Tract Bio (“Tract”), a biotechnology company discovering and developing novel therapies for cancer and inflammatory disease, today announced the official opening of its new laboratory in Charlotte, North Carolina at Connect Labs by Wexford, located within Atrium Health’s innovation district, The Pearl. The occasion was celebrated by Tract yesterday. A grand opening celebration at The Pearl for Connect Labs Charlotte is planned for early 2026.

The state-of-the-art lab provides enhanced laboratory infrastructure to support Tract’s growth, and research and development efforts. This strategic move establishes the company’s presence at The Pearl’s innovation district, a transformative hub for healthcare innovation and scientific advancement, providing access to top-tier scientific resources and opportunities for collaboration within the district’s dynamic biotech ecosystem.

“Our new lab marks a significant milestone in Tract’s evolution and reflects our progress toward bringing potentially life-changing treatments to patients with cancer and inflammatory diseases,” said Richard Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Tract Bio. “We are excited to call The Pearl our research home as it connects us directly to leading scientific and clinical expertise within a vibrant and growing life science community, an ideal setting to accelerate our research programs, expand our team and advance our mission to transform care for areas of high unmet need.”

Developed and managed by Wexford Science & Technology, LLC, Connect Labs by Wexford is a flexible, scale-in-place lab and innovation infrastructure for emerging and growth companies in the life sciences, computational, engineering and energy industries. Each location of Connect Labs by Wexford is intentionally designed to meet the needs of innovative companies, entrepreneurs and researchers within a unique regional ecosystem, who are looking for a ’ready-now’ environment that can help advance their discoveries along the commercialization and capitalization pathway.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tract Bio to Connect Labs Charlotte and to The Pearl,” said Craig Scharton, director of Connect Labs Charlotte. “Connect Labs by Wexford was purposefully designed to unlock the next generation of clinical and biomedical breakthroughs by bringing together advanced technology, medical expertise, world-class institutions and visionary biotech companies. The addition of Tract Bio exemplifies the pioneering spirit and collaborative energy that define this ecosystem.”

In conjunction with the move of the company’s laboratory to Connect Labs Charlotte, Tract’s scientific co-founders, Frank McKeon, Ph.D., and Wa Xian, Ph.D., have joined the faculty at Wake Forest University School of Medicine as professors of Cancer Biology. The school’s Charlotte campus, located within The Pearl, is the city’s first four-year medical school.