On the site of the historic former Hoffmann-La Roche facility in Nutley, Hackensack Meridian Health Chief Executive Officer Robert Garrett along with Gov. Phil Murphy, health care professionals, researchers and local dignitaries officially opened the Center for Discovery & Innovation (CDI) at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

The mission of CDI is to improve clinical outcomes for patients with cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating conditions including diabetes, dementia, antibiotic-resistant infection and auto-immune disorders.

The CDI is comprised of three distinct institutes: the Institute for Cancer Infectious Diseases; the Institute for Multiple Myeloma and the Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

“This is really a great milestone for Hackensack Meridian, for the state of New Jersey and health care,” said Garrett.

“The CDI will accelerate the timetable from discovery to treatment. This state of the art center will create solutions for some of the world’s most difficult diseases like cancer, diabetes and antibiotic-resistant infections,” said Garrett.

Garrett said that CDI would become a national and global leader for improving patient outcomes through science-based personalized medicine.

“I am so pleased to help cut the ribbon for an institute that is going to further contribute to the health and well being of New Jersey residents and further tell the world about New Jersey’s tremendous advantages in the innovation economy,” said Murphy.

Murphy said that what’s extraordinary about CDI is its singular purpose of bringing together the greatest minds in science and medicine to make significant breakthroughs in cancer, infectious diseases, and regenerative medicine.

“The individuals who will work in this state-of-the-art facility are the people who can see their way through the data all the way to a cure. These are the people who have a limitless potential for discovery and this is the place where diseases that are now considered untreatable will meet their match,” said Murphy.

The CDI is part of an integrated network of researchers and physicians and a partnership with the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University and Hackensack Meridian Health’s 17 network hospitals.