tech, autonomous systems, software & hardware development, value-added agriculture, logistics, manufacturing, corporate headquarters and the biosciences

We recruit new companies, lift up entrepreneurs working to create new companies and support existing companies on their path to growth.

BioScience Adds to Overall Sector Diversity

Beyond bioscience, we continue our work to attract companies that complement our region and add to our sector diversity. At the EDC, we work alongside our partners, like Emerging Prairie and Grand Farm, to attract companies within the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and ag tech sectors. Building on our strong base in the agriculture sector along with growing expertise in soil science, technology and world-class research just makes sense.

We also have a lot of talent and expertise in our own backyard. You’ll find a growing number of entrepreneurs with great ideas and a lots of courage. Our EDC spends a lot of time supporting the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. We meet one-on-one with an entrepreneur over coffee, sponsor events and connect startups with resources to get them to the next stage.