A new regional coalition, the Florida Oncology and Radiopharmaceutical Growth Engine, or “FORGE,” today announced its launch with a bold vision: to transform Tampa Bay into one of the United States’ leading centers for radiopharmaceutical development, manufacturing and precision oncology. The coalition projects that over the next 10 years, an estimated 4,000 high-wage jobs can be created, generating $2.6 billion in economic impact for Florida. The initiative is led by Speros and Moffitt Cancer Center and includes regional partners Embarc Collective, the University of South Florida (USF) and Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC).
“FORGE represents a transformational opportunity to position the Tampa Bay region at the forefront of one of the most promising advances in cancer care,” said Josh Carpenter, President of Speros and Chief Integration Officer for Moffitt Cancer Center. “By bringing together these regional partners, we are building the talent, infrastructure and innovation ecosystem needed to accelerate next-generation radiopharmaceutical therapies. This level of collaboration has the potential not only to strengthen America’s leadership in precision oncology, but to save lives for decades to come.”
Radiopharmaceuticals are the next frontier of precision oncology — an emerging class of therapies that fundamentally changes how radiation is delivered to cancer. Unlike traditional radiation, which acts like a broad flashlight and can damage healthy tissue, radiopharmaceutical therapies are designed to precisely find and bind to tumors, delivering targeted radiation at the cellular level and minimizing damage to other healthy parts of the body. Because the isotopes used in these therapies begin to decay immediately, production must occur close to patients in highly controlled, resilient environments, making integrated ecosystems strategically essential to meeting future patient and industry needs.
The effort brings together nationally recognized strengths in cancer care, research, entrepreneurship and workforce education and positions Tampa Bay to evolve from a health care delivery center to a competitive innovation hub — securing domestic supply chain, driving economic growth and creating career pathways that keep Floridians in high-wage, future-focused jobs.
“Florida has an opportunity to become the national model for how economic growth, innovation and quality of life rise together by intentionally building the talent, research and industry ecosystems required for the future,” said Mike Simas, President & CEO of the Florida Council of 100. “FORGE reflects the type of collaboration we are advancing through Ambition Accelerated to position Florida as a leader in next-generation health care and life sciences while delivering breakthrough treatments, better outcomes and greater opportunity for Floridians.”
As funding and support are secured, FORGE plans to deploy a coordinated set of programs and investments to build a complete radiopharmaceutical ecosystem. This includes a radiopharmaceutical focused incubator, an integrated theranostics center, imaging technologist training programs at PHSC and nuclear pharmacy opportunities at the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy. Together, these assets will allow companies to move from discovery to production to clinical use in one location at Speros, dramatically reducing time to market and strengthening America’s supply-chain resilience.