Ribbon Cut On Latest Biotech Biz

In the basement of 55 Church St. sits one of just three NeuroExplorer PET scanners in the world. Capable of producing images with significantly better resolution and sensitivity than its 20-year-old predecessor, the High Resolution Research Tomograph, the machine is the crown jewel of XingImaging’s new research facility inside the Elm City Bioscience Center.

XingImaging hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon to mark the official opening of its 24,000-square-foot research space at the downtown lab and office building — and to celebrate the work it plans to do with the help of that basement super-camera, especially in regards to better understanding Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Co-founded by CEO Gilles Tamagnan in 2018, the company offers full-spectrum radiopharmaceutical services to businesses developing therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.

A press release sent out by the mayor’s office Monday stated that XingImaging will employ 30 staff members at its New Haven facility. It will also ​“offer a comprehensive range of services, including clinical trial services, advanced imaging services, radiotracer manufacturing, and imaging analysis services.”

At the ceremony, Tamagnan described the camera as ​“a dream.” With its help, he said, the company aims to be able to diagnose patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases before they experience clinical symptoms.

XingImaging occupies three separate floors of the eight-story center, including a waiting area for study participants, multiple modern-looking exam rooms, a large, open radiochemistry laboratory, and three imaging machines (two PET-CT and one SPECT-CT scanner). Other tenants in the building include the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Alphina Therapeutics, and Revalia Bio.

Mayor Justin Elicker in his remarks highlighted the international nature of the company, which maintains business relationships throughout China, Europe, and the U.S. ​“I am proud [that New Haven is] a place welcoming people from across the world,” he said, adding that he hopes breakthroughs at companies like XingImaging will encourage other cities to be welcoming as well.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, and State Sen. President Martin Looney shared messages of appreciation through proxies.

XingImaging joins the growing wave of biotechnology companies opening research facilities in New Haven. Over the last few years, the Elm City Bioscience Center has filled with firms that, according to Hurley Group President David Goldblum, are capable of performing ​“miracles.”

Tamagnan chose the center for XingImaging ​“because of the talent of people in New Haven.” He is eager to attract researchers from the Yale School of Medicine, where he holds an adjunct appointment in psychiatry.

It wasn’t always a given that XingImaging would be able to acquire the super-camera that now sits in the basement of their new research center on Church Street.

In August 2024, Perceptive (previously known at Invicro), a biotechnology company with an imaging center in the Temple Medical Center at 60 Temple St., wrote to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) with concerns about XingImaging’s request to acquire SPECT-CT and PET-CT scanners, including the NeuroExplorer. In their letter, they requested that the NRC make XingImaging’s application public, ​“consider potential national security concerns related to XingImaging’s corporate ownership,” ​“review XingImaging’s technical qualifications to hold an NRC license,” and ​“closely examine other potential deficiencies in XingImaging’s application.” 

In September 2024, the NRC responded to each of Perceptive’s concerns and concluded that XingImaging should not be disqualified from holding an NRC license. 

After the attendees toured the facilities, they gathered for a champagne toast. A few minutes later, the team received another reason to celebrate: approval for a seven-figure federal grant to continue their research into identifying patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. The evening ended with another toast and the promise of more work ahead.