San Francisco-based Biotech Company Opens Missouri Office

Vir Biotechnology Inc., a San Francisco-based immunology research company focused on treating and preventing serious infectious diseases, recently opened a new $41 million office within the Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis, Missouri.

Vir’s new innovation lab and offices in Cortex will support the company’s research into the interactions between infectious organisms and the people they infect.

Lisa Purcell, Vir’s Senior Vice President of Microbiology and Virology and St. Louis Site Head, said the company’s new local office will focus on research and development, supporting pre-clinical testing to advance and commercialize its drug pipeline.

Founded in 2016, Vir is advancing a portfolio of drug candidates and therapeutics for several infectious diseases, including COVID-19, hepatitis, influenza and HIV. In 2021, Vir inked contacts with the U.S. government for doses of a COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment it has developed in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline plc.

Missouri is actively investing in high-tech industries including agtech, geospatial analysis, cybersecurity, human health and animal health. With research taking place across the entire state in dozens of our innovation communities, companies are utilizing Missouri’s exceptional resources to grow their business.

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