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A Non-Scientist Newcomer
Lauren Essex wanted to work in brand management after earning a master's degree in management from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She joined Helene Curtis Inc., where she was responsible for nationally advertised consumer brands such as Salon Selectives hair care and Degree antiperspirants. Essex came to San Diego to work for La Costa Products International as its vice president of personal care products.
Lauren Essex, Cosmederm Technologies' vice
president of marketing, finds fulfillment in her work.
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While working for La Costa, Essex learned of the work being done at Cosmederm Technologies. Cosmederm develops and commercializes neurosensory-based technologies for the cosmetic, personal care and pharmaceutical industries. In February of this year Cosmederm was issued a patent to protect its development of Cosmederm-7, a topical product to treat skin irritation such as stinging, burning, itching and/or inflammation due to chemical exposure or other irritating skin conditions.
Essex, who joined Cosmederm seven months ago as vice president of marketing, feels good about the work she is doing. "Cosmederm represents the first really meaningful technology in the personal care products industry," says Essex. "So much of the cosmetics and personal care industry is about appearances rather than efficacy. The claim might be, 'You will look like you have fewer wrinkles,' not, 'You will have fewer wrinkles.'"
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The first commercial use of Cosmederm-7 will be in products developed by corporate partner Collagen Corp. The products will be distributed through doctors' offices.
Changing Careers
Christine Gritzmacher worked as a scientific researcher for 15 years before going to law school. With a doctorate in molecular genetics it was a natural for her to pursue patent law, an area that requires technical expertise in addition to legal training. After graduating from law school in 1994, Gritzmacher was working for a large
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intellectual property law firm when she was approached about becoming an in-house attorney for Gen-Probe. Gen-Probe develops, commercializes and manufactures diagnostic products based on its patented genetic probe technologies. A San Diego success story, it is one of few profitable biotechnology companies in San Diego with more than $80 million in annual sales. It also is one of the region's largest biotechnology companies with 450 employees.
Gritzmacher, who joined Gen-Probe four months ago, finds the biotech environment invigorating and enjoys being close to the process of discovery and development of new products. "A biotech company is much more directed than a research lab," she says. "You have to know what product you want, get that product out and show it works with maximum efficiency."
The setting also is different from a law firm. "When you work in a law firm and spend only a certain portion of your time with any one client you don’t get the full picture of what a company goes through to create a product," says Gritzmacher. "Here at Gen-Probe I get to attend the weekly meetings where the scientists talk about what they are working on."
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As an in-house attorney for Gen-Probe, Christine
Gritzmacher enjoys the biotech field's process of
discovery and development.
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An Industry Veteran
Julie DeMeules, executive director of human resources at Advanced Tissue Sciences, has been with ATS for seven years, close to a lifetime by industry standards. Her outlook for biotech is as positive as that of Essex and Gritzmacher, but her perspective is deeper. "In the early days of biotech you brought the skills you had. For me that was human resources — and you learned the business by digging in. Networking was very important and people were very open because we needed to learn from each other what was working and what wasn’t," says DeMeules.
DeMeules is happy to have played a part in her
company’s growth and success as the executive director
of human resources at Advanced Tissue Sciences.
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Advanced Tissue Sciences is a tissue engineering company which uses a proprietary core technology to develop and manufacture human tissue replacement products. Its first therapeutic product, Dermagraft-TC, recently was approved for marketing by the FDA. With manufacturing facilities up and running, it also is a San Diego success story.
DeMeules sees the San Diego biotech industry as a unique community, still tightly-knit but larger and more competitive now. "It’s like you’re going along, a nice little family of four, and suddenly you have quintuplets," says DeMeules. "San Diego biotech companies are very focused and aware of the issues facing the biotech industry. They are well networked and share a common agenda. It is the kind of community where someone can step in and contribute when they have time. If that’s not possible, due to internal deadlines or pressures, you can count on others to move the agenda forward."
DeMeules is happy to have been part of the growth and success of Advanced Tissue Sciences. "It’s wonderful to have been on the long road with them and see it get this far," she says.
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Biologist And Entrepreneur
First and foremost, Dr. Mang Yu, a biologist, is an entrepreneur — a scientist-entrepreneur. Yu came to the United States from China where he already had obtained a graduate degree. He earned a doctorate in molecular biology at Indiana University and came to San Diego five years ago as a postdoctoral fellow to work in the lab of Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal, a well-known AIDS researcher. "I came from China to pursue the American dream," says Yu. "When
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I came to Dr. Wong-Staal's lab it was with the understanding that I would help to start a company." Yu was later named as scientific co-founder.
That company, founded in 1992, is Immusol Inc., a biotech with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize products based on its core ribozyme gene therapy and gene delivery technologies.
But these days Yu's energies are focused on a new venture: CFY Biomedicals Inc. Founded in December of 1997, the company motto is: "Simple is Beautiful."
"I want to take a different approach," says Yu. "I am an impatient entrepreneur. I want to find simple solutions to major health problems."
While developing a recombinant protein-based drug may not sound simple to the average person, Yu is convinced that he can develop a nasal spray that will prevent as well as treat the common cold. The impetus for the new product came from Yu's young son who suffered from constant cold-induced ear infections.
"I see a rosy future," says Yu. "Especially long-term — after more scientific progress will be made in the field of functional genomics."
The biotech industry in San Diego continues to attract talented, dedicated people. With the help of veterans Mang Yu and Julie DeMeules, and newcomers Lauren Essex and Christine Gritzmacher, the San Diego biotech community is growing and maturing into a significant force in the larger biotech industry. In the years to come, its players should have even brighter stories to share.
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In his work as a scientist-entrepreneur,
Dr. Mang Yu is focused on developing a
nasal spray to treat and prevent the
common cold.
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