Evolve Biologics, a Canadian therapeutics company, announced it purchased land in Sachse, Texas — just northeast of Dallas — for its new plasma facility.
Evolve Biologics extracts plasma from blood then uses its patented PlasmaCap EBA technology to extract proteins that can be used for therapeutic treatments for immune deficiencies and neurological disorders. Its technology allows for a greater yield of proteins from plasma than conventional acid extraction methods.
According to a prepared statement, Evolve will keep its main laboratory in Mississauga, Ontario, while the 200,000-square-foot Sachse facility will focus on using the PlasmaCap EBA technology.
“Today marks another significant milestone for Evolve as we take the next step towards the commercialization of our products and our goal of bringing critical plasma proteins to patients who need them,“ Jim Caggiano, CEO of Evolve, said in the statement. “The state-of-the-art Sachse facility, powered by our PlasmaCap EBA technology, will be the foundation of our future growth and global strategy.”
Though the facility won’t begin operating until 2024, the company said it plans to hire 300 new employees over the next three years. Currently, Evolve’s website has listings for jobs in the DFW area ranging from project management to engineering positions.
To oversee the building process, Evolve partnered with Dallas-based real estate group CBRE.
Evolve is not the only healthtech company announcing new facilities in DFW this year. In October, Verily, a startup that focuses on medical data, announced it was opening an IT and sales headquarters in Dallas. And in November, therapeutic medtech companies Aakha Biologics and ReCode Therapeutics, announced they would be moving into the BioLabs at Pegasus Park.
“Northern Texas has a growing corporate/pharmaceutical presence which enables collaboration and attracts a highly-skilled workforce. The DFW area also has a very strong educational base, including many high caliber and local universities, which is great for recruiting. Best-in-class partnerships were of the utmost importance to us when finalizing our site selection, and we are thrilled to have received support from the city of Sachse and local investments in infrastructure, including The Station,” Evolve CCO David Holliday said. “From a geographical standpoint, accessibility to a major international airport and other transportation links was also incredibly important.”
