NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which has spun-out companies such as Juno Therapeutics and Nohla Therapeutics in recent years, is continuing its aggressive push to commercialize more of its research. The non-profit Seattle-based organization today announced $1 million in funding from its newly-formed Evergreen Fund for eight research projects.

The goal? Create more commercial-based entities to attack deadly diseases, including HIV-AIDS and cancer.

“The Evergreen Fund is an innovative, bold initiative by the Hutch to promote commercialization of its latest research into lifesaving therapies for cancer and other diseases,” said Dr. Gary Gilliland, president and director of Fred Hutch. “We firmly believe it will lead to new ventures and partnerships that will significantly improve outcomes in the battle to defeat cancer and other diseases. It’s a new chapter in our ongoing commitment to creating enterprises that will be game-changers for global health.”

Dozens of applicants applied for the grants, and the eight below were chosen in a process conducted by a 26-member advisory committee that includes venture capitalists, intellectual property lawyers, biotech executives and others. The Evergreen Fund was started by former Fred Hutch scientists Dr. Jim Roberts and his wife Pamela Becker, and it is supported in part from funds from previous Fred Hutch licensing efforts.