Palm Beach County Business | Spring 2022

ADVANCING THE LIFE SCIENCES SECTOR

Gina Melby, longtime supporter and leader of the BDB Life Science Advisory Council

®CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY

IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, the Business Development Board has recruited nearly 50 life science companies to Palm Beach County, while supporting the growth of new startups and well-established businesses of all sizes.

“Palm Beach County’s life science cluster includes more than 711 companies,” said Gina Melby, chair, BDB Life Science Advisory Council. The council includes stakeholders from industry, education, government, research, medical institutions, and venture capital firms. “The county’s significant investment in the sector has recruited many of those companies, spanning among research and development, manufacturing, biotech, medical devices and hospitals. The county is poised for additional growth with new projects on the horizon zoned for health care and life sciences.”

Melby has led the Life Science Advisory Council for the past seven years assisting with:

• The founding of the Council in 2015

• Supporting several life science press conferences

• Facilitating 50 BDB relocations and expansions

• Helping with the launch of a study in 2016 that outlined the needs to continue growthin the life sciences

It started a decade ago with the recruitment of the world’s top two research institutes – the Scripps Research Institute from San Diego and Max Planck Society from Germany. Co-located in Jupiter alongside Florida Atlantic University, it’s not surprising that Palm Beach County is one of the nation’s most attractive locations for investment in the life sciences.

The newest addition to the Jupiter bioscience hub is the University of Florida, which recently announced the acquisition of Scripps’ 30-acre campus on Donald Ross Road, with additional plans for 70 acres nearby in Palm Beach Gardens. The new name will be “UF Scripps Biomedical Research”.

“The county’s significant investment in the sector has recruited many of those companies, spanning among research and development, manufacturing, biotech, medical devices and hospitals.

The county is poised for additional growth with new projects on the horizon zoned for health care and life sciences.”

— Gina Melby BDB Life Science Advisory Council Chair

A Recent Win:

Precision Esthetics opens new West Palm Beach Headquarters

Precision Esthetics officially opened an 8,000-square-foot headquarters and technology division located at 4912 South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. The new location supports recent growth and the addition of 30 new positions. Founded in West Palm Beach 33 years ago, Precision Esthetics is now positioned to be the largest dental laboratory in Florida south of Orlando and will attract doctors from around the world to Palm Beach County.

• New 8,000-square-foot facility in SoSo, West Palm Beach

• 30 new positions

• Located at 4912 South Dixie Highway

• Dental products are made in America

• More than 100,000 completed dental implant cases

Two Hidden Gems in the Life Science Sector

A powerful success story – LGM Pharma

LGM Pharma, based in Boca Raton, acquired the formulation development and drug product contract manufacturing business of Nexgen Pharma, Inc., in 2020.

The acquisition brings Nexgen’s manufacturing and warehouse distribution facilities and employees in California and Texas to LGM Pharma, along with its formulation development, laboratory, and pilot plant manufacturing employees and facilities in Colorado. In all, LGM Pharma is gaining 150 experienced employees and more than 100,000 square feet of fully equipped facilities, along with expertise in all aspects of pharmaceutical finished product development and manufacturing.

Now, LGM Pharma has all the capabilities needed to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers accelerate and optimize the new product pathway, from early R&D and clinical development through manufacturing, regulatory submission, commercialization, and distribution.

Searching for a cure – Diabetes Research Institute

For the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), 2021 was a hallmark year for advancements in pioneering islet transplantation, a core part of the institute’s mission for the past 20 years. The innovative technology involves replacing the insulin-secreting beta cells from human donors to the recipient.

“We are steadfast in our commitment to finding the cure for diabetes,” said Sean Kramer, CEO of the DRI Foundation (DRIF). “As we look to 2022, we are hopeful that we can continue to make inroads in critical areas like islet transplantation and more.”

Recent DRI-supported research includes testing of dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a drug that has shown efficacy in keeping the immune system from attacking beta cells that carry necessary insulin within the body, and anti-CD40 ligand (CD40L), which may provide a safe way to limit the body’s immune system’s ability to attack insulin-producing cells. Both of these therapeutics were developed as a course of treatment for various autoimmune diseases. However, in recent years, they have shown promise in treating type 1 diabetes.