NORMAN, OKLAHOMA (September 2, 2022) – Today, President Joe Biden and other White House Administration officials announced the Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Cluster (OBIC) Initiative, a coalition spearheaded by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, including the University of Oklahoma, Norman Economic Development Coalition, Oklahoma City Innovation District, and other industry partners has been awarded $35 million through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge of the U.S. Economic Development Administration. 

In total, the OBIC coalition is supported by more than 40 partners across academia, tribal nations, government, industry, community, investors, and other key stakeholders involved in the continued development of the burgeoning biotechnology cluster in Oklahoma. These partnerships support initiatives across the Metro Oklahoma City region to foster inclusive access to high-wage career pathways, increase R&D programs and partnerships, and expand critical scientific infrastructure that makes our region more conducive to bioscience innovation commercialization.

The grant proposal was designed to catalyze the bioscience sector in the Oklahoma City region, taking advantage of groundwork laid in the industry by Oklahoma City leaders over the last 25 years, the growth of new private investment in the region, and the opportunities presented by growing complexities and bottlenecks in the drug development and delivery process. “We are very pleased the EDA recognizes the opportunities the metro area provides to the state and nation, with the University of Oklahoma as the hub.  It’s not well known locally, but the OU Health Sciences Center conducts more Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials than any other major research university in the nation.  This grant will help us elevate that message and exponentially increase opportunities,”  said Lawrence McKinney, President and CEO of the Norman Economic Development Coalition.

“Major scientific advancements are best achieved through strong public-private collaboration, which is exactly what will be accomplished through this coalition,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “This exciting initiative unites our region’s brightest minds in biotech, and we are grateful that it will leverage OU research expertise to develop life-changing solutions while also fostering economic prosperity for our state.”

OU Vice President for Research and Partnerships Tomás Díaz de la Rubia said, “We saw this as an opportunity to leverage the strong public and private research assets that exist at the University of Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City, and in the region to create a vibrant ecosystem here that not only fuels our economy but supports increased commercialization and U.S. manufacturing for new drugs and therapies. This funding, and the strong partnerships cultivated through the coalition’s planning process, will dramatically increase our research output, our ability to connect that research with commercialization resources and capital, and our capacity to train the workforce needed to sustain the industry’s growth. This grant moves us one step closer to realizing our vision of a strong biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovation cluster in Oklahoma.”

The component projects in the grant unify the commercialization pipeline from translational research to testing and manufacturing while providing support (workforce, entrepreneurial start-ups, and industry partnerships) to elevate the bioscience innovation ecosystem regionally. 

“This kind of collaboration falls squarely within our mission at the OU Health Sciences Center,” said Interim Senior Vice President and Provost of the Health Sciences Center Dr. Gary Raskob. “Through this grant, our researchers will pursue scientific discoveries that can be evaluated and applied in practice, with the goal of improving people’s lives. Biotechnology innovation makes critical contributions to both better health care and to the economic growth of Oklahoma City, and OU is pleased to be part of a team of very talented partners to bring this to fruition.”

The grant will fund six core investment projects. 

• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center for Therapeutics – Translational Research Labs: development of 10 translational research labs dedicated to drug discovery within the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center. 

• Oklahoma Biotech Startup Program – supportive programming to build a vibrant regional biotech startup pipeline led by the University of Oklahoma.

• The University of Oklahoma Biotech Core Facility – a new facility with state-of-the-art high-throughput, advanced bioprocessing equipment and services for instructors and researchers at OU, local nonprofit organizations like OMRF, and private companies like Wheeler Bio.

• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center Early Phase Clinical Trial Network – an initiative to double the size of the existing clinical trial program at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, commensurate with the demand for Phase I trials created through accompanying translational science investments and industry growth.

• Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Center – a new program housed in the Oklahoma City Innovation District to meet the growing demand for skilled labor in the OBIC, which will enable the formation of inclusive, non-degreed career pathways into high-wage jobs.

• Oklahoma Bioscience Cluster Initiative – an initiative to lead regular convenings of industry leadership, conduct needs assessments, encourage regional connectivity, and spur policy advocacy.

The coalition members see their partnership as a real opportunity for success. “We can strengthen the overall innovation ecosystem and create a high-functioning industry cluster,” said Bill Lance, Secretary of State, Chickasaw Nation, and a member of the coalition. “By connecting all these components and creating strong links between the community, universities, and industry to advance biosciences development, we will foster commercialization of university-based research and advance industry collaborations. We will also create new job opportunities for diverse populations across the region, a central goal of this initiative.”