Using state's university as a research tool

Rutgers targets innovative partnerships to generate jobs

TYRX, OF MONMOUTH Junction, was founded about a decade ago to commercialize a polymer technology discovered at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick. Several Rutgers scientists were among the cofounders of Tyrx, which today has 60 people and sales last year of $8 million. The company uses the polymers in drug delivery; in one application, an antibiotic is delivered via polymers to reduce the risk of infection when implanting a pacemaker.

"We are off and running" because of the science developed at Rutgers, CEO Robert White said. "They have been great for us." It can be a challenge to deal with universities: "The issue is communications, and knowing where to go. But we've been with them for so long, that we're very happy with our interactions with the university."

Michael J. Pazzani, vice president for research at Rutgers, is trying to launch more successful collaborations between its faculty and companies like Tyrx - and, in the process, get more innovation out of its labs and into commercial ventures that generate jobs and economic growth for New Jersey.

Rutgers wants to double its corporate research contracts, from $20 million a year to $40 million a year. Rutgers conducts a wide range of company-financed research, from new cranberry varieties to wireless technology and pharmaceuticals. Company-funded research is dwarfed by the $434 million in government research grants Rutgers received last year, which included $330 million in federal grants.

Four months ago, Pazzani launched the Office of Research Alliances, headed by Thomas P. Richardson, "to provide a concierge service for companies," so firms don't have to wander around the university on their own, looking for research, licensing or scientists to recruit, he said.

Richardson said he keeps abreast of Rutgers research to build on success in the lab and help the faculty understand how to work with industry.

Debbie Hart, president of BioNJ, the trade group for the state's biotechnology industry, said Rutgers clearly aspires to become a more convenient partner for companies.

In the past, "doing business with Rutgers was not as easy as it is today," Hart said. "The other side of it is that Rutgers is such a gem, and in many respects it's really a well-kept secret. Many companies are not even aware of how much tremendous research and opportunities to partner that there are right here in New Jersey." She said Pazzani recently became the academic liaison to BioNJ. "Our collective mantra for so many years has been to get more research money into New Jersey, and Pazzani and his team are focused on that."

Glenn Kazo is a Rutgers-trained biochemist who co-founded Enzon Pharmaceuticals in the 1980s with Abe Abuchowski. Both are now at Prolong Pharmaceuticals, a South Plainfield company working on sickle-cell anemia. New Jersey's business climate is "far from great, but the talent pool is one of the best in the country," Kazo said.

Richardson said Rutgers can offer a cost-effective research option for companies "looking to outsource the very risky early R&D to universities."

Pazzani said it's less expensive for firms to deal with Rutgers than to do research in their own labs; as a nonprofit, the university charges what the work costs. "The real upside is, if it's commercialized, the university gets a 2 to 3 percent royalty on the inventions."

The contracts generally are in the rage of $50,000 to $250,000; Pazzani also is looking to garner larger contracts, worth between $1 million and $2 million. And in addition to single-investigator research, Rutgers would like to "facilitate projects that a center or a department needs to do, not just an individual faculty member."

About 75 percent of the contracts are with New Jersey companies, or firms in nearby Pennsylvania or New York. "Even in the days of the Internet, there is nothing like collaborating in person," Pazzani said.

[Sidebar]

Four months ago, Michael J. Pazzani, vice president for research at Rutgers University, launched the Office of Research Alliances, to provide services to companies looking to partner with the university. Pazzani says he is eager to launch more successful collaborations between the school's faculty and the state's companies.

[Sidebar]

"Our collective mantra for so many years has been to get more research money into New Jersey."

Debbie Hart, president, BioNJ

[Sidebar]

Conference for entrepreneurs

A CONFERENCE TO help entrepreneurs gain access to university technology will be held Feb. 2, noon to 3 p.m., at Rutgers University, in Piscataway.The New Jersey Entrepreneurial Network is assembling a panel of technology commercialization experts from Rutgers, Princeton University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Registration information can be found at NJEN.com. - Beth Fitzgerald

[Author Affiliation]

E-mail to: bfitzgerald@njbiz.com