Monroe Biomedical Research (MBR), a dedicated clinical trial site, is growing its footprint to enhance early-phase clinical trials and attract more research opportunities to North Carolina. Construction is underway on a new 12,000-square-feet facility adjacent to MBR’s existing 7,000-square-feet space in Monroe. Set for completion in June 2025, the new facility will include 15 beds and accommodations for study volunteers requiring extended stays. MBR’s two buildings will be registered as a dedicated private research campus, enhancing the state’s capacity for early-phase clinical trials and attracting more studies to the region.

A 30,000-square-foot Charlotte R&D and manufacturing facility opened in 2019 by Illinois-based medical device company Medical Murray is under new ownership. Tempe, Arizona-based Aptyx, a global developer and manufacturer of complex components and devices for the life sciences, bought the facility for an undisclosed sum and says it will retain the existing workforce of approximately 80 people. Both firms are privately held. Medical Murray will continue to operate separately through its two remaining facilities in the Chicago suburbs of Lake Zurich and North Barrington.

DetraPel, Inc., a clean-tech advanced materials company, will relocate its headquarters and advanced manufacturing operations to Charlotte. The company will invest $3.5 million and bring more than 30 new jobs to Southwest Charlotte. 

“As DetraPel has evolved into a leading barrier coating company, we have sought a location that reflects our ambitious vision,” said DetraPel CEO David Zamarin. “Today marks a significant milestone in our company’s journey as we officially announce Charlotte as the new home for our headquarters and manufacturing operations."

groninger, a German manufacturer of filling and closing machines for the pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare and cosmetics industries, is expanding its U.S. headquarters in Charlotte. groninger USA announced through the City of Charlotte that it will invest $15.1 million and create 60 new jobs paying an average of $76,037. The expansion will increase the company’s Charlotte workforce to 172 full-time employees over the next five years, up from 112. The Charlotte location handles sales, service, and parts manufacturing for groninger USA customers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Claradele Pharmaceuticals, a Greenville startup developing a unique immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, is the 2024 NCBiotech Venture Challenge winner. 

The Claradele selection marked the pinnacle of a months-long grooming process for North Carolina’s freshest life sciences startups. It was the culmination of the statewide Venture Pitch Showcase at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, announced Thursday evening at the sold-out Triad BioNight, also at the Grandover.

Milestone Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian company with a U.S. subsidiary in Charlotte, is back on track with a potential drug to treat rapid heart rates in certain cardiovascular disorders.

The company in late March re-submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval of etripamil for the management of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), a type of arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm.