Author Information: Eric Emilio Butter ebutter@bios.unc.

edu SPH 11 Article: NC BioStart: Great Start for Biomedical Entrepreneurship

Perry Genova, Ph.D., trained in chaos theory, helped lead numerous start up companies, and patented more than t!enty inventions. "ettin# !ith his $amily across the %tlantic &cean in '(() to *vreu+, ,rance, seemed at the time li-e .ust another natural step in his e+citin# .ourney.

Gla+oSmith/line hired Genova to brin# uni0ue technical understandin# and mana#ement e+perience to its metered dose inhaler manu$acturin# teams near Paris. 1ean!hile, bac- in 2.3., Genova4s $ather !as dia#nosed !ith !ell developed esopha#eal cancer.

Genova spent his $ree time studyin# everythin# he could about the cancer, and soon reali5ed a recurrin# theme6 poor early sta#e dia#nostics. 78ltimately, 9 $elt a lon#in# to return to my entrepreneurial roots.: 9n '((;, shortly a$ter Genova lost his $ather to esopha#eal cancer, the entire $amily returned to 2.3.

Since then, 3arolina #raduate Genova has been !or-in# tirelessly to develop and release a ne! point o$ care dia#nostic $or esopha#eal cancer !ith his start up company, &ncoscope. 7<his dia#nostic may have saved my $ather4s li$e and 9 am certain, loo-in# ahead, that !e can prevent other needless deaths $rom this a##ressive cancer.:

<o stay motivated throu#h the ne#ative pro$it mar#ins and occasional sel$ doubt, entrepreneurs li-e Genova $eed o$$ passion and o$ten personal ties to their !or-. 79 really care about my .ob,: says Genova. %t a '((= 3arolina 9nnovations Seminar, Genova e+plained that no!, !hen he catches 7the bu#: to start up some ne! venture, his !i$e is no more surprised than !hen he re#isters $or another opportunity to race his vinta#e B1> ?Genova has raced his custom built B1>s $or over 1' years@.

<he latest 7bu#: to bite Genova is somethin# ne!6 education. Genova is an 7entrepreneur in residence: $or 3arolina4s ne! biotech business incubator, 23 BioStart. <he pro#ram launched in sprin# '((= as part o$ the 2orth 3arolina <ranslational and 3linical Sciences 9nstitute ?23 <ra3S@. Aice 3hancellor <ony >aldrop attributes the pro#ram4s early success to Etta Pisano, 1.D., vice dean o$ the School o$ 1edicine and '((; inductee o$ the 2ational %cademy o$ Sciences 9nstitute o$ 1edicine.

Pisano secured one o$ B) presti#ious 3linical and <ranslational Science %!ards $rom the 2ational 9nstitutes o$ Health to $und !or- at <ra3S and BioStart. Pisano, a pro$essor o$ radiolo#y and biomedical en#ineerin#, stru##led throu#h the process o$ startin# her o!n company to commerciali5e a sa$er $orm o$ C ray ima#in#. %dministrators li-e >aldrop e+pressed con$idence that Pisano !ould ease the process o$ biomedical commerciali5ation $or 823 students and $aculty.

%lthou#h Pisano .ust accepted a ne! position as dean o$ the 1edical 8niversity o$ South 3arolina4s 3olle#e o$ 1edicine, 23 BioStart !ill continue to thrive than-s to its early le#acy o$ success. <he three 7entrepreneurs in residence: $or BioStartD<om 1ercolino, "oel Sha$$er, and Perry GenovaDalready advise some seven university startups each.

Ee$errin# to a recent article in the Carolina Alumni Review, >aldrop attributes the pro#ram4s rapid ta-eo$$ to Pisano4s 7brilliant impatience.: But such personal drive and motivation is not restricted to biomedical researchers li-e Genova and Pisano.

Every year, applicants to the 823 School o$ 1edicine detail their personal motivations to the board o$ admissions. %ccordin# to BioStart Director, Don Eose, Ph.D., medical doctors and students are involved in 7about hal$: o$ BioStart4s start up companies. Students o$ la!, medicine, science, and business also !or- !ith BioStart throu#h the Faunchin# the Aenture pro#ram and Eose4s o!n Eesearch to Eevenue class.

Deepa- Gopala-rishna and 1i-e Hac-ett are cases in point. Doctorate o$ philosophy candidates in the Department o$ Genetics and the Department o$ 1olecular Pharmaceutics, respectively, they are commerciali5in# a ne! lipid based cancer dru# delivery system. Gopala-rishna and Hac-ett $ounded the company 2ovoFipid, 9nc., to house the technolo#y.

Gopala-rishna and Hac-ett !on the 3arolina 3hallen#e in late 1ay $or their e+cellent business plan. <he t!o attribute their success to Faunchin# the Aenture and e+cellent mentorship $rom 23 BioStart. <hree other student run biotech companies !ere $inalistsDall advised by BioStart entrepreneurs in residence.

Hac-ett developed the technolo#y in the lab o$ 1oo 3ho, Ph.D. <he dru# delivery system involves attachin# to+ic cancer dru#s to albumin proteins. %ttachin# dru#s to albumin lo!ers to+icity and passively tar#ets cancer cells, !hich absorb abnormally hi#h levels o$ albumin. Early animal studies at 823 seem promisin#, so the t!o scientists !ill conduct $urther animal tests at the Hamner 9nstitute in Eesearch <rian#le Par-.

Gopala-rishna came to 2orth 3arolina $rom 9ndia to attend 823 3harlotteG his adventures toohim to <ulane4s 1.D.HPh.D. Pro#ram until Hurricane /atrina hit. 2o!, his de#ree and location have chan#ed a#ain, althou#h, he says, his #oal remains the same6

79 !ant to see a tan#ible impact $rom my !or-. % doctor !ill impact someones li$e every day o$ their career. But i$ this idea !or-s, !e can chan#e millions o$ livesD!e can chan#e the !ay !e treat cancer.:

Gopala-rishna tries to e+pose other students o$ medicine to options beyond postdoctoral appointments and residencies. Sadly, he admits, 7!e are not e+posed to much else.: >or-in# !ith 823 <rainin# 9nitiative in Biomedical and Biolo#ical Sciences ?<9BBS@, he developed an alternative career !or-shop to sho!case patent la!, consultin#, and, o$ course, entrepreneurship .obs to doctoral candidates.

2o! that more laboratories are developin# mar-etable technolo#ies, 23 BioStart is #oin# to a ne! level6 technolo#y scoutin#. <echnolo#y scouts visit 823 labs to understand !hat potential ventures e+ist, and to convince $aculty or students to carry the technolo#ies to mar-et.

Aice 3hancellor >aldrop !ill leave 823 in %u#ust to become provost o$ 8niversity o$ 3entral ,lorida. Durin# his nine years in o$$ice, he lead a IJ(( million e+pansion o$ 823 research

enterprise. >aldrop says he hopes that in the $uture BioStart !ill serve as a model $or #uided, thou#ht$ul entrepreneurship across campus.

Despite 8234s successes, the university still runs a de$icit to hold all o$ its e+pensive patent costs. Payin# these patent costs is -ey to $acilitatin# technolo#y commerciali5ation, but >aldrop remains cautious o$ !asted dollars payin# $or intellectual property that !ill simply 7#ather dust on a shel$.:

<oday, BioStart is huntin# $or brea-throu#h technolo#y, coachin# students and $aculty throu#h sound business plans, and supportin# numerous start ups. <han-s to BioStart, buddin# entrepreneurs can $ollo! the ris-y and $ul$illin# careers o$ scientists li-e Gopala-rishna and Hac-ett.

7<his !or- is $un, intellectually stimulatin#, and it pays !ell. 9 do not !ant to !or- in a clinic or an o$$ice. 9 !as up playin# tennis !ith $riends this mornin#. Ho! many #eneticists can say thatK:

Have a biomedical idea you think you can commercialize? Visit ncbiostart com and find !uidance to brin! the idea to market "or interests in commercial or non#$rofit entre$reneurial ventures% consider com$etin! in the Carolina Challen!e& re!ister at carolinachallen!e or!