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

Eric Arocho is associate vice president at Eli Lilly and Company and the site lead on the company’s facility in Goochland County, Virginia - announced last year. The Goochland facility, expected to be completed within the next five years, will produce both critical drug components and finished medicines to support Lilly’s emerging bioconjugate platform and monoclonal antibody portfolio.

The 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.

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

Best Medical International, a Virginia-based cancer treatment manufacturer, is expanding its global reach with support from VEDP. The Commonwealth's strategic logistics advantages and targeted international outreach continue to position Best Medical for sustained global growth.

Investments from Virginia Tech, Carilion support critical studies in brain, heart, and cancer issues.

Recent major biopharmaceutical announcements have sent a clear signal from the industry: Virginia is the future of biopharma manufacturing.

Merck’s $3B expansion in Rockingham County builds on an 85-year legacy in Elkton, Virginia and adds 500 new jobs in the Commonwealth. The investment underscores the site’s long-standing role in producing essential medicines for global distribution and reflects Merck’s continued commitment to innovation, resilience, and patient-first care.

A look at the partnerships and targeted investment that created the next U.S. biopharma hotspot — and the work that still needs to be done.

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.