Roswell Park’s GEM facility is the first of only two cell and gene therapy hubs in New York State.
2024 marked a historic year in Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center history — the opening of 14 new state-of-the-art clean rooms as part of the new Roswell Park GMP Engineering & Cell Manufacturing (GEM) Facility. The new clean rooms, paired with four pre-existing clean rooms, position Roswell Park as a global leader in the field of cell and gene therapy.
Cell therapy uses the innate genius of the immune system to fight cancer using cells (sometimes gene-engineered) to kill existing cancer and stop further growth. Thanks to the new cell manufacturing facilities, these cells can now be manufactured in-house, opening a world of possibilities for cancer treatment for both solid tumors and blood cancers.
This historic grand opening was made possible by a $30 million investment from Empire State Development and $20 million raised by generous donors and fundraisers, like you, through the Igniting Cancer Breakthroughs campaign. The campaign is still ongoing, but this phase marks a significant milestone along the way.
“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,” said Roswell Park President, CEO and M&T Bank Presidential Chair in Leadership, Candace Johnson, PhD. “Cell and gene therapies are redefining expectations of what is possible through cancer treatment, and through the support of Governor Kathy 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.”
About the Cell Production Facility
Roswell Park’s GEM facility is the first of only two cell and gene therapy hubs in New York State. It will enable Roswell Park to improve patient access to cell and gene therapies while fueling more clinical trials in pursuit of effective, less invasive treatments for all types of cancer. The facility will also create new jobs, significantly grow Roswell Park’s well-established research capabilities and launch the comprehensive cancer center as one of the premier cell therapy discovery and development institutions in the nation. Funds from individual donors like you helped make this possible.
“I am incredibly grateful for Roswell Park and for the science of CAR T-cell therapy. I am living proof that the work being done here changes lives,” said Chris Vogelsang, a two-time cancer survivor.
The Role You’ve Played in Making this Milestone Possible
The opening of this state-of-the-art facility unlocks unlimited potential for the future of cancer care. Your support allows Roswell Park to secure a position as a global leader in life-saving technologies and cancer-fighting cell therapies across all cancer disciplines. This would not have been possible without you.