$98 Million Manufacturing Facility Will Support Research and Development of Life-Saving Technologies Including Cancer-Fighting Cell Therapies
New Hub Advances New York’s Vision for Leadership in Cell and Gene Therapy and is Expected To Attract Leading Life Science Companies and New Jobs
Governor Kathy Hochul today celebrated the opening of the Roswell Park GMP Engineering and Cell Manufacturing Facility, New York's first cell and gene therapy hub, located at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. The $98 million facility will create new jobs, help to support the research and development of life-saving cell and gene therapies at Roswell, significantly grow its well-established research capabilities, and establish Roswell as one of the premier cell therapy discovery and development institutions in the nation. The expansion also realizes Governor Hochul’s 2023 State of the State commitment to bolster the state’s leadership in the fast-growing CGT sector through establishment of an Upstate cell and gene therapy hub to catalyze its growth in western NY. The GEM facility meets U.S. FDA Good Manufacturing Practice standards for manufacture of clinical cell therapy products, positioning the Roswell Park team to be a multifaceted resource for patients, care teams, researchers, and industry collaborators. See pictures of the Roswell GEM here.
“Given cell and gene therapy’s potential to be the most transformative therapeutic advance in decades, New York’s investment in this fast-growing sector solidifies our state’s future as a leader and highly desired partner in cell therapy research, development and manufacturing,” Governor Hochul said. “This opening of the first of two CGT hubs in New York State will attract life science companies, accelerate CGT research in life science companies and our premier academic institutions, and create 21st century jobs, while offering hope to generations of New Yorkers and others who rely on the creation of these cutting-edge treatments.”
Roswell Park President, CEO and M&T Bank Presidential Chair in Leadership Candace S. Johnson, PhD, said, “We proudly celebrate today the opening of the nation’s largest academic facility dedicated to making cell and gene cancer therapies more accessible for cancer patients, for researchers and for companies working to advance this next-generation cancer therapy. Cell and gene therapies are redefining expectations of what is possible through cancer treatment, and through the support of Governor Hochul and Empire State Development, we look eagerly to a future where even the most hard-to-treat cancers can be successfully treated and cured.”
Roswell Park Board of Directors Chair Leecia Eve, Esq.,said, “Roswell Park exists to be a resource for cancer patients around the corner and around the world. We have one of the most incredible cancer teams anywhere, and now, thanks to visionary leadership and collaboration between Roswell Park and New York State, brilliant innovators who pioneered some of the first cell therapies for cancer now have the facilities and resources they need to reach the promise and potential they see ahead.”
Empire State Development invested $30 million to assist in expanding the CGT 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 streamlines 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.
GEM’s focus includes developing cell and gene therapies to treat solid-tumor cancers. Existing cancer-fighting cell therapies have shown effectiveness only against cancers 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 this approach can lead to durable responses for 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.
Roswell Park’s cell therapy team includes pioneers in the field whose contributions helped lead to five FDA-approved cell and gene therapies. Their expertise covers not only chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapies but also tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), adoptive cell therapies, stem cell transplant and stem cell gene engineering, as well as dendritic-cell and virus-based approaches.
Empire State Development President, CEO, and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “With ESD’s investment and the unparalleled experience of Roswell behind its expanded GMP engineering and cell manufacturing facility, New York State is at the forefront of cell and gene therapy in the fight against cancer. Governor Hochul’s commitment to grow cell and gene therapy offers tremendous potential to increase intellectual property, create and attract companies to commercialize these products, attract private investment, and form partnerships with biopharma companies.”
Read the full press release here.