ACCELERATING THE
NEXT STEP IN INNOVATION
I G NI TI NG IDE AS .
ACCELERATING INNOVATION. The Eshelman Institute for Innovation (EII) is a catalyst for transformative change, converting the power of raw ideas into high-impact solutions that advance research, education and health care in North Carolina and beyond. Located within the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the EII fills funding gaps and increases speed to market for select projects that have the potential for significant societal impact. From engineering stem cells that hunt and eradicate brain cancer, to improving protection against infectious diseases, to using epigenetics in HIV research, to educating the next generation of exceptional researchers in pharmaceutical sciences, the Eshelman Institute for Innovation is driving transformational change and advancing medicine for life.
THE UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA at CHAPEL HILL No. 5 University in the United States for federal research, totaling $676M annually 2 Nobel Laureates No. 5 in health sciences research
THE ESHELMAN SCHOOL of PHARMACY No. 1 School of Pharmacy in the United States (US News & World Report)
No. 2 among Best Global Universities in Pharmacology & Toxicology (US News & World Report)
No. 2 in schools and colleges of pharmacy in research funding in the United States
No. 10 Pharmacy & Pharmacology school in the world (QS Global Rankings)
OUR
PURPOSE To create and sustain an “Innovation Engine” to enable the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to define and pursue bold, innovative ways to move the mission of the School forward and extend its position as a global leader.
S T R AT E G I C
INITIATIVES The EII is helping innovators take the NEXT STEP forward in their journey to improve human health through five strategic initiatives: FUNDING — Providing seed funds for innovative opportunities related to pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. PARTNERSHIPS — Facilitating interactions with industry and external organizations that will significantly enhance the reputation, competitiveness, or financial growth of the school. COMMERCIALIZATION — Providing resources and support to help accelerate the commercialization of new products, services and technology ideas. COLLABORATION — Expanding strategic interdisciplinary collaborations between pharmaceutical and biomedical life scientists. TRAINING — Developing and inspiring the next generation of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.
“In 2015, we submitted a project grant to the EII. That support launched our research program. Our first published studies showed we can transform skin into tumor-homing therapies that are highly effective against cancer. We leveraged this data to acquire multiple patents and launch a start-up enterprise to accelerate clinical trials and get this to human patients faster. All of it started with support from EII.” — Shawn Hingtgen, Clinical Assistant Professor, Eshelman School of Pharmacy
12
Shawn Hingtgen
spinout companies
10 patent applications
74
46 EII by the Numbers
publications
invention disclosures
15
technologies licensed
34.5
$
million in followon funding
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FROM MIND
TO MARKET In addition to funding high-impact research, the EII facilitates collaborations and strategic partnerships between pharmaceutical and biomedical life scientists and industry leaders in order to expedite critical research projects. By leveraging external relationships and internal capabilities, the EII increases the pace of discovery to commercialization, creating life-saving technology and medicines in record time.
AREAS of FOCUS The EII supports innovative ideas in all areas of pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacy practice and health care delivery. We are strategically focusing investments in the following areas: • Neurological Disorders • Cancer • Precision Medicine • Big Data and Pharmaceutical Sciences • Opioid Misuse, Abuse and Treatment
“UNC is one of the leading research universities in the world. It is their ability to build interdisciplinary teams and utilize diverse perspectives to collaborate on healthcare challenges that attracted us. Carolina’s network of research centers and institutes, including the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, will play a crucial role in helping us collaborate to solve problems, discover new technologies and save lives.” — James Flynn Managing Partner, Deerfield
B O L D I D EAS .
DISRUPTIVE RESEARCH. SAM LAI AND MUCOMMUNE Sam Lai works to prevent the spread of infections in the body by using antibodies to trap infections in mucus matrices produced by the body. This allows scientists to engineer better antibodies to trap a variety of pathogens for prophylactic and therapeutic applications. Lai’s work has spun off a company, Mucommune, which is working to engineer antibodies that can be applied topically to prevent diseases at the infection site. Topical antibodies would protect a specific infection site. For example, swallowing a pill could protect the gut; a puff from an inhaler would protect the lungs. Nurses and doctors could get a daily nasal spray containing antibodies against a diverse array of flu strains. “Biological gels like mucus are abundant in the body and protect every opening and exposed organ not covered by the skin. If we can trap pathogens in mucus and extracellular matrices, we can prevent them from getting to the cells they want to infect and, therefore, prevent infections from spreading or happening altogether.”
— Sam Lai, Ph.D., Associate Professor
RAHIMA BENHABBOUR AND ANELLEO Benhabbour’s research focuses on the development of novel delivery platforms and polymer-based devices that can treat or prevent disease. Out of her research she created AnelleO, the first 3-D printed intravaginal ring designed to treat a women’s health conditions including cancer, STDs and HIV prevention. “3D printing allows us to introduce geometric complexity to the rings that cannot be achieved with traditional injection molding and extrusion which are the two technologies currently used to manufacture IVRs. The complex geometries within the ring allow us to precisely fine-tune the release kinetics of drugs and achieve 100 percent drug release in a controlled manner.”
— Rahima Benhabbour, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
LINDSEY INGERMAN JAMES AND EPIGENETICS James is part of a team that studies new ways to “unlock” the proteins responsible for various diseases. She does this by developing chemical probes or “keys” that can turn on or off symptoms of disease without changing the underlying DNA. This phenomena is known as epigenetics. Through her work, James hopes to identify new targets for development of therapies and drugs to treat cancer, HIV, and other diseases. “It’s becoming increasingly clear that epigenetic changes can be responsible for various disease states. One of our primary goals is to validate new epigenetic targets for drug discovery… if we can demonstrate that blocking a specific protein function has a potential therapeutic benefit, I’d consider that a huge success.”
— Lindsey Ingerman James, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
YO U N G
INNOVATORS PROGRAM The Young Innovators Program (YIP) is developing the next generation of innovative thinkers by engaging exceptional high school students in hands-on laboratory research, encouraging them to explore STEM opportunities in pharmaceutical science research, and empowering them to discover new ways to improve the health of patients through the practice of pharmacy. YIP offers students the unique opportunity to work side-by-side with faculty on cutting-edge and innovative research in an immersive laboratory environment. Interns could be working to develop new therapies to cure cancer, designing a virtual patient to enhance the education of health professionals, using 3D printing technology to deliver drugs that prevent the transmission of HIV, and so much more. Since its inception, there have been more than 65 students that participated in this cutting edge on-campus program.
“The Young Innovators Program provides students with a comprehensive and immersive introduction to research that they cannot find anywhere else. By collaborating with researchers at the YIP, I am able to discover what I am interested in and learn how to expand and develop my passions.”
— Alex DeWalle ’22
INVEST IN
INNOVATION Join us on this journey of transformative change and impact. In order to advance and sustain our groundbreaking research, we need the support of investors and partners like you. Whether you are an individual or represent a potential corporate partner, the innovation engine that is the EII is fueled by contributions from private and public investors. Make a difference today and invest in the disruptive research taking place at the Eshelman Institute for Innovation.
“None of us can rest on our laurels. We must be relentless in our pursuit of preeminence… If we are in fact going to increase the pace to attain our goals, the private sector must make the investment like never before.”
for more information , please contact :
Office of Advancement UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy P: 919.966.1929 or visit
UNCEII.ORG
— F R ED E SHE LMAN