A bioscience business that develops and makes medications for pharmaceutical companies and started in Bend nine years ago is quietly expanding.

Seràn BioScience, located on Layton Avenue, is adding 60,000 square feet of manufacturing and lab space, said company CEO and co-founder Dan Smithey.

The biosciences industry, which produces everything from titanium implants to medication, is among businesses that Bend and Central Oregon leaders court. The industry generally offers higher paying jobs and is considered a clean industry.

“Companies like Serán represent a new generation of innovation, building on that legacy and expanding the region’s capabilities in bioscience research and development,” said Liisa Bozinovic, Oregon Bioscience Association executive director. “Over recent years, we’ve observed significant growth in the bioscience sector, including an increase in the number of firms, the range of jobs available, and wages that reflect the advanced skills required in these industries.”

In Central Oregon, the bioscience and medical device industry has experienced year-over-year double digit growth for nearly a decade, according to Economic Development for Central Oregon . In addition to Seràn, companies such as Lonza, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Grace Bio-Labs are globally recognized for their work.

The industry employs nearly 1,200 people throughout the region, with 70% of this employment within scientific research and development activities, according to EDCO.

Bioscience is an industry that in Central Oregon was borne out of Bend Research Inc., a technology firm founded in 1975, according to a 2010 Bulletin article. The industry has been growing steadily since , said Don Myll, EDCO Bend area director. The fact that Bend has several biotech businesses helps with recruitment, Myll said.

“None of the companies in town make their own drugs,” Myll said. “It’s a long-term industry that’s growing rapidly internationally and nationally. It’s also a well-paying industry that has multiplier effect to our economy.

“It will continue to grow too.”

Serán’s expansion means the company not only will be a contract testing facility, but will manufacturer the drugs too, Myll said.

“We’re excited about the expansion,” Smithey said. “We’re fortunate to grow our campus … and acquire buildings as they become available. We occupy nine buildings.”

The new commercial production facility will be built in the Juniper Ridge site, a 500-acre area historically marked for industry that can tap into property tax incentives as a way to encourage development. The company owns about 14 acres in the Juniper Ridge area, Smithey said.

Biotech in Bend

More suites will be added to the facilities and expanded manufacturing capabilities, Smithey said. A suite in the biotechnology arena refers to a space or room designed to provide the appropriate conditions and controls to manufacture a pharmaceutical drug product. The rooms are not laboratories in the traditional sense but do contain the machinery and equipment for the highly regulated and controlled production of pharmaceutical products.

Serán, which employs about 200 people, plans to stay in Bend and continue to expand its footprint, Smithey said. The company is out of space right now, said Smithey.

The expansion should be completed by next year, he said. In 2023, the company had an influx of investor capital from Bain Capital Life Sciences, with existing investor Vivo Capital, which remains as a key shareholder in the company. The partnership supported Serán’s construction of a new commercial-scale manufacturing facility .

“We’re trying to build a business here that can be successful,” said Smithey. “People want to be here. Even clients like to come here. It seems odd to have such a strong bioscience community here in Bend, but it works because the world is more accessible than ever. There are a lot of people who move from the Bay Area and set up in Bend.

“People would rather work in a manufacturing plant here rather than drive two hours in traffic in the Bay Area.”

Bend Research expanding