$65 million biotech wing opens

HudsonAlpha facility likened to rocket team

Saturday, November 10, 2007

KENT FAULK

News staff writer

HUNTSVILLE - State and local officials said Friday the new $65 million HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology could transform Huntsville the way a team of rocket scientists did a half century ago.

Several hundred people, including Gov. Bob Riley, attended the opening of the Associates Wing of the institute, which will house 12 biotechnology companies.

Another wing of the institute, which hasn't been completed, will house biotech research. Institute leaders said that by putting researchers in close proximity with the biotech firms, ideas may be spawned and medicines or technologies to tackle disease brought to market more quickly.

"The founders really believe that the free enterprise system joined with academic research with an educational outreach program is the best way to get things from the lab to the patient than anything that's been put together before," said Jim Hudson, president and one of the founders of the institute.

It is situated in Cummings Research Park, the second-largest research park in the country. The institute joins many companies in the park dedicated to rocket and missile work which began in the city during the 1950s with the arrival of a group of German engineers and scientists led by rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun.

"We said when we had the groundbreaking here that you're going to see an expansion in the biotech industry unlike anything that we have ever seen in Huntsville since the 1950s," Riley said Friday.

Even before it opened the institute began experiencing growing pains.

When the project was announced in 2005, six companies were ready to move into the building, and there was room for two more, Hudson said. But that expanded to 12 and there wasn't enough space for two other companies, he said.

"So, we have some more buildings under consideration," Hudson said.

Firms in the associates wing are: Antarus Biotech, Applied Genomics, Conversant Healthcare Systems, CFD Research Corp., Expression Genetics, Extremozyme, Microarrays Inc., New Century Pharmaceuticals, Open Biosystems, Serina Therapeutics, Source CF and Theragnostix Reference Laboratories.

The firms are involved with a wide range of activities linked to developing drugs or providing tools for genetics researchers.

For example, Expression Genetics, a specialty biopharmaceutical company, has developed an ovarian cancer drug that is in extended first stage clinical study. The trial is being conducted at several centers including UAB Hospital.

"Can you image what it would be like to come up with that cure for ovarian cancer, to come up with that cure for lung cancer and everyone in the world asks where did it happen? It happened in Alabama," Riley said.

"All of a sudden you not only redefine Alabama, you (also) get rid of all of these negative stereotypes that we've had for so long."

To create the institute, the state committed $50 million in incentives and tax breaks; private donations also came in. When the state funding for the institute was announced there were questions about whether the work would duplicate research at UAB.

Hudson said Friday that is not a concern. Instead, the institute's genomic research will complement the University of Alabama at Birmingham's clinical research base.

The institute already is attempting to collaborate with UAB to identify genes responsible for certain diseases, Hudson said. "I'm sure we will be collaborating with UAB a lot," he said.

E-mail: kfaulk@bhamnews.com



$65 million biotech wing opens HudsonAlpha facility likened to rocket team Saturday, November 10, 2007 KENT FAULK News staff writer HUNTSVILLE - State and local officials said Friday the new $65 million HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology could transform Huntsville the way a team of rocket scientists did a half century ago. Several hundred people, including Gov. Bob Riley, attended the opening of the Associates Wing of the institute, which will house 12 biotechnology companies. Another wing of the institute, which hasn't been completed, will house biotech research. Institute leaders said that by putting researchers in close proximity with the biotech firms, ideas may be spawned and medicines or technologies to tackle disease brought to market more quickly. "The founders really believe that the free enterprise system joined with academic research with an educational outreach program is the best way to get things from the lab to the patient than anything that's been put together before," said Jim Hudson, president and one of the founders of the institute. It is situated in Cummings Research Park, the second-largest research park in the country. The institute joins many companies in the park dedicated to rocket and missile work which began in the city during the 1950s with the arrival of a group of German engineers and scientists led by rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun. "We said when we had the groundbreaking here that you're going to see an expansion in the biotech industry unlike anything that we have ever seen in Huntsville since the 1950s," Riley said Friday. Even before it opened the institute began experiencing growing pains. When the project was announced in 2005, six companies were ready to move into the building, and there was room for two more, Hudson said. But that expanded to 12 and there wasn't enough space for two other companies, he said. "So, we have some more buildings under consideration," Hudson said. Firms in the associates wing are: Antarus Biotech, Applied Genomics, Conversant Healthcare Systems, CFD Research Corp., Expression Genetics, Extremozyme, Microarrays Inc., New Century Pharmaceuticals, Open Biosystems, Serina Therapeutics, Source CF and Theragnostix Reference Laboratories. The firms are involved with a wide range of activities linked to developing drugs or providing tools for genetics researchers. For example, Expression Genetics, a specialty biopharmaceutical company, has developed an ovarian cancer drug that is in extended first stage clinical study. The trial is being conducted at several centers including UAB Hospital. "Can you image what it would be like to come up with that cure for ovarian cancer, to come up with that cure for lung cancer and everyone in the world asks where did it happen? It happened in Alabama," Riley said. "All of a sudden you not only redefine Alabama, you (also) get rid of all of these negative stereotypes that we've had for so long." To create the institute, the state committed $50 million in incentives and tax breaks; private donations also came in. When the state funding for the institute was announced there were questions about whether the work would duplicate research at UAB. Hudson said Friday that is not a concern. Instead, the institute's genomic research will complement the University of Alabama at Birmingham's clinical research base. The institute already is attempting to collaborate with UAB to identify genes responsible for certain diseases, Hudson said. "I'm sure we will be collaborating with UAB a lot," he said. E-mail: kfaulk@bhamnews.com © 2007 The Birmingham News © 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.