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

Virginia’s cities, counties, and towns represent a wide range of living situations, with a location to support any lifestyle.

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. VEDP Vice President of Manufacturing Sneha Atwal spoke with Cheng about the Commonwealth’s rapid rise in pharmaceutical engineering and the company’s plans for the new facility.

Across Virginia, local life sciences ecosystems are helping researchers connect with the funding and facilities they need to grow.

Virginia’s cities, counties, and towns represent a wide range of living situations, with a location to support any lifestyle.

With recent investments in biopharma manufacturing, Virginia is meeting the moment with a major push to build its talent pipeline, launching new training programs and a dedicated workforce center to prepare workers for advanced manufacturing roles. As reshoring accelerates, the Commonwealth is positioning itself not just as a production hub—but as a leader in workforce readiness. 

VEDP's Vice President of Manufacturing Sneha Atwal speaks with Dave Maraldo, senior vice president of Human Health Manufacturing Operations at Merck, one of the five largest biopharmaceutical companies in the world.