by: KRQE StaffPosted: Apr 28, 2020 / 10:19 PM MDT / Updated: Apr 29, 2020 / 07:53 AM MDT

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A private New Mexico lab is helping prevent the shortage of critical drugs being used to treat COVID-19.

“We’re generally able to take what would take sometimes take 30 days we can bring it down into days and sometimes we can break days down into minutes to manufacture a medicine,” said CEO of Bright Path Laboratories Tony Quinones. Based in Santa Fe, the lab works to manufacture different kinds of pharmaceuticals into the market faster and recently switched its focus to products that can help treat COVID-19.

One of the pharmaceuticals is a treatment to help clear the lungs of any fluid. Bright Path recently graduated from an FDA program now allowing them to manufacture drugs that were once made in India or China, right here in New Mexico.

“These types of advanced technologies are going to create a whole new wave of jobs and especially in a state like New Mexico, diversifying the economy is very important,” said Quinones. He says Bright Path completed the FDA program in March and are currently scrambling to get fully up and running.

Quinones says they’ve already hired more people to help work on drugs that can help treat COVID-19.