North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park has been an epicenter of biotech studies since its inception in 1956. According to the park’s website, the state as a whole ranks among the top three in the nation for bioscience employment and vaccine research, boasting an $86 billion a year agricultural biotech industry. With the support of local leading academic institutions and Raleigh’s burgeoning tech ecosystem, the region has become a true biotech hub, making it the home of some of the nation’s most innovative life sciences leaders.
The park is home to countless biotech companies, all of which focus on different factions of the life sciences sector. Some specialize in the development of novel drugs therapies for diseases like cancer and multiple sclerosis. On the other hand, some of the park’s biotech companies are tackling issues like protein screening, genetic medicine and even water purification. Backed by technological expertise and scientific prowess, the park's many biotech competitors are doing their part to help people live healthier, safer lives.
Check out these biotech companies in the Research Triangle Park carving out their own space in the life sciences sector.
Biotech Companies in RTP To Know
- Fennec Pharmaceuticals
- G1 Therapeutics
- Galaxy Diagnostics
- MAA Laboratories
- BioMedomics
- Avazyme
- Merakris Therapeutics
- GRAIL
Founded: 2009
Focus: Clinical Trial Management
What they do: Endpoint Clinical works with clients in the life sciences industry, offering software and services to streamline clinical trial operations. Its solutions include the PULSE platform, which enables trial randomization, site management and supply chain management. The company’s technology has been used to support hundreds of studies in the fields of oncology, immunology and neurology.
Founded: 2016
Focus: Cancer Detection + Treatment
What they do: Treating cancer is difficult when it is discovered in later stages, but GRAIL is determined to make this scenario a thing of the past. The company has designed an advanced blood test, which can detect various cancers in early stages of development. By allowing for just a single blood draw, patients receive accurate results with the cancer detection technology of GRAIL.
Founded: 1996
Focus: Pediatric Drug Development
What they do: Fennec Pharmaceuticals aims to improve the quality of life for pediatric cancer patients at risk of developing platinum-induced hearing loss. Their investigational drug, PEDMARK, acts as a chemical reducing agent and is intended to protect patients against platinum-induced ototoxicity. Fennec Pharmaceuticals ultimately strives to help young cancer survivors retain their hearing and protect themselves from permanent disability.
Founded: 2009
Focus: Human-Animal Diseases Surveillance, Prevention + Management
What they do: Galaxy Diagnostics is an early-stage infectious disease diagnostics company that focuses on flea- and tick-borne diseases. The company offers testing solutions for a variety of pathogens including Borrelia and Anaplasma as well as more sensitive Bartonella testing based on a proprietary growth medium developed at the NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Galaxy Diagnostics’ aim is to protect the human-animal bond through the surveillance, prevention and management of these types of diseases.
Founded: 2008
Focus: Cancer Therapies Discovery + Development
What they do: G1 Therapeutics is dedicated to discovering and developing next-gen cancer therapies. The company is advancing two novel therapies, one of which is a first-in-class investigational therapy intended to improve outcomes for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. G1 Therapeutics’ other therapy is a potential best-in-class oral receptive degrader for the treatment of ER+ breast cancer.
Founded: 2017
Focus: Protein Therapeutic Formulations
What they do: Lindy Biosciences is a development-stage company that specializes in protein therapeutic formulations. The company uses a process called microglassification, which removes a majority of the water from solutions of proteins or other biologics, which turns them into solid, amorphous microbeads. Once biologics are in this dry state, they can be made stable enough for long-term storage, transport or incorporation into drug delivery formulations.
Founded: 2006
Focus: Protein Screening + Analysis
What they do: Inanovate has developed technology for screening and analyzing proteins. Their technology, Longitudinal Assay Screening, is designed to advance the development and implementation of next-gen therapeutics and clinical diagnostics. Inanovate is currently working on a test designed to detect breast cancer recurrent at a stage when it may still be curable.
Founded: 2013
Focus: Drug Delivery + Solubility Solutions
What they do: MAA Laboratories is a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to addressing drug delivery and solubility challenges. The company’s drug development platform mechanically grinds pharmaceutical crystals to submicron sizes and stabilizes the resulting “nanocrystals” using a polymer-coating process. MAA Laboratories’ technology is intended to increase therapeutic efficiency, enhance targeted drug delivery and more.
Founded: 2016
Focus: Regenerative Product Development
What they do: Merakris Therapeutics develops biologic products using cell-derived signaling molecules. The company creates a variety of regenerative healthcare products and solutions such as tissue engineering and stem cell technologies. Merakris Therapeutics deploys products primarily within the surgical, wound, ocular and cosmetic markets.
Founded: 2018
Focus: Water Purification Solutions
What they do: NALA Membranes wants to combat the world’s clean water crisis with its new chlorine-tolerant membranes. The company’s membranes can be used without the removal of chlorine and are designed with high flux and high rejection for low TDS water conditions. NALA Membranes aims to expand opportunities to purify new water sources using reverse osmosis with their chemically resistant membranes.
Founded: 2001
Focus: Genetic Medicine
What they do: Asklepios BioPharmaceutical is a clinical-stage company that focuses on genetic medicine. The company’s clinical pipeline covers a wide range of genetic diseases targeting the central nervous system, muscles and heart tissue, including Pompe disease, congestive heart failure and methylmalonic acidemia. Their AVV technology platform is intended to change how the company scales gene therapy manufacturing.
Founded: 2009
Focus: Opioid Medication Management
What they do: Verinetics has developed IoT systems that remotely monitor and control access to doses of opioid medications in an effort to reduce the potential for drug abuse. The company’s DispenSecur technology offers remote patient dispensing through a touch ID mobile app while automatically monitoring dose inventory, GPS location and patient behavior. Verinetics integrates with opioid treatment programs’ existing pharmacy and patient management practices.
Founded: 2012
Focus: Acoustofluidic Technologies
What they do: Ascent Bio-Nano Technologies is on a mission to commercialize acoustofluidic technologies. Their technologies are designed for the rapid prototype development of acoustofluidic chips for sample preparation, separation and manipulation of bioparticles such as cells and vesicles.
Founded: 2014
Focus: Agriculture + Food Testing Solutions
What they do: Avazyme offers field and laboratory testing, product development and consulting services to the agriculture and food industries. Their services include food quality and nutrition analysis, genetic trait testing and testing for controlled substances.
Founded: 2006
Focus: Diagnostic Tests
What they do: BioMedomics develops affordable, advanced diagnostics tests. Their tests are designed to produce rapid results at the point-of-care without the need for lab equipment. BioMedomics is currently working on ways to harness antibody design and development, advanced immunoassay platforms, and testing automation and AI for applications in various medicinal areas.
Founded: 2013
Focus: Neurological Drug Development
What they do: Dignify Therapeutics specializes in delivering novel drug therapies for bladder and bowel disorders in patients suffering from spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions. The company focuses on well-established biological targets and “repositioning” safe compounds in an effort to increase speed to market and reduce development costs and risk. Dignify Therapeutics ultimately aims to restore voluntary bladder and bowel control for people with neurological conditions.
Founded: 2012
Focus: Clinical App Development
What they do: Click Therapeutics offers software programs that can serve as prescription medical treatment that can be used with biomedical treatments or independently. It has products in development for conditions that include migraines, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. The company’s mobile app Clickotine is a smoking cessation solution that provides real-time interventions.
