Biotech Manufacturing Companies in Iowa

Iowa has approximately 3,500 manufacturing establishments and 220,000 manufacturing employees. Iowa is a leading food processing and agricultural equipment manufacturing state, home to major meatpacking operations and John Deere's key production facilities.

Iowa contributes to the national biotech manufacturing landscape. Biotech manufacturing encompasses the production of biologic drugs including monoclonal antibodies, cell and gene therapies, vaccines, and recombinant proteins. Unlike traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotech production relies on living cell systems and requires specialized bioprocessing equipment, single-use systems, and advanced purification technologies.

Monoclonal Antibody Producers: Companies operating large-scale mammalian cell culture facilities for antibody drug production.

Cell Therapy Manufacturers: Facilities producing autologous and allogeneic cell therapies including CAR-T and stem cell products.

Gene Therapy Producers: Companies manufacturing viral vectors (AAV, lentivirus) for gene therapy applications.

Vaccine Manufacturers: Facilities producing vaccines using traditional and mRNA platforms, including fill-finish operations.

Contract Biologics Manufacturers: CDMOs specializing in biologic drug manufacturing, from cell line development through commercial production.

Major industrial centers in Iowa include Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, and Waterloo. These cities have concentrations of manufacturers across sectors including food processing manufacturing, agricultural equipment manufacturing, and metal fabrication.