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UT HEALTH

amount of time it Zachry Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Research. She
takes to move the knows what it takes to start with an idea and navigate the early steps
idea to the next of patenting and licensing a new biotechnology.
stage, such as to a Her scientific curiosity, her entrepreneurial spirit and her unwa-
life science spinoff vering devotion to translating her discoveries to help patients led to
company in an incu- the exclusive licensing of two unique biologic therapeutics by
bator. AlaMab Therapeutics Inc. in June 2017.
TechNovum will These biologics will be developed into novel, first-in-class thera-
pair UT Health San pies for spinal cord injury and breast cancer bone metastasis.
Antonio faculty in- Had TechNovum existed while Dr. Jiang was first beginning
vestigators with her journey, it would have propelled her project into a more ad-
mentors from the vanced level of development at a much faster speed. This is be-
business community cause, in addition to providing education and mentoring to
and coach them researchers who are new to drug and product development, it will
through the market also teach investors how to seek financial support for very early-
validation of their stage preclinical studies.
biomedical products, San Antonio has an increasingly robust and collaborative bio-
preparation of a science ecosystem that provides unlimited partnership opportu-
business plan and nities. Because of the efforts of the faculty and staff at UT
pitching their tech- Health San Antonio, including Andrea Giuffrida, PhD, vice pres-
nologies. The inau- ident for research; John Gebhard, PhD, assistant vice president
gural five to eight for the Office of Technology Commercialization; and accelera-
teams of inventors tor co-directors John Fritz and Sean Thompson, TechNovum
(known as Founders) will be collaborative and complementary to all that exists in the
will undergo a rigor- ecosystem and highly valuable to all investigators with an entre-
ous and structured preneurial spirit.
entre preneurial We are confident that, with support from the community, Tech-
ideation program that includes weekly course sessions and guest Novum will eventually reach out to investors and entrepreneurs,
speakers. even those who are not affiliated with UT Health San Antonio.
The accelerator program will run from June through October Most importantly, ideas — concepts that can save lives — will be
2019, and wrap up with two days for the teams to demonstrate their planted, watered and reaped for the betterment of human health.
products and present their business plans. One day will be reserved
for accredited investors, the other will be open to the community. The University of Texas Health Science Center
This is a critical advancement for our community and the world at San Antonio, now called UT Health San Anto-
beyond. nio, is one of the country’s leading health sciences uni-
At the center of this commercialization accelerator is the promise versities. With missions of teaching, research, healing
of progress in science. Founders will build their business skills and and community engagement, its schools of medicine,
gain knowledge of resources to translate ideas into products and nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate
companies. This will get new discoveries and technologies into the biomedical sciences have produced 36,500 alumni
world faster, and could mean the difference between living with a who are leading change, advancing their fields and re-
disease and being cured. newing hope for patients and their families throughout
For more than 50 years, UT Health San Antonio has provided an South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives
environment in which world-class scientists turn their discoveries better,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.
into reality. One example is Jean Jiang, PhD, who occupies the

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