Skip to Content

Bioscience

It’s not always easy to spot Alabama on a map, but it’s hard to overlook the impact Alabama’s bioscience sector has had on our state’s reputation, economic development, and the lives of everyone it’s touched.

Alabama is home to 780 bioscience companies, and the industry has an annual economic impact estimated at $7.3 billion, as well as a track record for breakthrough discoveries. Birmingham-based Southern Research, for instance, has discovered seven FDA-approved drugs used in cancer treatment, and has made important advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, polio, and mosquito-borne viruses.

The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville is a leader in research on the human genome, gathering genomic data for thousands of academic, clinical, and commercial clients nationwide.

Underscoring the track record of innovation found in Alabama’s bioscience sector is the fact that organizations are magnets for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding. In Fiscal 2023, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) received over $417 million in NIH funding, placing it in the top 1% of all institutions.

Beyond cutting-edge research and technology, one of the most notable achievements of the bioscience sector is the high level of employment that it has created. Nearly 18,000 Alabamians are employed in life science or biotechnology jobs, with average annual income topping $67,000.

The sector is growing, with $236 million in new private-sector investment during 2021 and 2022, creating over 740 jobs.

Read BioAlabama’s Economic Development Roadmap.

Quick Facts

  • 780 bioscience companies
  • 50 medical device companies
  • $7.3 billion annual economic impact
  • NIH funding to UAB topped $800 million in past two fiscal years
  • 18,000 employed in bioscience
  • 576 bioscience patents awarded, 2016-2019
  • Southern Research discovered 7 FDA-approved anticancer drugs
  • Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance has 12 potential drugs in pipeline
  • Multiple teaching hospitals across the state

Bioscience Companies/Organizations

 

  • Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance (ADDA)
  • Acclinate Genetics
  • Avanti Polar Lipids
  • Blondin Bioscience
  • CFD Research Corp.
  • Discovery BioMed
  • Evonik Industries
  • Folio Conversant
  • GeneCapture
  • H2 Pharma
  • HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
  • iCubate
  • iXpressGenes
  • Kowa Pharmaceuticals
  • Nektar Therapeutics Alabama
  • Oxford Pharmaceuticals
  • Pharmavite (Nature’s Made)
  • SiO2 Materials Science
  • Soluble Therapeutics
  • SouthernBiotech
  • Southern Research
  • UAB
  • UAH
  • USA Mitchell Cancer Center

Stay connected to what's happening in Alabama now.

  • Enter your email address to receive periodic updates on the evolution of business in Alabama.

Ready to start your company's next chapter in Alabama?

Alabama may be small in size, but its ability to accommodate businesses seeking success is vast. See why companies like Mercedes, Airbus, Hyundai, and Honda have decided to call Alabama home.

Find A Site Learn More About Alabama