New Biologics Startup Shows Emerging Biotech Community Coming To OKC

A new biotech startup is making a permanent residence right up the street in downtown Oklahoma City.

Thursday, January 26th 2023, 4:37 pm



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A new biotech startup is making a permanent residence right up the street in downtown Oklahoma City.

Jesse McCool, CEO and co-founder of Wheeler Bio believes his company is one example of the emerging biotech scene in Oklahoma City.

"We are building our facility here in Oklahoma City and in Boston and were essentially laser focused on monoclonal antibodies producing those antibodies at larger scale for our customers who need to get their drug into a clinic for the very first time," McCool said.

Their plan is to be able to develop antibody therapy in less time.

"We are bringing to the market a really disruptive model to the translational space that is the space where developers are trying to get into a clinic for the first time," McCool said.

They hope their products will eventually save lives.

"For cancer, for auto-immune diseases, for infectious diseases," he said

McCool thinks that Oklahoman's will also benefit from their presence here for several reasons.

"Just the proximity of biomanufacturing resources to a NCI-designated cancer center gives patients and Oklahoman's more access... Sometimes a phase one clinical trial for a new drug is someone's last hope," he said.

As for why they chose Oklahoma, the incentives were a big factor.

"There is a massive cost advantage here and as long as we can maintain that workforce strategy that can scale with businesses that scale we are going to maintain that cost advantage," McCool said.

And the Oklahoma standard.

"It's a great place to raise a family, it's a great place to do business, there is a lot of collaboration, there is a lot of willingness in the public and private sector," he said.

Wheeler Bio will open a new lab in August, and they have their first manufacturing batch scheduled for September.

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