International biotechnology company moves East Coast operations to Richmond

An international biotechnology company, AmpliPhi Biosciences Corp., has moved its east coast operations to the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park in downtown Richmond, where the company currently has a research lab.

According to the research park, Ampliphi is leasing 758 square feet of office space and has 708 square feet of lab space.

With research facilities in Sydney, Australia and manufacturing in Europe, Ampliphi is a global leader in the research and development of bacteriophage-based antibacterial therapies to treat multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.

In March, the company said it completed a $13 million financing to support upcoming human clinical trials targeting multi-drug resistant S. aureus including MRSA. The trials will be conducted at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

The research park also announced that RVA Yeast Labs, a yeast and bacteria supplier for both professional brewers and home brewers, has established the company’s laboratories in the Park.

“The support services and multiple shared resources available to us coupled with the engagement in this innovative community will allow our company to continue to grow, helping to further establish Richmond as a premier community for local craft beer,” Malachy McKenna, co-founder of RVA Yeast Labs said in a statement.

Four other companies also have recently opened offices or labs in the Biotech Center at the Research Park. DNARx and ScienGenix Laboratory, and Lonsa Science and Affinity Molecules, are residents in the Shared Lab.  Nutriati, a food product startup, has expanded its presence in the Biotech Center. Five other companies have joined as virtual residents of the park.

The 34-acre life sciences community is adjacent to the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center. Currently,the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park is home to more than 60 private and non-profit companies, state and federal laboratories, and research institutes/administrative functions of VCU and the VCU Health System, employing about 2,400 researchers, scientists, engineers and support personnel.

Member organizations include the VCU Innovation Gateway, the Altria Center for Research and Technology, United Network for Organ Sharing, Health Diagnostic Laboratories Inc. and the Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services.