A little over two years ago, Capra Biosciences located in Loudoun County with a clear mission: to develop a more sustainable way to manufacture the ingredients needed for essential medicines in the United States. Since then, the company has grown rapidly, expanding its manufacturing capabilities, increasing its team to 22 employees, and laying the groundwork for a much larger manufacturing operation.

Capra builds and operates modular biomanufacturing facilities to produce high-value chemicals domestically and on demand. These ingredients are used in pharmaceuticals, personal care, defense, and industrial markets.

Today, Capra is expanding again. The company recently leased a second facility just down the street from its Sterling location, where it will build its bioreactors going forward. 

“Keeping operations close together is an important part of Capra’s approach. The scientists and engineers developing manufacturing processes need to work closely with the teams designing and building the equipment that will bring those processes to life,” said Dr. Andrew Magyar, Co-Founder and CTO.   

Capra’s growth has been driven in part by the expansion of its partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During the past two years, the company’s HHS program has grown from $7.5 million to approximately $17 million and now covers seven pharmaceutical ingredients. The investment is helping Capra build advanced manufacturing capabilities in Loudoun County that could play an important role in strengthening the domestic supply of essential medicines.

“Loudoun has been a really good place to make these strides. The Loudoun County Economic Development team helped us work through the permitting and build-out of our first facility, which got us up and running quickly. Being close to Washington D.C. and Washington Dulles International Airport has also been valuable,” said Dr. Elizabeth Onderko, Co-Founder and CEO. “It’s easy for investors and government partners to visit and see what we’re doing, and we have access to people with the range of scientific and engineering backgrounds we need. As we’ve grown, we’ve been able to find room to expand nearby and keep the team working together.”

The company has also recently launched its second product, salicylic acid. Capra is proud to announce that it is the first salicylic acid certified as 100% biobased through the USDA BioPreferred Program, reflecting the company’s commitment to developing more sustainable approaches to chemical manufacturing.

A Strong Foundation in Loudoun County 

For Capra, Loudoun County has provided more than just a place to grow. The county’s economic development resources have played a direct role in helping the company establish and expand its operations.

According to Dr. Magyar, during the build-out of its first Sterling facility, Loudoun County Economic Development’s ombudsman program helped Capra navigate the permitting process and move through construction more efficiently. That support was particularly important given the company’s need to get its research and manufacturing operations online quickly to meet government contract requirements.

“The speed of this build-out was critical for our ability to deliver on some of our government contracts,” said Dr. Magyar. “When it came time for us to find a second facility, we received great support from the Loudoun County Economic Development business retention team who helped us identify local properties that could be a good option.” 

That assistance allowed Capra to remain close to its existing operation while expanding its physical footprint.

“Less directly related to our growth, but equally important, Loudoun County Economic Development has served as a connector to other small businesses in the Loudoun community, which has enabled us to explore new partnerships and generally feel more connected to the local ecosystem,” he said.  

Scaling for the Future 

Capra’s next phase of growth is already underway. The company is moving quickly to establish current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing capabilities at its existing Sterling facility. cGMP ensures that medicinal products are produced in a consistent and controlled manner that reaches quality standards appropriate to their intended use and product specification.

“The transformation is significant. What was once a carpet and tile warehouse and showroom is being converted into a state-of-the-art, programmable cGMP manufacturing facility capable of producing ingredients for essential medicines in Loudoun County,” said Dr. Onderko. 

With support from HHS, Capra plans to file multiple Drug Master Files with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to support bringing its pharmaceutical ingredients to market. The company also plans to expand manufacturing capacity at the current site by approximately 20-fold, creating the potential to manufacture as much as 100 tons of high-value ingredients.

Looking even further into the future, the company has begun planning for a scaled manufacturing facility that could support its next stage of growth. Loudoun County Economic Development is helping Capra explore opportunities for locating that future facility within the county.

As Capra continues to expand, the co-founders see an opportunity to grow the partnership with Loudoun County Economic Development and together position Loudoun County as a national leader in manufacturing innovation while contributing to a more resilient domestic supply of essential medicines.