NCBiotech News

Two life sciences organizations with operations in North Carolina are planning major expansions that will bring over 1,500 jobs and $1.8 billion in investment to the Greater Charlotte region.

Octapharma, a global health care company with a corporate office in Charlotte, will invest $1.5 billion in new manufacturing facilities, corporate offices and laboratories over the next 10 years, creating an estimated 1,250 new jobs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration selected three biopharma companies with manufacturing sites in North Carolina for a pilot program to help develop new domestic biomanufacturing capabilities.

Mary-Dell Chilton, Ph.D., an American pioneer in plant sciences known as the “Queen of the Agrobacterium,” died on June 24, 2026, in Carrboro, N.C. She was 87 years old.

Chilton’s research in the 1970s and 1980s continues to influence plant biotechnology through her groundbreaking discoveries of the interaction between plants and bacteria.

People living with type 1 diabetes walk a delicate line between taking enough insulin to control blood sugar and taking too much, which can cause dangerously low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. An investigational liver-targeted insulin called HDV Lispro (HDV-LIS) could make day-to-day blood sugar management easier and safer.

Diazyme Laboratories, Inc. has acquired the business of Carolina Liquid Chemistries Corporation (CLC). CLC is an FDA-registered manufacturer and value-added reseller of chemistry systems and reagents. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., CLC's business will be integrated into Diazyme’s operations.

United Therapeutics Corporation, a public benefit corporation with co-headquarters in Research Triangle Park, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance under the company’s Investigational New Drug application to proceed with a clinical study of its investigational UHeart xenoheart derived from a pig.

Raleigh-based TARGAN, a privately held innovator of biodevices for the poultry industry, will be acquired by Merck Animal Health, the world’s second-largest animal health company by revenue, for an undisclosed price.

Simulations Plus, Inc., a Durham-based global leader in model-informed and AI-accelerated drug development that advances biopharma innovation, entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by affiliates of Altaris, LLC, an investment firm with an exclusive focus on acquiring and building companies in the healthcare industry, in an all-cash transaction.

SonoVascular Inc. and OsteoCure Therapeutics, both based in the Triangle, have been selected for the highly competitive MedTech Innovator (MTI) 2026 Accelerator Cohort, highlighting the depth and momentum of North Carolina’s rapidly growing medtech ecosystem.  

Alcami Corporation, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, has acquired Tjoapack, a global contract packaging organization. Alcami has 45 years of experience in advancing pharmaceuticals and biologics from development to delivery.

RTP-based Opus Genetics has announced several advances in its gene therapy programs designed to restore vision and help prevent blindness in patients with inherited retinal diseases.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T) has received approval to offer a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in bioengineering through its College of Engineering (COE), marking a major milestone in the university’s continued expansion of advanced research and graduate education.

If you ask Gina Sloan, Ph.D., the age-old question about which comes first, the chicken or the egg, she’ll have a quick answer: both.

That’s because she’s a poultry pioneer, who is co-founder and CEO of a Statesville company with a unique system for spraying fertilized eggs with nutrients that give a health boost to the developing chicks inside. 

The Golden LEAF Foundation has provided $1.5 million to the Johnston County Industrial Development Corporation to expand and modernize the Johnston Community College (JCC) Workforce Development Center (WDC), increasing biotech training capacity and supporting new programs and industry needs.

The Piedmont Triad region’s hottest tech ticket on May 27 was 2026 Triad BioNight, where more than 400 business, academic and community representatives gathered to celebrate outstanding leaders in the region’s thriving life sciences sector. Awards were given for excellence in education, community, service/support, entrepreneurship, and research.