Partnering and working side by side with the Founding Father of San Diego biotech industry, Dr. Ivor Royston.

A publicly traded multi-national healthcare company.

Working with Dr. Ivor Royston, the founding father of San Diego biotech industry, at this publicly traded biotech company.

I started and built three antiviral and anti-cancer drug companies during this 20-year period using gene therapy and other biological approaches. In the earlier part of my gene therapy company, I partnered with and was strongly financially supported by Pfizer. Our group was proud to be the first to use RNA-based therapy (MY-2 in this case) in humans to treat HIV infections in 1997, in collaboration with Pfizer as our strategic corporate partner. During the later part of this period, we developed another drug that has since progressed to pivotal trials and earned FDA Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track Review status after 10 clinical trials in the first 10 years, saving hundreds of American lives through compassionate use. These patients, including infants, suffered life-threatening para-influenza, against which there is no drug or vaccine.