Phoenix lands $100 million bioscience commitment from Spain-based pharmaceutical firm

PHOENIX — Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced that a Spanish company on the cutting edge of cancer research is investing $100 million in a manufacturing site in the city.

During her Tuesday State of the City speech, Gallego said the company, ROIS, makes specialized injectables that can treat rare diseases, obesity and cancer.

“This type of treatment, biologics, is a promising area of growth in medical care,” Gallego said. “I’m excited that between our great university partners and ROIS, Phoenix is ahead of the curve.”

Previously known as ROVI Pharma Industrial Services, ROIS bought the Phoenix location from Bristol Myers Squibb.

Phoenix mayor excited about pharmaceutical firm’s $100M investment

Drawing cancer treatment companies is personally important to Gallego, whose mother passed of cancer in 2021.

“One of the company’s cancer treatments allows patients to keep their hair,” she said. “We all know the importance of that. I know I do.”

The mayor then shared a story of her late mother facing the prospect of losing her hair.

“She let my son dye her hair before it was gone in an attempt to make light of what is a deeply personal and scary moment for so many cancer patients,” Gallego said. “ROIS’ product could eliminate this side effect of cancer treatment altogether.”

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Another major driver of business growth is that Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs will establish a a TAITRA trade and investment center, known as TAITRA, in Phoenix.

“This is all about global matchmaking so businesses can expand, invest and develop a strategic start here in Arizona,” Gallego said.

Travel between Taiwan and Phoenix is also set to expand.

“Last year at this event, I shared that Starlux was the first airline to announce a nonstop flight from Taipei to Phoenix,” Gallego said. “I’m happy to share an exciting update: Starlux will upgrade the aircraft it flies to Sky Harbor to the state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000.”

She expressed optimism about the future of Phoenix’s technological and business growth.

“Over the last 10 years, semiconductor jobs in Phoenix have grown by 31%, and jobs in health and bioscience have grown by a resounding 39%,” Gallego said. “That lifts our entire economy.”

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