New drug company in Anchorage: Tanner Pharmaceutical to begin production in 2007.

• Author: Martin, Gary L.

Jerry Tanner is an entrepreneur who as been around the health care industry in Alaska for many years. He is the chief executive officer and founder of Immediate Care and I Care Pharmacy. Now he plans to expand his corporation to include Tanner Pharmaceutical, a drug-manufacturing company in Anchorage.

"If all goes well, our golden date (grand opening) should be in the third quarter of 2007," Tanner said. "We'll start off with seven or eight lines of medications, then go up to 15. Once we get started, it should take about 15 months to 18 months to get up to full production."

They are currently considering the former Northwest Airlines building at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport for their new plant location. It has about 20,000 square feet of space; they will operate around-the-clock with three shifts, and there will be about 1,200 employees, according to Tanner.

They are also in the process of reviewing the extensive requirements set out by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration.

FIRST OF ITS KIND

Tanner says that from his knowledge, this is the first company of it kind in the state. He is financing the project with loans and personal funds.

The 20-year resident of Alaska says, for several reasons, Anchorage is the perfect location for his new enterprise.

"There's a real need here for this kind of business and the location is perfect," said Tanner. "Few companies are utilizing the Ted Stevens Airport, which is a duty-free zone. Plus no matter where you fly cargo to, it's delivered within 12 hours-including Asia."

Tanner started his first company, Immediate Care, in 1999. It has three locations in Alaska: one each in Fairbanks, Wasilla and Anchorage. Anchorage is also the site of his I Care Pharmacy, a business he also hopes to expand in the future. Las Vegas, Nev., was the site for the fourth Immediate Care facility, but he recently closed it down; Tanner wants to dedicate 100 percent of his time to his ventures in Alaska.

As for his drug-manufacturing project, he now is in negotiation with a couple national companies, who may be willing to assist him set up his equipment to meet the FDA's codes. This might also be their way to test the market for their drugs in the future, and Tanner thinks they may also have an interest in someday building plants in Alaska.

LOWERING THE COST

Tanner Pharmaceutical...