AP

WVU nonprofit arm takes over shuttered plant, tenants sought

Mar 31, 2022, 2:26 PM | Updated: 3:09 pm

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A nonprofit arm of West Virginia University took ownership of a shuttered pharmaceutical plant Thursday with the goal of improving area job and education opportunities.

WVU Medicine will work with the university through the WVU Innovation Corp. to oversee the 1.1-million-square-foot (102,190-square-meter) facility in Morgantown. Discussions with potential private industry tenants are ongoing, said WVU Health System President and CEO Albert Wright.

“There is significant interest from many parties in that building,” Wright said on a conference call. “We’re going to be working up a lot of different possibilities as to how we use that building over time.”

Wright said he envisions a few anchor tenants and other, smaller businesses in the building, as opposed to one big tenant. He said it’s possible that portions, but not all, of the building could be available for use as a pharmaceutical business.

“We’re looking to be an economic engine here,” Wright said. “We’re looking for some big-anchor tenants, but we’re also going to have a component to what we’re doing to be an incubator for startup businesses, to provide some of the infrastructure to get them going from the start.”

Prospective tenants don’t necessarily have to be health-care related, “but we’d like to tie it into the health science capability of the university,” Wright said. “So we have had a number of small startups that are interested.”

Viatris Inc. transferred the facility for $1 under a memorandum of understanding with the university. Viatris announced in December 2020 that it was laying off 1,500 workers at the plant, which was formerly operated by the generic drug company Mylan.

Mylan merged with Upjohn in 2020 to form the new company. Viatris, which announced it would slash 20% of its workforce worldwide, is now one of the world’s leading makers of generic drugs and maintains research and development operations in Morgantown.

“Our goal has always been to identify a responsible new steward for this unique site that would secure the best possible future for the facility, our impacted employees and the Morgantown community, a community that continues to play an important and vital role for Viatris,” company executive chairman Robert J. Coury said in a statement.

The plant closing left workers scrambling to find new jobs in a state that is often trying to lure new companies to uplift a stagnant economy once dominated by the coal industry.

Rob Alsop, WVU’s vice president for strategic initiatives, said former Mylan employees will be offered a tuition-free education at the university. Coupled with the state’s existing offer of free tuition at its community colleges, it will “make sure that those employees are ready for the new job opportunities that we hope come from this,” he said.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Lead water pipes pulled from underneath the street are seen in Newark, N.J., Oct. 21, 2021. (AP Pho...

Associated Press

Biden to require cities to replace harmful lead pipes within 10 years

The Biden administration has previously said it wants all of the nation's roughly 9 million lead pipes to be removed, and rapidly.

5 days ago

Facebook's Meta logo sign is seen at the company headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on, Oct. 28, 2...

Associated Press

Meta shuts down thousands of fake Facebook accounts that were primed to polarize voters ahead of 2024

Meta said it removed 4789 Facebook accounts in China that targeted the United States before next year’s election.

5 days ago

A demonstrator in Tel Aviv holds a sign calling for a cease-fire in the Hamas-Israel war on Nov. 21...

Associated Press

Hamas releases a third group of hostages as part of truce, and says it will seek to extend the deal

The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the first American was released under a four-day truce.

10 days ago

Men look over the site of a deadly explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, Oct. 18, ...

Associated Press

New AP analysis of last month’s deadly Gaza hospital explosion rules out widely cited video

The Associated Press is publishing an updated visual analysis of the deadly Oct. 17 explosion at Gaza's Al-Ahli Hospital.

13 days ago

Peggy Simpson holds a photograph of law enforcement carrying Lee Harvey Oswald's gun through a hall...

Associated Press

JFK assassination remembered 60 years later by surviving witnesses to history, including AP reporter

Peggy Simpson is among the last surviving witnesses who are sharing their stories as the nation marks the 60th anniversary.

13 days ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, ...

Associated Press

Israeli Cabinet approves cease-fire with Hamas; deal includes release of 50 hostages

Israel’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a cease-fire deal with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to a devastating war.

14 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

Valley residents should be mindful of plumbing ahead of holidays

With Halloween in the rear-view and more holidays coming up, Day & Night recommends that Valley residents prepare accordingly.

Follow @KTAR923...

West Hunsaker at Morris Hall supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR's Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

WVU nonprofit arm takes over shuttered plant, tenants sought