Tag Archives: feinstein institute

Long Island Bioscience Hub Appoints Additional BioEntrepreneurs-In-Residence

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Seasoned Industry Veterans Join Long Island Bioscience Hub’s BioEntrepreneur-in Residence Initiative

The Long Island Bioscience Hub, a collaboration between Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and the Feinstein Institute at Northwell Health, announced the appointment of Dr. Boris Shor and Mr. Peter Young as its newest BioEntrepreneurs-In-Residence (BEIRs). Dr. Shor and Mr. Young have extensive bioscience industry experience affording them unique perspectives in the role of Bio Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Each will work with the Center for Biotechnology to identify commercially promising academic technologies that have the potential to support company formation.

Dr. Shor has nearly 15 years of experience in leading oncology programs and external R&D partnerships at the large pharmas and biotech companies, with specific focus on preclinical development of small molecule kinase inhibitors and biologics. Previously at Pfizer, Dr. Shor led internal and external collaboration project teams to develop novel antibody-drug conjugates and supported BLA filing for Inotuzumab, which was approved for the treatment of leukemia in 2017. Prior to that, he was a project team leader at the Oncology Unit of Wyeth, managing the discovery of novel kinase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. He currently serves on the executive management team of early-stage biotech companies and is a founder of BioIDEA, a biotech pitch event in New York City. Dr. Shor received a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center and performed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Inflammation Research team at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical R&D prior to joining Pfizer.

Mr. Young is an experienced life science industry consultant with over thirty-five years experience and currently serves as an executive-in-residence with Pappas Capital, where he leads the firm’s initiatives in translational research. He also serves on the Oversight Committee for the University of Miami Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research and the Long Island Bioscience Hub External Review Board. He is a past member of the BIO board and chairman of NCBIO, the North Carolina industry trade association. Mr. Young earned a BA in History and an MBA from Indiana University.

“We couldn’t be more delighted to add Boris and Peter to the Center for Biotechnology’s roster of BioEntrepreneurs-in-Residence. The ongoing expansion of the BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence program is critical for the continued development of the bioscience industry in the region” Diane Fabel, Director of Operations at the Center for Biotechnology said. “The attraction and retention of skilled bioscience management talent is an important component of ensuring companies can be launched and also grow here.”

“I am thrilled to join the Center for Biotechnology as a BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence” Dr. Shor stated, “and I have already begun the work of assessing technologies and building a company. I appreciate the resources the Center for Biotechnology offers through their many programs not only to me, but to emerging companies throughout New York.”

“Having worked with the Center for Biotechnology as an advisor for several years, I am pleased to formally join the Center as BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence” Peter Young stated. “There is an incredible amount of activity related to bioscience development currently taking place right now in the region, and the Center’s many entrepreneurial programs provide a great springboard for significant industry expansion – I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”

In their roles as BEIRs, Dr. Shor and Mr. Young will work to identify a technology or technologies from within partner institutions that will create the foundation for licensing and company formation. They will have the support of the Center for Biotechnology business and technology development staff, as well as the support of external industry advisors to develop successful commercialization strategies. Ultimately, the goal is to help the company position itself prepare for SBIR/STTR grant opportunities, and Angel and VC investment.

Dr. Shor and Mr. Young join the eight BEIRs already working with the Center for Biotechnology who collectively have launched ten new companies in the last five years.

“Heavy-Hitting LI BioMentor Initiative Makes It Official”

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The Long Island BioMentor Initiative (LIBMI) officially accepted its first program applications in a “launch event” at the de Seversky Mansion on Thursday May 10, 2018. Already a year into a “pilot phase,” the LIBMI was developed in league with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Venture Mentoring Service which employs an “objective team-mentoring model” for early-stage businesses that champions one strict rule above all others: The uber-qualified mentors are prohibited from investing in, pitching business to or otherwise profiting from their mentees.

Read the full article from Innovate Long Island.

Summer 2017 Newsletter

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The latest CFB Newsletter has been released – Catch up on client financings, newcos, expansions, and other happenings here.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest Center news.

Long Island Bioscience Hub Announces Latest Funded Projects

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Innovative phase-0 proof-of-concept center continues advancement
of commercially promising biomedical innovations.

The Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University, on behalf of the Long Island Bioscience Hub (LIBH), announced the recipients of the fourth round of funded projects under the Hub’s technology development and commercialization initiative. Funding for five projects totaling $400,000 has been awarded to applicants from the Hub’s partner institutions. Partner institutions include Stony Brook University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at Northwell Health. Over the last two years, more than $2.5M has been awarded to further the development of commercially promising technologies.

There are two categories of awards under the LIBH funding initiative – Feasibility and Proof-of-Concept. “Feasibility awards” are funded at up to $50,000 and designed to rapidly test the feasibility of new ideas in a “fail-fast-or-proceed” format, or to add value to existing intellectual property leading to new market applications. Proof-of-Concept awards provide up to $100,000 for targeted, milestone driven support for further development, testing, and analysis of existing intellectual property.

In this cycle, two feasibility awards have been given to Stony Brook University researchers exploring technologies that include a novel anti-fungal for life threatening blood infections and a new computational method for macrocyclic drug discovery. Proof-of-Concept projects this cycle include a drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB combination therapy, a novel therapeutic for the treatment of colorectal cancer, and a next-generation medical imaging tool with applications in mammography.

“While the Long Island Bioscience Hub is only two‐years in existence, it has already had major impacts including the establishment of four companies.” said Clinton T. Rubin, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Director, Center for Biotechnology. “Additionally, this round of funding further enhances the LIBH-REACH pipeline that already has resulted in eight patent applications, five options/licenses and more than forty SBIR/STTR applications related to REACH technologies and small business clients.”

“I applaud the efforts of the Long Island Bioscience Hub as they continue to draw out the cutting edge biomedical innovations that exist within our research labs and their work with faculty innovators and the local bioscience community to accelerate commercial development.” said Dr. Richard Reeder, Vice President for Research at Stony Brook University. “Stony Brook University is deeply committed to the translation of basic research and the Hub’s successes demonstrate that we need to continue to foster the activities of the Hub.”

The technology development awards made available by the LIBH are specifically aimed at growing a pipeline of commercially promising biomedical technologies that can be out-licensed for further development or serve as the foundation for new company formations in the region. The main goal of the LIBH is to foster the development of therapeutics, preventatives, diagnostics, devices and research tools emerging from LIBH partner institutions that address diseases within the NIH’s mission.

Funded Projects –May 2017 Awards

“A Small Molecule Drug for the Treatment of Systemic Candidiasis” Nicolas Carpino, PhD and Jarrod French, Stony Brook University – Feasibility Award

“BRIKARD, a Program for Macrocyclic Drug Discovery” Evangelos Coutsias, PhD, Stony Brook University – Feasibility Award

“Selenium multi-Well Avalanche Detectors for Medical Imaging Applications” Amirhossein Goldan, PhD, Stony Brook University – Proof of Concept Award

“Developing Novel miR-129 Mimic Based Therapeutics for Colorectal Cancer” Jingfang Ju, PhD, Stony Brook University – Proof of Concept Award

“Azasteroid for Combination anti-TB Therapy” Nicole Sampson, PhD, Stony Brook University – Proof of Concept Award

Download a PDF of the press release here.

CFB Director Testifies Before Joint Congressional Hearing

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On Thursday May 4, 2017 Center for Biotechnology Director Dr. Clinton Rubin was fortunate to testify at a joint congressional hearing on “Improving the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs”. Dr. Rubin was present to discuss the NIH-REACH Program – which is the program that supported the creation of the Long Island Bioscience Hub.

Dr. Rubin spoke about the importance of initiatives like REACH which promote the development of “Phase 0” proof-of concept centers embedded within university communities. The activities of these centers are critical in promoting under-realized innovations out of academic labs and into the hands of patients as Universities often face significant challenges when it comes to commercializing translational research. He talk about the fact that in a very short amount of time, the three hubs created by the REACH program have already seen major impacts at our institution, fostering new intellectual property, increasing credibility with the investor community, promoting a shift in the academic culture, attracting new licensing opportunities, and most importantly, catalyzing the formation of new companies – some of which have successfully secured SBIR funding.

Programs like REACH fuel the growth of the small business community around university centers, and drives science towards successful new treatments for disease.

The committee hearing is available to view at this link. Dr. Rubin’s comments begin at 2:53:06

CFB Director Clint Rubin and Director of Operations Diane Fabel at a joint congressional hearing on May 4, 2017.