Watertown, MA– The ALS Therapy Development Institute, a comprehensive drug discovery lab focused solely on finding treatments for ALS, is moving its headquarters from Cambridge to Watertown to support the continued growth of its cutting-edge research.
ALS TDI’s new home includes a state-of-the-art lab facility that is tailored to efficiently and effectively accommodate its developing ALS research programs.
“The ALS TDI science program has evolved and our research capabilities have expanded immensely since we moved to our Cambridge lab in 2012,” said Dr. Steve Perrin, CEO of ALS TDI. “We realized that our research programs have new space requirements, and this move allows us to customize a lab around the most comprehensive research program in ALS. This milestone would not be possible without the amazing support of the ALS community.”
Located eight miles from downtown Boston, Watertown is an emerging innovation hub that is now home to major players in the biotech and life science space. ALS TDI’s new lab at 480 Arsenal Way is approximately 16,000 square feet, and includes a main shared lab area, a state-of-the-art animal care facility housing zebrafish and rodents, cell culture suites, a translational research wing housing the Augie’s Quest Translational Research, and a drug screening automation suite. Together with a Precision Medicine Program (PMP) data analytics suite, these facilities are designed to foster efficiency and collaboration with preclinical, clinical, and translational research all happening under one roof.
As a rare nonprofit biotech, the ALS TDI lab is funded by the community and employs a team of over 30 scientists who are focused solely on the rapid discovery, invention, and advancement of treatments for ALS. The new lab is adorned with photos and mementos from supporters who are united in ALS TDI’s mission to end ALS, serving as a constant reminder of who the organization is working for and why research needs to continue. When it’s safe, ALS TDI looks forward to inviting community members to tour the new facility in Watertown.
ALS TDI has made important advances in ALS research, including inventing multiple potential treatments, one of which, AT-1501, has been advanced directly from ALS TDI’s lab into human clinical trials. With continued support, ALS TDI researchers are hopeful that this new lab will foster the development of many more treatments to meet the needs of everyone with ALS.
