robertnowinski

Dr. RobertNowinski has founded six biotechnology companies. Hesubsequently brought four of these companies public through an IPOfinancing. He was the first employee in each company and also held theexecutive position(s) of CEO and/or the Chairman of the Board. In eachbusiness he set the direction, acquired the initial technology,recruited key management and provided oversight for the researchprograms. Dr. Robert Nowinski also conducted private and publicfinancings of up to $130 million for each company. Three of the public companies have been acquired by majorpharmaceutical companies; Genetic Systems in 1987 for $310 million byBristol-Myers; PathoGenesis in 2000 for $660 million byChiron/Novartis; and Icos in 2006 for $2.2 billion by Eli Lilly. Thefourth public company, VaxGen, is traded on NASDAQ. Collectively, thesecompanies have developed and marketed eight diagnostic tests and twotherapeutic drugs with annual sales exceeding $2.0 billion. Robert Nowinski received his Ph.D. in immunology from theSloan-Kettering Institute in 1971. From 1971 to 1975 he was anassistant professor of oncology at the University of Wisconsin. From1975 through 1981, he was an associate professor of microbiology andimmunology at the University of Washington. He also was a foundingscientist and head of the Virology Program of the Fred HutchinsonCancer Research Center in Seattle. From 1981 through 1982, RobertNowinski was a professor of microbiology at the UW and a member of theFHCRC. His academic research concerned cancer-causing retroviruses, aswell as antibody treatments for cancer and antibodies for the diagnosisof sexually-transmitted diseases. In 1981, Dr.Robert Nowinski began a second career in the biotechnologyindustry when he founded Genetic Systems Corp. in Seattle. GeneticSystems conducted an IPO financing within one month of its formation.The company developed diagnostic products and treatments for infectiousdiseases and cancer. From 1981 through 1985,Robert Nowinski was thecompany’s chairman and CEO. Genetic Systems developed the first rapid test for Chlamydia, the mostprevalent sexually-transmitted disease in humans. This test decreasedthe average time of diagnosis from 21 days to 45 minutes, lowered thecost of diagnosis from $150 to $4.50 and expanded the U.S. market from150,000 tests per year to an estimated 20 million. In collaborationwith the Institut Pasteur, Genetic Systems then developed the mostaccurate blood test for HIV within the first generation of HIVdiagnostics.   In 1983, within the structure of Genetic Systems, Dr. Robert Nowinskifounded the subsidiary Oncogen LP, dedicated solely to cancerdiagnostics. Oncogen, located in the Genetic Systems Building, wasco-owned and solely financed by Syntex Corp. In 1985, Genetic Systemsand Syntex each sold one-third of their interests to Bristol-MyersCorp. and the mandate of Oncogen was expanded to include cancertherapeutics.   In 1986, Dr. Robert Nowinski initiated and managed the merger ofGenetic Systems and Oncogen LP into Bristol-Myers through a pooling ofinterests valued at $310 million. Dr. Robert Nowinski was appointedcorporate vice president for New Technology at Bristol-Myers andchairman of the new Genetic Systems Division. At that time he relocatedfrom Seattle to the corporate headquarters of Bristol-Myers in New York.   In 1989, Dr. Robert Nowinski returned to Seattle and founded IcosCorp.  Dr. Robert Nowinski served as CEO of Icos from 1989 to1991. In 1991, he brought Icos public. The company focused oninflammation and novel methods for drug discovery. Icos developed thedrug Cialis for treating erectile dysfunction. Eli Lilly marketsCialis, with annual sales exceeding $1.2 billion. In 2006, Icos wasacquired by E. Lilly for $2.2 billion. In 1992, Dr. Robert Nowinski found

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