Well Thomas....I'm not in that field, so I can't give you specific info.
Have you tried to speak with colleagues within your field of PhD? If drug development is what you are looking into...I can't really say much of that goes on in Phoenix. The hot areas are SF Bay, San Diego, NC, parts of Texas for oncology. The Mayo Clinic opened a facility in Scottsdale - could that be close enough? I'm not sure they do the kind of research you want...but it could be a place to start.
Perhaps you could get an appt at one of the universities as a researcher/instructor.
I know that drug development with regard to animals goes on in Sacto/Davis area, Kentucky & development of drugs for plant pathology is widespread....but I'm not sure I've ever seen anything in Phoenix.
Good luck!