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V O L . X X X I I N O. X I X 86 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine I N N OVAT I O N / R & D GlaxoSmithKline collaboration A five-year research collaboration with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline could advance "human cell-based trans- lational models" for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. "Human cell-based translational models" use cells from the human body to develop therapies. GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) has its global headquarters in London and U.S headquarters in Philadelphia. e company had 2025 sales of $44 billion, driven by strong specialty medicines per- formance, according to the firm. e collaboration brings together JAX's expertise in genetics, disease biol- ogy and stem cell research with GSK's in neurodegeneration and drug dis- covery. e goal is to help close a gap between scientific discovery and the development of new medicines. Disease-relevant cellular models can enable the scientific community to study the underlying human biology of neu- rodegenerative conditions and acceler- ate the translation of those insights into potential therapies. "is collaboration is a concrete example of where early stage biomedical research is heading," Lon Cardon, the lab's president and CEO, has said. Certain types of models developed from a patient's stem cells can more accurately capture the complexity of human biology at scale and accelerate therapies, Cardon said. e collaboration includes the New York Stem Cell Foundation, which JAX acquired late last year. Stem Cell Foundation Jackson Lab acquired the New York Stem Cell Foundation to leverage biomedical data, marking "a turning point for bio- medical research" that combines the lab's expertise in genetics and mouse models with the foundation's stem cell and auto- mation technologies, Cardon has said. e foundation is a nonprofit that developed an artificial intelligence platform that supports large amounts of data related to stem cell research. Together, the organizations' capabili- ties are expected to create a platform that accelerates early-stage biomedi- cal research that could uncover disease mechanisms earlier and advance prog- ress toward therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's and rare diseases. e deal unites the lab's strengths in mouse genetics and disease research with the foundation's stem cell technolo- gies and advanced automation, plus their shared expertise in data science and AI, which together could speed the discov- ery of new treatments and cures. e deal was planned for quite some time, with financing built into JAX's long-term strategy. As part of the process, 77 foundation employees join the lab's 3,000 employ- ees at campuses and facilities in Maine, Connecticut, California, Florida, Japan and now New York. e foundation, established in 2005, is at 619 Wes 54th St. in Manhattan. Its platform is called the "global stem cell array. e technology makes it possible to investigate biology at the level of indi- vidual patients. e lab's genetically diverse mouse models and the foundation's automated array give researchers a platform to predict treatment responses, test the predictions on different human cells and validate results in whole organisms. e integrated organization will operate as a nonprofit. e foundation will remain in Manhattan. Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz UnitedInsurance.net For over 156 years, Mainers have relied on United Insurance as their trusted local partner. Protecting what matters with coverage grounded in relationships, not transactions. Discover the United Insurance difference. Insurance Built on Partnerships, Not Just Policies. Business • Employee Benefits • Bonding • Financial Services • Home • Auto » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F T H E JA C K S O N L A BO R AT O R Y Jackson Laboratory has a $5.4 million plan underway to modernize and increase production of "humanized" mouse models.

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