NH Delegation Applauds $51 million for Innovative Generic Drug Manufacturing Project in Manchester

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) issued the following statements after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) in Manchester will be awarded up to $51 million over 5 years to develop an innovative “Priority Medicines on Demand” project. The “Priority Medicines on Demand” project seeks to develop a portable technology that would chemically engineer and produce medications and vaccines to expand access to critical medical care in places where drugs are logistically and financially difficult to deliver. Such areas could potentially include natural disaster areas, locations abroad where service members are deployed and rural areas with limited pharmacy access.

“This is a tremendously exciting project that holds great promise for both the delivery of life-saving medicine and the region’s continued growth as a hub for scientific research and development,” said Shaheen. “This investment will provide good paying jobs in Manchester, further strengthen the economy, and help attract and retain the next generation of innovators. There is so much need in the area of medication delivery and affordability – I’m very proud that New Hampshire is part of the solution.”  

“Portable technology that could produce medications and vaccines in hard-to-reach areas could save lives during natural disasters or public health emergencies, such as the current coronavirus pandemic,” said Hassan. “The Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute in Manchester is helping push the bounds of scientific discovery and improving public health, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of this latest project.”

“As the world grapples with the coronavirus outbreak, it is more clear than ever that investing in biotechnology innovation is critical to the future of health care and building a strong response against health security threats,” said Kuster. “This project will help bring groundbreaking biotechnology off the sidelines and into medical facilities, create jobs and boost New Hampshire’s economy. I’m excited to support this project and I will continue working to secure crucial resources and funding to help keep Americans safe and protect them from dangerous diseases.”

 “I am thrilled to see Manchester continuing to be recognized as a hub of innovation,” said Pappas. “This project will pioneer life-changing scientific advancements and could change the face of medicine as we know it. By developing the technology to produce medications that would otherwise be inaccessible or not financially feasible, we will be saving lives, improving quality of life, and creating the good, high-paying jobs that will grow our state’s economy.”

ARMI is a bio-research and manufacturing institute located in Manchester, New Hampshire that develops and bio-manufactures tissues and organs that could potentially be transplanted into patients, particularly American service members. Senator Shaheen and then-Governor Hassan worked to secure the location of the institute in Manchester, advocating on its behalf to the Department of Defense to help secure the federal funds necessary to establish the institute in 2016. ARMI is led by a coalition that includes DEKA Research and Development Corporation (DEKA), the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

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