New York state's first cell and gene therapy hub is coming to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.

State officials say the $98 million cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility in Buffalo will work to provide support for the research and development of life-saving technologies, including cancer-fighting cell therapies.

The state also announced that Empire State Development will invest $30 million to assist in the expansion of the current cell and gene therapy research capacity at Roswell’s Therapeutic Cell Production Facility. The expansion will make the largest academic cell and gene therapy research and manufacturing facility in the U.S.

“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,” Hochul said in a statement. “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.” 

“Through their leadership in recognizing and investing in innovations with the power to save the most lives, Governor Hochul and Empire State Development are securing a healthier, more hopeful future for New Yorkers,” Roswell Park President, CEO and M&T Bank Presidential Chair in Leadership Candace S. Johnson said in a statement. “The most respected and accomplished experts in cell therapy put their passion to work at Roswell Park because they can innovate at Roswell Park in ways they simply cannot anywhere else, and that means unparalleled scope and resources benefitting Roswell Park patients.”