By Greg Jordan, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday that West Virginia is partnering with GATC West Virginia, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of GATC Health, to initiate a groundbreaking program using GATC’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform to accelerate the discovery of safer and more effective drugs.
The West Virginia Economic Development Authority and West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust board of directors approved a $5 million strategic investment into GATC that will expand GATC’s research and development lab in the West Virginia University Innovation Center, positioning the state to be at the forefront of advanced pharmaceutical research using GATC’s transformative AI technology, the governor’s office said.
The investment will support GATC hiring dozens of employees in its Morgantown, W.Va., lab and enable the completion of FDA application efforts for GATC’s drug candidate for treating opioid use disorder (OUD), which has affected many families in Appalachia.
“West Virginia is leading the way in revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry and making a huge difference in medicine discovery,” Justice said. “This initiative places West Virginia on the map as a leader of innovation as we bring cutting-edge technology right to our backyard to find effective medicines. Our partnership with GATC is proof of our state’s investment in setting the standard for medical advancements while demonstrating the limitless potential of what we’re capable of in West Virginia.”
