Biotech Company Moving From Cambridge To Somerville

SOMERVILLE, MA — A Cambridge biotechnology company is relocating to a new 10,500-square-foot space in Somerville's Union Square as it expands its operations.

Predicta Biosciences has signed a lease at 10 Prospect St. and plans to move into the space in October, according to USQ, the developer behind the larger Union Square redevelopment project. Predicta will relocate from Cambridge and become the first laboratory tenant at 10 Prospect, moving into one of the building's existing lab suites.

Predicta was founded by oncologists and scientists from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Broad Institute and develops molecular diagnostic technology focused on blood cancers. The company's technology is designed to sequence circulating tumor cells collected through a blood draw, providing genomic and immune information that can be used by clinicians to help select treatments and monitor changes in a patient's disease over time.

"Predicta is expanding rapidly, and the move to 10 Prospect marks our next stage of growth," Predicta Biosciences CEO Brian McKernan said. "The space allows us to grow our team and scale our operations as we advance a diagnostic platform that provides clinicians with earlier, more precise insights into blood cancers."

The 196,000-square-foot building at 10 Prospect St. was developed for life sciences companies and includes approximately 60,000 square feet of move-in-ready laboratory suites. The building is located near the Union Square Green Line station and also includes bike storage, locker rooms, meeting areas, and shared tenant space.

Predicta's move comes as Union Square continues to undergo a larger redevelopment around the Green Line station. The 20-acre USQ project is planned to eventually include approximately 3.8 million square feet of development, including 2.4 million square feet of laboratory and innovation space, 1,000 residences, more than 150,000 square feet of restaurants, stores and services, and 4.7 acres of open space. The first phase of the project, which includes 10 Prospect, has already been completed.

USQ President Greg Karczewski said the building was designed in part to provide growing companies with laboratory space without requiring a lengthy build-out.

"Predicta is exactly the kind of tenant we built 10 Prospect for: a company founded here in the Boston region, growing quickly and ready for its own lab," Karczewski said. "10 Prospect gives them specialized infrastructure and a transit stop at the front door, and Union Square gives them a neighborhood full of researchers, founders and builders, with dozens of independent restaurants and shops within a short walk."

Mayor Jake Wilson said the company's decision to expand in the city follows efforts to extend the Green Line into Union Square, change local zoning and encourage development in the neighborhood.

"We are so excited to see Predicta Bio expand in Somerville," Wilson said. "This didn't happen by chance. As a community, we worked to extend the Green Line, modernize zoning, and build strong public-private partnerships, including with USQ, that helped make Union Square a place where innovative companies can grow."

USQ is being developed in partnership with the city through a joint venture involving Magellan Development, RAS Development, Cypress Equity Investments, and Affinius Capital.

See Also:

Man Arrested After Steel Broom Assault In Somerville

3 Firefighters Injured Battling Somerville House Fire

Somerville Hiker Rescued From New Hampshire Mountain

Large State Grant Plants The Seeds For Somerville Tree Effort

Somerville To Celebrate Completion Of Major Street Redesign