Life Sciences Foundation

Last updated
Life Sciences Foundation
Founded2010 (2010) [1]
Type 501(c)
Focus Biotechnology
Location
Key people
 Arnold Thackray, Founding President and CEO
Website Life Sciences Foundation

Life Sciences Foundation (LSF) was a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that was established in 2011 to collect, preserve, interpret, and promote the history of biotechnology. [2] [3] LSF conducted historical research, maintained archives and published historically relevant materials and information. [2]

Contents

On December 1, 2015, the LSF and the Chemical Heritage Foundation finalized a merger, creating one organization that covers "the history of the life sciences and biotechnology together with the history of the chemical sciences and engineering." [4] [5]

As of February 1, 2018, the organization was renamed the Science History Institute , to reflect its wider range of historical interests, from chemical sciences and engineering to the life sciences and biotechnology. [6] The organization is headquartered in Philadelphia but retains offices in the San Francisco Bay area. [4]

Mandate

The LSF mandate was to collect and promote the history of biotechnology. This includes telling the stories of "scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, managers, executives, and financiers" in order to "humanize" biotechnology to a lay audience. [2] [3] The history of the biotechnology industry includes examining the complex relationships and socio-political dynamics that occur when science and entrepreneurship come together. [7]

History

The idea for a foundation that would collect and share the history of biotechnology came about at a meeting in early January 2009 in San Francisco attended by G. Steven Burrill of Burrill & Company, Dennis Gillings of Quintiles in Durham, NC,, John Lechleiter of Eli Lilly & Co., Henri Termeer, then CEO of Genzyme and Arnold Thackray, founding President and CEO of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) [1] [8] [9]

Five years ago, G. Steven Burrill was part of a small group of biotech leaders who came together to discuss the importance of capturing the great stories and lessons of the biotech pioneers for future generations. From this meeting, the Life Sciences Foundation was formed in 2010.

— Life Sciences Foundation 2014

Thackray had shaped Chemical Heritage Foundation—"the premier institution preserving the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related sciences and technologies." Oral history was one component of the CHF mandate of preserving interpreting, and promoting the history of science. [8] [10]

In 1982 the University of Pennsylvania and the American Chemical Society had launched the Center for the History of Chemistry which was renamed the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) in 1992. [4] Thackray, a Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry, [8] [11] Thackray received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the history of science from Cambridge University. [11]

Thackray argued that before LSF was founded, the recorded history of biotechnology was "fragmented, uneven, and rather paltry." He observed that, "If you don't write your own history, somebody else will do it for you, and they may be hostile." [2]

There is a valuable heritage here. The life sciences will shape the course of the 21st century. We need to preserve their history. We need to teach young people about the world in which they live ... Records are being scattered, memories are fading, stories are disappearing. Once lost, they're gone forever.

— Arnold Thackray

By the end of 2011, LSF's steering committee of industry leaders— Joshua Boger, Robert Carpenter, Bob Coughlin, Henri Termeer and Peter Wirth— were promoting the foundation's work by encouraging scientists and industrialists who were members of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, to contribute potential stories and materials to the archival record of the history of biotechnology in Boston and the surrounding region. [12]

Oral History Program

The Life Sciences Foundation conducted oral history interviews with scientists, entrepreneurs, executives, policy makers, and leaders of thought in the biotechnology industry. [3] LSF's hosts timelines, transcripts and audio recordings and provides links to existing oral histories housed at institutions across the globe. [12]

Archives

Original documentary materials pertinent to the history of biotechnology and the life sciences are being collected. The materials include personal papers and correspondence, donated company records, laboratory notebooks, photographs, video and audio recordings. Collected materials will be guided to permanent repositories in appropriate institutional settings. Electronic reproductions will be made available to scholars, journalists, educators, and the general public in a digital archive. [8]

Publications

LSF historians work on a range of publications including a quarterly magazine, scholarly articles, white papers, and books. These works are intended for multiple audiences and focused on the emergence and evolution of biotechnologies in pharmaceutical discovery and development, agriculture, energy production, and environmental remediation. [8] In October 2011, the University of Chicago Press released Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Life Sciences Foundation historian Sally Smith Hughes. [2] [13]

Board of directors

Founding partners of the Life Sciences Foundation include Burrill, Celgene, John Lechleiter, Genentech, Henri Termeer, Merck & Co., Millennium, Pfizer, Quintiles, and Thermo Fisher. [2] MIT professor, Phillip Sharp, serves as LSF's academic advisor. [2] Its executive and advisory board members are leaders from biotech, venture capital, academic institutions and trade associations. [2]

When Thackray retired in 2012, Heather R. Erickson, 34, was appointed as LSF President and CEO and member of the Board of Directors. [14] Thackray remained as LSF advisor to its scholarly activities. The Board also includes Brook Byers of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in Menlo Park, California, Carl B. Feldbaum of Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) [15] [16] [17] in Washington, DC who replaced Burrill, Frederick Frank of EVOLUTION Life Science Partners in New York, NY, Gillings in Durham, NC, Lechleiter [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] in Indianapolis, IN, Scott Morrison from San Francisco, CA, Ivor Royston, MD, of Forward Ventures in San Diego, CA, Phillip Sharp from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA and Henri Termeer in Cambridge, MA. [25] The first board of directors also included G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill & Company— who also published The Journal of Life Sciences and Joshua Boger, former chairman and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. [2]

Related Research Articles

Genentech, Inc. is an American biotechnology corporation headquartered in South San Francisco, California. It became an independent subsidiary of Roche in 2009. Genentech Research and Early Development operates as an independent center within Roche. Historically, the company is regarded as the world's first biotechnology company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert Boyer</span> American researcher and businessman

Herbert Wayne "Herb" Boyer is an American biotechnologist, researcher and entrepreneur in biotechnology. Along with Stanley N. Cohen and Paul Berg, he discovered a method to coax bacteria into producing foreign proteins, which aided in jump-starting the field of genetic engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert A. Swanson</span> American venture capitalist

Robert "Bob" Swanson (1947–1999) was an American venture capitalist who cofounded the biotechnology giant Genentech in 1976 with Herbert Boyer. Genentech is a pioneer in the field, and it remains one of the leading biotechnology companies in the world. He served as CEO of Genentech from 1976 to 1990, and as chairman from 1990 to 1996.

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The Journal of Life Sciences is a full-color bimonthly American magazine and daily website published in San Francisco since May 2007. Owned by Burrill & Company and the California Healthcare Institute, TJOLS reports on how developments in the life sciences affect society, business, and policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivor Royston</span> Researcher

Ivor Royston is an American oncologist, researcher, scientist, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, recognized for his efforts to develop treatments for multiple disease targets and to fund biotechnology companies with promising science, technology or medicines. He speaks regularly at healthcare conferences and symposia throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

Carl B. Feldbaum is an American author, businessman and lawyer. He co-authored "Looking the Tiger in the Eye" which was awarded the Christopher Medal and was a New York Times Book of the Year in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science History Institute</span> U,S, library, museum, and archive

The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Desmond-Hellmann</span> American oncologist, academic, and nonprofit administrator (born 1958)

Sue Desmond-Hellmann is an American oncologist and biotechnology leader who served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation from 2014 to 2020. She was previously Chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the first woman to hold the position, and Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor, and before that president of product development at Genentech, where she played a role in the development of the first gene-targeted cancer drugs, Avastin and Herceptin.

John C. Lechleiter is an American businessman and chemist. He served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eli Lilly and Company from April 2008 to December 2016. John Lechleiter's successor is David Ricks who assumed the role of president and CEO in January 2017. He is the eldest of nine children of Jeanne and John H. Lechleiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy T. Chang</span> Biochemist

Nancy Tang Chang, née Tang Nanshan, is a biochemist who cofounded Tanox in 1986 to address medical needs in the areas of allergy, asthma, inflammation and diseases affecting the human immune system. Tanox took an innovative approach in developing an asthma drug that focused on the allergy-related basis of asthma, Xolair. In June 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xolair, the first biotech product cleared for treating those with asthma related to allergies. Tanox was also active in the development of TNX-355, an antibody for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. In 2007, Tanox was sold to Genentech for $919 million. Dr. Chang grew Tanox from an idea to a substantial publicly traded company, doing innovative science. Following her success with Tanox, she has become an angel investor in health-care entrepreneurships and performs philanthropic work in community health-education projects.

Hal V. Barron is an American clinician-scientist and drug developer who served as president of research and development at GlaxoSmithKline from March 2018 until 2022, when he resigned in order to join the cellular reprogramming venture Altos Labs in August of that year. Prior to this he served as president of research and development at Calico. He has served as executive vice president, head of global product development, and chief medical officer of Hoffman-La Roche.

The Biotechnology Heritage Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of biotechnology through discovery, innovation, and public understanding. It is presented annually at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) Annual International Convention by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization and the Science History Institute. The purpose of the award is "to encourage emulation, inspire achievement, and promote public understanding of modern science, industry, and economics".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri Termeer</span>

Henri A. Termeer was a Dutch biotechnology executive and entrepreneur who is considered a pioneer in corporate strategy in the biotechnology industry for his tenure as CEO at Genzyme. Termeer created a business model adopted by many others in the biotech industry by garnering steep prices— mainly from insurers and government payers— for therapies for rare genetic disorders known as orphan diseases that mainly affect children. Genzyme uses biological processes to manufacture drugs that are not easily copied by generic-drug makers. The drugs are also protected by orphan drug acts in various countries which provides extensive protection from competition and ensures coverage by publicly funded insurers. As CEO of Genzyme from 1981 to 2011, he developed corporate strategies for growth including optimizing institutional embeddedness nurturing vast networks of influential groups and clusters: doctors, private equity, patient-groups, insurance, healthcare umbrella organizations, state and local government, and alumni. Termeer was "connected to 311 board members in 17 different organizations across 20 different industries" He has the legacy of being the "longest-serving CEO in the biotechnology industry.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Thackray</span> British science historian

Arnold Thackray is an emeritus professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Initially an English chemist, he became an entrepreneurial American. Thackray founded or extended a series of institutions, initially in Philadelphia, then on a wider scale within the History of Science Society (HSS) and through Science History Consultants, and the Life Sciences Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Rastetter</span> American scientist, entrepreneur and venture capitalist

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References

  1. 1 2 "Life Sciences Foundation Appoints Carl Feldbaum as New Board Chair", Life Sciences Foundation via Globe Newswire, San Francisco, July 2, 2014, retrieved July 19, 2015
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Donna Loc (May 1, 2012), Telling the Story of Biotechnology: Life Sciences Foundation Formed to Help People Understand Why Biotech History Matters, vol. 32, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, retrieved July 19, 2015
  3. 1 2 3 Stephanie Fischer (March 6, 2013), Life Sciences Foundation Tells the Story of Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), retrieved July 19, 2015
  4. 1 2 3 "History". Science History Institute. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "CHF and LSF Announce Merger". PR Newswire. Oct 14, 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  6. ↑ Salisbury, Stephan (January 3, 2018). "Chemical Heritage Foundation is morphing into the Science History Institute". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  7. ↑ Related Organizations & State Affiliates, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), nd, retrieved July 19, 2015
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Morrison, Trista (February 2, 2012), "Life Sciences Foundation Looks to Capture History of Biotech", Bioworld, retrieved July 19, 2015
  9. ↑ "About", Life Sciences Foundation, nd, archived from the original on 2014-10-21, retrieved July 19, 2015
  10. ↑ "Center for Oral History", Science History Institute , 31 May 2016, retrieved February 6, 2018
  11. 1 2 "Arnold Thackray". Science History Institute. February 16, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Q&A with Arnold Thackray, President & CEO of the Life Sciences Foundation - News -". Massachusetts Biotechnology Council MassBio (MBC). December 14, 2011. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  13. ↑ Sally Smith Hughes (2011). Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech. University of Chicago Press. p. 232.
  14. ↑ Life Sciences Foundation Names Heather R. Erickson President and CEO of Life Sciences Foundation in San Francisco, CA, Reuters, July 2, 2012, archived from the original on July 21, 2015, retrieved July 19, 2015
  15. ↑ Anna Edney, "Biosciences Defy U.S. Jobs Slump as Research Labs Hire", Bloomberg News, June 19, 2012.
  16. ↑ European Biotechnology Network. "List of European and International Biotech Industry Associations" Archived 2019-01-29 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ "GEN's 30th Anniversary: Biotech Trade Associations", Genetic Engineering News, June 15, 2011.
  18. ↑ Bloomberg BusinessWeek
  19. ↑ The Wall Street Journal
  20. ↑ "Eli Lilly and Company Board of Directors". Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2015-07-19.
  21. ↑ Forbes 2012
  22. ↑ "Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America". Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2015-07-19.
  23. ↑ John C. Lechleiter Joins Nike's Board of Directors Archived 2014-08-07 at the Wayback Machine , Press Release, June 18, 2009
  24. ↑ A Conversation with John Lechleiter Archived 2015-07-22 at the Wayback Machine , Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, April 10, 2012
  25. ↑ "Board of Directors", Life Sciences Foundation, nd, archived from the original on 2014-10-24, retrieved 19 July 2015
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