Home Page
Skip navigation links
Home
Bio in Maryland
Business
Workforce
Federal
Sponsorship
Resources
About Us
Skip Navigation LinksMaryland Biotechnology Center > Bio in Maryland

Why Maryland?  

Maryland's Bioscience Environment: 2009 

General Profile

  • Maryland is home to more than 400 core bioscience companies, representing approximately 8% of the U.S. industry.  This is the 2nd largest cluster (per capita) in the U.S. and 4th overall in “core biotechnology” companies (Ernst and Young, 2006-2008).

  • Approximately one-half of Maryland’s bioscience industry is engaged in therapeutic development, primarily biotherapeutics as opposed to small chemical molecules.  Another 25 % provide supporting research services (“CROs”).  The rest are creating gene-based diagnostics, integrating biologics and nanotechnology into medical devices, and developing innovative R&D technology platforms.

  • There are approximately 45 Maryland companies conducting more than 150 clinical trials with preclinical pipeline development programs for novel biotherapeutics.  Clinical focus strengths  include oncology, CNS, cardiovascular, and  infectious disease with a strong vaccine development expertise.

  • The State of Maryland has invested more than $700 million in infrastructure (research parks, institutes, etc.), programs (Maryland Venture Fund, Biotechnology Investor Tax Credit, Nanobiotechnology) and directly to bioscience companies over the past 20 years.

  • In May 2009, Governor Martin O’Malley unveiled BioMaryland 2020 – the State Strategic Plan for Life Sciences that calls for an investment of over $1.3 billion in ten years and a product of 1-1/2 years of effort by the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board (LSAB) and 100 dedicated members of Maryland’s bioscience community.

  • Maryland has the third largest state Stem Cell Research Fund that has committed funding of more than $50 million for peer reviewed research grants to date.  Total fund commitment is $71.4 million (FY 2007 – 2010).

  • The Maryland Biotechnology Investor Tax Credit, now in its fourth year of funding, has stimulated 3 years of investments of just over $36 million in 39 entrepreneurial bioscience enterprises.

                                                                                    back to top

Corporate Activity

  • Maryland bioscience companies accounted for the most Initial Public Offerings or “IPOs” (5) in the Mid-Atlantic in recent years (2004-2006) including more than $500 million in financing during that period.

  • Maryland venture capital activity in bioscience (biotechnology, medical devices and equipment) reached $286 million in 43 deals in 2006.

  • MedImmune, which was the 6th largest biotechnology company globally, was acquired in 2007 by Astra Zeneca (UK/Sweden) for $15 billion

  • Teva Pharmaceutical (Israel) acquired CoGenesys, a Human Genome Sciences spin-out company, for $400 million in 2008

  • Qiagen NV (Germany), which established its U.S. headquarters in MD in 2001, acquired Digene (an original MD biotechnology company) for $1.6 billion in 2008.

Note: In all cases, the parent organizations remained dedicated to expanding operations in MD.

                                                                                       back to top

Recent Maryland Rankings

  • Maryland was recently ranked 2nd nationally in Milken’s Institute State Technology and Science Index, moving from 4th last year to out-pace California and behind only Massachusetts.  (Milken, 2008)
  • Maryland has been ranked 2nd globally for initiatives aimed at drawing and retaining biotech companies (FiierceBiotech, 2006)
  • Maryland has been ranked 2nd highest in the number of biotech start-ups in the U.S. in 2004 (BioMiner, 2005)

                                                                                       back to top

Education and Skilled Workforce

  • Maryland ranked 1st in Milken’s 2008 Human Capital Investment Index, a measure of the state’s human capital and how adequately the state is prepared to sustain employment in science and technology fields. (Milken, 2008)
  • Maryland ranks 2nd among the states in the total number of doctoral scientists and engineers as a percentage of total employment (2007)
  • MD ranks 2nd in the percentage of professional and technical workers (25.4%). Just over 35% of the workforce has a bachelors (BA/BS) degree or higher.
  • In addition, MD is also ranked 1st in Biological Sciences, Health Sciences, and Mathematics doctorates (per capita).
  • Maryland’s higher education institutions have approximately 1/3 of their enrollment (~95,000 students) in degree programs that directly feed the bioscience industry.
                                                                              back to top

R&D Intensity 

  • Maryland ranks 2nd among the states in research and development intensity, which is the ratio of R&D expenditures to gross domestic product (GDP) by state. Source: NSF, 2004

  • Maryland’s universities receive more than $1.7 billion in NIH research grants and contract awards, and conduct more than $2 billion in R&D.

  • Johns Hopkins University ranks first among U.S. colleges and universities in total National Institutes of Health awards, including grants and contracts for research, development, training and fellowships: $607 million. Source:  NIH, 2005

  • Maryland ranks first in the nation in National Institutes of Health research and development contract awards ($757 million).   Source:  NIH, 2005

  • Johns Hopkins University ranks first among academic institutions in the nation in research and development expenditures, totaling $1.5 billion in FY 2006.  The university also ranks first in federally funded research: $1.31 billion.  Source:  NSF, 2005

  • Maryland ranks second nationally in federal obligations for research and development ($12.2 billion). On a per capita basis, Maryland ranks first among the states in federal R&D obligations.  
    Source:  NSF 2005, and State Science and Technology Institute. 

 

                                                                                    back to top

Economic Impact to Maryland 

  • Revenue from Maryland bioscience companies is approximately $2 billion.

  • MD bioscience companies employ approximately 27,000 skilled workforce with a similar number of bioscience related workers in federal (e.g. NIH) and academic (JHU and USM) sectors.

  • The average salary of a MD bioscience employee is approximately $80,000

                                                                                                        back to top

 
 

Molecule

Contact the Office | Site Map | Accessibility | Privacy Note | Terms Of Use   
9700 Great Seneca Highway, Rockville, MD 20850 301-762-9214   
401 East Pratt Street, 7th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202 410-767-0505