AmplifyBio, a biotechnology contract research organization (CRO) that aims to advance the quality and innovation of human health and advanced therapies, is expanding in the Columbus Region, investing approximately $150 million in a new 350,000-square-foot New Albany facility. With this investment, the company is also creating 263 new jobs across both its new location and its existing West Jefferson location. Hiring for research and development positions will be ongoing through 2022.
AmplifyBio is expanding to meet surging market demand for advanced therapies, including cell and gene therapy products. Its new facility at 9885 Innovation Campus Way in New Albany will create 132 new jobs. The company’s existing West Jefferson location on a 30-acre campus at 1425 Plain-City Georgesville Road, which currently has 155 employees, will see the creation of 99 new jobs. In addition, 32 new corporate jobs will be added at a location yet to be determined.
“We are excited to expand our presence in the Columbus Region, and specifically New Albany. We believe that our innovation platform is a perfect fit for the collaborative environment that I first noticed when I came to Ohio,” commented AmplifyBio CEO and President J. Kelly Ganjei. “Our partners, collaborators and clients view working in the Region as a phenomenal opportunity, and we are convinced that our business model will continue to drive more innovative developers into the area.”
“We are excited to welcome AmplifyBio to our community’s burgeoning health and life sciences cluster, which is already home to industry leaders such as Amgen,” said City of New Albany Director of Community Development Jennifer Chrysler. “Our community’s International Business Park offers shovel-ready sites, redundant and reliable utilities, and is a stone’s throw from one of the nation’s largest public research universities. When our clients need to quickly establish and scale operations, they know that they can achieve success in New Albany because we have made all the necessary investments to welcome them while reducing their development costs.”
AmplifyBio is leveraging decades of experience in supporting advanced therapies using a variety of modern clinical and commercial drug development solutions. The company focuses on safety, efficacy and toxicology testing for best-in-class and advanced therapy drug candidates to accelerate the development of scalable products. In 2021, AmplifyBio raised $200 million in early-stage venture capital investments – the second largest VC investment in the Columbus Region last year.
“AmplifyBio is working to provide a platform that will help solve the challenges of scaling complex therapies, putting Madison County at the forefront of new advances and technologies in the biotech industry,” said Madison County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director David Kell. “The company’s growth and expansion beyond Madison County is indicative of the collaborative business climate that we have fostered in the Columbus Region, which provides the right atmosphere for groundbreaking research and development.”
From trailblazing innovation to high-tech manufacturing, the Columbus Region is home to one of the most dynamic life science industries in the country. Companies spanning the life science industry have operations focused on R&D, technology, and manufacturing. From Sarepta’s new Gene Therapy Center of Excellence to Battelle’s launch of AmplifyBio, NCH’s launch of Andelyn Biosciences and Forge Biologic’s $130 million series B, the Columbus Region is on the cutting-edge of innovation in the life sciences industry. New Albany is in Franklin County, which is home to an estimated 1,316,756 residents.
“AmplifyBio’s growth is further evidence of the rapidly growing biotech sector throughout the state and Region,” said JobsOhio CEO J.P. Nauseef. “The unique opportunities in research and development that AmplifyBio’s expansion is bringing to the Region, with a mission to advance healthcare for all, is a big win for our workforce and our knowledge economy.”
