BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center celebrated the opening of the GMP Engineering and Cell Manufacturing Facility, New York's first cell and gene therapy hub.
I was there for the announcement to learn how this will provide cutting-edge technology to treat certain cancers.
“A milestone moment for Roswell Park and New York State, and actually the world,” said Dr. Candace Johnson, president & CEO, Roswell Park.
Roswell Park leaders and Governor Kathy Hochul announced the opening of the new $98 million facility on Monday.
“What a great day for Buffalo,” said Governor Hochul. “This scientific revolution is changing lives already."
The state put $30 million toward this new center and it is expected to generate an economic benefit to the region and initially create 61 new jobs.
Right now, this state-of-the-art facility concentrates on the treatment of those with blood cancers.
The CAR-T Cell therapy means your T-cells are removed from your body, sent into these labs, and genetically modified.
“So, when they put them, transplant them back in me, they’re programmed really to attack any lymphoma cells,” explained Christopher Vogelsang, Roswell patient.
Vogelsang has been a patient at Roswell for 15 years for treatment of lymphoma, but he underwent the new therapy and rang the famous Roswell bell because he is “cancer-free."
“I'm doing really well. Just back being busy with my life and activities, playing golf and tennis, and doing a lot of walking, and really just back to normal. It feels pretty darn good,” reflected Vogelsang.
Initially, CAR-T Cell therapy is focused on blood cancers but will eventually focus on other cancers as well.
“But the real challenge is to be able to apply this technology to much more common cancers and it's a bit more complicated with solid tumors, which are more common, but that's what Candace and that's what Roswell has committed to do,” stated Dr. Renier Brentjens, deputy director & Chair of the Department of Medicine at Roswell Park.
There are also plans to expand cell therapy to treat ALS and Parkinson’s and other diseases.
"CAR-T is just a phenomenal move in science just the evolution of science to get to this point,” Vogelsang remarked.
Marco Davila, MD, PhD, is the Senior Vice President and Associate Director for Translational Research at Roswell Park and he joined Voices on Monday to further discuss the opening of the new facility you can watch the full conversation below.
