Melissa Roberts Chapman

US biotechs gave China control over your medicine; here’s how KC’s $38M+ BioHub initiative could win it back

“Biologic medicines are the drugs of the future: the insulin that manages a child’s diabetes, the immunotherapy that shrinks a tumor, the vaccine that stops a pandemic in its tracks,” said Melissa Roberts Chapman. The problem: China already has a 30-year head start controlling access to those critical medicines.

KC BioHub earns $38M+ to position KC as ‘next great biotech ecosystem’ amid global biomanufacturing race

Kansas City is poised to unlock $150 million in federal investment thanks to a winning bid led by the region’s Tech Hub to accelerate biomanufacturing innovation, workforce development, and industry growth across the region. 

Missouri notched big wins for entrepreneurs in 2026, but work remains, advocates report

Missouri is finally seeing renewed and sustained political momentum around entrepreneurship, Jason Wiens told town hall attendees gathered for an update on the Show-Me State’s recent wins around entrepreneur support.

BioNexus KC catalyzes 25 years of work at the crossroads of collaboration, health innovation 

A quarter-century commitment to regional investment and collaboration is paying off, said Dennis Ridenour, reflecting on a timeline of impact for BioNexus KC — accelerating innovation and strengthening health outcomes in Kansas City and beyond. “This milestone is not about a single achievement; it’s about decades of collective, focused effort that have allowed our ecosystem…

USDA approves KC biotech startup’s secret weapon in the fight against cancer in dogs

Full USDA approval of a Kansas City startup’s bone cancer therapy for dogs reflects a more-than-decade-long commitment to improving the lives of pets and their families, said Tammie Wahaus, CEO of ELIAS Animal Health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics recently approved the first-in-class ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI) treatment for canine osteosarcoma…