New centre to transform early discoveries into future medicines

Turning early-stage science into tomorrow’s therapies

The Wistar Institute has launched its new Center for Advanced Therapeutics (CAT) to fast-track early-stage discoveries into opportunities that can be developed into future medicines. Led by Paul Lieberman, PhD, the centre will build on Wistar’s legacy in cancer, immunology and infectious disease by uniting chemists, biologists and industry partners to bridge the gap between basic research and clinical application.

“Despite major progress in treating cancer and other diseases, there is still an urgent need for innovation and collaboration to deliver the next generation of therapies,” said Dario Altieri, MD, Wistar President and CEO. “This centre will act as a catalyst for multidisciplinary discovery and help translate new insights into promising treatments.”

Lieberman, a leading authority on Epstein-Barr virus and other cancer-causing viruses, envisions the centre as a hub for transforming early biomedical findings into viable therapeutic candidates. “The goal is to create something impactful at Wistar,” he said. “By linking biology, chemistry and development expertise, we can accelerate the path from discovery to patient care and help overcome the drug development ‘Valley of Death’.”

The centre will recruit five new principal investigators over the next two years and expand its team of computational chemists and biologists to accelerate target identification and drug design. Current Wistar experts contributing to the effort include Joseph Salvino, PhD (medicinal chemistry), Troy Messick, PhD (structural biology), and Samantha Soldan, PhD (autoimmune disease research). Business development efforts will be led by Heather Steinman, PhD, MBA, to strengthen public-private partnerships across the region.

The initiative is supported by a record $30 million anonymous gift and a $1 million grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, providing resources to establish the centre and recruit top talent. Occupying 12,000 ft² of newly renovated space at Wistar’s Spruce Street campus, the CAT is Wistar’s second major new centre to open in 2025, following the HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center launched earlier this year.

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