Boston Seaport Now Home to Lilly’s New Research and Development Center
The facility will focus on furthering RNA and DNA-based therapies.
Eli Lilly and Company has opened a new 346,000 square-foot Lilly Seaport Innovation Center (LSC), a research and development plant located in the Boston Seaport that is expected to help further the company’s pipeline in both the RNA and DNA-based therapy space.1 The facility will also focus on new drug target discovery, with the ultimate goal of manufacturing medications that span various disease states, such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, diabetes, neurodegeneration, and obesity.
The 12-story building that houses the new site features a combination laboratories and office space—it will even include the company’s first Gateway Labs location on the East Coast, which will work diligently to develop novel medicines at a quick pace. LSC will welcome a total of 700 employees—200 via Gateways Labs, and 500 Lilly scientists and researchers.
"The opening of LSC expands upon Lilly's long-standing presence in the Boston area," said Daniel Skovronsky, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer and president, Lilly Research Laboratories, and president, Lilly Immunology. "We are committed to being supportive neighbors in this hub of discovery and innovation, further collaborating with leading institutions and new talent to continue delivering transformative medicines for the people who need them most."
The facility acquisition builds off of the company’s April purchase of a Pleasant Prairie, WI manufacturing facility from Nexus Pharmaceuticals, a sterile manufacturer in the pharma sector.2 This aforementioned deal is expected to grow Lilly's global parenteral (injectable) product manufacturing network, while adding more demand for the Big Pharma company's medications. Production at this newly acquired plant could commence as early as the end of 2025.
“The acquisition of this state-of-the-art facility underscores our unwavering commitment to growth and innovation, and we look forward to welcoming talented new Nexus colleagues to Lilly from the Pleasant Prairie facility,” commented Edgardo Hernandez, EVP and president, Lilly manufacturing. “We are investing boldly to serve our patients, to meet product demand and to build capabilities for our robust pipeline of the future.”
In clinical trial news, a recent Eli Lilly SUMMIT phase III clinical trial that measured the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide injection (5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg) in adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity presented positive results.3 Specifically, tirzepatide showed statistically significant improvements in both of the primary endpoints, as there was a decline in the risk of heart failure outcomes, (which was measured as a composite endpoint), while there were improvements in heart failure symptoms and physical limitations, as indicated by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) Clinical Summary Score (CSS), compared with placebo.
References
1. Lilly opens state-of-the-art research and development center in the Boston Seaport. Eli Lilly and Company. August 13, 2024. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lilly-opens-state-art-research-and-development-center-boston
2. Saraceno N. Eli Lilly Purchases Nexus Pharmaceutical Injectables Manufacturing Plant. Pharmaceutical Commerce. April 25, 2024. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://www.pharmaceuticalcommerce.com/view/eli-lilly-purchases-nexus-pharmaceutical-injectables-manufacturing-plant
3. Lilly's tirzepatide successful in phase 3 study showing benefit in adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity. Eli Lilly and Company. August 1, 2024. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-tirzepatide-successful-phase-3-study-showing-benefit
