BayBio Pantheon
Each year BayBio recognizes achievement and honors excellence in the life sciences industry in Northern California, as it brings together Northern California’s life sciences industry leaders. The Pantheon Awards Ceremony is a celebration of the contributions and achievements of the Bay Area, a moment in time to pause and reflect on the industry's legacy over three decades.
The BayBio Pantheon is comprised of 52 elected members. Represented are 76 companies, 30 executives, 15 Life Time Achievement recipients, seven investors and venture capitalists, seven products, six academic institutions, six teachers, three national laboratories, three Nobel Laureates, one Congresswoman and one mayor. The BayBio Pantheon Committee has elected 52 candidates to the Pantheon. By category, there are: nine Outstanding Product awards, two Outstanding Financing recipients, six Outstanding Companies, 15 Lifetime Achievement recipients, six Biotechnology Educators, four Rising Stars, four Outstanding Partnering recipients, one Scientific Achievement award, four Outstanding Public Support awards, four DiNA™ Global Reach awards, three Fast Start awards and two Visionary Awards.
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Alair® by Asthmatx, a Boston Scientific Company Each year in the United States severe asthma leads to 14 million unscheduled physician office visits, 2 million ER visits, 500,000 hospitalizations, and it costs more than $18 billion. Bronchial thermoplasty, delivered by the Alair® System, is a bronchoscopic procedure that uses thermal energy to reduce smooth muscle in airway walls. Reducing airway smooth muscle decreases the ability of the airways to constrict. In its double-blind, shamcontrolled pivotal trial, the Alair® System delivered (relative to sham) a: 32% decrease in severe exacerbations; 84% reduction in ER visits; 73% reduction in hospitalizations; 66% reduction in days lost from work or school. The Alair® Bronchial Thermoplasty System is FDA approved for the treatment of severe persistent asthma in patients 18 years and older who are not well controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists. |
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Bruce Alberts, PhD Dr. Bruce Alberts, a prominent biochemist with a strong commitment to the improvement of science and mathematics education, serves as Editor-in-Chief of Science and as one of President Obama's first three Science Envoys. Dr. Alberts is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco, to which he returned after serving two six-year terms as the president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). |
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Alios BioPharma Alios BioPharma is a biotechnology company located in South San Francisco, California, that is developing novel medicines aimed at the treatment of viral diseases. Alios has an innovative team of highly experienced scientists and clinical researchers who are developing direct acting antiviral agents against several human viral pathogens of public health importance including hepatotropic viruses, respiratory viruses and other chronic, acute and emerging viral diseases. Additionally, Alios is developing molecular activators of an interferon induced, broad spectrum antiviral innate immune pathway called RNase-L. The overall goal for the Alios therapeutic platform is to maximize patient benefits in areas of high unmet medical need through optimization of potency, safety and tolerability. |
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No Compromise® Diesel by Amyris Biotechnologies Amyris is an integrated, renewable products company striving to help the world reduce its carbon footprint through the production and use of renewable chemicals and transportation fuels. Amyris Renewable Diesel mimics the properties of existing petroleum diesel, but is made from renewable resources. It is produced by fermentation using yeast that has been engineered to convert sugar into hydrocarbons. Because it meets the specifications for petroleum diesel, Amyris Diesel can be used in existing cars and trucks and transported using existing fuel distribution infrastructure. Use of Amyris Diesel results in significant reductions in NOx, Particulate Matter, Carbon Monoxide and Hydrocarbon emissions, and results in 90% or greater reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to petroleum diesel fuel. Amyris Renewable Diesel is the only plant derived hydrocarbon diesel fuel registered for use by the US EPA to date. |
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Avastin® Avastin® (Bevacizumab) is the first FDA approved therapy designed to inhibit angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels develop and carry vital nutrients to a tumor. Avastin is approved for use in combination with chemotherapy as a treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. |
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Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Bayer HealthCare is the second largest biotechnology employer in the San Francisco Bay Area. A worldwide leader in providing innovative biotechnology and specialty pharmaceutical products that address significant unmet medical needs, Bayer has more than four decades of experience bringing complex biological therapies to patients around the world. The Bay Area is a global center for Bayer's biotechnology research, process development and commercial manufacturing. Berkeley and Emeryville are home to two of Bayer’s primary biotech manufacturing centers and the company recently selected the region as home to its second innovation center which will be located in Mission Bay, San Francisco. Bayer is recognized globally and locally as an award-winning corporate citizen, making major contributions to patient groups, science education, and environmental protection through a combination of philanthropy and employee volunteerism. |
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Scott A. Beardsley Scott Beardsley is a Managing Director and leads Piper Jaffray’s Biopharmaceutical investment banking practice. Prior to joining Piper Jaffray in 1999, Scott was a member of the Health Care Group at Montgomery Securities where he focused primarily on Biopharmaceutical companies. From 1989 until 1985, Scott worked in the Investment Banking Departments at both Kidder, Peabody & Co. Incorporated and JP Morgan. Scott earned his MBA at The Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA and has a BS in Management with an emphasis in Finance from Colorado State University. |
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Paul Berg, PhD Dr. Paul Berg is Cahill Professor in Cancer Research, Emeritus at Stanford University School of Medicine and Director Emeritus of the Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine. Dr. Berg is one of the principal pioneers in “gene splicing.” He and his colleagues Drs. Walter Gilbert and Frederick Sanger were honored with the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing methods that make it possible to map the structure and function of DNA. Work on the genetic apparatus that directs the synthesis of proteins earned Dr. Berg the Eli Lilly Award in Biochemistry in 1959 and the California Scientist of the Year Award in 1963. He has twice been honored with the Henry J. Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching at Stanford University School of Medicine and has won the Roche Institute for Molecular Biology V.D. Mattia Prize, the Sarasota Medical Awards for Achievement and Excellence, the Annual Award of the Gairdner Foundation, the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, and the New York Academy of Sciences Award. He has also been awarded the American Association for the Advancement of Science Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award, the National Medal of Science, and the National Library of Medicine Medal.
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BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc. BioMarin develops and commercializes innovative biopharmaceuticals for serious diseases and medical conditions. The company's product portfolio comprises three approved products and multiple clinical and preclinical product candidates. Approved products include Naglazyme® (galsulfase) for mucopolysaccharidosis VI (MPS VI), a product wholly developed and commercialized by BioMarin; Aldurazyme® (laronidase) for mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I), a product which BioMarin developed through a 50/50 joint venture with Genzyme Corporation; and Kuvan® (sapropterin dihydrochloride) Tablets, a product for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU), developed in partnership with Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany. Other product candidates include 6R-Bp for cardiovascular indications, which is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease and sickle cell disease, and PEG-PAL (PEGylated recombinant phenylalanine ammonia lyase), which is currently in Phase 1 clinical development for the treatment of PKU. |
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Dr. J. Michael Bishop J. Michael Bishop is Chancellor Emeritis, University Professor, and Director of the G.W.Hooper Research Foundation at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Bishop began his research career working on the replication of poliovirus. But soon after arriving in San Francisco in 1968, he shifted his attention to Rous sarcoma virus, hoping to explore the fundamental mechanisms of tumorigenesis. In 1970, he was joined by Dr. Harold Varmus. Together, they directed the research that led to the discovery of proto-oncogenes – normal genes that can be converted to cancer genes by genetic damage. Drs. Bishop and Varmus have shared numerous awards for their work, including the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and both have received the National Medal of Science. Dr. Bishop has devoted his subsequent research to the study of proto-oncogenes – their functions in normal cells and their role in the genesis of cancer. He is the author of more than 300 research publications, and of the book How to Win the Nobel Prize: An Unexpected Life in Science, published by Harvard University Press.
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Biotech Partners Championing a pioneer school-to-career program for underserved populations, Biotech Partners uses biotechnology to engage students in their educations and futures, changing lives and providing unique opportunities to youth underrepresented in the sciences. BP helps youth navigate the worlds of work, school and life through a biotechnology-focused curriculum, including job training and internships, that provides access to well-paid bioscience careers. BP has provided academic and vocational training in Berkeley and Oakland high schools and community colleges for 16 years, placing more than 900 youth in paid training positions, with earnings exceeding $3,000,000. With support from over 35 corporate, government, foundation, academic and health care partners, Biotech Partners’ program addresses the “skills gap” by producing skilled entry-level bioscience technicians. BP’s program impacts industry mentors as well, increasing employee morale, job satisfaction and retention. BP boasts a 100% high school graduation rate, with 97% of students pursuing higher education. |
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Herbert W. Boyer, PhD Herbert W. Boyer has served as a director of Genentech since he co-founded the company in 1976 with Robert A. Swanson, a venture capitalist. He also was a vice president of the company from 1976 to 1990. A biochemist and genetic engineer, Boyer has demonstrated the usefulness of recombinant DNA technology to economically produce medicines, which laid the groundwork for Genentech's development. In addition to his role at Genentech, Boyer was a professor at the University of California at San Francisco and an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. At the time Genentech was formed, Boyer was a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at UCSF as well as the director of the graduate program in genetics. He has taught in the microbiology department as well. Boyer received his Bachelor or Science in biology and chemistry in 1958 from St. Vincent College in Pennsylvania. He received his Master of Science and PhD in 1960 and 1963 respectively, from the University of Pittsburgh. |
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J. Kirk Brown Kirk Brown teaches International Baccalaureate Biology and Biotechnology at Tracy High School in Tracy, California. He founded the Agricultural/Scientific Academy at Tracy High School, and has worked on science education projects with the California Department of Education, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), San Joaquin County Office of Education, Access Excellence (Genentech), the Exploratorium and has an on-going partnership with Bio-Rad Laboratories. Currently, Kirk is one of the lead instructors at the Edward Teller Education Center. Kirk has worked at the District level writing new K-12 goals, desired learnings and benchmarks that integrate the National and State standards. He was on the Board of Directors for the Independent Citizen’s Committee for Children and on several other biotechnology advisory boards. Kirk has been named teacher of the year and has won numerous awards including the Milken National Educator Award, California’s Outstanding Biology Teacher for 2003 by the National Association of Biology Teachers, and the Carlston Family Foundation Outstanding Teachers of America Award. |
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G. Steven Burrill G. Steven Burrill has been involved in the growth and prosperity of the biotechnology industry for over 40 years. An early pioneer, Mr. Burrill is one of the original architects of the industry and one of its most avid and sustained developers. Prior to founding Burrill & Company in 1994, he spent 28 years with Ernst & Young, directing and coordinating the firm's services to clients in the biotechnology/life sciences/high technology/manufacturing industries worldwide. In 2002, Mr. Burrill was recognized as the biotech investment visionary by the prestigious Scientific American magazine (The Scientific American 50). In addition to his work with leading life science companies, Mr. Burrill is a founder and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for the National Medals of Science and Technology. Additionally, he serves as Chairman of the Board of the Campaign for Medical Research as well as Chairman of the San Francisco Mayor’s Biotech Advisory Committee (MAYBAC). Other not-for-profit activities include serving on the Boards of Directors of the Bay Area Science Infrastructure Consortiuym, BayBio, California Healthcare Institute (Emeritus), The Exploratorium, The Kellogg Center for Biotechnology, the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, the MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation, Kramden Institute, and the National Health Museum. He also serves on the Purdue Discovery Park External Advisory Committee as well as the editorial board of the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology and serves as an advisor to University of Illinois Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Wisconsin—College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Carnegie Mellon, and Duke University, and is an adjunct professor at University of California, San Francisco.
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Brook H. Byers Brook Byers has been a venture capital investor since 1972. He has been closely involved with more than fifty new technology based ventures, over half of which have already become public companies. He formed the first Life Sciences practice group in the venture capital profession in 1984 and led KPCB to become a premier venture capital firm in the medical, healthcare, and biotechnology sectors. KPCB has invested in and helped build over 110 Life Sciences companies which have already developed hundreds of products to treat major underserved medical needs for millions of patients. Brook was the founding President and then Chairman, of four biotechnology companies which were incubated in KPCB's offices and went on to become public companies with an aggregate market value over $8 Billion. He is currently on the Board of Directors of ten companies, most recently joining CardioDX, Genomic Health Incorporated, Five Prime Therapeutics, OptiMedica, Pacific Biosciences, Inc., Tethys and XDx, Inc. He was formerly a Director of Idec Pharmaceuticals (Chairman), Athena Neurosciences (Chairman), Signal Pharmaceuticals, Arris Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacopeia, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Hybritech (Chairman), Genprobe and others. These companies have pioneered the medical use of molecular biology, monoclonal antibodies, personalized medicine, molecular diagnostics and genomics. Brook was President and a Director of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists.
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George Cachianes George Cachianes has authored and been teaching a two-year biotechnology program at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco since 1995. Prior to teaching, he spent 15 years doing research in molecular biology at Columbia University, UCSF, Stanford University, and 8 years at Genentech, Inc. George’s goal is to motivate students to pursue a career in science. His program emphasizes the applications, implications, and limitations of current biotechnology. His teaching style employs inquiry learning, in which students construct knowledge for themselves through experimentation. George’s students recently placed among the top 6 teams at the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, held annually at MIT. This competition, in the emerging field of synthetic biology, involves teams of students from some of the most prestigious undergraduate campuses in the world. In placing among the top 6 teams out of 57 teams worldwide, the Lincoln High School team beat student teams from Harvard, Stanford, Cal Tech, Princeton, Oxford and Cambridge Universities. This accomplishment was recognized in a feature article in the Sunday technology section of the New York Times. George and his colleague Julie Reis teach 5 sections of biotech at Lincoln, with 150 students studying the subject each year. Many of George’s former students now work in the biotechnology industry, and academic research labs. In his spare time, George enjoys backpacking, white water rafting, and is an ardent fan of the Arts. |
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Ronald E. Cape, PhD Ronald E. Cape, PhD has worked in the biotechnology industry for more than 30 years and currently serves as a consultant for several public and private biotechnology companies. He co-founded Cetus Corporation in 1971 and served as its chairman for 20 years and Chief Executive Officer for 13 years until Cetus merged with Chiron Corporation in 1991. Dr. Cape was a founding member of the Industrial Biotechnology Association (now the Biotechnology Industry Organization, or BIO), where he served as President from 1983 until l985. Dr. Cape is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has served as a board member of a number of arts and charitable organizations, including the San Francisco Opera. He has also served on the boards of Princeton University, Rockefeller University, the Whitehead Institute at MIT, and the Board of Regents at the National Library of Medicine, NIH. He holds an A.B. degree from Princeton University, an M.B.A. degree from Harvard University and a PhD degree in biochemistry from McGill University.
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Michelle Chang, PhD Michelle Chang is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley and a faculty scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She started her independent career in 2007 after completing her graduate work at M.I.T. and her postdoctoral studies at UC Berkeley. Her laboratory works in the area of biochemistry, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology and is interested in learning how to build to biosynthetic pathways in engineered cells for applications in energy, medicine, and materials. |
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ChemoCentryx, Inc. ChemoCentryx (CCX) focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing orally-administered therapeutics to treat autoimmune / inflammatory disorders and cancer. CCX does this by uniquely targeting chemokines and related chemoattractant systems which drive inflammation in the body via a network of secreted, tissue-selective chemokine ligands and their specific cell surface receptors. Chemokine receptor inhibition is intended to provide therapeutic benefit without broad immunosuppression. Using its unique drug discovery and development platform, CCX has generated a rich pipeline of novel drugs targeting different chemokine or chemoattractant receptors. ChemoCentryx's lead compound, Traficet- EN (now GSK'786), an antagonist of the chemokine receptor CCR9, is now in Phase III pivotal trials for Crohn's disease. Additionally, CCX has three Phase II clinical programs: CCR2 antagonist CCX140, which has successfully completed a Phase II trial in diabetics and is now being developed for diabetic kidney disease; CCX354, a CCR1 antagonist that just successfully completed a Phase II trial in rheumatoid arthritis, and CCX168, a C5aR antagonist in Phase II for renal vasculitis. Earlier clinical programs include CCX832 for skin inflammation and CCX662 for glioblastoma. |
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ChemoCentryx, Inc. ChemoCentryx is a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing orally-administered therapeutics that target the chemokine and chemoattractant systems, a complex network of chemokine ligands and receptors that regulate inflammation. ChemoCentryx has generated, internally, a broad portfolio of clinical and preclinical stage programs to address autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer. In August 2006, ChemoCentryx and GlaxoSmithKline entered into a worldwide strategic alliance to discover, develop and commercialize up to six novel medicines targeting four chemokine and chemoattractant receptors for a variety of inflammatory disorders. |
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Clovis Oncology Clovis Oncology is a private, venture-backed cancer therapeutics company headquartered in Boulder, CO with substantial operations in San Francisco, CA and a group in Cambridge, UK. Formed in 2009 by the leadership of Pharmion Inc (acquired by Celgene for $2.9B in 2008), Clovis is focused on the global development and commercialization of cancer therapeutics with companion diagnostics. Clovis currently has three programs: CO-101, a gemcitabine pro-drug in a global pivotal trial for pancreatic cancer (metastasis biopsies are mandatory and patients are selected for efficacy analysis by an immunohistochemistry test developed in partnership with Ventana Medical Systems); CO-338, a PARP inhibitor in clinical trials in breast and ovarian cancer (diagnostic partners to be announced); CO-1686, an IND-ready mutant-selective EGFR inhibitor for patients with EGFR-driven lung cancer, identified by an allele-specific PCR assay developed in partnership with Roche Molecular Systems. |
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Joseph DeRisi, PhD Joseph DeRisi, PhD, is a scientific polymath who delights in tinkering with new technology, moves readily among disciplines, shares what he knows as widely as possible, and dives fearlessly into new scientific challenges. A faculty affiliate with the California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3), he has custom-built microarrays, new tools for exploring the activity of genes, and used them to make major advances in understanding such infectious diseases as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and malaria. A self-described “viral hunter,” DeRisi is applying the microarray to studies of diseases that wreak havoc on people’s lives. An advocate of making scientific findings freely accessible to scientists around the world, many of whom can’t afford the fees associated with traditional scientific journals, DeRisi supports free, open-access scientific journals. In the same vein, he has posted instructions on his website for making microarrays, and given several workshops on their construction. |
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Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo Anna G. Eshoo was first sworn in as a Member of the United States House of Representatives in January 1993, after serving on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for 10 years. Rep. Eshoo serves on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee (1995) and is a member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet and the Subcommittee on Health. In 2003, Rep. Eshoo was appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where she currently chairs the Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management, which focuses on policies and management challenges affecting all 16 agencies that comprise the nation's Intelligence Community. This year, she authored popular and bipartisan legislation to create a regulatory pathway for “generic” biologics, which the Energy and Commerce committee passed with overwhelming support in July. She has consistently championed investment in education, innovation, research, and technology. |
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Exelixis, Inc. Exelixis, Inc. is a development-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. The company is leveraging its fully integrated drug discovery platform to fuel the growth of its development pipeline, which is primarily focused on cancer. Exelixis’ uncommonly rich pipeline includes fourteen compounds in clinical development for cancer and renal disease with many more advancing to the clinic. Exelixis has established strategic corporate alliances with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including GSK, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Daiichi-Sankyo. Based in South San Francisco, California, Exelixis has over 700 dedicated employees who share a commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of patients. |
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Exubera® Exubera® (insulin human [rDNA origin]) Inhalation Powder, co-developed by Nektar Therapeutics and Pfizer Inc, is the first insulin, and first ever biotechnology-based medicine to treat a systemic disorder, that can be administered without an injection. Exubera® is a fast-acting powder formulation of human insulin. It is inhaled into the lungs through the mouth before meals through a simple-to-use, hand-held inhalation inhaler which does not require batteries or electricity. It is the only inhaled insulin to be approved for use in clinical practice in the European Union, U.S., Brazil and Mexico, and it is pending approval in several other countries. Nektar developed the core technologies -- including the inhaler, powdered insulin formulation, and manufacturing techniques -- that make this breakthrough product work. Exubera clinical development and commercialization will be carried out by Pfizer. Exubera® is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc. |
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Thomas J. Fogarty, M.D. Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty is an internationally recognized cardiovascular surgeon, inventor, entrepreneur, and vintner. He has been involved with a wide spectrum of innovations in business and technology, serving as founder/co-founder, and Chairman/Board Member of over 33 various business and research companies, based on devices designed and developed by Fogarty Engineering, Inc. During the past 40 years, he has acquired over 100 surgical patents, including the “industry standard” Fogarty balloon embolectomy catheter and the widely used Aneurx Stent Graft that replaces open-heart abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery. Dr. Fogarty is the recipient of countless awards and honors; most significantly, he is the recipient of the Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons, the 2000 Lemelson-MIT prize for Invention and Innovation and was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in December 2001.
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Genomic Health, Inc. Genomic Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GHDX) is a life sciences company focused on the development and commercialization of genomic-based clinical laboratory services for cancer that allow physicians and patients to make individualized treatment decisions. The company was founded in 2000 and is located in Redwood City, California. In 2004, Genomic Health launched its first test, Oncotype DX™, which is the first diagnostic multi-gene expression test service commercially available that has clinical evidence validating its ability to predict the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence, the likelihood of breast cancer survival and the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit. Oncotype DX has been extensively evaluated in multiple independent studies involving more than 2,600 breast cancer patients, including a large validation study published in The New England Journal of Medicine and a chemotherapy benefit study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. To date, over 6,000 physicians have ordered a cumulative total of more than 33,000 tests and approximately 145 million lives are now covered by reimbursement contracts and agreements. |
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Gilead Sciences, Inc. Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet need. With each new discovery and experimental drug candidate, we seek to improve the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. Gilead’s primary areas of focus include HIV/AIDS, liver disease and serious cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Headquartered in Foster City, California, Gilead has operations in North America, Europe and Australia. |
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Gilead Sciences, Inc. Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet medical need. The company’s mission is to advance the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases worldwide. Headquartered in Foster City, California, Gilead has operations and approximately 1800 employees in North America, Europe and Australia. Gilead’s products include treatments for HIV, chronic hepatitis B, life-threatening fungal infections and influenza. Recognizing the global need represented by a growing HIV/AIDS epidemic, Gilead introduced Gilead Access Program to provide its antiretrovirals Truvada and Viread® at no-profit pricing to countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean. Earlier this year Gilead expanded the program. |
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Dr. Susan Desmond Hellmann Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, is chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco. She assumed the post August 3, 2009. Desmond-Hellmann previously served as president of product development at Genentech, a position she held from March 2004 through April 30, 2009. In this role, she was responsible for Genentech’s pre-clinical and clinical development, process research and development, business development and product portfolio management. She also served as a member of Genentech’s executive committee, beginning in 1996. During her time at Genentech, several of the company’s patient therapeutics (Lucentis, Avastin, Herceptin, Tarceva, Rituxan and Xolair) were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the company became the nation’s No. 1 producer of anti-cancer drug treatments. Desmond-Hellmann completed her clinical training at UCSF and is board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. She holds a bachelor of science degree in pre-medicine and a medical degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley. In January 2009, Desmond-Hellmann joined the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Economic Advisory Council for a three-year term. In July 2008, she was appointed to the California Academy of Sciences board of trustees. Desmond-Hellmann was named to the Biotech Hall of Fame in 2007 and as the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Woman of the Year for 2006. She was listed among Fortune magazine’s “top 50 most powerful women in business” in 2001 and from 2003 to 2008. In 2005 and 2006, the Wall Street Journal listed Desmond-Hellmann as one of its “women to watch.” From 2005 to 2008, Desmond-Hellmann served a three-year term as a member of the American Association for Cancer Research board of directors, and from 2001 to 2009, she served on the executive committee of the board of directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization. She served on the corporate board of Affymetrix from 2004-2009.
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Michael Hunkapiller, PhD From the invention of the DNA sequencer during his days at Caltech, to the introduction of the first automated DNA sequencer in 1986 and the realization of the Human Genome Mapping Project in 2003, Mike Hunkapiller has been a scientific and industry trailblazer. Under his leadership, industry pioneers Applied Biosystems, Celera and Applera grew into global giants, contributing to the success of countless biotech companies and researchers in expanding the frontiers of genomics and proteomics. |
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Independent Citizens Oversight Committee The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was established in early 2005 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was approved by California voters on November 2, 2004, and called for the establishment of a new state agency to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities and other vital research opportunities. The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee is the 29-member governing board for the Institute. The ICOC members are public officials, appointed on the basis of their experience earned in California's leading public universities, non-profit academic and research institutions, patient advocacy groups and the biotechnology industry. |
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Jay Keasling, PhD Jay Keasling is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Bioengineering at University of California, Berkeley, a senior faculty scientist and Director of the Physical Biosciences Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Director of the Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center. Keasling is Chief Executive Officer of the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a partnership between three national laboratories (Lawrence Berkelely National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory), major public and private universities (UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Stanford), industry, and federal agencies. This institute will develop the basic science and technology to create an array of environmentally friendly biofuels using plant biomass and microbes. JBEI will focus its scientific effort in three key areas: feedstock production, deconstruction, and fuels synthesis. JBEI will employ an opportunistic “start-up company” approach, partnering with industry, to develop new science and technologies that address the most challenging steps in industrial bioenergy processing. |
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MitraClip® System by Abbott Abbott’s MitraClip®y system is a first-of-its-kind device used for mitral valve repair in patients suffering from mitral regurgitation (MR), a debilitating and life-threatening disease that affects millions of people and can lead to heart failure, stroke, heart attack, and ultimately death. Delivered via a catheter to the heart through a blood vessel in the leg, the minimally invasive MitraClip® device is designed to reduce significant MR by clipping together the leaflets of the mitral valve (one of four heart valves). Successful treatment with the MitraClip® system can enable patients to avoid or delay open heart surgery to treat MR. After a successful MitraClip® procedure, some patients who couldn’t walk across a room without shortness of breath are able to return to everyday activities. The MitraClip® system is the only non-surgical mitral valve repair technology to treat MR approved for sale in Europe. It is an investigational device in the U.S. |
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Assembly Member Gene Mullin Gene Mullin was elected to the California State Assembly, 19th District, on November 5, 2002, following seven years as a South San Francisco City Councilmember, two of which he served as Mayor. Gene Mullin's distinguished public service career began in 1972 with an appointment to the South San Francisco Planning Commission. His long history in the 19th District began in 1967 at South San Francisco High School, where he taught government and coached basketball for 32 years. He is most often described by his former students as “my favorite teacher.” |
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Kary B. Mullis Kary Banks Mullis, Nobel Prize winning chemist, received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1966. He earned a PhD degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1972 and lectured in biochemistry there until 1973. That year, Dr. Mullis became a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric cardiology at the University of Kansas Medical School, with emphasis in the areas of angiotensin and pulmonary vascular physiology. In 1977 he began two years of postdoctoral work in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Mullis joined the Cetus Corporation in Emeryville, California, as a DNA chemist in 1979. During his seven years there, he conducted research on oligonucleotide synthesis and invented the polymerase chain reaction. Dr. Mullis received a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1993, for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The process, which Dr. Mullis conceptualized in 1983, is hailed as one of the monumental scientific techniques of the twentieth century. Dr. Mullis was awarded the Japan Prize in 1993 for the PCR invention. His many other awards include the Thomas A. Edison Award (1993); California Scientist of the Year Award (1992); the National Biotechnology Award (1991); the Gairdner Award, Toronto, Canada (1991); the R&D Scientist of the Year (1991); the William Allan Memorial Award of the American Society of Human Genetics (1990); and the Preis Biochemische Analytik of the German Society of Clinical Chemistry and Boehringer Mannheim (1990). Dr. Mullis was presented the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of South Carolina in 1994. He was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 1998. Dr. Mullis has written an autobiographical book titled Dancing Naked in the Mind Field published by Pantheon Books in 1998. He is currently a Distinguished Researcher at Children’s Hospital and Research Institute at Oakland.
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San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Gavin Newsom was elected the 42nd Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco on December 9, 2003 and sworn into office on January 8, 2004 by his father, the Honorable William Newsom.Mayor Newsom is a fourth generation San Franciscan who has dedicated his political career to improving the City. He was elected three times to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and served on the Board from 1997 until 2004. Before embarking on his career in public service, Mayor Newsom was a successful small businessman. He grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from Santa Clara University in 1989 with a BA in Political Science. |
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Nexavar® Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets, is currently approved in more than 70 countries worldwide for the treatment of patients with advanced kidney cancer, and in more than 60 countries for the treatment of patients with advanced liver cancer. Nexavar was discovered and is being co-developed by Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. As part of a broad development program, Nexavar is currently being evaluated in a number of clinical trials both as a single agent and in combination with other anti-cancer compounds. There are ongoing trials in non-small cell lung cancer, metastatic melanoma, breast cancer, and other cancers. Nexavar is an oral multiple kinase inhibitor that targets proteins involved in both tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels to support cancer cell growth). |
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Novo A/S The Novo Group consists of three independently operating entities, each headquartered in Denmark: Novo Nordisk A/S; a publicly listed, focused healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care. The company has the broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including the most advanced products within the area of insulin delivery systems. Novozymes A/S; a publicly listed, biotech-based world leader in enzymes and microorganisms, which, using nature's own technologies, continuously expand the frontiers of biological solutions to improve industrial performance in all areas. Novo A/S; a private holding and investment company wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation with more than $8 billion under management, including significant shareholdings in Novo Nordisk and Novozymes, and a broad portfolio of venture investments in more than 40 exciting Life Science Companies. |
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OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. OncoMed Pharmaceuticals is discovering and developing novel therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells, the cells believed to be capable of driving tumor growth, recurrence and metastases. The company has established a library of antibodies to cancer stem cell proteins for the treatment of solid tumors such as breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancers. OncoMed's first cancer stem cell therapuetics, OMP21M18 is in Phase 1 clinical trials for patients with solid tumors. OncoMed is a leader in cancer stem cell research and the identification of novel cancer stem cell targets. Privately-held, the company’s investors include US Venture Partners, Latterell Venture Partners, Morgenthaler Ventures, The Vertical Group, Adams Street Partners, De Novo Ventures and Bay Partners. |
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OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. OncoMed Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company that discovers and develops novel therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells, the cells believed to be capable of driving tumor growth, recurrence and metastases. A leader in cancer stem cell research, the company has established a library of antibodies to cancer stem cell proteins for the treatment of solid tumors such as pancreatic, breast, colorectal and lung cancers. The company has signed two major strategic alliances. The first, signed in December 2007 with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the second, signed in June 2010 with Bayer Schering Pharma AG. OncoMed’s lead candidate under the GSK agreement, OMP-21M18 is currently in Phase 1b clinical trials. Privately-held, OncoMed’s investors include: US Venture Partners, Latterell Venture Partners, The Vertical Group, Morgenthaler Ventures, Nomura Phase4 Ventures, Delphi Ventures, Adams Street Partners, De Novo Ventures, Bay Partners and GlaxoSmithKline. |
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Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of people with cancer. The company, in collaboration with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., is developing and marketing Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets, a small molecule drug that is currently approved for the treatment of liver cancer and advanced kidney cancer. Additionally, Nexavar is being investigated in several ongoing trials in a variety of tumor types. Beyond Nexavar, Onyx has established a development pipeline of anticancer compounds at various stages of clinical testing, including carfilzomib, a selective proteasome inhibitor, that is currently being evaluated in multiple clinical trials for the treatment of patients with relapsed or relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma and solid tumors. ONX 0801, an alpha-folate receptor targeted inhibitor of thymidylate synthase, and ONX 0912, an oral proteasome inhibitor, are currently in Phase 1 testing. |
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Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. Pacific Biosciences' mission is to transform the way humankind acquires, processes and interprets data from living systems through the design, development and commercialization of innovative tools for biological research. The company has developed a novel approach to studying the synthesis and regulation of DNA, RNA and protein. Combining recent advances in nanofabrication, biochemistry, molecular biology, surface chemistry and optics, Pacific Biosciences has created a powerful technology platform called single molecule, real-time, or SMRT™, technology. SMRT™ technology enables real-time analysis of biomolecules with single molecule resolution, which has the potential to transform the understanding of biological systems by providing a window into these systems that has not previously been open for scientific study. |
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Paromomycin IM Injection The Institute for OneWorld Health completed a Phase III pivotal clinical study in India for Paromomycin IM injection as a new treatment for visceral leishmaniasis. In August 2006, Paromomycin IM injection received regulatory approval by the Drug-Controller General of India, and in May, 2007, the drug was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for inclusion on its Model List for Essential Medicines. Phase III research related to Paromomycin IM Injection was published in the June 2007 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The article, “Injectable Paromomycin for Visceral Leishmaniasis in India,” was authored by the Principal Investigators in the Phase III clinical trial. Founded in 2000, the Institute for OneWorld Health is the first non-profit pharmaceutical company in the US. Its mission is to develop safe, effective and affordable new medicines for people with infectious diseases in the developing world. OneWorld Health conceives, implements and manages complex drug development projects for neglected diseases. |
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Plexxikon, Inc. In late 2004 Plexxikon entered into multi-product collaboration with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. The collaboration is focused on Plexxikon’s PPAR (Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor) compounds and discovery program. The main focus is on the development of Plexxikon’s clinical lead, PLX204, as well as several other novel small molecule drugs targeting the PPAR family of nuclear receptors, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. In parallel, Plexxikon and Wyeth are jointly developing Plexxikon’s most advanced PPAR compound, PLX204 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The agreement included payments to Plexxikon of over $22 million, the potential for further milestone payments totaling nearly $350 million, and royalties on future product sales. Wyeth also will provide a loan to fund Plexxikon’s share of clinical development under a co-development and co-funding option for any collaboration product. |
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Prolia™ (denosumab) by Amgen Prolia™ (denosumab) received FDA approval in June 2010 as the first and only RANK ligand inhibitor for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for fracture. Prolia™, the first new class of medicine in a decade for osteoporosis, has continued to reach patients all over the world with market authorizations in the European Union, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia. In the United States, one in two women over the age of 50 with postmenopausal osteoporosis will experience a fracture in her remaining lifetime. Prolia™ has been proven to reduce the risk of bone fractures, including hip and spine, by binding to RANK ligand, a protein essential to bone resorption. Prolia™ helps to decrease bone resorption and increase bone mass and strength. Prolia™ is given as a shot every six months in a doctor’s office. Drawing on the company’s experience with Enbrel® and the tumor necrosis factor family, Amgen invested 15 years and hundreds of millions of dollars to discover, develop and bring this new class of medicine to osteoporosis patients. In line with Amgen’s focus on creating value for patients, Amgen created ProliaPlus, a support program offering comprehensive assistance to healthcare providers, patients, and their caregivers to help facilitate access to Prolia™ for appropriate patients. Amgen continues to research the potential of Prolia™ in numerous areas, including oncology. In July 2010, the FDA granted priority review designation to Prolia™ for the reduction of skeletal-related events in advanced cancer patients. |
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George B. Rathmann, PhD George B. Rathmann is a recognized leader in the biotechnology industry for his scientific and executive achievements. His entrepreneurial achievements include co-founding Amgen, Inc. in 1980 and founding ICOS Corporation in 1991. In both corporations he served in multiple executive roles from 1980 through 2000. Prior to serving as Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board at these companies, Dr. Rathmann held research and management positions with Abbott Laboratories, Litton Medical Systems, Inc. and the 3M Company. Since 1982, he has served as an Officer and Board Member of BIO and was Chairman from 1986-1988. He is an Officer and Board Member of the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Keystone Center. Dr. Rathmann received his B.S. in Physical Chemistry from Northwestern University, and his PhD in Physical Chemistry from Princeton University. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Chemical Society. |
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Julie Reis Julie Reis teaches Human Physiology and Biotechnology at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco. She has been active in seeking opportunities for high school students to participate in scientific research through a variety of student/scientist partnerships. Mrs. Reis has participated as a supervising teacher in student/scientist partnerships through UCSF’s Science and Health Education Partnership (SEP), Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Center for Biomolecular Modeling, and The J. David Gladstone Institutes. Her students have presented their research at national meetings of the Genetics Society of America, the American Society for Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, and the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition at MIT. Mrs. Reis has served as a discussion leader for Educational Roundtables at national meetings of the American Society for Cell Biology and has presented various student/research scientist partnership models at annual meetings of AAAS, the California Science Teachers’ Association, and UCSF’s SEP. Mrs. Reis holds National Board Certification in Adolescent and Young Adulthood Science, and has received the BABEC-Applied Biosystems National Board Certification Award and the University of California, San Francisco Science and Health Education Partnership Ace Award. Mrs. Reis has served as a Field Test Teacher and Contributing Writer to Voyages Through Time, an interdisciplinary curriculum on Evolution sponsored by SETI, in collaboration with San Francisco State University, the California Academy of Science, and NASA. She and George Cachianes are engaged in an ongoing collaboration to further develop and expand his innovative and successful Biotechnology curriculum. |
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Hollings Renton Hollings C. Renton retired from Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on March 31, 2008. Since June 2003, Mr. Renton served as Chairman of the Board of Onyx, a biopharmaceutical company, where he also served as President and Chief Executive Officer since March 1993 and as Director since April 1992. Hollings led Onyx in its collaboration with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals in developing and commercializing Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets, a novel, oral multiple kinase inhibitor that targets proteins involved in both tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Nexavar is approved in more than 90 countries for the treatment of patients with unresectable liver cancer and in more than 95 countries for the treatment of patients with advanced kidney cancer. As part of a clinical development program, Nexavar is also being evaluated in multiple Phase 3 and Phase 2 trials as a single agent or combination treatment in cancers including lung cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, and as an adjuvant therapy for liver cancer and kidney cancer.
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Roche Molecular Diagnostics Roche Molecular Diagnostics (RMD) designs, develops, and manufactures ovative testing products in the areas of virology, blood screening, genomics, oncology, sexually transmitted disease, and microbiology for use by researchers, hospitals, and laboratories worldwide. A business area of Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), RMD is the world’s leading provider of molecular diagnostic tests. The company maintains corporate headquarters in Pleasanton, California and employs nearly 1,200 people at sites in the US, Germany, and Switzerland. Since its founding in 1991, RMD has become the recognized leader in the commercialization and ongoing development of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, a Nobel-prize winning technology that is recognized as one of the most important scientific developments of our generation. |
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William J. Rutter, PhD Dr. Rutter is Chairman and CEO of Synergenics, LLC, Chairman Emeritus of Chiron Corporation and Herzstein Professor of Biochemistry Emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Rutter previously served as a founder and Chairman of Chiron Corporation and member of the Board of Director of Ciba-Greigy/Novartis. He was instrumental in building Chiron into a global biotech power house. In his academic career, Dr. Rutter was chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco and helped develop UCSF into a preeminent scientific institution. The department played a key role in developing recombinant DNA technology and genetic engineering. Dr. Rutter has published more than 380 scientific articles and holds more than 25 patents. In 1999, Dr. Rutter founded Synergenics, LLC, which operates a consortium of commonly-owned but independent biotech companies offering an innovative and cost-effective approach to start-ups in the life sciences industry. Synergenics companies include: iMetrikus, Epitomics, Humabs, ReLia Diagnostic Systems, Synco-BioPartners, Ventria BioSciences, Investigen, Pathologica, Picobella, Poetic Genetics and Synamem.
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San Mateo Biotechnology Career Pathway In 1988, when just a handful of biotech companies existed, San Mateo High School (SMHS) offered the state’s first biotechnology course and only the second in the nation. In 1994, SMHS, in partnership with the San Mateo County Regional Occupational Program, designed and implemented the San Mateo Biotechnology Career Pathway (SMBCP) program, a four-year “major” in biotechnology for teenagers. Working closely with a SMBCP Biotech Industry-Education Advisory Committee, the SMBCP has grown into a dynamic program that evolves and changes with the needs of students and the biotech industry. Currently, over 400 students per year are enrolled in SMHS-SMBCP courses. To date over 6,000 students from throughout San Mateo County have taken one or more SMBCP courses. More than 750 SMBCP students have completed extended laboratory internships at one of the SMBCP Industry Partners sites. SMBCP hosts regional and national teacher training programs with the goal of spreading biotechnology education programs throughout the country. The SMBCP serves the needs of industry and the community by increasing student science literacy and preparedness for biotechnology employment and advanced academics. |
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David and Alice Schwartz Husband and wife team David and Alice Schwartz co-founded Hercules-based Bio-Rad Laboratories in 1952. Under their guidance, the company has maintained a spirit of entrepreneurial adventure and evolved into a global enterprise, manufacturing and distributing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostics markets. Today, Bio-Rad has offices and manufacturing sites located around the globe. Bio-Rad is renowned worldwide among hospitals, universities, major research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. It serves more than 85,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs over 5,000 people globally and has grown to over $1 billion in revenues. Together, Dave and Alice have devoted their lives to Bio-Rad. Through the years, the company has earned a reputation for providing innovative and useful products that serve the needs of its customers.
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Solazyme, Inc. Solazyme, Inc. is a renewable oil and bioproducts company and the leader in algal biotechnology. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in South San Francisco, Solazyme’s unique technology allows algae to produce oil and biomaterials in standard fermentation facilities quickly, efficiently and at large scale. These oils and biomaterials are tailored not only for biofuel production, but also as replacements for fossil petroleum and plant oils in a diverse range of products running from clean fuels and chemicals to cosmetics and foods. Solazyme’s oils and fuels provide compelling solutions to increasingly complex issues of fuel scarcity, energy security and environmental impact while fitting cleanly into the pre-existing multi-trillion dollar fuel infrastructure. |
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Chris Somerville, PhD Chris Somerville is the Director of the Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of Plant Biology, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University and a visiting scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Somerville is an acting director of the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), a new research and development organization that will bring advanced knowledge in biology, physical sciences, engineering, and environmental and social sciences to bear on problems related to global energy production, particularly the development of next-generation, carbon-neutral transportation fuels. EBI represents a collaboration between the University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and BP, which will support the Institute with a 10-year $500 million grant. |
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Robert Swanson Robert Swanson co-founded the Genentech in 1976 with Dr. Herbert Boyer, a biochemist at the University of California at San Francisco. Swanson, then a 29-year-old venture capitalist, approached Boyer about the possibility of developing biotechnology and marketing useful products using recombinant DNA technology. Swanson served as a director and as chief executive officer of Genentech until February 1990 when he was named chairman of the board, a position he held until his retirement in December 1996. Swanson passed away in December 1999. Prior to forming Genentech, Swanson was a partner with Kleiner & Perkins venture capital partnership in San Francisco, and from 1970 to 1974, he was an investment officer with Citicorp Venture Capital Ltd. Swanson earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Master of Science in Management from MIT's Sloan School of Management. |
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Tethys Bioscience, Inc. Tethys Bioscience is a predictive personalized medicine company developing novel tests which address the growing global healthcare challenge of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Founded in 2005, the company integrates an experienced management team, innovative research based on sound science, a CLIA-licensed clinical laboratory, and a commercialization team with extensive experience in diagnostic innovation. Tethys lead product is the PreDx™ Diabetes Risk Score, a first-of-its-kind predictive tool that delivers an accurate assessment of an individual's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes within the next five years. The blood test and resulting PreDx Score is designed to help physicians identify patients at highest risk of developing Type 2 diabetes so that they can promote lifestyle changes or initiate treatment plans to prevent or slow progression to Type 2 diabetes. Numerous studies have demonstrated that such interventions can reduce the incidence of new onset diabetes by up to 60%. |
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Marty Van Duyn Marty Van Duyn is the Assistant City Manager with the City of South San Francisco. He brings more than 40 years of experience as an urban planner and a leader in redevelopment, city management, and economic development for a variety of cities and states. Mr. Van Duyn joined the City of South San Francisco in 1995 as Economic and Community Development Director to guide the City’s aggressive redevelopment efforts and to implement the City’s job creation and business attraction programs. South San Francisco has been at the forefront of supporting entrepreneurship for local companies. The City Council believes that government is a partner, not an obstruction, in providing essential services for the industry. In 1995, Mr. Van Duyn went to work to create a partnership with the life sciences companies. He assembled a team of experienced professionals to work directly with representatives from the growing industry. His team reduced the time it took to process permits and provided resources to allow businesses to grow. Likewise, the City Council leveraged redevelopment monies to pay for nearly $200 million in infrastructure improvements that specifically help the life sciences industry. These improvements include expanding the Water Quality Control Plant, upgrading the sewer system and initiating the wet weather program, improving roadways and intersections, constructing the Oyster Point Overpass and Flyover, creating the One-Stop Shop Permit Center, and building the Gateway childcare center. In the future, the City will welcome a new ferry terminal at the Oyster Point Marina and a new Caltrain Station. The result of this effort has been to stimulate the development of nearly eight million square feet of life science space within the City. With continued leadership by the City Council, Mr. Van Duyn and his staff continue to work with companies to assist their growth by providing vital services to ensure that the industry can focus on product development. |
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Versant Ventures Versant Ventures is a leading healthcare-focused venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in medical devices, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, healthcare services, and healthcare information technology. The firm, founded in 1999, consists of a seasoned team of twelve managing directors with more than 130 years of venture capital investing experience and more than 150 years of operating experience. Versant Ventures currently manages over $1.6 billion in committed capital having recently raised its fourth fund in July 2008, and is currently managing over 75 companies in its portfolio. |
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Alejandro Zaffaroni, PhD A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Dr. Zaffaroni received his B.Sc. from the University of Montevideo, and his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Rochester. In 1951 he joined Syntex Corporation in Mexico, where his pioneering work on the development of the birth control pill transformed Syntex into a major pharmaceutical company. Eventually Dr. Zaffaroni was named President of Syntex Laboratories and President of the Syntex Research Institute, which became headquartered in the United States. Dr. Alejandro Zaffaroni has established many biotechnology companies throughout his distinguished career: ALZA Corporation, DNAX Ltd., Affymax, Affymetrix, Symyx, Maxygen, SurroMed, and Alexza among many others. Dr. Zaffaroni is recognized as a leading contributor to Bay Area bioscience. He is credited with more than 70 patents and in 1995 received the National Medal of Technology from President Clinton, the highest award that the United States bestows in the field. |
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Zelboraf™ and cobas® With limited treatments available to patients with the deadliest form of skin cancer, the FDA approved ZELBORAF™ and the cobas® BRAF Test which could increase survival for 50 percent of patients with melanoma. A breakthrough accomplishment in personalized medicine, this approach made the drug available to patients in less than six years from the discovery of the molecule in 2005. ZELBORAF™ is approved for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with the BRAFV600E mutation as detected by a FDA-approved test. Plexxikon discovered the drug which is an oral, small molecule inhibitor that targets the BRAF mutation, occurring in about half of all cases of melanoma. ZELBORAF™ is being co-developed by Plexxikon, Roche and Genentech under a 2006 agreement. Roche Molecular Diagnostics developed the cobas® BRAF Test. Genentech and Daiichi Sankyo are co-promoting ZELBORAF™ in the US. Roche will commercialize the drug outside the US. Since April 2011, Plexxikon is a member of the Daiichi Sankyo Group. |
