New York’s first cell and gene therapy hub will be housed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. The $98 million center will help to support the research and development of life-saving therapies at Roswell, significantly grow its well-established research capabilities, establish Roswell as one of the premier cell therapy discovery and production institutions in the nation and catalyze the growth of the cell and gene therapy sector in western NY.
Empire State Development will invest $30 million to assist in expanding the current cell and gene therapy research capacity at Roswell’s Therapeutic Cell Production Facility from six to 20 specialized clean rooms, making it the largest academic cell and gene therapy research and manufacturing facility in the United States. The new facility will streamline every step of the cell therapy development process, shortening the path from research to production. It will encourage the growth of startup companies commercializing these therapies, grow private investment, strengthen the state’s innovation-focused talent pool, and attract partnerships with biopharma companies.
Roswell will focus on developing cell and gene therapies to attack solid tumors. Current cancer-fighting cell therapies target what are known as liquid tumors, such as leukemia and lymphoma. While cell therapy is a still-emerging field of cancer therapy, early successes have shown that it can lead to durable responses for 80 percent or more of patients with certain types of blood-based malignancies — cancers that were previously considered untreatable. The development of cell therapies targeting solid tumors like those of the breast, colon and lung – which are much more common – is an important goal for cancer researchers.
“The future of medicine is in cell and gene therapy and this new hub at Roswell Park Comprehensive Care Center will put Western New York – and all of New York State – at the cutting edge of life-saving treatments and therapies,” Governor Hochul said. “In my State of the State address, I committed to investing in fast-growing sectors like the life sciences, and thanks to a $30 million state investment, Roswell’s new facility will help to solidify our state’s future in the field, create 21st-century jobs, and provide hope to generations of New Yorkers who rely on these critical treatments.”
