Valent BioSciences Announces Biorational Research Center
April 18, 2016 Valent BioSciences Corporation has announced plans to construct a new state of the art Biorational Research Center as an expansion of its current presence in Libertyville, IL. Part of a larger scale R&D investment plan being employed by parent Sumitomo Chemical Company, the project includes an approximately 65,000 square foot build-out for dedicated lab and office space and an additional 20,000 square feet of greenhouse space at Innovation Park. Valent BioSciences becomes the first occupant at the new 1.2 million square foot multi-tenant facility in Lake County, IL, just north of Chicago.
“This new Research Center is a key part of a continuum of investments being made by Sumitomo Chemical for the development of our biorational business,” said Ted Melnik, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Valent BioSciences Corporation. “With our new fermentation manufacturing plant in Osage, Iowa, the acquisitions of Pace International and Mycorrhizal Applications, and other recently announced license and business collaborations, we aim to maintain our biorational leadership position for years to come.”
Phase I of the Biorational Research Center project is scheduled to be completed in mid-2017 and involves a US $22 million investment to bring Valent BioSciences’ chemistry, biology, microbiology, fermentation, and formulations labs under one roof. A 10,000 square foot research greenhouse is also part of the Phase I plan. Phase II, slated for completion in 2019, involves the construction of additional space finishing at an estimated cost of $5 million. The construction will significantly increase the company’s lab space and greenhouse footprint.
“We can’t overstate the impact that this facility will have on our business in the mid- to long term,” said Dr. Warren Shafer, Vice President of R&D and Regulatory Affairs for Valent BioSciences. “The efficiencies we gain by having a self-contained, state-of-the-art research center next door to our global headquarters will help drive a natural acceleration of our product development process.”
