Prommune will test swine flu H1N1 vaccine

August 24, 2015 Comments (1) News

UNMC researcher Sam Sanderson, Ph.D., checks the results of a recent quality control test at his Omaha lab. His startup company, Prommune, has scheduled a test for a new H1N1 vaccine on pigs in Aug. 2015.

UNMC researcher Sam Sanderson, Ph.D., checks the results of a recent quality control test at his Omaha lab. His startup company, Prommune, has scheduled a test for a new H1N1 vaccine on pigs in Aug. 2015. (Photo: Charles Litton)

by Charles Litton, UNeMed

Omaha, Neb. (August 24, 2015)—A swine flu H1N1 vaccine developed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center will enter a definitive round of testing in the coming weeks, and researchers hope to establish its ability to ward off the virus in pigs.

Made possible by a licensing deal brokered through UNMC’s technology transfer office, UNeMed Corporation, the study will evaluate the vaccine on 30-40 pigs.

If tests yield results as expected, Prommune, Inc. could begin offering an H1N1 vaccine to hog farmers as early as the end of the year—although full approval from the USDA would likely take another three or four years.

Ultimately, an H1N1 vaccine as potentially effective as Prommune’s could dramatically diminish the virus as a global threat to the world’s pig population, and could even lead to more effective vaccines for similar diseases in birds and perhaps humans.

Prommune, a company founded on the research of UNMC’s Sam Sanderson, Ph.D., is building a vaccine that could protect pigs from H1N1. A test in Aug. 2015 is expected to prove the vaccine’s effectiveness, and could lead to other vaccines in other animals and perhaps even humans. (Photo: Charles Litton)

Prommune, Inc. was built around the research of Sam Sanderson, Ph.D., who founded the company in 2002. Sanderson is currently a research associate professor of pharmaceutical science in UNMC’s College of Pharmacy. Sanderson’s technology essentially helps activate and direct the immune system into a more targeted and efficient attack against invading pathogens.

The technology, an immune stimulating peptide called EP67, is a “platform technology” that is so versatile it can be tweaked and modified to work against a number of ailments and in a wide variety of animals. In addition to the H1N1 vaccine, EP67 could have applications against different varieties of the avian flu virus, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and other infectious agents.

But long before Prommune can develop anything for human use, researchers still need to compile years of data—beginning with the planned trials in coming weeks, said Prommune’s interim CEO Sam Al-Murrani, Ph.D.

Samer Al-Murrani, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Al-Murrani

Al-Murrani joined Prommune in March, after first meeting Sanderson at an animal health investment forum in Kansas City back in 2013. Al-Murrani, who has a background in animal health and holds a doctorate in immunology and biochemistry, said a platform technology like EP67 would intrigue investors and strategic partners. Several recent initial public offerings in the animal health sector didn’t compare well to Prommune’s innovative technology, he said.

“I think Prommune today—today—has more product and market potential than any of those companies,” he said.

Al-Murrani is the chief executive officer of Babylon BioConsulting, a firm based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which specializes in bringing early-stage technologies to biomedical markets.

Since signing on with Prommune in March, Al-Murrani has helped Prommune build a corporate structure, negotiated the licensing deal with UNeMed and established a strategic alliance with a nationally renowned animal testing facility that helped open the door to the upcoming trial.

———

About Prommune Inc.: Prommune is a research and development company that has created a unique and patented means to safely and effectively awaken the body’s own natural immune defenses without inflammatory side-effects. Such immune activation is possible through the use of novel immune stimulatory peptides, which are derived from a naturally-occurring protein component of the immune system. The use of these host-derived immune stimulatory peptides provides a broad therapeutic platform enabling the treatment of normal and antibiotic-resistant infections and the rapid generation a huge variety of new vaccines for human and veterinary medicine.

About Babylon BioConsulting: Babylon BioConsulting LLC is a full service human and animal health consulting firm. We specialize in startup, pre-revenue and early stage valuation of animal health, biotechnology and drug development companies. Babylon services include investor outreach, due diligence, market research and business development, intangible asset valuation and management and executive interim management services. Additionally, we perform human and animal health product development and scientific consulting services. Our interest and passion is to leverage our extensive experience and network of professionals within the human and animal health fields to help businesses accomplish their goals more efficiently, cost-effectively and in a timely manner.

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UNeMed highlights successes at ’15 Shareholder Meeting

August 14, 2015 Comments (1) News, Success Stories

Don Leuenberger

Don Leuenberger, UNeMed’s Chair of the Board, raises a special gift he received in recognition of 24-years of dedicated service since UNeMed was founded in 1991.

OMAHA, Neb. (Aug. 5, 2015)—During its annual Shareholder Meeting last week, UNeMed Corporation announced four new strategic initiatives that officials expect will help expand the scope and productivity of research commercialization across the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus.

Highlighted by a keynote address from UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey Gold, M.D.—and a special award presented to UNeMed Board Chair Don Leuenberger for 24 years of service—the meeting was an invitation-only event at TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha.

Chancellor Gold

UNMC Chancellor UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., delivered the keynote, telling onlookers that UNeMed “provides the glide path” for innovations to develop into products that “changes people’s lives.”

Chancellor Gold told the gathering of select University leaders, researchers and UNeMed staff that UNMC’s innovative researchers all share the same goal of improving lives. But that research can’t get there by itself.

“UNeMed is an incredible organization that provides the infrastructure, provides the glide path…and turns it into intellectual property that changes people’s lives,” Gold said.

UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC, also reported key metrics from the previous fiscal year.

UNeMed president and CEO Michael Dixon told the crowd that UNMC’s invention pipeline continues to thrive with 63 new invention disclosures filed in fiscal 2014. In the last five years, UNMC researchers developed 412 inventions—compared to the 291 filed during the previous five years.

Dixon also announced a 40 percent increase in total revenue, the fourth-highest in UNeMed’s 24-year history. The $1.11 million UNeMed secured in sponsored research funding was a 69 percent improvement over the previous year, nearly eclipsed the combined total of the previous five years. UNeMed also signed 20 licensing agreements for UNMC inventions, a 43 percent improvement.

Dixon also discussed four initiatives for fiscal 2015, beginning with the continued operation and expansion of UNeMed Health Consulting Shanghai. Doing business as UNMC-China, UHCS is now fully operational and has already licensed one UNMC invention to be developed in China, Dixon said.

UNeMed will also work with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to develop a certified biomedical entrepreneurship course that aims to help UNMC students gain more business savvy.

UNeMed President and CEO, Michael Dixon, Ph.D.

UNeMed President and CEO, Michael Dixon, Ph.D.

UNeMed will collaborate with the University of Nebraska at Omaha on a third initiative: UNeTecH. It will be a support structure for biomedical and high-tech inventions that will bring together expertise and resources to build and develop innovative technologies.

“We’re going to break down barriers,” Dixon said.

The final planned initiative is a next-generation approach to education with highly sophisticated simulation and training facilities. Called iEXCEL, Dixon said the program “is going to fundamentally change the way medical education occurs.”

Dixon also recognized board chairman Don Leuenberger and his 24 years of service—a fixture at UNeMed since its founding in 1991, even playing a role in its creation. When UNeMed was created there weren’t many universities with their own technology transfer offices, but Leuenberger immediately saw the value in protecting and developing UNMC’s research innovations, Dixon said.

“Don had the foresight to say we need a structure for this,” Dixon told the gathering.

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University of Nebraska startup raises millions

August 14, 2015 Comments (1) News

virtualincision_2015OMAHA, Neb. (Aug. 11, 2015)—A UNeMed startup company built on research at two University of Nebraska campuses announced on Aug. 6 that it landed $11.2 million of equity financing during its most recent round of fund-raising.

Born from a collaboration between UNMC professor of surgery Dmitry Oleynikov, M.D., and UNL professor of engineering Shane Farritor, Ph.D., Virtual Incision Corp. is developing a surgical robot that could turn highly invasive surgeries into laparoscopic procedures. UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC, secured the intellectual property rights and licensed the technology that founded the company. Virtual Incision’s technology is based on UNMC-UNL research that has been funded by the Department of Defense and NASA.

According to Virtual Incision’s Aug. 6 announcement, the capital fundraising was led by Bluestem Capital of Sioux Falls, S.D. The round of financing was oversubscribed with participation from existing investors, including PrairieGold Venture Partners, also of Sioux Falls. Virtual Incision has also received funding from Nebraska’s public-private venture development organization, Invest Nebraska.

The funds will allow for a feasibility study of the company’s miniaturized surgical robot technology for colon resection, a complicated surgical procedure that removes a damaged or diseased section of a patient’s colon. It’s a treatment for patients with lower gastrointestinal diseases such as diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and colon cancer.

Current practice for a colon resection often requires a large incision, 8- to 12-inches, and up to six weeks of recovery time. Virtual Incision’s robot needs an incision less than half that size, and operates entirely inside the patient’s abdomen. Using an array of high-resolution video displays, the surgeon then manipulates the robot with a sophisticated set of controls.

Designed to utilize existing tools and techniques familiar to surgeons, Virtual Incision’s robot will not require a dedicated operating room or specialized infrastructure, and, because of its much smaller size, is expected to be significantly less expensive than existing robotic alternatives for laparoscopic surgery. Because of these technological advances, the system could enable a minimally invasive approach to procedures performed by open surgery today.

In 2014 the University of Nebraska system honored Drs. Oleynikov and Farritor with its prestigious Innovation, Development and Engagement Award.

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Make yourself uncomfortable, on purpose

July 1, 2015 Comments (1) Blog

by Amanda Hawley, UNeMed | July 1, 2015

AHawleySome of the most influential experiences in life are those that stretch your limits of understanding and familiarity. Yet, the uncomfortable hardships that accompany those experiences are less than desirable.

Pursuing a career may lead you to unfamiliar territory; the treacherous land of discomfort and incompetence. When starting a new opportunity, you make the conscious decision to take on new responsibilities that require skills you lack. So odds are you will have the not-so-cuddly feeling of being inept. But this uncomfortable feeling is only temporary.

Gradually you learn from each experience and advance in your career. Tasks become routine and problem solving becomes less challenging. However, when progress seems slow — especially in a society where instant gratification is just a click away — our patience runs thin and we are tempted to throw in the towel.

We forget that discomfort is a good thing. When we choose to avoid professional or life challenges, we miss out on gaining valuable experience and possibly future opportunities. By putting yourself out there, you identify your strengths and weaknesses as a professional, which is invaluable for your career development.

I chose discomfort when I decided to put down the pipette and step away from the lab bench. Yet, one does not simply walk away from academia. Following my declaration of independence, a few of my perplexed peers gazed at me as if I licked their faces and backed away slowly. Isaiah Hankel, Ph.D., highlights this negative perception of scientists leaving academia in a recent post, and outlines how fidelity to the system could impede your transition into a non-academic career.

Up until my betrayal, I was a productive graduate student that was awarded fellowships, authored scientific publications, presented at scientific conferences and educated youths in the biological sciences. Despite my well-groomed academic background, I made the difficult choice to leave scientific research. But, why?

When national funding for research began shrinking in 2010, the fierce competition for financial stability dramatically changed the culture of academia. Previous open-door-policies were quickly rewritten to remain shut with “No Solicitors” signs posted. Stress skyrocketed as external funding, the lifeblood of research, was hemorrhaging without guarantee of a fresh infusion. Knowing the intense expectations and unwavering devotion of an academic researcher did not match the life I wanted for myself, it came time to change careers to an occupation that advances the scientific community without relying on external funds.

As an alternative career, I discovered technology transfer in the crossroads between science and business. I introduced myself to the field through an internship program at UNeMed Corporation, the technology transfer and commercialization office of UNMC. I have learned a great deal about embracing discomfort of a new opportunity. The steep learning curve and high expectations were intimidating, but their guidance and resources have made possible my transition from bench-top to business. I see a bright future in technology transfer, because I made the hard choice to be uncomfortable by taking on something different.

For those considering alternative careers in science, do not fear the unfamiliar. Any discomfort is worth obtaining your goals.

Use each opportunity or hardship as a teachable moment.

Apply your wisdom to the next opportunity.

Seek out new opportunities.

Find careers that are a good fit, but know there is no “perfect fit.”

Be introspective and know yourself.

Know your goals and how much discomfort you can handle.

Make yourself uncomfortable, on purpose, for a purpose.

 

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Lenagh promoted to licensing specialist

June 29, 2015 Comments (1) News

by Tyler Mueller, UNeMed

Agnes LenaghOMAHA, Nebraska (June 29, 2015)—Longtime postdoc and licensing associate Agnes Lenagh, Ph.D., was promoted to a permanent position at UNeMed as a licensing specialist, UNeMed announced today.

As a licensing specialist, she will continue helping researchers, students and faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center evaluate and explore the commercial prospects of their intellectual properties. The new position is more specified to Dr. Lenagh’s skillset, representing three years of work and experience in the tech transfer field.

“I’ve learned the ins and outs of invention evaluation, intellectual property positions, marketing strategies, and contract negotiations,” Dr. Lenagh said. “As a licensing specialist, my responsibilities will have a broader scope.”

Born in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, Dr. Lenagh came to the UNMC in 2006 as a doctoral candidate Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience. Dr. Lenagh started at UNeMed as an intern in 2012 before signing on as a postdoctoral licensing associate six months later.

“It was an easy decision to promote Dr. Lenagh to this position,” said Michael Dixon, president and CEO of UNeMed. “Her experience and knowledge make her a great asset at UNeMed.”

Dr. Lenagh said she is excited about the new position and is looking forward to continuing her efforts on projects that could one day land on the market.

“It’s been a humbling experience forming part of a team that values my opinions and allows me to use additional skills that were not necessarily in the initial job description,” said Dr. Lenagh.

Dr. Lenagh recently created and instructed the inaugural UNeMed Boot Camp, where participants were given a crash course on the technology transfer industry. Dr. Lenagh is also the webmaster of the UNeMed website, responsible for its design and maintenance.

———

UNeMed Corporation is the technology transfer and commercialization office (TTO) for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, serving all UNMC researchers, faculty and staff who develop new biomedical technology and inventions, and strives to help bring those innovations to the marketplace for a happier, healthier and better world.

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Why some inventions fail: Because Valley of Death says so

June 24, 2015 Comments (1) Blog

by Charles Litton, UNeMed | June 24, 2015

pipettezoomed_smSQI’ve been rubbernecking the tech transfer equivalent of one of those mysterious single-car crashes that defies explanation.

Was there a bee in the car? Wasp? Maybe the driver was texting? Did someone fall asleep, or was there some catastrophic mechanical failure?

I’ve been watching it slowly unfold for the better part of a year now, and I still can’t explain it.

After cruising along at highway speeds with FDA approval finally within reach, a promising technology is now about to jackknife into the abyss—the dreaded Valley of Death, which has no shortage of ways to ensnare and suffocate biomedical research.

As a metaphor, the “Valley of Death” is a well-worn cliché for the many pitfalls in the technology transfer universe. Frankly, its overuse is starting to grate my nerves. It would be fantastic to invent a new way to describe the myriad of ways biomedical inventions and discoveries die in obscurity.

But the painful truth is there can’t possibly be a better descriptor. Just as light is the universal speed limit, the Valley of Death is a constant and unbreakable force, a black hole in the tech transfer realm.

It doesn’t care about age or hope or promise or data. It doesn’t care about development, the market, the benefits or even the need.

It’s a hungry beast that will devour what it will. There’s no reasoning with it. There’s no understanding it.

Here’s what I mean:

A researcher at the University of Nebraska Medial Center developed a clever way to fight cancer—prostate, ovarian and breast cancers, in particular. Her novel concept could, in theory, apply to several other cancers as well.

She formulated a compound that infiltrates cancer cells and essentially triggers a cellular self-destruct. More specifically, it targets the androgen receptor, a protein common in many active cancer cells. The compound, which contains a radioactive isotope, penetrates the cancer cell, and damages its DNA to the point where it can no longer reproduce or survive.

Even better, because the compound so effectively targets cancer cells, it also makes it an effective tool to image cancers that don’t normally show up on X-Ray, PET, MRI and other scans.

Better still, the expected side-effects would be minimal because this approach apparently avoids inflicting collateral damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.

The data looked great. Test after test showed it worked in the lab.

Results were replicated.

Test after test showed it worked in animals.

Results were replicated.

Finally ready for testing on human patients, a clinical partner signed on. All the paperwork was in order. No objections from the FDA.

The clinical trial was ready to roll.

Then all four tires blew out.

Now we’re grinding it out on our rims without so much as a donut spare in the trunk. Some might lightly tap the brakes for a quick glance as they roll on by.

They’ve seen it before.

Stick around this business long enough, and you’ll find that everyone has their own sad saga of woulda-shoulda-coulda.

This innovation tale of woe isn’t over yet, so there’s still a small chance of hope. But it doesn’t look good. The technology is foundering in a soupy tar pit near the Valley’s far bank. The clinician told me he could get it moving again with about $150,000—a drop in the bucket for biomedical innovation that’s often measured in billions—but it founders all the same. The funding, the personnel, the resources just aren’t there.

It’s hard to watch, but equally hard to turn away. I want to help, but I don’t know how. I would call someone, but they’ve seen this roadshow before.

I hope it gets moving again, but I’m having my doubts.

So, I’ll vent a little here, and hope we can find a few spare tires before it’s too late.

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UNMC students complete first tech transfer boot camp

June 23, 2015 Comments (1) News

Grad students Richard Nelson (left) and Simarjeet Negi look on during a session of UNeMed's first Technology Transfer Boot Camp, a week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science.

Grad students Richard Nelson (left) and Simarjeet Negi look on during a session of UNeMed’s first tech transfer Boot Camp, a week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science. (Photo: Charlie Litton)

OMAHA, Nebraska (June 23, 2015)—UNeMed’s first-ever tech transfer Boot Camp concluded last week, churning out seven University Nebraska Medical Center students and postdocs that are now better armed to help commercialize the science and discoveries that emanate from university research.

Created and designed by UNeMed’s Agnes Lenagh, Ph.D., the Boot Camp was a rigorous, hands-on course about the commercialization process. It gave participants a chance to experience the day-to-day operations of a technology transfer office like UNeMed. Students participated in mock contract negotiations, evaluated technology disclosures, and simulated marketing campaigns to commercialize hypothetical technologies.

“This will definitely impact me positively, and lead to more career choices,” said Simarjeet Negi, a Ph.D. candidate at UNMC.

UNeMed Licensing Specialist Agnes Lenagh, Ph.D., listens to student presentations during the first-ever Technology Transfer Boot Camp. Lenagh organized the week-long training session to help grad students and postdocs develop tools needed to commercialize scientific discoveries and inventions.

UNeMed Licensing Specialist Agnes Lenagh, Ph.D., listens to student presentations during the first-ever Technology Transfer Boot Camp. Lenagh organized the week-long training session to help grad students and postdocs develop tools needed to commercialize scientific discoveries and inventions. (Photo:Charlie Litton)

Dr. Lenagh, a licensing specialist at UNeMed, created the Boot Camp after UNeMed recently received almost two dozen applications for one internship position at UNeMed. With so much interest in the industry, she wanted to help others boost their experience, and perhaps give them a chance to land a similar opportunity at another institution.

“We wanted to give students a chance to experience what it’s like at UNeMed and expose them to tech transfer,” Dr. Lenagh said.

The course featured a wide range of UNeMed staffers as guest speakers who instructed topics that covered the entire range of day-to-day technology transfer activities.

“I found the talks not only informative, but engaging as all the speakers welcomed interruption and indulged even tangentially related questions from the participants,” said another participant, Tyler Scherr, also a Ph.D. candidate.

Dr. Lenagh hopes the students will walk away with more than just a certificate of completion.

“Hopefully, they’ll think differently about their research in the lab,” she said. “Hopefully, they’ll think about how their research can become a product and help people.”

As the technology transfer arm of UNMC, a part of UNeMed’s mission is education, offering special services including the Boot Camp, various free seminars, and an educational course. The course, “Bioscience Entrepreneurship,” was first offered in in the 2013 fall semester, and is expected to return to the curriculum in the 2016-17 school year.

Pictured, from left, are grad student Tyler Scherr, postdoc Jing Li and grad student Emily Harrison who were among UNeMed's first class of a Technology Transfer Boot Campers in a week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science.

Pictured, from left, are grad student Tyler Scherr, postdoc Jing Li and grad student Emily Harrison who were among UNeMed’s first class of a Technology Transfer Boot Campers in week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science. (Photo:Charlie Litton)

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The trouble with fighting rare diseases

June 18, 2015 Comments (1) Blog, Success Stories

by Charlie Litton, UNeMed | June 18, 2015

There are those things you learn that make you want to drop everything, and pull the kids out of school for a round of hugs and ice cream. The kind of things that transform nightly bed-time tantrums into positively delightful problems.

Things that make you question the existence of a higher power.

Juvenile Batten Disease is one. If there’s something worse, I’d rather not know about it, thank you very much.

Juvenile Batten Disease is horrific enough—if you really must know, I’ll dive into those gruesome details later. What makes it extra-spicy evil is not just that it afflicts small children. It’s the rarity of it.

Wait, what?

It’s rare. Isn’t that a good thing?

Yes, if you’re weighing the odds that it will someday destroy your family. No, if you hope to someday soon see a cure.

The horrible truth is that rare diseases don’t show up on a lot of researchers’ radar. And for the few that do focus their energies on rare diseases, the funding stream is probably outstripped by the youth soccer league budget in Harlan, Iowa.

I don’t know if Harlan even has a youth soccer league, but if they do, I’d wager they’re the best little soccer players in southwest Iowa. And no matter how well-heeled those kids might be in cleats and shin guards, it’s a far cry from what’s needed to cure something like Juvenile Batten Disease.

It occurs in about one of every 100,000 live births. It’s a genetic disorder that must be present in both parents before passing it on to any children. Even then, there’s a one in four chance the child will actually develop the disease.

But those that do must endure a gut-wrenching progression of symptoms that sound almost medieval for the torment they must cause. It usually begins right about the time they might be enrolling in things like youth soccer. Kids develop vision problems at 4- to 8-years-old. As the disease slowly kills brain cells, they steadily regress skills they’ve learned and then decline into blindness, seizures, behavioral issues, and dementia. Eventually, they are bed-ridden husks of their former selves.

It’s always fatal. Few survive beyond their twenties.

The rarity of this wretched disease is indeed a blessing, but it complicates things too. Big pharmaceutical companies gamble anytime they fund a research project. I don’t know about you, but my palms sweat just picking Powerball numbers. Pharmaceutical firms? They risk billions.

When a researcher thinks she has an idea that might work on a rare disease, the unavoidable fact is not enough people live with the disease to justify paying for the needed research.

We can lament this fact of capitalism all we want, but companies don’t remain in business very long if they can’t pay the bills.

But something unexpected happened recently.

PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals, which has since changed its name to Abeona Therapuetics, went all-in on destroying Juvenile Batten Disease. They signed a deal with a researcher here who thinks she has a way to do more than ease the symptoms of the disease.

Kielian CRW_7862A professor in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Tammy Kielian, Ph.D., learned about the disease when her niece, Olivia, was diagnosed in 2012. Kielian immediately focused her energy, skill and expertise on Juvenile Batten Disease.

Now she has the help of a good corporate citizen. It will be years before this develops into a product that could help families, but good news like this doesn’t come along every day.

This kind of news calls for hugs and ice cream.

*UPDATE-June 22, 2015—On June 19, 2015, PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals announced that it changed its name to Abeona Therapuetics “to reflect broader rare disease commitment,” according to a press release on CNN Money. The text above was updated to reflect the company’s name change.

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UNMC Vice Chancellor Leuenberger to step down in July

May 28, 2015 Comments (0) News

by Tom O’Connor, UNMC

Don0527

OMAHA, Neb. (May 28, 2015)—A key figure in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s dramatic growth over the past three decades, Don Leuenberger announced today that he will step down in July as vice chancellor for business and finance.

In his role as vice chancellor, Leuenberger, 70, was responsible for all campus facilities, budget, human resources, information technology, finance/business services, security and legal service. More than 600 people are included in these departments.

During Leuenberger’s 27 years as vice chancellor, building space on campus has more than tripled, going from 2.3 million sq. ft. in 1988 to more than 7.1 million sq. ft. (including 837,000 sq. ft. of building space under construction).

“Don has had an outstanding career,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold. “I feel very fortunate to have had him on our leadership team.  He wore many different hats and has an amazing blend of talents. I continue to look forward to working with Don as he takes on a new role.”

Dr. Gold said Leuenberger will continue to be involved in several of UNMC’s key initiatives including relations with China and in economic and community development.

Dr. Gold said a national search will be conducted to fill the vice chancellor position.

Among some of the highlights during Leuenberger’s tenure were:

  • Development of an academic campus in which all colleges/academic facilities were located on the east end of campus in close proximity to the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza;
  • Complete overhaul of antiquated research facilities with the creation of two research towers on the west end of campus – the Durham Research Center and Durham Research Center II;
  • Ongoing construction of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the largest construction project in the history of the University of Nebraska (the $323 million project is scheduled for completion in 2017);
  • Being instrumental in UNMC developing a strong presence in China by forging partnerships with several Chinese universities and institutions; and
  • Being instrumental in UNMC’s economic development role in Omaha and Nebraska.

“It’s been a privilege to be a part of the growth of the campus,” Leuenberger said. “We’ve transformed from a relatively small, Midwest academic medical center to one with a growing national and international presence. The physical growth of the campus is just emblematic of the growth in excellence in all areas on the campus and the overwhelming support we have received from the state and the community.

“When you look at anyone’s legacy, I think you have to look at the people with whom you have worked. I’ve been privileged to have worked with and recruited some outstanding leaders on campus. They, in turn, have recruited and mentored others – many of whom will have a significant impact on UNMC for decades to come.

“Most importantly, we have established a reputation within the entire university for innovation, capability and integrity – and always providing quality service. That means everything to me.”

Complacency will not be an issue in the next phase of his life, he said. An avid bicyclist, Leuenberger plans to ride in RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride across Iowa) on July 17-23. It will be the seventh consecutive year he has rode in the event.

A fixture in State Capitol

Don Leuenberger’s name is widely known in the halls of the Nebraska State Capitol building.

Working in the Nebraska State Budget Office and as state tax commissioner for the Nebraska Department of Revenue, he served on the staffs of five Nebraska governors and the cabinets of four. They included Norbert Tiemann (staff only), James Exon, Charles Thone, Kay Orr and Ben Nelson.

Between 1995-1998, Leuenberger took a leave of absence from UNMC to serve as director of social services/policy secretary for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, he led a massive reorganization effort involving the merger of five state agencies.

At UNMC, his career spanned five different chancellors – Charles Andrews, M.D., Carol Aschenbrener, M.D., William Berndt, Ph.D., Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.

The Leuenberger File

Education:

  • B.A., Indiana State University, 1967
  • M.A., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1969

Work Experience:

  • 1969-1981, Nebraska State Budget Office
  • 1981-1983, state tax commissioner, Nebraska Department of Revenue
  • 1983-1986, assistant vice president and director of university-wide computing, University of Nebraska – Central Administration
  • 1987-1988, state tax commissioner, Nebraska Department of Revenue
  • 1988- present, vice chancellor for business and finance, UNMC
  • 1995-1998, director of social services/policy secretary, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (leave of absence from UNMC)

Awards:

  • 1979 – Governor’s nominee for the National Governors Associated Distinguished Services to State Government Award
  • 1981 – Governor’s nominee for the Distinguished Leadership Award of the Association of Government Accountants
  • 1997 – First recipient, UNL College of Arts & Sciences Alumni Achievement Award
  • 2005 – William M. Kizer Leadership Award, Wellness Council of the Midlands

Professional Activities:

  • 2006-present, chairman of the board, UNeMed, UNMC’s technology transfer company
  • 2001-2010, board of directors, United Way of the Midlands (also served on Executive Committee and as chair of the Planning and Allocation Committee)
  • 2008 – board of directors, Biomedical Technology Transfer Corp. (BioTT)
  • 2003 – involved in the organization and launch of Destination Midtown, a program to help define future development and growth for the Midtown Omaha area
  • 1993-present, secretary/treasurer, board of directors of UNeHealth, a non-profit corporation involved in enhancing and supporting the clinical research mission of UNMC
  • 1988-1989, member, State School Finance Review Committee
  • 1990-1995, member and chair, State School Finance Commission

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New prototypes for interventional radiology find funding

May 27, 2015 Comments (1) News, Success Stories

Greg Gordon, M.D., aligns a prototype of his patented Lock-Block radiation shield during a round of early tests. Dr. Gordon built his own startup company, Radux Devices, around inventions designed to better protect physicians from radiation.

Greg Gordon, M.D., aligns a prototype of his patented Lock-Block radiation shield during a round of early tests. Dr. Gordon built his own startup company, Radux Devices, around inventions designed to better protect physicians from radiation. Photo: Charlie Litton

by Tyler Mueller, UNeMed

OMAHA, Nebraska (May 27, 2015)—A successful interventional radiology procedure can improve a patient’s life, but the people performing them, physicians like Greg Gordon, M.D., limp away feeling worse.

“I get home, and I can’t walk,” Dr. Gordon said. “I can’t move.”

Dr. Gordon invented two devices and built around them a new startup company, Radux Devices, which he hopes will make some of the pain and risk of IR a distant memory for him and other physicians. A recent proof-of-concept grant from the University’s Nebraska Research Initiative will give him the chance to prove his ideas can work.

Interventional radiologists like Dr. Gordon—who practices at Omaha’s Veteran Administration Hospital while holding a faculty appointment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center—use continuous X-ray scans to do things like injecting dyes and clearing arterial blockages through an access sheath, usually in a patient’s neck, arm or thigh.

In any IR procedure, Dr. Gordon must wear a lead-heavy protective apron that shields him from X-ray radiation. With multiple patients in a day, it’s not uncommon for physicians to wear the vest for up to 10 hours. Even with the 30-pound protective vest, X-ray radiation exposure is still a legitimate risk. And the extra weight adds bodily stress and strain that, like radiation exposure, accumulates and gets worse over time.

Bodily stress, strain, and other similar injuries are common issues, and anywhere from 60 percent to 70 percent of interventional radiologists complain about spinal problems according to a 2009 study conducted by the Society of Interventional Radiology. These injuries are caused by the leaded protection IR physicians wear while standing in awkward positions and angles. Dr. Gordon said he’s had five knee surgeries and two hip procedures to fix the damage caused—all the while suffering from an unrelated arthritic condition, ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammation of the spine where joints can fuse together.

“I think my skillsets go down because I get pain and so stressed that I can’t maintain the steady hand that I need,” Dr. Gordon said.

Besides bodily stress, cancers and tumors are another risk from IR procedures. Working closely with X-ray radiation for extended periods cumulatively increases the chances of developing health problems such as cataracts, breast cancer and central nervous system tumors, even when wearing protective garments. According to the same 2009 study, radiologists are three times more likely to die from brain cancer than physicians who do not use radiation.

Dr. Gordon said there haven’t been a lot of improvements in the health and safety for IR employees despite the risks because “that’s just part of the job.”

Lock-Block is a radiation shield that protects physicians from radiation during prodecures that require continuous x-ray imaging, such as inserting a stent.

Lock-Block is a radiation shield that protects physicians from radiation during prodecures that require continuous x-ray imaging, such as inserting a stent. Photo: Charlie Litton

Dr. Gordon’s solutions to the problems were a flexible sheath and a radiation shield. The sheath reduces radiation exposure by pushing physicians’ hands further away from the radiation field and allowing them to operate in more comfortable positions. The portable radiation shield, about the size of a steno notebook, blocks X-ray radiation from the physician’s hands and body.

But in order for the devices to be saleable in the medical market, they need FDA approval and studies proving their effectiveness. The University of Nebraska awarded Dr. Gordon a $250,000 Nebraska Research Initiative proof of concept grant to develop and test working prototypes.

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UNeMed welcomes mobile apps

May 12, 2015 Comments (1) News

unemedappserviceOMAHA, Neb. (May 12, 2015)—Faculty, students and staff working on or thinking about developing a new smartphone or tablet application can find the help they need at UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

UNeMed can help UNMC faculty, students and staff develop and publish an app, and also help them secure and protect any intellectual property associated with the new software. UNeMed can also provide additional resources by tapping existing relationships with programmers and software engineers throughout the university system and in private industry.

UNeMed is a registered developer and publisher on the most widely recognized app marketplaces: The iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store.

Those who have an idea for a new or improved mobile app can reach UNeMed at 559-2468.

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Zhang passes US patent bar

May 11, 2015 Comments (0) News

Qian ZhangOMAHA, Neb. (May 11, 2015)—UNeMed technology development specialist, Qian Zhang, Ph.D., recently passed the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s patent bar exam and is now a registered patent agent.

“I’m very excited to be registered as a patent agent,” said Dr. Zhang, who is now the fifth full-time staffer to have passed the patent bar. “It has been one of my goals.”

As a patent agent Dr. Zhang can now draft, file and prosecute patent applications for UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Born in Linyi, China—a city of 10 million near the northern end of the Yellow Sea coast—Dr. Zhang attended graduate school at the UNMC where she earned a doctorate in cancer biology in 2011. She also holds an MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Dr. Zhang first joined UNeMed as a licensing associate in 2011, where she helped evaluate and bring UNMC innovations to the market. Dr. Zhang also plays a role for UNeMed in developing international markets, particularly in China.

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ProTransit wins ‘Buzz of BIO’ contest

May 5, 2015 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (May 6, 2015)—ProTransit Nanotherapy, an Omaha biomedical startup formed around technology invented at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, recently won an online competition that will give it a rather large megaphone.

buzzofBIOwinnerThe victory means ProTransit Nanotherapy will gain two rare chances for international exposure at the world’s largest biomedical exposition when the BIO International Convention convenes in Philadelphia next month.

ProTransit Nanotherapy won the “Buzz of BIO Technologies of Tomorrow” category by a wide margin, unofficially finishing with 892 votes, more than 150 better than the runner-up’s final tally of 736.

As part of the prize package, ProTransit CEO and co-founder Gary Madsen, Ph.D., will get an opportunity to deliver a company presentation to a global audience of potential investors, and then sit down in one-on-one partnering meetings with potential industrial partners and investors. Dr. Madsen will also receive free admission to the annual convention for a total package worth about $4,500.

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Dr. Madsen

But the added value of the exposure itself is difficult to pin down.

“It would be nearly impossible to get this type of exposure given the international focus of the meeting,” Dr. Madsen said via email. “There is no other venue where this type of exposure can be obtained.”

Dr. Madsen said that without the prize, he and his company would not have been able to attend the conference as even mere spectators, let alone gain the level of exposure the presentation and partnering meetings will deliver.

Dr. Madsen, the former Entrepreneur in Residence for UNeMed, co-founded ProTransit in 2013 with former UNMC researcher and inventor Vinod Labhashetwar, Ph.D., who is now at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Labhashetwar developed a novel nanoparticle that can deliver antioxidant enzymes to the deepest layers of skin where they can prevent and perhaps undo some of the damage caused by free radicals. The technology could be incorporated into current skin care products and make them far more effective at things like preventing skin cancer, wrinkles and blemishes.

In the future, ProTransit will also be developing similar products for treatment of serious ailments like spinal injuries and stroke.

UNeMed is the technology transfer and commercialization office (TTO) for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. UNeMed serves all UNMC researchers, faculty and staff who develop new biomedical technology and inventions, and strives to help bring those innovations to the marketplace.

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Intelligent Design: Smarter research for smarter drugs

May 1, 2015 Comments (0) Blog

by Charles Litton | April 30, 2015

Many drugs have the same problem.

They often bumble around, interacting with whatever tissue they meet, blind to the difference between diseased and healthy tissue.

That’s why, when a medication stumbles into enough healthy cells, a wide range of toxic and sometimes scary side-effects are often the result.

dongwang2_LOMaking smarter drugs is certainly possible—if you have about a decade to kill and a few hundred million of spare change lying around. But an intelligent and skilled researcher could save a lot of time, energy and increasingly rare grant funding by looking for ways to improve existing drugs.

It sounds like a simple enough process: If “simple” also includes things like successfully landing a rover on Mars or understanding on a molecular level the complex intricacy and interaction of molecules within human physiology.

A pharmaceutical chemist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Dong Wang, Ph.D., is that rare breed of scientist that makes this kind of research sound easy. He’s a drug designer of sorts, looking for ways to help the tried and tested drug molecules to improve their ability to differentiate the good from bad.

“There are a lot of beautifully designed drug molecules out there,” said Dr. Wang, a professor in the UNMC College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. “This is about using them in a better way.”

Dr. Wang’s research interests have a particular focus in musculoskeletal issues, which can be anything from broken bones, joint replacement and osteoporosis to rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and even spinal injuries.

Dr. Wang’s work is commonly known as a prodrug design approach. He repackages a known “therapeutic warhead” into a new, more focused delivery mechanism. The reduced side-effects might be similar to the way laser guided missiles eliminated the wide-scale collateral damage of World War II carpet bombing raids.

“We want to make the drug work better, work more efficiently, and restrict them from causing harm,” said Dr. Wang.

By making drugs smarter, Dr. Wang hopes to remove a significant amount of the associated side-effects. If his successes are as dramatic as some of his early tests suggest, then his approach could arm physicians with familiar treatments that are more potent and much less harmful to patients.

Several of his prodrugs have attracted wide industrial interests from across the globe, including a new design on an existing lupus treatment. By encapsulating a powerful anti-inflammatory steroid, dexamethasone, in a targeted delivery vehicle, Dr. Wang said his animal tests showed near-100 percent effectiveness at preventing dangerous kidney inflammation, lupus nephritis, which can lead to kidney failure.

In testing lupus animals already presenting with nephritis, his formulation eliminated the inflammation in about 80 percent of the animals, and in the remaining 20 percent his version of treatment still reduced the condition to a more mild form. Dexamethasone alone only stopped further progression of nephritis, and did virtually nothing to reduce it, Dr. Wang said.

Dr. Wang cautioned that such dramatic results are not typical for all of his designs, but improving what already exists in a safe and cheaper way to improve the effectiveness of existing treatment strategies.

“Using intelligent design you can dramatically change the landscape, and provide the physician a better alternative to treat the patient,” said Dr. Wang. “And the health care cost may also be significantly reduced.”

Charles Litton is the communications associate at UNeMed Corporation, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He can be reached at charles.litton@unmc.edu or 402-559-2468.

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Make ProTransit Nanotherapy the “buzz” of international BIO conference

April 15, 2015 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (April 15, 2015)—ProTransit Nanotherapy, an Omaha startup based on technology and innovation developed at UNMC, has the opportunity to gain international exposure if it gains enough votes in an online contest.

PTNTBIO, one of the world’s largest international biotechnology conferences, is hosting the “Buzz of BIO,” where the company receiving the most votes will win the rare opportunity to deliver a company presentation to industry leaders at the next BIO convention, to be held in Philadelphia on June 15-18.

A company presentation at BIO would provide ProTransit Nanotherapy unique access to the international biotech community at the conference and the opportunity to generate additional partnering meetings with the world’s largest biomedical firms. The presentation will also be promoted through BIO’s website and printed promotional pieces.

To vote, visit https://convention.bio.org/buzzofbio/voting.aspx and select ProTransit Nanotherapy in the “Technologies of Tomorrow” category (companies are listed alphabetically).

Anyone can vote once per day—once for each email address—until polling closes at 4 p.m. on April 21.

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Entrepreneur Legal Clinic startup talk is April 17

April 15, 2015 Comments (0) News

LINCOLN, Neb. (April 15, 2015)—A free seminar detailing the elements of a successful startup founder will be offered Friday, April 17, in Lincoln, Neb.

Hosted by the Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Law, “Startup Founders: Who to Choose, When to Choose Them, and How to Incentivize Success,” will be held at Union Bank Catalyst at 9:30-10:30 a.m.

The presentation will be delivered by clinic student attorneys, Shannon McCoy and Matthew Dunlop who will discuss key legal issues that all new businesses and startups should consider. There will be a particular emphasis on selecting the right co-founders, distributing ownership and the best incentives that can lead startups closer to success.

A local startup, The Doughnut Hole, will provide guests with a complimentary snack. To ensure there is enough food for everyone, please RSVP to eclinic@unl.edu.

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