SCHENECTADY — Patrons leaving Villa Italia Bakery on Broadway, their arms laden with delicious baked goods, may be oblivious to the fact that they are strolling past a globally recognized drug research laboratory situated right next door.
Established in 2004 by its President, Paul Ambrose, the Institute for Clinical Pharmacodynamics employs the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to scrutinize prescription drugs.
“Our primary objective here is to revolutionize the way antibiotics are developed and administered to patients,” Ambrose explained. “We select drug regimens for clinical trials in the pharmaceutical industry or collaborate with the FDA [United States Food and Drug Administration] on projects that essentially seek answers to questions like, ‘How can we improve the use of antibiotics?’ ”
In January of 2023, Ambrose unveiled a second venture based in Schenectady, pRxcision, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence software platform designed to combat infectious diseases.
The pRxcision software tool is designed to equip doctors with the most effective personalized treatment plan for each patient, based on the data at hand.
“Antibiotics are a miracle, but they are currently under threat,” Ambrose stated. “Our solution is to provide clinicians with the tools they need to offer the best care to their patients, and at the moment, we are utilizing software as that tool.”
The company inaugurated its expansive complex at 234 Broadway in 2016, which houses the firm’s laboratories and offices.
“The work we do in these labs and with mathematical modeling is unique. There are perhaps one or two other companies in the country doing what we do,” Ambrose said. “We are one of the few in the world, and it’s all happening right here.”
Ambrose, who relocated to Schenectady in 2005 from Buffalo, believes the city is the perfect location for a medical laboratory, citing its proximity to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the pool of potential employees the institution generates.
“We have big plans for pRxcision right here in Schenectady,” Ambrose said of the company’s downtown office. “I managed to secure almost all of the investment by committing to build here. Software companies usually end up in places like Boston, San Francisco, or Silicon Valley. I wanted to build it here.”
Over the past two decades, Ambrose, 60, has witnessed the growth of the business environment in Schenectady.
“There’s more happening in downtown Schenectady than you might realize,” he noted.
Ambrose is also investing in the local community through Gallery 5, an initiative he co-founded to enhance the visibility of local artists through pop-up art events.
“The idea to bring in the sculptures we have downtown was mine,” Ambrose shared.
Ambrose earned his doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and worked for Bristol-Myers Squibb and as executive director of the division of infectious diseases at the Cognigen Corporation before co-founding the Institute for Clinical Pharmacodynamics.
He stated that the mission of pRxcision is to save lives by providing doctors with more data.
“We believe we can change the world,” he declared. “We believe we can equip clinicians with the tools to fundamentally alter the way they practice medicine in relation to infectious diseases. Currently, only one in five patients receives effective therapy at the start of treatment, and as a result, potentially 270,000 fewer people in the U.S. alone might return home each year.”
As pRxcision expands, the company uses a personal approach to promote its software.
“If I tell you that we develop software as a service and sell it to hospitals, would that make you want to get involved?” Ambrose asked. “You’ve heard that a thousand times. But if I tell you that our mission is to save lives and combat infectious diseases, you might have a personal connection to that. Suddenly, we’re on the same page and the technical details become secondary.”
Ambrose stated that the most important lesson he’s learned in his many years in business is that a company’s purpose should take precedence over the technical aspects of the work.
“The reason why you do something is more important than how you do it,” he concluded.
Disagree with the forecast for 2024.
Disagree with the forecast for 2024. The predictions seem inaccurate and unreliable.
I agree with the forecast for 2024. Paul Ambrose has a track record of accurate and reliable predictions.