Read About Robert Nowinski Robert C. Nowinski, Ph.D.
Biotech entrepreneur
Responsible for some of the most profitable drugs on the market today,Dr.
RobertNowinski is a biotechnology financier and consultant who hasfounded six pioneering biotech companies. In addition to acquiringinitial technology for those companies, Dr. Robert Nowinski recruitedtop management, provided research oversight, brought startup financingto the table and ultimately took four of the companies public throughIPO financing.
Proof of his success, major pharmaceutical companies have acquiredthree of the companies founded by
Dr. Robert Nowinski.Bristol-Myersacquired Dr. Robert Nowinski’s Genetic Systems in 1987 for $310million; Chiron/Novartis bought PathoGenesis in 2000 for $660 million;and Eli Lilly acquired Icos in 2006 for $2.2 billion. Collectively, Dr.Robert Nowinski’s companies have developed and marketed diagnostictests and drugs with annual sales of more than $2.0 billion.
Research credentials
An accomplished researcher, Dr. Robert Nowinski earned his Ph.D. inimmunology from the Sloan-Kettering Institute in 1971. From 1971to 1975 he was an assistant professor of Oncology at the University ofWisconsin. From 1975 through 1981, Dr. Robert Nowinski was anassociate professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University ofWashington.
Dr. Robert Nowinski was also a founding scientist and head of theVirology Program of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,Seattle. From 1981 through 1982, Dr. Robert Nowinski was both a FHCRCmember and a professor of Microbiology at the University of Washington,researching cancer-causing retroviruses, as well as antibody cancertreatments and antibodies for the diagnosis of sexually transmitteddiseases.
Entry into biotechIn 1981, Dr. Robert Nowinski took his first major step into biotechentrepreneurship and founded Genetic Systems Corporation in Seattle,which went through an IPO financing within its first month. Dr. RobertNowinski was chairman and CEO from the company’s founding through 1985.
Genetic Systems developed the first rapid test for chlamydia,decreasing the average diagnosis time from 21 days to 45 minutes anddramatically lowering diagnosis cost, ultimately expanding the U.S.market from 150,000 tests a year to some 20 million. GeneticSystems also co-developed what was then the most accurate blood testfor HIV.
Cancer diagnosticsIn 1983, Dr. Robert Nowinski founded Genetic Systems subsidiary OncogenLP, focusing on cancer diagnostics. In 1985, Bristol-Myers Corporationbought interest in Oncogen and a year later wholly absorbed GeneticSystems and Oncogen LP. Dr. Robert Nowinski was appointed corporatevice president for New Technology at Bristol-Myers and chairman of thenew Genetic Systems division, bringing him to corporate headquarters inNew York City.
Icos and Cialis successIn 1989, Dr. Robert Nowinski returned to Seattle and founded IcosCorporation, along with Immunex founder Christopher Henney. Icosfocused on inflammation and novel methods for drug discovery. As CEO,Dr. Robert Nowinski took the company public in 1991, attracting BillGates to its Board of Directors and major shareholder status. Icosdeveloped the erectile-dysfunction drug Cialis, which today generatesannual sales of more than $1.2 billion for Eli Lilly.
PathoGenesis makes mark in cysticfibrosisIn 1992, Dr. Robert Nowinski founded PathoGenesis, a company focused onthe cause and treatment of chronic illnesses that went public in 1993.Dr. Robert Nowinski served as chairman from 1992 to 1995 and then aschairman emeritus. In 1997, PathoGenesis received FDA approval tomarket an aerosolized form of tobramycin (TOBI) for treating cysticfibrosis. TOBI is now the leading treatment for cystic fibrosis; annualsales exceed $600 million for its current owners.
VaxGen scores against anthraxIn 1995, Dr. Robert Nowinski founded VaxGen, Inc., bringing it publicin 1998 and serving as its chairman and CEO until December 2000. VaxGencompleted the only Phase 3 trial of an HIV vaccine to date, AIDSVAX.Although the vaccine was ultimately deemed ineffective, VaxGen hassince developed vaccines against anthrax and smallpox. In 2003, theU.S. government, which sponsored VaxGen’s anthrax vaccine development,ordered 100,000 doses of the vaccine, worth $1 billion. The company ispublicly traded.
Primal technologyTaking on the challenge of creating products to address appetite,sexuality, mood, pain and addiction disorders, Dr. Robert Nowinskifounded Primal Inc. in 2000 with Dr. Linda Buck, who went on to win the2005 Nobel Prize for Medicine. The Seattle-based company focuses ongene knock-out technology in mice and the biology of G-protein coupledreceptors (GPCRs). Primal was the first to describe the full complementof 475 GPCR genes in humans and has patent claims for the entire familyof GPCRs as potential drug targets.
In 2002, Dr. Robert Nowinski stepped away from active companymanagement. He lives in New York City.