US Export Plan - Sector Report - Pharmaceutical Services

Table: Top Five Priority States for Scotland in the Sector

The table below provides a summary of the top five priority states identified in the Matrix model, which have been cross-referenced with research, analysis and stakeholder engagement.

State: California

Strengths:

• A large user and customer base, deep pools of capital, leading universities and deep pools of talent
• Economic output biopharmaceutical sector: 276,900
• Clinical Trials: 6,494
• VC deals in Pharma : 444
• UK Pharma imports: 181,136,032
• Total US Pharma imports: 3,727,836,717
• Presence of Pharma businesses: 8,791

Notable sub-sector Opportunities:

Genetic engineering, cell therapy, and drug discovery

State level risks/considerations for Scottish exporters:

• California Board of Pharmacy enforces stringent licensing for wholesalers and 3PLs (Third-party Logistics providers).
• Strict enforcement of Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)
• Environmental compliance (e.g., Proposition 65) requiring warnings for certain chemicals in drug products.
• Very high operating and talent costs

State: Texas

Strengths:

• Not only a large potential user and customer base, but also an enhanced support ecosystem through the UK-TMC BioBridge
• Economic output biopharmaceutical sector: 9,500
• Clinical Trials: 6,072
• VC deals in Pharma: 66
• UK Pharma imports: 461,918,977
• Total US Pharma imports: 1,452,109,450
• Presence of Pharma businesses: 3,292

Notable sub-sector Opportunities:

Oncology and biomedical innovation

State level risks/considerations for Scottish exporters:

• Strong controls on distribution e.g mandatory wholesale distribution and 3PL licensing through the Texas Board of Pharmacy
• Potential added requirements for controlled substances.
• Evolving biotech ecosystem operating in distinct clusters rather than a singular hub

State: North Carolina

Strengths:

• Combination of top universities, research institutions, startups and established pharma companies, and CROs
• Economic output biopharmaceutical sector: 80,200
• Clinical Trials: 3,074
• VC deals in Pharma: 43
• UK Pharma imports: 386,049,201
• Total US Pharma imports: 21,225,018,693
• Presence of Pharma businesses: 1,026

Notable sub-sector Opportunities:

Manufacturing, clinical research and drug development

State level risks/considerations for Scottish exporters:

• Emphasis on temperature monitoring and facility standards, especially in RTP (Research Triangle Park) corridor.
• Rigorous state licensing for manufacturers, wholesalers, and 3PLs.
• Strong integration with DSCSA compliance.
• Strong competition owing to biotech corridor (RTP)

State: New Jersey

Strengths:

• Strong customer base across major pharmaceutical headquarters and R&D centres
• Economic output biopharmaceutical sector: 120,900
• Clinical Trials: 2,008
• VC deals in Pharma: 23
• UK Pharma imports: 1,334,405,480
• Total US Pharma imports: 11,942,452,729
• Presence of Pharma businesses: 1,829

Notable sub-sector Opportunities:

Therapeutics, drug development, manufacturing, and clinical trials

State level risks/considerations for Scottish exporters:

• Requires state‑specific wholesale and 3PL licensing, often with more detailed ownership and quality documentation.
• Strict expectations for recordkeeping and product integrity assurance.
• High operating costs

State: Massachusetts

Strengths:

• World leading cluster for research with strong academic focus and major company headquarters
• Economic output biopharmaceutical sector: 110,100
• Clinical Trials: 2,936
• VC deals in Pharma: 296
• UK Pharma imports: 90,276,120
• Total US Pharma imports: 1,858,257,166
• Presence of Pharma businesses: 1,256

Notable sub-sector Opportunities:

Biotech, difficult-to-treat diseases and therapeutics

State level risks/considerations for Scottish exporters:

• State-level manufacturer, wholesaler, and 3PL licensure requirements.
• Emphasis on storage controls, temperature standards, and chain‑of‑custody.
• Very established cluster requiring strong competitive edge