Five other states courted the company, which develops personalized medicines, Chief Operating Officer Don Wright said.
“We are staying in Mason for the same reason we stayed in Mason three years ago,” Wright said. “The reason we stayed here is because of the partnerships with the city and the state.”
Founded in 2006, Assurex Health was spun off from technology started at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. It also received funding from the Ohio Third Frontier program. Partnerships with Cincinnati Children’s and Lindner Center of HOPE, as well as local governments, were key to the company’s retention, Wright said.
The company is excited to be part of a growing biohealth industry in Mason, Wright said. In addition to Lindner Center, other biohealth-related companies in Mason include AtriCure Inc., a medical device manufacturer that is building a new headquarters on Innovation Way.
“It’s exciting to be the big fish in the pond, but it’s also exciting when the pond is growing,” he said.
Assurex Health has been located since 2011 on the city-owned Mason Campus. The biohealth company’s new 60,000-square-foot building and campus will be designed to encourage employee wellness and to nurture a collaborative, entrepreneurial culture as Assurex Health grows, according to the company.
Final site selection and completion of the headquarters development depend on the approval of state and local financial incentives, city representatives said.
While the total expected investment was not disclosed, construction is expected to be completed next year.
“Where I really got excited… their (research and development) lab is going to be located here. That is the future and that absolutely brings in the talent from all over,” said Mason Mayor David Nichols.
“When a company brings their R&Ds here, that tells me what they think of not only about the community, but the pool of resources,” Nichols said.
Assurex Health is developing personalized medicine with proprietary technology based on pharmacogenomics — the study of the genetic factors that influence an individual’s response to drug treatments, according to the company’s website.
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