Month: September 2023

KANSAS CITY, Mo., September 26, 2023 /3BL/ – Across the vast global life sciences supply chain, data, digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence are telling complex and compelling stories about how we move vital vaccines, therapies and cures to patients. Are we ready to listen?

The answer, found in CRB’s newest survey-based Horizons: Life Sciences report, is an emphatic “yes” as the industry embraces data analytics, automation and AI technologies to streamline how groundbreaking products scale quickly and efficiently from R&D to commercial production. The report, released today as a free download, also explores shifts within mRNA technologies, cell and gene therapies and antibody drug conjugates as manufacturers place increased focus on increasing patient access to groundbreaking therapies.

Underpinning the industry’s transformation, the report finds, is its progress along the digital plant maturity model, with companies of all sizes adopting an agility mindset. Digitalization investments, the survey data finds, are driving advances in drug discovery, quality control and regulatory compliance.

CRB’s Horizons report is fueled by the survey responses of more than 500 industry leaders representing North American, European, and multinational companies. In his executive summary exploring the industry’s renewed focus on patient access, CRB Vice President of Life Sciences Noel Maestre offers a pointed prescription: “The distance between an emerging therapy with regulatory approval and mainstream access for the patients who need it remains wide in many cases. For that to change,” he writes, “funding systems designed to support ongoing treatment need to prepare for a future of one-time curative therapies. The science behind these new advanced modalities is way too promising and can only be held back for so long by financial hurdles until the floodgates finally break wide open.”

The report also features a Q-A session with Max Moore, Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, who describes how the company’s patient-centered focus drives his teams and the firm’s growth: “By inviting patients to the table (figuratively and literally), that’s what we do: we generate stronger engagement from our employees, who see meaning in their work and feel loyal to our mission in a way that no benefits package or salary bracket could foster on its own.”

Of the Horizons report’s 506 respondents, 93 percent report their companies are implementing strategies to collect, analyze and act on data. More than three quarters of respondents said plans were in place to use AI tools within the next two years to help speed their products to market – a level of investment that brightly underlines the big bet C-suite leaders are placing on digital transformation. Many companies are using AI, for instance, to design molecules, which reduces safety risks and regulatory complexity.

“Adopting a mindset of manufacturing in the early stages can lead to significantly faster technology transfers and reduced time for regulatory filings,” Niranjan Kulkarni, CRB’s Senior Director of Consulting Services, and Ryan Thompson, Senior Specialist for Industry 4.0, write in the report. “Further, with the flexibility and scalability of cloud and software-as-a-service offerings it’s often cheaper to take this approach versus developing complicated, paper-based data collection programs and incurring the associated technical debt.”

The report also provides deep, prescriptive analysis on additional critical industry trendlines, including:

Coding RNA technologies: While nearly all surveyed mRNA experts pointed to the potential of mRNA for therapeutic vaccines, vaccine developers continue to embrace coding RNA to prevent infectious diseases. David Estape, a CRB Senior Fellow, Biopharmaceutical Process, joins Steve Attig, Fellow, Bioprocess Design, in reporting that despite universally high expectations for the development and production of therapeutic vaccines, significant differences exist between U.S. and European producers in their approaches.

Cell therapies: More than three-quarters of respondents reported having a cell therapy product in their pipeline, stamping this submarket – once the focus of boutique researchers – as a clear industry mainstay. Breakthroughs are happening rapidly, and the report’s authors explore the role that gene editing plays in getting more therapies to the patients who need them, more quickly.

Gene therapies: Survey data reveals a curious split affecting gene therapy’s place in the broader life sciences industry. As Peter Walters, CRB’s Fellow, Advanced Therapies, writes, some companies are pulling back, some are investing in stable producer cell lines to bring viral-based products to market, while a third group “has its sights set on emerging non-viral manufacturing methods to move them from the research bench to the bedside.” With more than 20 years in pharmaceutical process and facility design, Walters offers an insider’s perspective on the effect these paths have on manufacturers, contractors and, ultimately, patients.

Antibody-drug conjugates: The exciting ascendancy of antibody-drug conjugates is tempered by the difficulties of manufacturing these highly toxic drugs. CRB chemical engineering expert Ashley Harp analyzes what ADC developers and manufacturers are doing to navigate those challenges, shining a light on how new purification technologies—like continuous chromatography—promise to reduce solvent use while accelerating production.

Drug product manufacturing: Luke Stockhausen, a CRB process engineer with deep experience in parenteral and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, explores the impact of the recent EudraLex Annex 1 deadline on European and U.S. producers, and finds divergent geographic approaches to comply with the new regulations – including a broad reluctance by the European cohort to push forward with new technologies before they understand how Annex 1 plays out.

About CRB

CRB is a leading provider of sustainable engineering, architecture, construction, and consulting solutions to the food and beverage and life sciences industries. Led by its innovative ONEsolution™ service, CRB provides successful integrated project delivery for clients demanding high-quality solutions, on time and within budget. The company’s more than 1,500 employees provide world-class solutions that drive success and positive change for clients, people, and communities. CRB is a privately held company with a rich history of serving clients throughout the world, consistently striving for the highest standard of technical knowledge, creativity, and execution.

Media Contacts:

Chris Clark

Director of Communications, CRB

816-674-0572

chris.clark@crbgroup.com

Bonnie Quintanilla

Clarity Quest

877-887-7611

bonnie@clarityqst.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo., September 26, 2023 /3BL/ – Across the vast global life sciences supply chain, data, digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence are telling complex and compelling stories about how we move vital vaccines, therapies and cures to patients. Are we ready to listen?

The answer, found in CRB’s newest survey-based Horizons: Life Sciences report, is an emphatic “yes” as the industry embraces data analytics, automation and AI technologies to streamline how groundbreaking products scale quickly and efficiently from R&D to commercial production. The report, released today as a free download, also explores shifts within mRNA technologies, cell and gene therapies and antibody drug conjugates as manufacturers place increased focus on increasing patient access to groundbreaking therapies.

Underpinning the industry’s transformation, the report finds, is its progress along the digital plant maturity model, with companies of all sizes adopting an agility mindset. Digitalization investments, the survey data finds, are driving advances in drug discovery, quality control and regulatory compliance.

CRB’s Horizons report is fueled by the survey responses of more than 500 industry leaders representing North American, European, and multinational companies. In his executive summary exploring the industry’s renewed focus on patient access, CRB Vice President of Life Sciences Noel Maestre offers a pointed prescription: “The distance between an emerging therapy with regulatory approval and mainstream access for the patients who need it remains wide in many cases. For that to change,” he writes, “funding systems designed to support ongoing treatment need to prepare for a future of one-time curative therapies. The science behind these new advanced modalities is way too promising and can only be held back for so long by financial hurdles until the floodgates finally break wide open.”

The report also features a Q-A session with Max Moore, Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, who describes how the company’s patient-centered focus drives his teams and the firm’s growth: “By inviting patients to the table (figuratively and literally), that’s what we do: we generate stronger engagement from our employees, who see meaning in their work and feel loyal to our mission in a way that no benefits package or salary bracket could foster on its own.”

Of the Horizons report’s 506 respondents, 93 percent report their companies are implementing strategies to collect, analyze and act on data. More than three quarters of respondents said plans were in place to use AI tools within the next two years to help speed their products to market – a level of investment that brightly underlines the big bet C-suite leaders are placing on digital transformation. Many companies are using AI, for instance, to design molecules, which reduces safety risks and regulatory complexity.

“Adopting a mindset of manufacturing in the early stages can lead to significantly faster technology transfers and reduced time for regulatory filings,” Niranjan Kulkarni, CRB’s Senior Director of Consulting Services, and Ryan Thompson, Senior Specialist for Industry 4.0, write in the report. “Further, with the flexibility and scalability of cloud and software-as-a-service offerings it’s often cheaper to take this approach versus developing complicated, paper-based data collection programs and incurring the associated technical debt.”

The report also provides deep, prescriptive analysis on additional critical industry trendlines, including:

Coding RNA technologies: While nearly all surveyed mRNA experts pointed to the potential of mRNA for therapeutic vaccines, vaccine developers continue to embrace coding RNA to prevent infectious diseases. David Estape, a CRB Senior Fellow, Biopharmaceutical Process, joins Steve Attig, Fellow, Bioprocess Design, in reporting that despite universally high expectations for the development and production of therapeutic vaccines, significant differences exist between U.S. and European producers in their approaches.

Cell therapies: More than three-quarters of respondents reported having a cell therapy product in their pipeline, stamping this submarket – once the focus of boutique researchers – as a clear industry mainstay. Breakthroughs are happening rapidly, and the report’s authors explore the role that gene editing plays in getting more therapies to the patients who need them, more quickly.

Gene therapies: Survey data reveals a curious split affecting gene therapy’s place in the broader life sciences industry. As Peter Walters, CRB’s Fellow, Advanced Therapies, writes, some companies are pulling back, some are investing in stable producer cell lines to bring viral-based products to market, while a third group “has its sights set on emerging non-viral manufacturing methods to move them from the research bench to the bedside.” With more than 20 years in pharmaceutical process and facility design, Walters offers an insider’s perspective on the effect these paths have on manufacturers, contractors and, ultimately, patients.

Antibody-drug conjugates: The exciting ascendancy of antibody-drug conjugates is tempered by the difficulties of manufacturing these highly toxic drugs. CRB chemical engineering expert Ashley Harp analyzes what ADC developers and manufacturers are doing to navigate those challenges, shining a light on how new purification technologies—like continuous chromatography—promise to reduce solvent use while accelerating production.

Drug product manufacturing: Luke Stockhausen, a CRB process engineer with deep experience in parenteral and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, explores the impact of the recent EudraLex Annex 1 deadline on European and U.S. producers, and finds divergent geographic approaches to comply with the new regulations – including a broad reluctance by the European cohort to push forward with new technologies before they understand how Annex 1 plays out.

About CRB

CRB is a leading provider of sustainable engineering, architecture, construction, and consulting solutions to the food and beverage and life sciences industries. Led by its innovative ONEsolution™ service, CRB provides successful integrated project delivery for clients demanding high-quality solutions, on time and within budget. The company’s more than 1,500 employees provide world-class solutions that drive success and positive change for clients, people, and communities. CRB is a privately held company with a rich history of serving clients throughout the world, consistently striving for the highest standard of technical knowledge, creativity, and execution.

Media Contacts:

Chris Clark

Director of Communications, CRB

816-674-0572

chris.clark@crbgroup.com

Bonnie Quintanilla

Clarity Quest

877-887-7611

bonnie@clarityqst.com

As originally published by GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative

Microbusiness Activity Index

GoDaddy Venture Forward and UCLA Anderson Forecast economists developed a way to capture microbusiness activity since 2019 via the Microbusiness Activity Index (“MAI”), which is comprised of three sub-indices:

Infrastructure Index 
Measures how ready for microbusiness entrepreneurship an area is, as indicated by the level of physical infrastructure (internet) and intellectual capital available in the area.
 Participation Index 
The number and growth rate of both GoDaddy online microbusinesses in the area and the entrepreneurs who create them.
 Engagement Index 
A combination of 7 measures of activity, such as economic footprint and website traffic levels.

The latest 2023 report is available to download from here.

Snapshot of Q2 2023: MAI Scores by County

Avg. Rural < 100 ppl./square mile

MAI Score: 101Infrastructure: 102Participation: 100Engagement: 101

Avg. Suburban 100 – 500 ppl./square mile

MAI Score: 106Infrastructure: 110Participation: 101Engagement: 101

Avg. Urban > 500 ppl./square mile

MAI Score: 110Infrastructure: 116Participation: 104Engagement: 100

Source: GoDaddy/UCLA Anderson Forecast MAI Update, Q2 2023

A DEEPER DIVE

Year-over-year trends offer insight into which industries gain and lose popularity for e-commerce, measured here by the change in online sales. 

When comparing April-June of 2023 to 2022, we observed a dip in spending in the Events and Weddings categories. Looking at the same time period change, Media and Personal Services were the top gainers, growing over five times, while sales associated with Pets almost tripled!

Which Industries Saw the greatest change in online revenue growth?

Year-Over-Year Average Revenue Change by Industry (Q2 2022 – Q2 2023)

Top 5 Industries (by % ) Gain

Media: 463%Personal Services: 415%Business: 197%Software: 197%Pets: 194%

Bottom 5 Industries (by % Loss )

Performer: -77%Events: -50%Consulting: -50%Marketing: -45%Wedding: -41%

Industry Glossary as Self-Reported by Website Owner

Media: Journalists, independent media, and information sourcesPersonal Services: Hair/nail salons, laundry/drycleaning, home cleaning servicesBusiness: Stand-alone businesses lacking other categoriesSoftware: Software developers and software development companiesPets: Pet care, pet supplies, pet salesPerformer: Musicians, street performers, forhire entertainersEvents: Conferences, seminars and partiesConsulting Services: Microbusiness consultants of any industryMarketing: Services related to marketing

GoDaddy Venture Forward Report | Summer 2023 | U.S. Edition

This report is powered by the latest data from Venture Forward, a GoDaddy research initiative to quantify the presence and impact of over 21 million online microbusinesses on their local economies, while shining a light on the entrepreneurs behind them. Our goal is to empower anyone who advocates for entrepreneurs with robust data and insights that can’t be found elsewhere.

As originally published by GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative

Microbusiness Activity Index

GoDaddy Venture Forward and UCLA Anderson Forecast economists developed a way to capture microbusiness activity since 2019 via the Microbusiness Activity Index (“MAI”), which is comprised of three sub-indices:

Infrastructure Index 
Measures how ready for microbusiness entrepreneurship an area is, as indicated by the level of physical infrastructure (internet) and intellectual capital available in the area.
 Participation Index 
The number and growth rate of both GoDaddy online microbusinesses in the area and the entrepreneurs who create them.
 Engagement Index 
A combination of 7 measures of activity, such as economic footprint and website traffic levels.

The latest 2023 report is available to download from here.

Snapshot of Q2 2023: MAI Scores by County

Avg. Rural < 100 ppl./square mile

MAI Score: 101Infrastructure: 102Participation: 100Engagement: 101

Avg. Suburban 100 – 500 ppl./square mile

MAI Score: 106Infrastructure: 110Participation: 101Engagement: 101

Avg. Urban > 500 ppl./square mile

MAI Score: 110Infrastructure: 116Participation: 104Engagement: 100

Source: GoDaddy/UCLA Anderson Forecast MAI Update, Q2 2023

A DEEPER DIVE

Year-over-year trends offer insight into which industries gain and lose popularity for e-commerce, measured here by the change in online sales. 

When comparing April-June of 2023 to 2022, we observed a dip in spending in the Events and Weddings categories. Looking at the same time period change, Media and Personal Services were the top gainers, growing over five times, while sales associated with Pets almost tripled!

Which Industries Saw the greatest change in online revenue growth?

Year-Over-Year Average Revenue Change by Industry (Q2 2022 – Q2 2023)

Top 5 Industries (by % ) Gain

Media: 463%Personal Services: 415%Business: 197%Software: 197%Pets: 194%

Bottom 5 Industries (by % Loss )

Performer: -77%Events: -50%Consulting: -50%Marketing: -45%Wedding: -41%

Industry Glossary as Self-Reported by Website Owner

Media: Journalists, independent media, and information sourcesPersonal Services: Hair/nail salons, laundry/drycleaning, home cleaning servicesBusiness: Stand-alone businesses lacking other categoriesSoftware: Software developers and software development companiesPets: Pet care, pet supplies, pet salesPerformer: Musicians, street performers, forhire entertainersEvents: Conferences, seminars and partiesConsulting Services: Microbusiness consultants of any industryMarketing: Services related to marketing

GoDaddy Venture Forward Report | Summer 2023 | U.S. Edition

This report is powered by the latest data from Venture Forward, a GoDaddy research initiative to quantify the presence and impact of over 21 million online microbusinesses on their local economies, while shining a light on the entrepreneurs behind them. Our goal is to empower anyone who advocates for entrepreneurs with robust data and insights that can’t be found elsewhere.

AUSTIN, Texas, September 26, 2023 /3BL/ – Whole Cities, a project dedicated to broadening community access to fresh food and nutrition education, announced today their partnership with GrowGeneration Corp. (NASDAQ:GRWG), the largest chain of stand-alone specialty hydroponic and organic garden centers, to support hydroponic growing efforts by community-led nonprofit organizations.

GrowGen is contributing in-kind equipment totaling more than $329,000 to the following five Whole Cities community partners: Restore OKC in Oklahoma City, Okla.; FoodChain in Lexington, Ky.; Metro Caring in Denver, Colo.; Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc. in Newark, N.J.; and Restorative Farms in Dallas, Texas. Each organization is a grantee through Whole Cities’ Community First Grant program or Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant program. 

“Whole Cities’ community-first approach means we offer responsive support shaped by the specific needs and reflecting the desires of the communities we serve,” said Dianna Purcell, Director of Programs at Whole Cities. “Increasingly, our community partners are identifying hydroponic growing as a goal. Our partnership with GrowGeneration and their generous donation of hydroponic equipment and supplies can help these nonprofits increase fresh, healthy food production locally and support more sustainable food systems.”

Hydroponic agriculture is grown with its roots in nutrient-fortified water rather than soil. Benefits include: year-round production; higher, more predictable yields in smaller areas; and water conservation.

“As the President of GrowGeneration, I’m deeply proud of our collaboration with Whole Cities. Our commitment to urban communities runs deep, and through this partnership, we’ve donated over $300,000 to support local urban farms,” said Michael Salaman, President and Co-Founder of GrowGen. “These contributions aren’t just about equipment and supplies; they’re about empowering communities to cultivate their own food and invest their resources in other vital areas. We believe in planting the seeds of sustainable growth, and this partnership is a testament to that vision.”

Whole Cities’ community partners are building thriving local food systems by expanding fresh, healthy food access through a variety of community-led projects such as urban farms, community gardens, mobile markets, and healthy cooking classes. Learn more about their efforts by visiting wholecitiesfoundation.org/community-partners.

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ABOUT WHOLE CITIES 

Whole Cities is a project of Whole Kids Foundation, an independent, nonprofit organization founded by Whole Foods Market based in Austin, Texas. Whole Cities has worked alongside more than 250 community-based organizations in more than 130 cities in the U.S. and Canada to improve neighborhood health through collaborative partnerships, nutrition education, and broader access to fresh, healthy food. Through vibrant grant programs, Whole Cities supports community gardens, urban farms, pop-up produce stands, agriculture skills development, farmers’ markets, mobile markets, healthy cooking classes and other community-directed initiatives to build thriving local food systems and improve health. For more information on its programs, visit wholecitiesfoundation.org. For ongoing news and updates, follow Whole Cities on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

ABOUT GROWGENERATION CORP. 
At GrowGeneration, we aim to be the best in Selection, Service, & Solutions. Currently we are the largest hydroponics supplier in the country with 60+ retail and distribution centers. We carry and sell thousands of products, such as organic nutrients and soils, advanced lighting technology and state of the art hydroponics equipment used by commercial and home growers. We have strategic partnerships with the biggest brand names in the industry and offer a direct to farm delivery service along with equipment financing. Our Commercial Team is armed with industry leading professional consultants that are here to help fully manage any size project. Each Commercial Account has a dedicated Account Manager, Customer Service Representative, and Quoting Specialist appointed to your company. The Commercial Team offers a one-stop shop for all your supply needs from seed to harvest, including turnkey facility designs, cultivation room designs, and on-site project consultations. Along with superior service capabilities, the Commercial Team is here to increase yields, lower production costs, and generally increase the productivity of any cultivation facility. Our website, GrowGeneration.com, operates as an Omni-Channel Ecommerce platform with 10,000+ products with available shipping around the country, along with a customer service team available to answer any questions and help make your grow operate as efficiently as possible.

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Media Contacts:
Chanta Williams, Interim Executive Director
Whole Cities 
Chanta.Williams@wholefoods.com

GrowGen Investors
ICR, Inc.
GrowGenIR@icrinc.com