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biotech ACADEMIC/BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS LIFESCIENCELEADER.COM JANUARY 2015 36 Neoantigenics is a biotechnology company that was based on unique IP that was discovered at the University of Virginia (UVA). John Herr, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, is the principal investigator and a tenured professor in the Departments of Cell Biology and Biomedical Engineering at UVA. C H I P R E U B E N Contributing Editor From Publish-Or-Perish To Product Creation – Putting Your Research Into Action By C. Reuben FROM PUBLISH-OR-PERISH TO PRODUCT CREATION – PUTTING YOUR RESEARCH INTO ACTION e is widely known as a world-class reproductive biologist who discovered that proteins, normally unique to the growing egg (as opposed to the ovarian reserve or later stages, such as after the formation of germ lay- ers), were also showing up in cancers, making them viable and specific targets for cancer therapeutics. Dr. Herr had previous experience starting a company, but he couldn't do it alone, so UVA insisted he get help from Brian Pollok, Ph.D. Pollok, CEO of Neoantigenics, is a talented entrepreneur with roots at UVA. He has ample previous experience with both Pfizer and Life Technologies (currently owned by Thermo Fisher). The executive team of this new venture was further strengthened by the addi- tion of Ed Leary, CFO, who had previous experience starting a diagnostics com- pany with Dr. Herr. Leary came in with an understanding of how to raise funding for a new company without diluting its future value. It was the formation of this trio dream team of complementary talents that was pivotal in the rise of Neoantigenics from within the university. WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A NEW BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY "The most important item is to create high value intellectual properties that are owned by the institution," says Dr. Herr, who had been working since 1995 on developing an oocyte proteome and publishing his results. That work pro- vided him with the insight that some of these proteins were showing up in cancer as neoantigens. So he identified cell models that expressed a candidate target, and he created prototype immu- notoxins and showed that you could kill cancer cells via this class of target. By 2008 there were seven disclosures and two patent families. "There was a firm patent foundation on which to build," says Dr. Herr. Patents were based on the demonstration that the SAS1B neo- antigen had membrane forms, that it had high incidences in many types of cancers, and that it could be targeted by immunotoxin drugs to kill cancer cells. Because the target was restricted to oogenesis and growing eggs, you could come up with a way to selectively target cancers. This is the most impor- tant observation. All of those insights are packaged into the IP pertaining to "cancer oocyte neoantigens." These anti- gens are showing up in a wide range of tumors, including pancreatic, breast, head and neck, ovarian, and uterine cancers. Pollok, who is entrepreneur-in-resi- dence (EIR) at UVA, emphasized the key items required to get the company started. "Before negotiating a license, the university insisted there be a team of complementary talents. They wanted somebody to work with Dr. Herr who could not only understand the science, but who also had firsthand experience at biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies and understood how to effec- tively raise money." After the A team trio formed, the licensing negotiations began and took only four months to complete. "Relative to other processes I've dealt with, it wasn't a long time," Pollok says. The university has continued to support the company through access to facilities, contacts, a network of advi- sors, venture firms, and pharmaceutical companies for advice. "I feel very much a partner with UVA through my CEO role at Neoantigenics," he adds. For investors of companies like Neoantigenics, a small amount of H