Virginia Economic Review

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.

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.

John Newby is the CEO of Virginia Bio, the nonprofit statewide trade association that serves and promotes the life sciences industry in Virginia.

John Newby is the CEO of Virginia Bio, the nonprofit statewide trade association that serves and promotes the life sciences industry in Virginia.

Pam Cheng is executive vice president of global operations and IT and chief sustainability officer at AstraZeneca, which recently announced a new facility in Albemarle County — the company’s first in Virginia.

A lot changed in Virginia’s life sciences industry in the space of about a month last fall. Between Sept. 16 and Oct. 20, biopharmaceutical manufacturing giants Eli Lilly and Company, AstraZeneca, and Merck & Co.

A pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation that came out of a Virginia university is changing the way medicines are made. The Commonwealth’s universities and the rest of its biopharma research community are making sure Virginia is ready to make the medicines of the future.

In October 2025, shovels went into the ground in Elkton, marking the start of a $3 billion pharmaceutical expansion project that will add 400,000 square feet to Merck’s existing campus.

Dave Maraldo is the senior vice president of Human Health Manufacturing Operations at Merck, one of the five largest biopharmaceutical companies in the world.

Merck’s expansion at its Rockingham County site, announced in late 2025, represents the continuation of a long, mutually beneficial tenure in the Commonwealth.

A pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation that came out of a Virginia university is changing the way medicines are made. The Commonwealth’s universities and the rest of its biopharma research community are making sure Virginia is ready to make the medicines of the future.

Would more men try to prevent unintended pregnancies if their choices for contraception went beyond a condom or vasectomy?

A lot changed in Virginia’s life sciences industry in the space of about a month last fall. Between Sept. 16 and Oct. 20, biopharmaceutical manufacturing giants Eli Lilly and Company, AstraZeneca, and Merck & Co.

In October 2025, shovels went into the ground in Elkton, marking the start of a $3 billion pharmaceutical expansion project that will add 400,000 square feet to Merck’s existing campus.

Food and beverage and pharmaceutical companies rely on Virginia’s cold chain infrastructure to succeed.

Food and beverage and pharmaceutical companies rely on Virginia’s cold chain infrastructure to succeed.

If you imagine timelines as train tracks and key events as moments when tracks converge, this is a pivotal time for rail in Virginia.

Connections are an essential foundation of business success — and businesses trust Virginia’s infrastructure to provide a multimodal transportation system that reliably connects them to suppliers, customers, and partners.