Cell- and gene-therapy hub bound for Lake Success; New York to invest up to $150 million

A 15-acre site in Lake Success is slated to get a 200,000-square-foot cell- and gene-therapy research hub, which the governor described as the downstate portion of a plan to propel commercialization of a growing life science sector. 

The state will provide up to $150 million for a developer to finance, design, construct, lease and maintain a center at 1 Marcus Ave., which would include a 25,000-square-foot or larger business incubator, according to a request for proposals released Thursday.

Cell and gene therapies involve introducing or modifying cells or genes inside patients' bodies to help them fight disease. Scientists believe these techniques may be used to help treat cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions.

The state envisions scientists using the hub, along with those refining the services and technology their research relies on. The incubator is meant to support startups and usher discoveries to clinical trials, and ultimately, the marketplace, according to Empire State Development, the state agency overseeing this initiative. The project will initially create 300 to 500 jobs, attract life science and ancillary companies and shore up the life science sector statewide, ESD said.

“From Lake Success to Lake Erie, New York is continuing to drive innovation in the life sciences to create good-paying jobs, improve the lives of countless New Yorkers, and bring the future of medicine to our state," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. 

Hochul announced plans for one downstate and one upstate cell- and gene-therapy hub in her State of the State address earlier this year. The upstate center, in Buffalo, will concentrate on treatments for solid tumors, according to that RFP. The state is contributing $30 million toward the $98 million initiative.

Lake Success is an ideal location for its counterpart because it's near Long Island Jewish Medical Center, operated by Northwell Health; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; and other medical and research institutions, the RFP said. Its proximity to Queens, which is home to a particularly diverse population, will allow trials to occur with an array of patients, the state said.

Investors can 'kick the tires'

The easy commute to Wall Street investors doesn't hurt either, said Kevin Law, chairman of the ESD Board of Directors, who has spent years touting the region's so-called research corridor between Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Northwell's Feinstein Institute. 

"Being close to the capital of the world, New York City, where the money is, makes it easy for those individuals to come out to the Island to kick the tires on potential investments," Law said. "There are so many opportunities to convert the research that goes on in these institutions into commerce."

Boston is decades ahead of New York in cultivating a biotech hub, but the state's initiative may generate momentum, said Dan Polner, who manages Broad Hollow Bioscience Park, a facility with labs on the Farmingdale State College campus that supports early-stage companies. 

“That’s fantastic. Every little bit of life science growth we can experience in New York City and the Long Island region is a plus,” he said, while acknowledging that Boston has a “40-year head start.”

Developers may repurpose or tear down a 103,000-square-foot office building on the property, which is owned by Northwell, the RFP said. The health system has an agreement with ESD to negotiate a long-term lease with the developer and operator of the hub.  

Northwell Health president and CEO Michael Dowling said the New Hyde Park-based organization is pleased to play a role in landing the hub on Long Island.

"This cutting-edge hub will be a game changer for cancer researchers, innovative companies, clinicians, and patients and will foster collaboration and advance commercialization of new cell and gene therapies," Dowling said in a statement. "We look forward to the positive impact it will have across Long Island, New York State, and beyond.”

Northwell didn't respond when asked whether it would submit a proposal to the state.

Long road to market

Academic institutions and nonprofit health systems can capitalize on their team's successes, but lack the funding to do so, according to Polner. It typically takes at least a dozen years and $150 million to move a discovery from a lab bench to a patient's bed, he said.

For medical advancements, traditionally an organization will first get a license to develop the drug or therapy and files for a provisional patent. Then researchers prove the treatment works in animals and seek a U.S. or international patent, Polner said. Eventually, data would be shared with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with the goal of getting permission to start testing the treatment on people. If approved, clinical trials tend to take at least three years and cost a minimum of $100 million, which is the final step before FDA approval, Polner said.

Proposals for the Lake Success hub are due to the state by mid-March. Those vying for the project will need to put together a 10-year plan for operating the hub, including details on efforts to secure patents, work toward clinical trials and build an ecosystem for the larger sector, the RFP said.

By Sarina Trangle

sarina.trangle@newsday.comSarinaTrangle

Sarina Trangle covers affordability and cost of living issues and other business topics. She previously worked as an editor and reporter at amNewYork.