Massachusetts Selected
to Host ARPA-H Hub as Part of Nationwide Health Innovation
Network
State Lauded
as Epicenter of Life Science
and Health Care Innovation Glo
Ou
BOSTON – Today,
the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an
agency within the National Institutes of Health, announced
Massachusetts has been chosen to host its Investor Catalyst
Hub to support ARPA-H’s mission by fostering collaboration among
researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors to accelerate innovative ideas that
transform health care.
Massachusetts’ selection was announced during a press briefing
with ARPA-H Director Dr. Renee Wegrzyn to formally
launch ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network comprised of
three hubs across the country, each with an aim to accelerate better
health outcomes for everyone. VentureWell, a nonprofit based in Hadley,
Mass., with expertise in federal health care programs and complex
program management, was selected as the organization that
will run and manage the Massachusetts-based hub. The Investor
Catalyst Hub will focus on helping ARPA-H programs navigate the
complexities of the business and regulatory landscape and provide resources to
help bring ideas to market.
“This is a huge win for
Massachusetts and an opportunity to bring economic development
while strengthening our role as a nationwide leader in life
sciences. We're excited to partner with ARPA-H and the Biden
Administration to support the innovative ideas and breakthrough
technologies that will revolutionize health care for all Americans," said Governor Maura Healey. "This hub leverages
our state's world-class life science ecosystem while building a national
network of researchers and entrepreneurs to invest in meaningful solutions to
the biggest health care challenges. We thank the Biden
Administration for making this critical funding available and our
incredible federal delegation for their strong partnership throughout this
process."
"We are proud to be selected
to host this hub as part of ARPA-H's national health innovation network,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim
Driscoll.
“Massachusetts is the global epicenter of life sciences innovation – we
have the talent, expertise, and vision to make radical changes in medicine. We
look forward to working with ARPA-H to nurture the ideas that will improve
health care for patients everywhere.”
"We have an unprecedented
opportunity to spark revolutionary progress in health care
and continue to lead in the life sciences industry through this
partnership with ARPA-H," said Economic
Development Secretary Yvonne Hao.
"We are grateful to Team Massachusetts, including our partners across the
public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the legislature, and the
congressional delegation, for their support of our successful
proposal to take part in this important effort
to transform health care
The hub will be located in Greater
Boston and will be supported by “spokes” across the
country comprised of partner organizations that will
include hospitals, health centers, and research and academic
institutions, all of which will work together to
accelerate solutions to diseas
The Healey-Driscoll
Administration, through the Executive Office of Economic
Development (EOED) and the quasi-public agency Massachusetts Life
Sciences Center, partnered with VentureWell and a consortium of
industry leaders, hospitals, health centers, and research and academic
institutions in pursuit of this opportunity. In March 2023, ARPA-H
announced a multi-phase site selection process, which started with a
proposal submission in April 2023.
“Today is a victory for patients
and for the collaborative spirit woven into our Commonwealth’s DNA,” said Massachusetts Life Sciences
Center President and CEO Kenn Turner. “We
are grateful for the opportunity to partner with ARPA-H and the Biden
Administration on the next generation of medical breakthroughs that will
transform lives on a global scale. I am so grateful for the support of the
Healey-Driscoll Administration and the multitude of partners who helped us
reach this milestone. An exciting chapter for our ecosystem begins now.”
“VentureWell has spent nearly three
decades delivering on our mission - to solve the world’s biggest
challenges and to create lasting impact through science and technology
innovation and entrepreneurship and we see valuable opportunity in continuing
to scale this work through our partnership with ARPA-H,” said Phil Weilerstein, President
& CEO of VentureWell. “We
bring the full set of organizational capabilities and experiences to
accomplish ARPA-H’s goals and are honored to be given the opportunity to
play a role in bringing life-changing medical and science breakthroughs
out of the lab and into the hands of the people across the nation who
need them.”
VentureWell has extensive experience partnering with
public and private institutions to bring solutions from the
research lab and into the market through funding, training, mentorship,
and network support, with a focus on health equity and inclusive
innovation. As manager of the hub, VentureWell will design and
manage the build-out of the hub and its spoke network, recruiting and engaging
a nationwide network of diverse organizations representing financing and
innovation, academic and clinical priorities, and
care-setting transitions. The opportunity to apply to become a spoke
is open to all institutions in the United States with strengths that align with
the ARPA-H focus areas: health science futures,
In March 2022,
President Biden announced the ARPA-H initiative to improve the U.S. government’s
ability to speed biomedical and health research. Shortly
after, Massachusetts formed th
The ARPA-H proposal is a part of
the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to compete
for federal money that has included applications for more than $2 billion
dollars in federal funding to advance priorities for equity, competitiveness,
workforce development and climate resiliency in Massachusetts. The approach has
brought in tens of millions of dollars to the state in recent weeks,
with additional funding still pending the decision of federal
agencies. Last week, Massachusetts was awarded $19.7 million
in funding through the federal CHIPS and Science Act to establish the
Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub to advance the
microelectronics needs of the U.S. Department of Defense while spurring new
jobs, workforce training opportunities, and investment in the region’s advanced
manufacturing and technology sectors.
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