EMPIRE DISCOVERY INSTITUTE INC

Funds translational research via the ED3 partnership, which has allocated up to $65 million to accelerate the development of novel therapeutics. This includes financial support and strategic collaboration to advance academic discoveries toward clinical application.

Operates the Medicines Discovery Award Program (MDAP), a competitive incubator and accelerator that provides up to $7.5 million in total program support over five years to advance early-stage drug discovery from investigators at the University at Buffalo and the University of Rochester. Projects are advanced through tailored work plans, milestone-driven funding, and sponsored research arrangements, with successful outcomes including licensing or formation of startup companies.

Provides financial support ranging from $300,000 to $5 million over five years (subject to annual review) for early-stage drug discovery projects. Total program support across initiatives can reach up to $10 million per selected program, with funding tied to milestone achievement and scientific progress.

Fosters an educational and research ecosystem in Upstate New York by training scientists and business leaders, supporting academic and medical institutions, advancing translational research in pharmacology and chemistry, and enabling the creation of spinoff companies. This includes co-founding the institute through a $47 million partnership among major research institutions and Empire State Development.

Co-founded the LeapRx initiative in 2022 to support the translation of academic research into therapeutics for cardiometabolic diseases through funding, expert guidance, and project acceleration. The initiative includes collaborations with McMaster University and the Research Institute of St. Joe's Hamilton on diabetic kidney disease and obesity.

Conducts research on multiple sclerosis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Krabbe leukodystrophy, and cardiovascular disease. Activities include identifying molecular targets for remyelination inhibition in MS, studying hereditary neuropathies, developing stem cell-derived organoids to model Krabbe disease, and investigating arterial stiffness using in vitro and in vivo models.

Facilitates the creation of startup companies based on academic drug discovery projects, having established four spinout companies to date. Provides commercial path guidance, milestone-driven planning, and access to industry expertise to support asset development and commercialization.

Advances a portfolio of 13 active drug discovery programs and preclinical-stage therapeutics across multiple therapeutic areas—including cancer, autoimmune disease, cystic fibrosis, and rare diseases—through academic-industry collaborations. The organization reviews proposals, assigns scientific teams, and manages projects via contract research organizations and specialty providers.

Honors scientific excellence through institutional recognition, such as the naming of senior researcher Sathy Balu-Iyer as a 2025 Fellow in the National Academy of Inventors, highlighting contributions to innovation in drug discovery and development.

Creates and teaches a graduate course in Biologics Development that trains students in developing biotechnology products for rare diseases and other therapeutic areas. Alumni have gone on to found biotechnology companies, demonstrating the program’s impact on workforce and entrepreneurial development.

Secures and manages external research grants from federal and private sources, including over $5 million from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, $639,543 in R56 funding (with $2.27 million R01 follow-on) from NIH, and awards from the National MS Society and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to support drug development and protein therapeutic efficiency research.