Main Street Rx Launches to Tell the Story of Medical Innovation and Downstream Impact on Pennsylvania Communities
New Initiative Unites Employers, Workers, Small Businesses and Community Leaders Around the Life Sciences Economy in the Commonwealth
Main Street Rx launched in Pennsylvania today to amplify the voices of the Pennsylvanians who are central to the Commonwealth’s life sciences economy every day: small business owners, local employers, workers, patients and community advocates rooted in neighborhoods, jobs and families.
Pennsylvania has a long-standing role at the crossroads of hard work, industry and community. Across the Commonwealth, more than 3,000 life sciences companies support over 262,000 jobs, generating $85 billion in economic output. The industry’s reach extends far beyond any single facility, felt by small businesses, local suppliers and local service providers that depend on a thriving innovation ecosystem that brings new workers and their families through their business doors each day. The impact of Pennsylvania biosciences is felt by patients and families whose lives are transformed by the treatments the industry makes possible across America and the world each day. Also often overlooked are the local economies that rely on them.
“When we talk about healthcare innovation, it is easy to focus on the science and the facilities. But there is a far bigger story that is lived every day across Pennsylvania communities,” said Marie Conley, Pennsylvania In-State Advisor, Main Street Rx. “It shows up in the small business owner welcoming new regulars, the employer building a strong local team, the higher education partner preparing the next generation of workers, and the communities that are attracting and keeping talented people close to home. The ripple effects of medical innovation reach further than most people realize, and Main Street Rx exists to tell those stories through the voices of the people living them.”
At its core, Main Street Rx shines a light on how biopharmaceutical manufacturing and medical innovation help Pennsylvania businesses grow, creating career opportunities close to home and strengthening the communities people care about most. Pennsylvania also understands better than most the challenges that come when major industry and employers leave and local industries decline. That is why new investment matters, and why the life sciences are creating opportunities in places that know the value of stable jobs and long-term growth.
In the Greater Lehigh Valley, the initiative will spotlight a region that knows firsthand what communities stand to lose when industry and investment leave. Home to more than 170 life sciences companies employing roughly 7,000 people, the region welcomed a $3.5 billion investment from Eli Lilly in 2026 to build a manufacturing campus near Fogelsville, the largest life sciences investment in Pennsylvania history that is expected to create approximately 850 jobs.
“I was born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, so when a company invests billions into our region, the ripple effects reach every corner of our community and the families building their futures close to home,” said Jennifer Wescoe Singley, Executive Director, Wescoe Foundation for Pulmonary Fibrosis. “As someone who has dedicated my life to the pulmonary fibrosis community, and whose organization is also rooted here, knowing that Eli Lilly is not only investing in our region but also advancing research in this disease means more than I can say.”
In Central Pennsylvania, Main Street Rx will amplify voices where healthcare is both a lifeline and a livelihood. Anchored by more than 15 acute care centers and hospitals and five institutions engaged in health sciences research, the region demonstrates how the investment impact of a thriving innovation ecosystem reaches communities far beyond the plant gates. Local colleges and universities are building the workforce pipeline this moment demands, training the next generation of nurses, healthcare professionals and researchers whose skills will be essential to Pennsylvania’s long-term health and economic strength.
“Every day, we see how strong communities are built through meaningful work, educational opportunity and access to quality healthcare. That’s why it’s important to recognize that the impact of Pennsylvania’s life sciences industry extends well beyond the places where companies are headquartered or research takes place,” said Chuck Smith, retired CEO, True North Wellness. “The industry helps create career pathways, supports healthcare workers and drives innovations that improve patients’ lives. Main Street Rx shines a light on these connections, helping communities better understand the positive ripple effects of life sciences across Pennsylvania and beyond.”
Across the state, Main Street Rx will engage communities through local events and content that centers local voices in the conversation about what the life sciences mean to Pennsylvania.
These local voices include groups like For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation.
“For patients navigating cancer, the impact of the life sciences industry is both personal and profound – driving medical advancements in care while supporting the broader support systems patients rely on every day to help them heal the mind, body and soul,” said Marci Schankweiler, Founder and CEO. “Meaningful industry partnerships play an essential role in strengthening this network of support. Main Street Rx helps highlight how these connections come together across Pennsylvania to benefit patients, caregivers and families nationwide.”
To learn more, visit MainStRx.org or email info@mainstrx.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Brandon Ferrance
ferrance@thebravogroup.com
717-756-4051
ABOUT MAIN STREET RX
Main Street Rx unites employers, workers, small businesses, patients and community leaders around a shared belief: stronger local economies and better health outcomes grow together through medical innovation. Main Street Rx is a project of We Work For Health, an organization that brings together national and local business leaders, labor, biopharmaceutical companies, patient advocacy groups and other healthcare stakeholders to support policies and initiatives that foster innovation and facilitate the delivery of lifesaving and life-enhancing medicines.