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Virginia Economic Review
Our quarterly publication, Virginia Economic Review, provides an insider look at Virginia’s economy, its diverse array of world-class companies, its amazing talent, and its stunning natural beauty, as well as insights from national thought leaders.
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Inside Virginia’s Rise to Biopharma Prominence
As the world continues to struggle with drug supply chains and critical shortages, clusters of activity have emerged to move the needle of medication affordability and accessibility.
Best Medical Ships Crucial Cancer Therapies Worldwide, With VEDP’s Help
Best Medical International manufactures a crucial product that helps its users battle devastating cancers. Now, with an assist from VEDP, the company is getting its products into the hands of people who desperately need them.
Building a Sustainable Pharma Manufacturing Workforce
Recent major biopharmaceutical manufacturing announcements are positioning Virginia for a broader reshoring effort in the pharma industry. COVID-era supply chain disruptions and resulting shortages exposed the risks of over-reliance on overseas production for essential medicines.
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Civica Rx expanded into Virginia in 2021, building a sterile injectable drug manufacturing facility in Petersburg. The company turned to the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program to fill approximately 300 positions.
01.05.2026
Bespoke Training for Emerging Workforce Needs
New or expanding companies want to know that they will be able to hire workers with the skills they need. While outside training providers offer established but generic faculty, facilities, and programs, in-house solutions allow for customization but require significant investment.
A Conversation with Spencer Marsh, Chief Scientific Officer at Tiny Cargo
Are you a transplant, a boomerang, or a lifelong Virginian? What brought you to the Commonwealth in the first place? I’m a transplant — I was born in Missouri, then lived in Ohio, Georgia, and South Carolina. I attended Clemson University and, after earning my Ph.D.
Haleon, Richmond
A Biopharma Booster
Like his fellow Type 1 diabetics, Alec Smith took insulin every day to regulate his blood sugar.
Positioned to Thrive
Medical Device Manufacturer Embody Sets Stage for International Growth For Norfolk-based Embody, Inc., the six-year process of product development, preclinical testing, and compliance hurdles to get its collagen-based tendon and ligament implant, Tapestry, into the U.S.
James Madison University
Creative Partnerships Solve Workforce Needs in the Shenandoah Valley
Partnership With JMU, BRCC Helps Merck Fill Need for HPV Vaccines In 2019, Melissa Lubin learned that pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc., was competing for a billion-dollar expansion in Elkton, a town in the Shenandoah Valley.
Partnerships Fuel Growth in Roanoke, Blacksburg
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia Tech's Rob Gourdie was busy investigating how to deliver medications more effectively.
ZielBio, Inc., Charlottesville
UVA Supports Expanding Life Sciences Industry in Charlottesville
Kimberly Kelly was a biomedical engineer at the University of Virginia (UVA), working on ways to diagnose pancreatic cancer, when she discovered a protein expressed by the cancer cells.
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Richmond
GlaxoSmithKline Hits the Ground Running in Richmond
Despite facing an unprecedented global pandemic, executives at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK) were able to recruit 150 new employees for the company’s research and development center in Richmond.
Harris Healthcare, Herndon
Meeting Global Demand for Health IT Services
To propel its growth in Virginia, Harris Healthcare is forging partnerships internationally. “A big part of our strategy is to grow in our current international markets, but also expand into new markets,” said Jeremy Trabucco, executive vice president at Harris Healthcare, based in Herndon.



