Biotech Company Moves To St Pete, 280 Jobs

IRX Therapeutics, has announced that it will relocate its headquarters from New York to St. Pete by the end of 2011. The company, which develops treatments for cancer and other diseases, plans to hire 280 people within the next five years.

“In the short term, the company will be relocating 22-25 employees,” says Sophia Sorolis, economic development manager for the city of St. Pete. “Once the relocating is complete, there will be an immediate opening for approximately 15 new jobs; over a five-year period, they a projecting to hire 280 people total. ”

According to Sorolis, the company will start by hiring medical professionals, which will bring high-wage jobs to the Tampa Bay region. IRX will also be hiring for various positions in manufacturing and development.

“There is a diverse mixture of employment categories,” Sorolis says. “They will be hiring for multiple positions from lab technicians to individuals in accounting and marketing. ”

IRX has a long history with USF, which is one of the main draws to the region. The company’s founder, John Hadden, was recruited to USF in 1982; he then started IRX in 1994 and developed some of his company’s technology at USF. In addition to USF, there are many other local organizations that IRX can partner with to grow and develop its products.

“St. Pete offers IRX a lot of possibility with the amount of medical companies and hospitals in the area, as well as Florida Blood Services, which is the second largest blood bank in the U.S.,” Sorolis says. “They are looking forward to utilizing those relationships soon.”

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Sophia Sorolis, City of St. Petersburg