Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 24, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 11 Jon Weaver, president & CEO of MBI, took over leadership of the organization after Kevin O'Sullivan retired last year following a 33-year career at MBI. W E N T R E P R E N E U R S & I N N O V A T I O N F O C U S "ere were multiple facets of sup- port that went beyond a real estate deal, which was accommodating in and of itself," said Wengender. An email to former MBI President and CEO Kevin O'Sullivan in 2003 brought the two together. Wengender said MBI's marketing, networking, infrastructure and community connec- tions made it the clear choice. At the time, Blue Sky had a low level of investment of less than $1 million. "Yet, we were made to feel really im- portant by MBI," Wengender said. With the help of an office he still held at MBI aer the Blue Sky sale, Wengen- der began contract brewing in 2017 and opened his Worcester location less than a mile from his old office in early 2018. Bursting at the seams It's the current list of MBI companies that gets Weaver the most excited. Histo-Scientific Research Labora- tories, a research and service provider based at MBI, completed a merger and large investment in December to help the company grow from four employ- ees to 15 by the end of the year. HSRL wants to triple its space and will move into 10,000 square feet in Marlborough. ZATA Pharmaceuticals is the largest company at MBI, Weaver said. e firm specializes in technology steril- izing blood for transfusion, a method expected to significantly reduce the cost of screening blood for disease or pathogens before it is donated. "It could be a potential $4-billion company, and it started in a closet here at MBI," Weaver said. ZATA, led by President & CEO David Tabatadze, has about seven employees and is quickly outgrowing its small MBI lab. ZATA and other startups champing at the bit to get their business off the ground need space. MBI has been at capacity for three years, and 30 and 50 companies ask about space each year. "If we don't have space, they end up somewhere else," Weaver said. "When you have a startup, everything is about speed." • Prothia, a medical device maker • Time Scioscience, biomanufacturer • Bio-Detail Corp., virus construction • Targeted Cell Therapies, oral delivery of therapeutics • MyioSyntax, muscle health • ZATA Pharmaceuticals, blood safety • iOmics Corp., analytics • Niagara Biosciences, DNA fingerprinting technology • Janus Biotherapeutics, autoimmunity therapeutic • Prana Biosciences, value-enhanced pharmaceuticals • JuvoBio Pharmaceuticals, neurodevelop mental and neurodegenerative diseases • Metro Biotech, therapeutics • Robyn Robotics, dementia care • Or-Genix Therapeutics, topical products for hormonally aged skin • Signablok, cancer, atherosclerosis, inflammatory and immune diseases • Enable Life Sciences, cancer immuno- therapy • Propel Sciences • Biolyceum • Advirna, RNAi • Hiso-Scientific Research Laboratories, histology, pathology, IHC and morphometry services • BioChron, sleep therapeutics • KBioBox, biodesign • Clock Coach, circadian body rhythms • Stability Health • Suco • Leveragen • CG Scientific • HDL Therapeutics, cardiovascular devices • Celledit • ProFoldin, biochemical assays • Targeted Biosciences MBI companies The companies currently incubating at Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives include those using up lab space and those who sign up for MBI's suite of services. Source: Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives Creating a new home in Worcester Along with more space for companies not yet ready to fly the coop is the need to connect these fledgling companies with the institutional knowledge of how to run a successful biotech company. To address that need, MBI has begun working with its startup companies to help formulate strategic plans, build out management teams, find business part- ners and connect with investors. Once those startup drugmakers are fully established and ready to leave MBI, Worcester doesn't have many oppor- tunities to operate a biomanufacturing facility. e UMass Medicine Science Park and the Redstone Center on Union Street are fully occupied. A fix is in the works. e Worcester Business Development Corp., – where Weaver got his start in business advoca- cy – is making headway on construction of a biomanufacturing park at the former Worcester State Hospital. e park, branded as e Reactory, should provide much needed infra- structure once startups evolve into well established companies. MBI, with its focus on building busi- ness plans and its new facility, intends to bridge that gap for the long haul. "at's why we think the biggest oppor- tunities are in Worcester," Weaver said.

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