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Christopher Henney is an American immunologist and biotechnology entrepreneur who co-founded Immunex Corp. and Icos Corporation, and led Dendreon Corp. to the development of the first FDA-approved cancer vaccination therapy.
Henney was born in 1941 in Birmingham, England. He was educated at Prince Albert School, King Edward VI School Aston [1] and at the University of Birmingham, where he earned B.Sc 1962 Ph.D[1965] and was awarded D.Sc. for his contributions to the field of immunology in 1972. [2] [3] After postdoctoral studies at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Immunoglobulin Reference Centre in Lausanne Switzerland, he was appointed to the faculty of Johns Hopkins University Medical School[1972-1978],before taking the first chair of Basic Immunology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center ,Seattle in 1978. [4] [5] [6]
Henney,with Steven Gillis and Stephen Duzan co-founded Immunex Corporation in 1980 .Immunex developed Leukine, an agent for the stimulation of white blood cells after chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation The company also developed Enbrel for autoimmune diseases and has proven a particularly important drug for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Immunex was acquired by Amgen Inc in 2002, in what was, at the time ,the financially most important sale in the biotechnology sector [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
In 1989, Henney co-founded Icos Corporation with George Rathman, Amgen co-founder and CEO, and Genetic Systems founder Robert Nowinski .The company developed Cialis for erectile dysfunction and was acquired by Eli Lilly in 2007. [14] [15]
Henney led Dendreon Corp as CEO [1995-2003]and Chairman [1995-2005].Dendreon a cell-based therapy company developed Provenge for the treatment of prostate cancer ,the first FDA-approved cancer vaccine therapy . [16] [17] [18] [19]
Over 40 year period Henney served as chairman for many publicly-held biotechnology companies including: Dendreon, Cyclacel Corp., Cascadian Therapeutics, SGX Pharmaceutics and Anthera Pharmaceuticals and on the board of many others including Immunex, Icos, and Prothena [20]
In 2011, Henney was inducted into the Biotech Hall of Fame. [21]
In 2019, Henney was inducted into the Washington Life Science Hall of Fame. [22]
Etanercept, sold under the brand name Enbrel among others, is a biologic medical product that is used to treat autoimmune diseases by interfering with tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a soluble inflammatory cytokine, by acting as a TNF inhibitor. It has US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is the "master regulator" of the inflammatory (immune) response in many organ systems. Autoimmune diseases are caused by an overactive immune response. Etanercept has the potential to treat these diseases by inhibiting TNF-alpha.
Icos Corporation was an American biotechnology company and the largest biotechnology company in the U.S. state of Washington, before it was sold to Eli Lilly and Company in 2007. It was founded in 1989 by David Blech, Isaac Blech, Robert Nowinski, and George Rathmann, a pioneer in the industry and chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Amgen. Icos focused on the development of drugs to treat inflammatory disorders. During its 17-year history, the company conducted clinical trials of twelve drugs, three of which reached the last phase of clinical trials. Icos also manufactured antibodies for other biotechnology companies.
Amgen Inc. is an American multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. One of the world's largest independent biotechnology companies, Amgen's Thousand Oaks staff in 2022 numbered approximately 5,000 and included hundreds of scientists, making Amgen the largest employer in Ventura County. As of 2022, Amgen has approximately 24,000 staff in total.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), also known as colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2), is a monomeric glycoprotein secreted by macrophages, T cells, mast cells, natural killer cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts that functions as a cytokine. The pharmaceutical analogs of naturally occurring GM-CSF are called sargramostim and molgramostim.
Biocon Limited is an Indian biopharmaceutical company based in Bangalore. It was founded by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw in 1978. The company manufactures generic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that are sold in approximately 120 countries, including the United States and Europe. It also manufactures novel biologics as well as biosimilar insulins and antibodies, which are sold in India as branded formulations. Biocon's biosimilar products are also sold in both bulk and formulation forms in several emerging markets.
Tak Wah Mak, is a Canadian medical researcher, geneticist, oncologist, and biochemist. He first became widely known for his discovery of the T-cell receptor in 1983 and pioneering work in the genetics of immunology. In 1995, Mak published a landmark paper on the discovery of the function of the immune checkpoint protein CTLA-4, thus opening the path for immunotherapy/checkpoint inhibitors as a means of cancer treatment. Mak is also the founder of Agios Pharmaceuticals, whose lead compound, IDHIFA®, was approved by the FDA for acute myeloid leukemia in August 2017, becoming the first drug specifically targeting cancer metabolism to be used for cancer treatment. He has worked in a variety of areas including biochemistry, immunology, and cancer genetics.
Celgene Corporation is a pharmaceutical company that makes cancer and immunology drugs. Its major product is Revlimid (lenalidomide), which is used in the treatment of multiple myeloma, and also in certain anemias. The company is incorporated in Delaware, headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, and a subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS).
Cetus Corporation was one of the first biotechnology companies. It was established in Berkeley, California, in 1971, but conducted most of its operations in nearby Emeryville. Before merging with Chiron Corporation in 1991, it developed several significant pharmaceutical drugs as well as a revolutionary DNA amplification technique.
Sargramostim is a recombinant granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) that functions as an immunostimulator.
Panitumumab, sold under the brand name Vectibix, is a fully human monoclonal antibody specific to the epidermal growth factor receptor.
Dendreon is a biotechnology company. Its lead product, Provenge, is an immunotherapy for prostate cancer. It consists of a mixture of the patient's own blood cells that have been incubated with the Dendreon PAP-GM-CSF fusion protein. Phase III clinical trial results demonstrating a survival benefit for prostate cancer patients receiving the drug were presented at the AUA meeting on April 28, 2009. After going through the approval process, Provenge was given full approval by the FDA on April 29, 2010. Dendreon's stock value fell 66% on August 4, 2011, after abandoning its forecast for its debut drug Provenge.
Brodalumab, sold under the brand name Siliq in the US and Kyntheum in the EU, is a human monoclonal antibody designed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
United Therapeutics Corporation is an American publicly traded biotechnology company and public benefit corporation listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol UTHR. It develops novel, life-extending technologies for patients in the areas of lung disease and organ manufacturing. United Therapeutics is co-headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, with additional facilities in Magog and Bromont, Quebec; Melbourne and Jacksonville, Florida; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Manchester, New Hampshire.
Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. has been a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in South San Francisco, California. The company developed and marketed medicines for the treatment of cancer. Onyx was founded in 1992 by Kevin J. Kinsella and Frank McCormick Ph.D., FRS. McCormick served as the chief scientific officer until 1998, while Kinsella was the firm's chairman. In 2009, the company acquired Proteolix, Inc., a private biotechnology company, for $276 million in cash plus additional milestone payments. In January 2012, the company was named "the top biotechnology takeover target in 2012" through an industry survey. Onyx president and chief executive officer (CEO) Tony Coles had said that Onyx liked its prospects as an independent company and was focused on bringing new therapies to patients. However, at the end of August 2013, Amgen announced it was acquiring Onyx in an agreed $10.4 billion deal.
Enfortumab vedotin, sold under the brand name Padcev, is an antibody-drug conjugate used for the treatment of urothelial cancer. It is a nectin-4-directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate. Enfortumab refers to the monoclonal antibody part, and vedotin refers to the payload drug (MMAE) and the linker.
SOTIO Biotech is a Czech biotechnology company focused on clinical-stage research and development of innovative medicines for cancer with operations in Europe, North America, and Asia. The company has clinical programs which include a superagonist of the immuno-oncology target IL-15, a new generation of potent and stable antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), proprietary technology designed to improve on the efficacy of CAR T therapies and a platform to streamline and enhance personalized cell therapies.
PD-1 inhibitors and PD-L1 inhibitors are a group of checkpoint inhibitor anticancer drugs that block the activity of PD-1 and PDL1 immune checkpoint proteins present on the surface of cells. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are emerging as a front-line treatment for several types of cancer.
Puma Biotechnology is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA.
The Immune Response Corporation (IRC) pioneered immunotherapeutic products. The firm was founded by Jonas Salk and Kevin Kimberlin when Kimberlin, "asked Salk to become lead scientific advisor for a new biotech company specializing in 'anti-idiotypes,' a novel vaccine technology." Salk called the proposal "liberating."
BeiGene is a global biotechnology company that specializes in the development of drugs for cancer treatment. Founded in 2010 by Xiaodong Wang and chief executive officer John V. Oyler, the company has offices in Asia, North America, Australia and Europe. BeiGene has developed several pharmaceuticals, including tislelizumab, a checkpoint inhibitor, and zanubrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
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