Center for Novel Therapeutics

What Center for Novel Therapeutics does

The Center for Novel Therapeutics (CNT) is a 137,500 square foot life science research facility located at 9310 Athena Circle in La Jolla, California, on UC San Diego's Science Research Park. Operated and managed by BioMed Realty — a Blackstone Real Estate portfolio company — CNT functions as a research hub and incubator offering fully equipped wet and dry laboratory space, conference centers, collaborative meeting areas, an atrium event space, a farm-to-table restaurant, and a fitness center. It is positioned as San Diego's first academic-industry drug discovery incubator, designed to accelerate the translation of cancer and chronic disease research from bench to bedside by housing academic and private-sector researchers in a single collaborative environment.

CNT's core product is the physical research and incubation facility itself, with no disclosed software or proprietary technology platform. The underlying infrastructure is purpose-built for life science use, featuring LEED Gold certified sustainable systems including water-cooled central cooling and heating with variable frequency drives, a VAV air handling system, LED lighting, and renewable energy from photovoltaic panels. The architectural design by Perkins & Will received the Malone Grand Orchid at the 2020 San Diego Architectural Foundation Orchids & Onions Awards. CNT does not independently own patents, trademarks, or proprietary research outputs; its value proposition is the physical asset, the academic anchor, and the surrounding ecosystem.

CNT's business model is commercial real estate leasing and managed services rather than product sales. Revenue is generated through subscription-recurring lab and office leases to life science tenants, plus managed services revenue from incubator amenities and shared facilities. UC San Diego anchors the building with a lease covering more than 20% of the facility, with the remaining space available to private-sector biotech, pharmaceutical, and early-stage companies. Leasing is handled by BioMed Realty's Senior Vice President for West Coast Markets (Kevin Tremblay), and pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company has no independent headcount disclosed, no funding rounds, no mergers or acquisitions, and no AI/ML technology stack — it operates as a single-asset facility within BioMed Realty's larger life science real estate portfolio.

Name

Center for Novel Therapeutics

Legal name

Center for Novel Therapeutics

Website

https://cntsandiego.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Center for Novel Therapeutics is a 137,500 sq ft life science research facility in La Jolla, CA, operated by BioMed Realty as San Diego's first academic-industry drug discovery incubator, providing wet/dry lab space and amenities to UC San Diego, biotech firms, and startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Research Facilities

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAI

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

Keywords

• Biotech incubator services
• Laboratory facilities leasing
• Life science real estate
• Drug discovery incubator
• Research facility operations

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Laboratory and Office Leasing: CNT generates revenue through leasing of research lab and office space to life science companies, biotech firms, and private-sector entities. UC San Diego anchors the building as a major tenant leasing over 20% of the facility, with remaining space available to private-sector companies for drug discovery and translational research.
2. Incubator and Amenity Services: Revenue derived from providing fully equipped laboratory facilities, conference center spaces, collaborative meeting areas, and amenity services (restaurant, fitness center) to tenant companies and the broader life science community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Center for Novel Therapeutics operates a 137,500 square foot research and incubator facility at UC San Diego's Science Research Park, providing fully equipped wet and dry laboratory space, technology commercialization resources, conference and meeting areas, and building amenities to life science companies, biotech firms, academic researchers, and entrepreneurs. It is positioned as San Diego's first academic-industry drug discovery incubator, with UC San Diego serving as the anchor tenant to drive collaboration between university scientists and private-sector companies translating cancer and chronic disease research into clinical therapies.

Product overview

Center for Novel Therapeutics (CNT) is a 137,500 square foot research hub located at UC San Diego's Science Research Park. It serves as San Diego's first academic-industry drug discovery incubator, designed to accelerate the translation of cancer research from bench to bedside. The facility provides wet and dry laboratory incubator spaces and building amenities including conference centers, event spaces, a restaurant, and fitness center to support the life science community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Collaboration Facilities A 137,500 square foot research hub designed to foster collaboration between scientists, clinical researchers, and private-sector companies to accelerate therapies from research bench to patient treatment. Includes fully equipped wet and dry laboratories and incubator space within UC San Diego's Science Research Park.
• Building Amenities and Shared Spaces Conference center, atrium event spaces, farm-to-table restaurant, modern fitness center, and collaborative meeting spaces supporting tenant companies and the broader life science community at the CNT facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 137,500 square foot research hub enabling bench-to-bedside therapy translation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• UC San DiegoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2017UC San Diego is the anchor tenant and core academic partner of CNT, leasing over 20% of the 137,500 square foot facility. The partnership leverages UC San Diego's world-renowned doctors and research at Moores Cancer Center to drive academic-industry collaboration in cancer therapy development. This is the foundational public-private partnership that underpins CNT's mission.
• BioMed RealtyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioMed Realty, a Blackstone Real Estate portfolio company, is the developer, owner, and operator of the CNT facility. As a leading provider of real estate solutions to the life science and technology industries, BioMed Realty designed, built, and manages the research hub, handles leasing through its West Coast Markets team, and maintains ongoing operational responsibility for the facility.
• Perkins & WillcoreTechnology or IntegrationPerkins & Will is the architectural firm that designed the Center for Novel Therapeutics facility. Their design contributed to CNT receiving the Malone Grand Orchid (highest prize) at the San Diego Architectural Foundation's Orchids & Onions Awards in 2020.
• Moores Cancer Center at UC San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoores Cancer Center is UC San Diego's world-renowned research facility that provides CNT tenants with unparalleled access to cutting-edge cancer research capabilities, clinical expertise, and collaborative research opportunities. It is a central pillar of CNT's academic-industry drug discovery ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Longfellow Real Estate Partners: Specialized life science real estate developer and operator focused on lab, research, and innovation facilities in major U.S. life science clusters. Comparable as a focused life science property developer/operator near university research hubs.
• BioMed Realty (parent/sister): CNT's parent and operator; BioMed Realty provides specialized lab and office real estate to the life science industry across major innovation markets and is the most direct operational counterpart, sharing CNT's tenant profile and San Diego presence.
• MBC BioLabs: San Francisco Bay Area biotech incubator offering fully equipped wet lab space and entrepreneurship programs to early-stage life science startups. Directly comparable to CNT in mission, scale, and offering to academic/spinout founders.
• Alexandria Real Estate Equities: The largest publicly traded life science real estate operator, providing purpose-built lab and office space near top research institutions including UC San Diego. Alexandria LaunchLabs mirrors CNT's incubator model, making it the most direct comparable for CNT's hosting and incubation functions.
• Breakthrough Properties: Joint venture between TPG and Bellco Capital (formerly IQHQ) developing and operating life science research facilities in global innovation hubs. Directly comparable in developing purpose-built lab/office space for biotech tenants near academic institutions.
• Wexford Science & Technology: Developer of purpose-built, mixed-use innovation districts and wet/dry lab facilities in partnership with universities and health systems. Comparable to CNT's academic-industry incubator model and Science Research Park positioning.
• LabCentral: Non-profit first-in-class biotech coworking and incubator in Boston/Cambridge that provides shared wet lab infrastructure to early-stage life science startups. Highly comparable to CNT's incubator offering in role, tenant profile, and lab infrastructure.

Regional players

• King Street Properties: Boston-area focused life science real estate developer and operator providing lab space and incubation infrastructure to biotech tenants. Comparable in business model (life science lab development and management) but primarily serves a different geographic market than CNT.

Emerging players

• JLABS (Johnson & Johnson Innovation): Global network of Johnson & Johnson no-strings-attached startup incubators providing lab space, instrumentation, and mentorship to early-stage biotech startups. Comparable to CNT's incubator component but tied to a single corporate sponsor.

Broad incumbents

• Healthpeak Properties: Diversified healthcare real estate investment trust with a significant life science lab portfolio. Operates in major innovation markets including San Diego, making it a broad incumbent peer for CNT's life science real estate/incubator business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BioMedRealtyOfficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Novel Therapeutics