Biotech company, Therapeutic Proteins Inc. (TPI), recently relocated from suburban Deerfield to a new manufacturing facility at Illinois Institute of Technology's (IIT's) University Technology Park (UTP), 
bringing 40 jobs to Chicago. The initial facility build-out is 12,619 square feet of clean rooms, with room to expand. Build-out of the facility has been completed, and manufacturing operations are commencing.
Headed by Thomas L. Flynn III, CEO, and founded in 2003, TPI develops generic versions of biological drugs whose patent protection has either expired or is expiring soon. The most common biological drugs include proteins normally produced in the body that regulate such things as blood sugar level, red and white blood cell production, and body immunity. The expiration of patents on the earliest blockbuster drugs produced by the biotechnology revolution, such as interferon and erythropoietin, has created a new market for biogeneric drugs that TPI is one of the first entrants to address.
“Keeping TPI in Illinois is a real win for the state’s emerging biotechnology industry,” said Warren Ribley, director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). “The State’s initial capital investments in UTP helped attract IIT’s developer partner, Wexford Science + Technology, LLC, who sealed the deal with TPI.”
”We are thrilled to have TPI as an anchor tenant as their business and operations acumen will be very beneficial for the developing and emerging biotech companies not only at the UTP at IIT, but also for Chicago and the Midwest,” said David Baker, Executive Director, University Technology Park. “It shows the world that Chicago is a developing hub for life-improving therapeutic agents that will serve to lower health care costs and improve the lives of many in need.”
