Drug innovations putting Utah on industry's map

The biopharmaceutical industry in Utah packs a much bigger economic wallop than it did a decade ago, and that growth is expected to continue for the next 10 years.

A national industry study conducted by the economic think tank Milken Institute and based primarily on government data shows that the number of biopharm workers in Utah totals more than 5,200 — up more than 3,000 since 1993. That compares with a nonetheless sturdy national average jump of 28.1 percent during the same period.

And the industry's output — an estimate of the market value of goods or services produced — grew 250 percent in Utah during that time, outpacing the national growth of 77.3 percent, the study indicates.

That, plus the projection that Utah's biopharm industry will add more than 3,000 direct jobs and nearly 10,000 more related jobs in the next 10 years, has helped position Utah as a prominent player in the sector.

"There are many states in this country, many states that a lot of us didn't consider as centers for biopharmaceutical research, that are striving to get there. Utah is a great example," Lori Reilly, deputy vice president for policy at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said at a Tuesday news conference regarding the study. PhRMA was one of the study's sponsors.

In fact, during an interview with a Massachusetts radio station Tuesday morning, the radio hosts were surprised to find Utah highly ranked in the industry. "The folks in Massachusetts hadn't really thought about Utah in that way. . . . I think Utah should be quite proud of their numbers and the work that has been done to get there," she said.

Brian Moss, president of the Utah Life Science Association, said the state was 11th in a ranking of the industry's "innovation pipeline," referring to measures of research, financial and human capital infrastructure.

"Little Utah, out here tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, rates with the big boys when it comes to innovation, and that is something we have always stressed," he said.

"It's extremely high," Reilly said of the 11th-place ranking. "It's right up there with states like Massachusetts, Maryland and Pennsylvania — states that many people assume are the real epicenters of biopharmaceutical research. They certainly are, but Utah is becoming one of those states as well, and that's certainly something to definitely be proud of."