Codagenix Inc. has raised an additional $25 million, bringing its total funding to $45 million, to support its vaccine development efforts. This new round includes contributions from Serum Institute of India and existing investors Euclidean Capital and Adjuvant Capital. The funding will advance phase 1 trials for the CodaVax-RSV vaccine targeting respiratory syncytial virus and the CodaVax-H1N1 influenza vaccine. Codagenix, based at Farmingdale State College’s Broad Hollow Bioscience Park and in Cambridge, Massachusetts, utilizes cutting-edge synthetic biology to create innovative vaccines. The company is also involved in a WHO study of its CoviLiv nasal COVID-19 vaccine.
After a challenging decade following OSI Pharmaceuticals' departure, Long Island is seeing a revival in its life sciences sector. Estee Lauder has joined Farmingdale State College’s Broadhollow Bioscience Park as an anchor tenant, and Dan Polner has been appointed as the park's new executive director. Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $10 million in funding for Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and an additional $50 million for a life sciences competition for local startups. With these investments and a renewed focus on coordination among key institutions, Long Island aims to transform its life sciences vision into reality.
Broadhollow Bioscience Park is revitalizing Long Island's life sciences sector. With Estee Lauder as a new anchor tenant and Dan Polner as executive director, the park is set to expand. Governor Kathy Hochul’s Long Island Investment Fund (LIIF) recently allocated $60 million to bolster local biotech startups and research institutions. Plans for a new 60,000-square-foot facility aim to strengthen collaborations with top institutions like Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University. These initiatives position Broadhollow to drive innovation, create jobs, and boost the regional economy.
Long Island's push to attract biotech startups has seen mixed results. The Broad Hollow Bioscience Park, with its recent addition of a 43,000-square-foot building, aims to foster new companies. While OSI Pharmaceuticals is expanding, other firms like Helicon Therapeutics have moved away due to delays. Despite significant investment and low rent incentives, the region’s biotech sector struggles to gain traction, facing challenges such as high costs and stiff competition from established hubs.