WISTAR SCIENCE in the WORLD ANNUAL REPORT 20 07 112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 2
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112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 1 MAKING AN IMPACT WISTAR SCIENCE IN THE WORLD ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL 20 07 112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 2 Products developed from Wistar science are protecting the lives of children and adults in the United States and across the globe. 112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 3 Every lifesaving medical advance – every new medicine, vaccine, or diagnostic test – starts with a question. How can this disease be treated? How can we protect against infection by this virus? How can we detect this illness sooner? Questions like these drive the work of the scientists at The Wistar Institute. But finding answers is just the first step in helping people to live longer, healthier lives. This is the story of how Wistar’s scientific breakthroughs have touched lives all over the world – and the exciting research that offers new hope for the future. 112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT hances are that Wistar science has touched your life. The “MMR” shot you received as a toddler included Wistar’s vaccine against rubella, along Cwith vaccines against measles and mumps. Thanks in part to Wistar, people living in the United States and other industrialized nations have little to fear from rabies. And babies born today in the United States and many other countries will receive a rotavirus vaccine co-developed by Wistar researchers that will protect them from a potentially deadly gastrointestinal illness. Wistar’s focus on cancer research has contributed to new and better cancer drugs, as well as a diagnostic test for breast cancer patients. Therapies based on Wistar’s work are showing promise in the treatment of other serious diseases as well. The impact of Wistar’s research has been felt worldwide – in lives saved, suffering avoided, and knowledge gained. Wistar is dedicated to basic research – investigation driven by a researcher’s interest in a fundamental scientific question. But Wistar also works to ensure that its scientific breakthroughs benefit people in need, from a child facing disease in a developing country to a cancer patient desperate for better treatments. That’s why the Institute has been partnering for decades with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies that can turn its scientific advances into products such as vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic tests. Wistar’s efforts to commercialize its inventions produce other benefits as well. Through my work with the CEO Council for Growth, an affiliate of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, I have come to appreciate the critical role of technology transfer – the process of moving a discovery from a laboratory into commercial development – in growing the economy. In fact, a recent report, commissioned by the council, identified technology transfer as the key to Philadelphia realizing its potential as one of the nation’s great centers of economic development. Commercialization activities can generate start-up companies, attract venture capital investment, and stimulate job growth. Even more importantly, Wistar’s research contributes to another vital resource: knowledge. Our scientists distribute their findings through conferences and publications, contributing immeasurably to the work of other researchers in academic and industry labs. None of this progress would be possible without the support of the many generous Wistar friends and donors who recognize the importance of the Institute’s mission and embrace it as their own. In these pages, you will learn how Wistar’s research has improved public health. You will read about the dedicated Wistar scientists who are making inroads in the battle against deadly diseases. You will meet the people who are making a difference in the lives of others, both inside the lab and out. The vision, dedication, and determination of these individuals will continue to lead us to new discoveries – and new hope. Russel E. Kaufman, M.D. President and CEO 112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Journey of a Discovery: Working to Benefit Public Health . 4 In the Making: An Early Warning of Lung Cancer . 6 Looking Back: A Legacy of Impact . 8 On the Horizon: Targeting a Killer Enzyme . 10 The Year in Review: Scientific Highlights . .12 The Year in Review: The Institute at a Glance . .15 Looking Ahead: Finding New Hope Against Cancer . .16 Letter from the Chair . .19 Cumulative Giving . 20 Leroy Kean: Investing in Results . 21 Annual Giving . 23 Rich Beston: A Survivor’s Story . 25 Scientific Staff . 31 Administrative Staff . 32 Volunteer Leadership . inside back cover 112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 6 JOURNEY OF A DISCOVERY WORKING TO BENEFIT PUBLIC HEALTH WISTAR WORKS TO MAKE SURE ITS SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES BENEFIT THOSE IN NEED—AND THAT TAKES FUNDING, PERSISTENCE, AND COLLABORATION. istar’s mission is to improve global public health through its scientific achievements. But a discovery that takes place in a Wistar laboratory is just the first step in that process. WLong before many peer organizations, Wistar began to seek out industry partners who could develop the Institute’s research into medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic tests that could benefit the public. “We want our scientific advances to improve the health of people worldwide, and we have a proud track record of making that happen,” says Russel E. Kaufman, M.D., Wistar’s president and CEO. “We make it a priority to get our inventions into the commercial sector so they can benefit the people who really need them.” From the lab to the clinic The path from the laboratory to your doctor’s office or medicine cabinet begins with an idea that a scientist wants to pursue. At this stage, funding is crucial.Without support from the government, foundations, and private donors, even the most promising project cannot get off the ground. Once scientists receive funding, begin their experiments, and gather results, the process of transforming research advances into new products can still take many years. “When you’re talking about early-stage research becoming a product in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology area, there is a huge lag,” says Meryle J. Melnicoff, Ph.D., director of business development at Wistar. “That’s one of the reasons we need to support early-stage research. It takes a lot of years, a lot of hard work, and a lot of money to bring these things to the market.” Take the rotavirus vaccine co-developed at Wistar. Research on the project began in the 1980s, but the vaccine wasn’t approved for use until 2006. (See the timeline on pullout pages at right.) That “lag” occurred in part because of the need to conduct extensive safety and efficacy studies on the vaccine. The journey of a discovery is also a story of collaboration. After Wistar researchers make discoveries that have the potential to help people, the Institute partners with organizations such as phar- maceutical and biotechnology companies that have the resources and expertise to further develop the technology and bring it to market. “Our commercial partners play an essential role in delivering the benefits of our research to the public,” Melnicoff says. “We work actively to build and sustain these relationships so that our research has the greatest possible impact.” 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2007 112798W1 5/30/08 1:33 AM Page 7 FAST FACTS • Funding from the government, foundations, and private donors helps research projects get off the ground. • Wistar was a pioneer in working with industry to deliver the benefits of research to the public. and • Developing a research discovery into a new drug, vaccine, or diagnostic test can take 10 to ex-smokers 20 years or longer. • Collaborations between Wistar in the and industry help to drive regional economic growth by creating jobs. United States.” < < LIFT PAGE FOR TIMELINE. 112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 9 ROTAVIRUS BIRTH OF A VACCINE A STORY OF PATIENCE AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPING A SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE INTO A NEW DRUG, VACCINE, OR DIAGNOSTIC TEST CAN TAKE 10 TO 20 YEARS OR LONGER. THAT TIME IS SPENT ON RESEARCH, COLLABORATION, AND TESTING. THE ROTAVIRUS VACCINE CO-DEVELOPED AT WISTAR WAS NO EXCEPTION. Wistar scientists Stanley A. Wistar files the first patent Wistar and CHOP partner Plotkin, M.D., and H. Fred application on a promising with a major pharmaceutical Clark, D.V.M., Ph.D., begin early vaccine prototype. company to continue clinical research on a rotavirus development of the vaccine. vaccine. They are joined by Paul A. Offit, M.D., of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, launching a Wistar/CHOP collaboration that continues throughout the research project. H. Fred Clark, D.V.M.,Ph.D., right, Stanley A. Plotkin, M.D., Wistar adjunct professor, Wistar professor emeritus research professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Paul A. Offit, M.D., left, Wistar adjunct professor, chief of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia . 1980 1985 1991 . 112798W1 5/30/08 1:17 AM Page 10 ABOUT ROTAVIRUS Rotavirus causes severe dehydration illness in infants and young children. It infects virtually all American children by the time they reach age 5, causing some 250,000 emer- gency room visits and 70,000 hospitalizations annually. In the developing world, where medical facilities are limited, the infection kills 600,000 infants and children each year. Major clinical trials are After the vaccine is proven The rotavirus vaccine is In addition to being widely launched to assess the safe and effective, the phar- approved for use by the used in the United States, vaccine’s safety and efficacy. maceutical company FDA and becomes part of the rotavirus vaccine has In the largest vaccine trial applies to the Food and the recommended vaccine been launched in 47 other ever performed by a phar- Drug Administration for schedule for all U.S.