On December 16, 2025, Rosalind Franklin University’s Innovation and Research Park (IRP) officially welcomed the new Northern Illinois Laboratory for Tolmar, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company. This facility marks a significant expansion for Tolmar, enhancing its capacity for developing and commercializing pharmaceutical products while enriching the university’s ecosystem of industry innovation.
Founded in 2007, Tolmar is internationally recognized for its advanced long-acting injectable drug delivery capabilities. The company specializes in areas such as urology, oncology, and endocrinology, with its leading product utilized in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, marketed across 89 countries.
The new product development facility located at Rosalind Franklin’s IRP will work in tandem with Tolmar’s existing team of researchers, engineers, and operations staff based in Colorado. Moreover, this Illinois site reinforces Tolmar’s regional presence, which includes executive offices and sales personnel situated in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
Dr. Dave Loffredo, Tolmar’s Vice President of Innovation, expressed enthusiasm about the expansion. “Tolmar is excited to expand our development capability, now covering both Colorado and Illinois,” he stated. “After an exhaustive search, we found a great home at Rosalind Franklin’s IRP. Tolmar scientists are eager to be a part of this dynamic research environment and hope to grow our presence at IRP.”
Dr. Stace Porter, Senior Vice President of Development Operations for Tolmar, highlighted the potential of the new lab within the university’s research park. “At Rosalind Franklin University’s Innovation and Research Park, Tolmar gains world-class research space and the chance to collaborate with leading scientists and advanced research cores,” he noted. “Surrounded by Lake County’s vibrant network of global life science companies, we’re excited to grow and innovate here.”
Rosalind Franklin University’s state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot Innovation and Research Park houses six research centers, including the Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology, and Infection. The university aims to foster collaborations that can accelerate new product development.
Dr. Joseph DiMario, Executive Vice President for Research at RFU, welcomed Tolmar to the university’s roster of companies. “We look forward to collaborations that can help accelerate new product development,” he stated. “The IRP provides an environment that fosters the kind of intellectual biomedical ‘collisions’ that drive meaningful innovation.”
Tolmar’s commitment to developing and manufacturing specialty pharmaceuticals spans multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, urology, and endocrinology. The company’s headquarters are located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, with product development and manufacturing facilities based in Northern Colorado.
For more information about Tolmar and its offerings, visit their website at www.tolmar.com. More details about Rosalind Franklin University can be found at rosalindfranklin.edu.
