OraSure Technologies will be the featured company at the LVEDC Fall Signature Event on Oct. 23.

OraSure Technologies began as a startup company here in the Lehigh Valley, and has grown to become a global leader in point-of-care diagnostic specimen collection devices, putting them in the front lines in battle of deadly diseases from HIV and AIDS to the Ebola virus.

OraSure will be the featured company at next month’s Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) Fall Signature Event, which will highlight the company’s presence in the Lehigh Valley and provide a glimpse into its plans for the future.

“OraSure Technologies is an international success story that helps to save lives with products used around the globe developed and made in the Lehigh Valley,” said Don Cunningham, LVEDC President & CEO. “The company continues a proud regional legacy of innovation, entrepreneurship and manufacturing. We are proud to feature Orasure and its dynamic new CEO Stephen Tang at this annual special event for our investors and key stakeholders.”

Stephen Tang

The fifth annual LVEDC Fall Signature Event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

Due to limited space, it will be open to current LVEDC investors only. To register, contact Diane Milia at 610-266-6775 or dmilia@lehighvalley.org. Please RSVP by Oct. 9.

Stephen S. Tang, Ph.D., President & CEO of OraSure Technologies, will be the featured speaker at the event. Tang began in the position in April, and had previously served on the OraSure Board since 2011, and was the board chairman since November 2017.

Based in Bethlehem, OraSure is a medical device manufacturer and a pioneer in the development of rapid diagnostics in the infectious disease area with its point-of-care diagnostic tests, molecular collection devices, and other technologies designed to detect or diagnose critical medical conditions

 Its first-to-market, innovative products include rapid tests for the detection of antibodies to HIV and Hepatitis C on the OraQuick platform; sample self-collection and stabilization products for molecular applications; and oral fluid laboratory tests for detecting various drugs of abuse.

OraSure Technologies is an excellent example of a Made Possible in Lehigh Valley success story, from the support it received from the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, to the company’s ability to take advantage of the talented workforce available in the Lehigh Valley.

Each year, the LVEDC Fall Signature Event spotlights an existing company in the Lehigh Valley that exemplifies a particular industry. In this case, it is life sciences research and manufacturing, which has been identified as one of the optimal target sectors for the Lehigh Valley economy.

Previous companies highlighted by the LVEDC Fall Signature Event include Mack Trucks, Crayola, Victaulic, and Freshpet.

This year’s Fall Signature Event will be held on Oct. 23 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Fowler Blast Furnace Room of SteelStacks. Registration and networking will begin at 4 p.m., with the program with Tang starting at 4:30 p.m., followed by networking, refreshments, and hors d’oeuvres.

Visit the LVEDC events page for more information. This event is made possible thanks to our presenting sponsor, Highmark, and our cocktail sponsor, Klunk & Millan Advertising. For additional sponsorship opportunities, contact Stephanie Wean at swean@lehighvalley.org.

Prior to joining OraSure, Tang served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the University City Science Center, an urban research park and business incubator owned by over thirty leading universities, medical schools and health networks in the greater Philadelphia area.

Before that, Tang held senior management and business development positions with several firms in the life sciences industry, including Olympus Corporation of the Americas, Millennium Cell Inc., and A.T. Kearney Inc. Tang holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Lehigh University.