AstraZeneca and BioHub Maryland Shine a Light on the State’s Growing Biopharma Powerhouse
ROCKVILLE, MD (December 12, 2025) — Maryland’s life sciences ecosystem took center stage Monday as AstraZeneca and BioHub Maryland, powered by the Maryland Tech Council, welcomed state and federal lawmakers and industry leaders for a daylong look inside one of the state’s most important industries.
The Maryland Life Sciences Day Celebration took place at AstraZeneca’s Gaithersburg campus and the BioHub Maryland Training and Education Center at Montgomery County. Guests moved from policy roundtables to behind-the-scenes lab tours to networking sessions—all designed to highlight how deeply the life sciences sector is woven into Maryland’s economy.
Maryland’s reputation in the field is well earned. The state is home to more than 2,700 life sciences companies and 54,000 life sciences workers. Maryland and the BioHealth Capital Region were recently ranked the No. 3 biopharma cluster in the U.S.
At the roundtable event, AstraZeneca leaders highlighted the company’s commitment to advancing areas where they can create the greatest impact for patients– oncology, biopharmaceuticals, and rare diseases. The company secured 13 FDA approvals in 2024, has 216 clinical trials underway in the U.S., and plans to deploy $3.5 billion in capital investments nationwide through 2026.
Maryland features prominently in that strategy. AstraZeneca is already one of the state’s largest private employers with over 5,500 employees. The company plans to invest $2 billion in Maryland to expand its flagship biologics manufacturing site in Frederick and build a new, state-of-the-art facility in Gaithersburg—an initiative expected to support 2,600 jobs and create 300 new highly skilled positions.
“As the state’s largest biopharmaceutical employer, AstraZeneca is proud of its footprint in Maryland’s booming life sciences corridor,” said Dan Wygal, Vice President, US Corporate Affairs for AstraZeneca. “Our presence in Maryland reflects our deep commitment to innovation and collaboration, driving breakthroughs that improve health and strengthen the local life sciences ecosystem.”
Kelly Schulz, CEO of the Maryland Tech Council, used the occasion to spotlight momentum on biopharma workforce development. BioHub Maryland, the council’s workforce development initiative, has now trained 326 Marylanders—from college students to displaced federal workers—in just over a year. By adopting the globally recognized NIBRT biopharma manufacturing curriculum, Schulz said, BioHub Maryland can tailor training to match the exact skills Maryland employers need.
“Maryland has been at the forefront of medical innovation for decades,” said Kelly Schulz, Chief Executive Officer of the Maryland Tech Council. “To lead the next generation of medical breakthroughs, we need a strong pipeline of biopharma talent and a policy environment that continues to protect and expand life sciences innovation.”
Schulz also outlined policy priorities for sustaining Maryland’s edge in life sciences. Chief among them: safeguarding the state’s innovation ecosystem. That includes opposing arbitrary price caps on medical treatments and pressing for Pharmacy Benefit Manager rebates to help bring down drug costs for patients.
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About BioHub Maryland
BioHub Maryland is accelerating the life sciences industry for companies and career seekers to expand the state’s global innovation advantage. A workforce initiative of the Maryland Tech Council, the largest technology and life sciences trade association in the state, BioHub Maryland enables residents of all backgrounds to compete for rewarding careers in life sciences by offering skills training, career resources, and access to job openings. BioHub Maryland also helps life sciences companies at every stage grow by showcasing their career opportunities, training the next generation of life sciences talent, and providing strategic resources for raising capital. Learn more at biohubmaryland.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.