The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has been granted federal funds to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing operation.
The $2.4 million grant is part of a U.S. Economic Development Administration initiative. It provides workforce development for tribal citizens pursuing careers in STEM. The grant was awarded under the Reshoring Essential Medicine Manufacturing at Indigenous Nations Destinations (REMIND) Program, which is meant to help tribes build marketable skills and achieve greater self-sufficiency.
Tribe chairman Rodney Butler said they had been researching ways to diversify the tribe's economic interests beyond hospitality and family entertainment. Butler said they want to expand in health care, specifically the production of generic drugs.
“Over the last few years, we have focused on diversifying our economy by researching industry sectors that demonstrate strong market potential and that insulate our tribe from economic disruption,” Butler said.
The grant will allow the tribe to conduct a market analysis and feasibility study over the next two years. The plan is to establish a generic pharmaceutical manufacturing operation at Mashantucket. The business will focus on developing critical shortage pharmaceuticals.
Setu Vora, chief medical officer for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, said recently that the U.S. has faced challenges in securing critical drugs used to treat a variety of life-threatening diseases. Vora said preliminary research to determine the overall viability of launching a generic drug production facility, and this EDA investment helps to move forward with developing a comprehensive business plan.
“Our goal at the completion of our project is to be truly ‘shovel ready.’ We anticipate creating roughly 75 jobs and capital investment of over $100,000,000 to re-shore manufacturing of critical shortage drugs,” Vora said.
In addition to positions, Butler said the grant will advance the tribe's long-term economic interests and diversify its economy as an exercise of tribal sovereignty. He said the production of these drugs has potential and will bolster existing partnerships with healthcare organizations throughout New England.
“This EDA investment will fund feasibility studies to help us define a product mix for critical shortage generic drugs, structure enterprise development, establish our preliminary design and engineering, and develop a series of cost models,” Butler said.
