Since 1965, north Louisiana has been home to a number of pharmaceutical companies, including Rucker Pharmacal, UAD Pharmaceuticals, Boots Pharmaceuticals, LuChem Pharmaceuticals, Sage Pharmaceuticals, IVAX Pharmaceuticals, Knoll Pharmaceuticals, BASF, and Red River Pharma. As a result, the region has a trained pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing workforce that is complemented by the educational, research and clinical trial resources of LSU Health Sciences Center and the School of Pharmacy at University of Louisiana – Monroe.

BASF, Sage and Red River Pharma currently operate manufacturing and research facilities in Shreveport.