A growing medical research and development company headquartered in Pittsfield is changing leadership as it expands operations in Albany.Pat Muraca is stepping down as CEO of Nuclea Biotechnologies to take over the company’s subsidiary NanoDX, which is expected to spin off into an independent organization before the end of the year. Muraca co-founded Nuclea, which develops diagnostic tests for syndromes like cancer and diabetes, 10 years ago.
“The company is at an inflection point and is moving from a research and development operation into a commercialization operation,” Muraca said. “Really where my skill set lies is developing new companies, bringing products right to market and then moving that into a new commercialization realm. That’s where I thrive. Now it needs a different skill set to really move these products into the clinical marketplace so that patients can get access to these technologies very quickly and really make the company grow and prosper.”
To help Nuclea continue that transition, the board has appointed Don Pogorzelski President and CEO. He’s spent time with Abbott Diagnostics and Genzyme Corporation including in the sales and marketing realms.
“Where the company is right now is in space that’s a lot of fun for me,” Pogorzelski said. “So I think I can help and that’s what excites me.”
Nuclea started with two employees and has grown to 72 over the past decade with locations in Pittsfield, Cambridge and Albany. Muraca, a Pittsfield native and graduate of Pittsfield High School, says he is proud of Nuclea’s ability to retrain the local workforce.
“One of the big things that I’ve always touted was workforce development in the Berkshires, especially in Pittsfield, and giving people new opportunities to move forward in new jobs and new types of training and making them really enjoy what they’re doing and upgrading jobs here in the Berkshires," said Muraca.
Muraca will now oversee NanoDX, which operates out of the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany.
“It develops new types of computer chip-based technology that will utilize minute levels of blood to be able to measure different types of diagnostic-related tests for people whether they’re glucose tests or tests for different types of cancers," said Muraca.
The two companies have an agreement that allows NanoDX to utilize Nuclea’s developments made over the past 10 years. A few Nuclea employees will transfer to Albany where just two currently work.
In May 2014, Nuclea pulled out as a key anchor of the Berkshire Innovation Center planned for Pittsfield’s William Stanley Business Park. The company had been looking for more space inside the center on a speedier timeline. Ground hasn’t yet been broken at the former General Electric site, but it’s still expected to happen this year.
“One of the interesting parts of this is that NanoDX may fit better with the BIC than Nuclea did,” Muraca said. “So I think we’d like to be able to explore new relationships with the BIC.”
