Governor Hochul Announces $50 Million Preclinical Drug Discovery "Lab of the Future" in New York City
March 29, 2023
Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Will Facilitate Faster, More Effective and More Efficient Drug Discovery for Life Science Companies
Lab Will Help Reverse a Decades-Long Trend of Outsourcing Critical Drug Discovery Research and Enhance New York's Domestic Capabilities and Capacity
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the establishment of a $50 million pilot "Lab of the Future" in Midtown Manhattan that will rely on automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to make the preclinical drug discovery process faster, more data-driven and cost-effective. The laboratory will be developed by Deerfield Discovery and Development, a Deerfield Management Company subsidiary, and the project is supported by a $25 million Empire State Development grant. The new lab will enable New York State to leverage the commercial potential of these advanced technologies and further build the state's life science ecosystem.
"This investment in Deerfield's Lab of the Future will help our state secure its standing as a hub for growth, innovation, and breakthroughs in the life sciences and help return vital drug research back to the United States," Governor Hochul said. "Deerfield's life-saving clinical research and advanced drug discoveries will fuel business activity, grow and strengthen our workforce, and bring the next generation of medicine to New York State. Support for the life sciences is critical to building a modern economy, and my administration remains committed to boosting the key industries and job creators that will move New York forward."
Managing Partner of Deerfield Management and Cure® Founder James Flynn said, "Today marks a major step forward for the New York life sciences community, and we are incredibly thankful for the support of Governor Hochul and Empire State Development. The Lab of the Future expects to bring new and transformative technological capabilities to early-stage drug discovery efforts at an unprecedented scale. We are excited by the potential of this initiative to enable meaningful scientific progress and fuel economic opportunity."
The pilot lab will occupy approximately 6,000 square feet of Deerfield's Cure® innovation campus in New York City. A critical component of the lab is the accumulation, synthesis and analysis of the enormous amounts of scientific research data that will serve as the underpinning of an expanding artificial intelligence database needed to facilitate a more efficient drug discovery process.
ESD's $25 million grant will support costs to develop laboratory automation, predictive drug design algorithms, talent acquisition, scientific supplies, software, and initial operating costs. Upon successful completion of the lab and five-year grant, Deerfield has committed to replicating the synthesis, screening and software services through a full-scale company in New York State. The lab is expected to eventually serve as a drug-discovery resource for large and small biopharma companies, encouraging the growth of New York's life science ecosystem by attracting other innovation-driven life science companies, while supporting the training and development of a skilled workforce.
ESD President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "The Lab of the Future will enable New York State to capture the commercial potential of automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning to strengthen the state's life science ecosystem, while also bringing skilled jobs to New York. The innovative technology employed by the Lab will help further establish New York's leadership in life science."