Washington State: Life Science & Global Health

WASHINGTON STATE LIFE SCIENCE & GLOBAL HEALTH

One of the largest biotech clusters in the United States, Washington State offers investors, startups and industry innovators a unique environment where collaboration is the norm and bold ideas are readily brought to market. In many respects, it is an entrepreneurial space where it’s not uncommon to find startups opening right across the street from major research facilities.

Ideas are exchanged fluidly, not only within the sector itself, but with the region’s worldrenowned technology industry, allowing rapid prototyping and deployment of new technologies such as virtual and augmented reality and cloud computing.

In fact, this confluence of technology and life science has changed the world we live in. Over the years Washington has been responsible for the development of the portable heart defibrillator, kidney dialysis machine, Sonicare Toothbrush, Rotoblator and passive vaccine storage devices. We have also pioneered new standards for addressing life-threatening health issues, including the Scribner shunt, Medic One and bone marrow transplantation.

Anchored by highly respected research institutions such as the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Allen Institute, University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the sector employs more than 36,000 researchers and support staff at 240 biotechnology companies, 416 medical technology and life science companies, 126

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digital and Internet technology companies and 106 academic, nonprofit research and support organizations.

In the global health cluster, 168 organizations employ 12,000 workers, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sightlife and PATH. These institutions are solving many of the world’s most pressing problems, such as access to vaccines, clean drinking water, electricity and telecommunications. A good example of this global work is BURN Design Lab. To reduce the incidence of smoke-related deaths among women and children who must cook over poorly ventilated, fuel-inefficient stoves, BURN created a series of biomass stoves that reduce carcinogens and burn more efficiently. The company even customizes the stoves for each locale and helps set up manufacturing capabilities in the host country, creating jobs and affordable stoves.

Washington’s global health organizations have forged nearly 2,000 partnerships around the globe, spearheading more than 5,000 projects in 151 countries. To further increase collaboration and connection, the state was the first in the nation to formally organize an alliance of global health organizations.

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NEW DISCOVERIES, EVOLUTIONARY CURES

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A RICH HISTORY OF INNOVATION From the founding of the first hospital in the Northwest Territory of the U.S. in 1858 to today’s pioneering breakthroughs in immunotherapy and protein engineering, Washington has been at the forefront of some of the biggest advances in life science and global health. A cornerstone of this passion for innovation and invention stems from the state’s unique culture of creativity. Twoperson startups with fresh ideas readily mix with established researchers, scientists, doctors and graduate students in nearby restaurants, public spaces and pubs. Venture capitalists and angels are in the mix as well, looking for the next Washington State success story, such as Juno Therapeutics, which is examining ways to use human T-cells to reengage the immune system, revolutionizing the way doctors treat cancer.

This collaborative culture even results in some interesting mixes of old and new. In addition to manufacturing camping and hiking gear – something Cascade Designs has been doing for the last 40 years – the company is also producing a no-frills, compact water purifier that can produce clean, chlorinated water for African communities.

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. military, it is just one example of how innovation is cross-pollinating between once unrelated industries.

In medicine, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital have teamed up to explore new advances in immunotherapy. At “the Hutch,” T-cell therapy trials have achieved a 93% remission rate in patients with advanced B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. At Seattle Children’s Hospital, researchers are looking at ways to use T-cell therapy to reduce auto-immune disorders in patients who have had organ transplants, engineering the cells so they increase tolerance for the new organs.

Washington has had the distinct honor of being home to eight Nobel Prize winners in medicine, chemistry and physiology.

The University of Washington recently ranked first in technologies-licensed and commercialization agreements, and tripled its grant awards over the last two decades.

Commercialization of research discoveries plays an important part in the success of Washington’s life science and global health sectors. Over the last decade the University of Washington and Washington State University have launched more than 200 startups that leveraged their research outcomes.

WASHINGTON BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIFE SCIENCE • Juno Therapeutics • Adaptive Biotechnology • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center • Philips • Physio-Control • Arivale • PAML • Novo Nordisk • Seattle Genetics • Celgene • Nano String • ZymoGenetics • M3 Biotechnology • Nativis

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GLOBAL HEALTH • PATH • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation • Sightlife • World Vision • Center for Infectious Disease Research • Global Good • Kineta • Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation • Burn Manufacturing • Infectious Disease Research Institute

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A FUTURE WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED Washington’s life science and global health sectors are fortunate to have direct access to world-renowned research and philanthropic institutions, including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Washington State University, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Gates Foundation, Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group and Social Venture Partners. Billions of dollars in research funds flow into the state annually, allowing researchers to explore new advances in medicine, medical devices and technologies, therapies and treatments.

Washington’s central role in big data and cloud computing is helping medicine advance at a historic pace. Big data holds the promise of allowing labs worldwide to share data, public health information and genetic information in new ways, opening the door to exciting discoveries in the lab and more informed decisions in the surgical suite. Big data has already been used in malaria research to analyze proteins in parasites to see how they bind with particular human protein receptors. Analyzing the possible combinations of these 50 binding proteins has only been made possible by the number crunching capabilities of big data.

To support innovation, startups benefit from a steady stream of venture capital and angel investment. Last year, biotech venture capital investments totaled $252.6 million while investments in medical devices and equipment topped $87.6 million. Seattle is also first in the nation when it comes to private foundation revenue per capita; 2½ times that of San Francisco, which was ranked #2 by the Urban Institute.

Overall job growth in the sector has been nine percent over the last six years and total wages outpaced the state average for all industries.

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Washington is redefining the world of healthcare on a global scale. Life science and global health organizations thrive in Washington State because of our excellent research capabilities, highly collaborative partnerships that blur the lines between life science and technology, our history of innovation and invention, and our dedication to health and wellness worldwide, giving hope where there once was none.

Give us a call at (206) 256-6100 or email us at moreinfo@choosewashingtonstate.com to learn more about our life science/global health sector and how you can become part of the future of healthcare in Washington State. www.choosewashingtonstate.com

Washington State Department of Commerce