BioCrossroads Announces the 2024 Indiana Life Sciences Summit, “Transforming Healthcare: Indiana’s Role in Revolutionizing Diabetes and Obesity Management”
INDIANAPOLIS (July 15, 2024) – BioCrossroads is excited to announce the annual Indiana Life Sciences Summit, scheduled for November 7, 2024, at the Biltwell Event Center in Indianapolis. The Summit will focus on “Transforming Healthcare: Indiana’s Role in Revolutionizing Diabetes and Obesity Management,” highlighting Indiana’s significant impact on healthcare, particularly in the development of GLP-1 therapies, which are revolutionizing diabetes and obesity care, and the opportunities that lie ahead for continued advancement of future therapies. GLP-1 therapies, developed and delivered through the relentless efforts of Indiana’s researchers and companies, have emerged as vital tools in managing obesity and diabetes, offering new hope to millions worldwide.
Nationwide, more than 38 million[1] Americans are living with diabetes, with obesity being linked to as many as 53 percent of new cases of type 2 diabetes each year.[2] In Indiana, more than 12% of the adult population is living with diabetes, with an estimated 31,200 more adults expected to be diagnosed every year,[3] and Indiana’s obesity rate is higher than the national average and has been increasing steadily over the past 20 years. As of 2021, 36.3 percent, more than two-thirds of adults in Indiana were obese and 33.3% were overweight. This places Indiana 12th in the nation for obesity[4]—making the demand for effective solutions even more critical.
“Indiana’s contributions to GLP-1 therapies are also setting new standards in the global fight against obesity and metabolic diseases,” said Vince Wong, CEO of BioCrossroads. “The 2024 Indiana Life Sciences Summit is a compelling platform to highlight the pivotal role Indiana has played in bringing transformative innovation to address some of the most challenging unmet needs in healthcare and to gain insights into future developments that will benefit patients, not only in Indiana, but throughout the world. By bringing together industry leaders, researchers, and patients, we aim to foster collaboration and inspire further breakthroughs in diabetes and obesity care.”
A highlight of the event will be the presentation of the prestigious August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year Award, honoring exceptional contributions to life sciences in Indiana. Named in memory of Dr. August “Gus” Watanabe, a visionary in the industry, this award recognizes outstanding achievements and significant contributions in life sciences.
Secure your front row seat for this impactful discussion. Register now and join BioCrossroads at the 2024 Indiana Life Sciences Summit. For more information and to register, please visit BioCrossroads.
Transforming Healthcare, Indiana’s Role in Revolutionizing Diabetes and Obesity Management
Save the Date: November 7, 2024 Location: Biltwell Event Center, Indianapolis Time: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
About BioCrossroads Established as a catalyst to advance, grow, and invest in Indiana’s life sciences sector, BioCrossroads is an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP). It supports the region’s existing enterprises and encourages new business development. The initiative fosters public-private collaboration by uniting a diverse range of academic, industry, and philanthropic stakeholders, all collectively focused on advancing Indiana’s life sciences sector. Committed to supporting the growth of capital investments and talent development, BioCrossroads provides support to both existing and new life sciences enterprises, including the Indiana Health Information Exchange, OrthoWorx, and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute. BioCrossroads champions the advancement of cutting-edge research and development, plays a crucial role in building and nurturing a robust talent pipeline, and is dedicated to establishing Indiana as a thriving hub for life sciences manufacturing. To learn more about BioCrossroads, visit crossroadshealthventures.com.
Leading by Example: Life Sciences Manufacturing in Indiana
From Development to Delivery: Indiana’s Edge in Life Sciences Manufacturing
Indiana’s heritage in life sciences manufacturing dates back more than 100 years. In 1923, Eli Lilly and Company became the first-ever organization to mass produce insulin for patients living with diabetes—helping change the trajectory of countless lives around the world.
Indiana stands as a leader in manufacturing, drawing envy from states nationwide. Our state leads the nation in pharmaceutical exports and holds the second place in exporting life sciences products. The path ahead is marked by significant opportunities, such as Lilly’s $9 billion manufacturing pledge in Boone County, our pioneering role in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, and Ivy Tech’s recent unveiling of a 4,000-square-foot Biopharma Science and Technology Lab. These developments position Indiana at the forefront of potential growth, provided we maintain our focus and continue to drive forward with unwavering commitment.
Our latest FrameWORX discussion on manufacturing was held before an overflow crowd on June 20 in the Fishers Life Sciences and Innovation District, another Central Indiana community that is booming with life sciences jobs.
Our host, INCOG BioPharma Services, has been around less than five years and recently received FDA approval for a new sterile injectable facility, positioning the company as an emerging contract manufacturing leader. Our other guests – representing diverse organizations such as Lilly, Purdue, IEDC, Langham Logistics, and Stevanato Group – agreed that Indiana’s leadership was underscored by the diverse and engaged crowd that showed up to learn and discuss how we can sharpen our skills.
There’s no finish line when it comes to life sciences manufacturing. Like the rest of the world, technology and customer needs are moving fast: AI, digital twins, and continuous manufacturing are evolving quickly, and Hoosier companies must keep up. Other states want what we have here – but we must keep the conversation going.
Thank you to our expert panelists:
Riccardo Butta, President – Americas, Stevanato Group
Cory Lewis, CEO and President, INCOG BioPharma Services
Brooke Kendzicky, Sr. Director, Global Supply Chain Resiliency & Sustainability, Eli Lilly and Company
Leanne Merriman, Director of Customer Experience, Langham Logistics
Dr. Elizabeth Topp, Director, William D. and Sherry L. Young Advanced Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals Institute
Jessica Tower, VP of Attractions, Indiana Economic Development Corporation
Join us on September 18 for our next FrameWORX, Fueling the Future: Indiana’s Life Sciences Workforce.
Bob Vitoux, president and chief executive officer of OrthoWorx – which works to advance the thriving orthopedic industry in Warsaw – shared a revealing story last week during our May FrameWORX at 16 Tech.
Plug and Play, a leading global innovation platform that connects startups with corporations, governments, and organizations to drive innovation and create mutually beneficial partnerships, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new MedTech office in Warsaw – supporting a community that already is the Orthopedic Capital of the World. Among the dignitaries in attendance was Gov. Eric Holcomb. He told the audience: “Indiana used to be a flyover state. Now, fly over at your own peril.”
Wise words – relevant not only to the growth we’re seeing in Warsaw but across Indiana.
The life sciences are seeing significant traction across the U.S. and Indiana is right in the mix. Life sciences organizations here secured $5.5 billion in capital and investments last year while making a $95 billion contribution to the state’s economy. And key stakeholders, who are playing a crucial role in that growth, joined our May FrameWORX, sharing insights into one of Indiana’s real strengths: our life sciences hubs and collaboration across the Hoosier State.
The hubs were represented by Warsaw, West Lafayette, and Bloomington. Warsaw is a real success story that should make all Hoosiers proud with world-leading orthopedic manufacturers sprinkled across a beautiful community in northeast Indiana. Bloomington and West Lafayette are leveraging unique opportunities with leading universities in their backyards. Indiana University secured $772 million in sponsored research awards in 2023 and is investing $250 million in biosciences – including a $60 million investment into expanded new lab and research space.
In West Lafayette, meanwhile, Purdue has the No. 1 nuclear pharmacy program in the nation and received a record-breaking $613 million in research funding in fiscal year 2023. Lafayette is also third in the U.S. among medium-sized metropolitan areas for drug and pharma employment.
Collectively, our life sciences clusters are advancing Indiana’s workforce, economy, and innovation that help people with needs everywhere. We’ll take another look at our sector on June 20 through the lens of advanced manufacturing and how Indiana is filling important gaps. And we’re taking our show on the road to the Fishers Life Sciences and Innovation District where we’ll visit INCOG BioPharma Services, a state-of-the-art contract development manufacturing organization.
Join us on June 20 for FrameWORX – From Development to Delivery: Our Edge in Life Sciences Manufacturing
BioCrossroads is excited to announce FrameWORX: Innovating Across Indiana: The Strengths of Our Regional Life Sciences Hubs on Wednesday, May 8 at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute.
This event will bring together key experts representing regional innovation hubs across Indiana, showcasing the groundbreaking achievements and future potential of our state’s innovation hubs. They will share insights into the innovation, collaboration, and advancements happening across Indiana’s life sciences ecosystem, thanks to these collective and focused regional efforts.
Speakers will include:
Vincent Jo Davisson, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Amplified Sciences
John Fernandez, Senior Vice President, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, The Mill Bloomington
Jim Lancaster, President, Global Reconstruction Business, Zimmer Biomet
Ben Larson, Director of Manufacturing, Evonik
Eric Munson, Head of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceuticals, Purdue University
Rahul Shrivastav, Executive Vice President and Provost, Indiana University Bloomington
Bob Vitoux, President and CEO, OrthoWorx
FrameWORX: Innovating Across Indiana: The Strengths of Our Regional Life Sciences Hubs
Wednesday, May 8
3:30-5:30 p.m.
Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Indiana has been a leading life sciences manufacturer for many years. Today, we rank third in U.S. exports – and when it comes to pharmaceuticals, no one exports more than the Hoosier State. During the day-long Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Summit on March 7, we learned more about what’s going well – and our potential to succeed in this evolving space.
We partnered with Purdue University, a life sciences champion, to host the event. We heard from big and small organizations alike, and the takeaways were clear:
We are on the right track.
There is nothing more important than developing talent.
We have terrific opportunities ahead of us.
Enhancing Indiana’s manufacturing ecosystem is one of the four pillars in the life sciences strategy for Indiana and we’re seeing evidence that Indiana’s leadership is diverse. Eli Lilly and Company, with more than a century of manufacturing experience, is investing $3.7 billion in the LEAP District in Boone County, Indiana, producing 700 new jobs to support the company’s growing portfolio of products. This is above and beyond its 21 sites around the world and 55 contract manufacturers, including some here in Indiana.
And our radiopharmaceuticals sector is booming. We saw $200 million in facility investments in Indiana in 2023 and $7 billion in acquisitions. Kevin Haehl, chief development officer at Nucleus RadioPharm, put it best: Indiana is positioned to advance from a “leader” to a “center of excellence” thanks to our centralized location and logistics know-how, our medical infrastructure, our workforce, and our leading universities – notably Purdue with the largest nuclear pharmacy program in the nation.
We also heard from FDA and industry experts about meaningful advances, such as continuous manufacturing of biologics, and digital twin/AI technology to improve production capabilities.
With those technologies representing the future of manufacturing, how does Indiana move to the next level? Advanced technology requires well-trained, highly skilled workers, and wheels are in motion: Lilly has significant investments in scholar programs with both Purdue and Ivy Tech, and BioTrain – coming from our designation as a Tech Hub – is planned at 16 Tech, providing infrastructure and learning opportunities for those pursuing careers in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The life sciences industry will always be hyper-competitive. There is no such thing as a finish line when it comes to this work, but we have the tools to lead the race.
Released in early January 2024, the Strategy was crafted in collaboration with TEConomy Partners and provides a framework for transforming Indiana’s life sciences landscape, focusing on four pivotal areas:
Fostering research and development and innovation
Enhancing the state’s life sciences manufacturing ecosystem
Boosting Indiana’s life sciences talent and workforce
Supporting connections and outreach across the sector
The first FrameWORX of 2024 is Igniting an Industry: Indiana’s Life Sciences Strategy and will take place on March 13 at 3:30 p.m., with networking from 5:00-5:30 p.m.
Additional 2024 FrameWORX events:
May 8 – Innovating Across Indiana: The Strengths of Our Regional Life Sciences Hubs
June 20 – From Development to Delivery: Indiana’s Edge in Life Sciences Manufacturing
September 18 – Fueling the Future: Indiana’s Life Sciences Workforce
December 4 – Nuclear Medicine: Indiana’s Future in Life Sciences
These events are open to the public and there is no cost to attend, although registration is required for each date.
FrameWORX was established by BioCrossroads as an educational and networking platform to fuel growth, learning, and connectivity within Indiana’s thriving life sciences ecosystem. These events provide a hub for engaging thought leaders, offering diverse viewpoints, and fostering enhanced collaboration among the state’s research institutions, philanthropic organizations, and enterprises.
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 9, 2023) — The BioCrossroads Board of Directors today named Bruce T. Lamb, PhD, as the recipient of the 2023 August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year Award. Lamb is the executive director of the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at Indiana University School of Medicine and co-director of the Neurosciences Institute, a partnership between Indiana University Health and IU School of Medicine.
The prestigious honor, named in tribute to BioCrossroads’ late Chairman August Watanabe, was given to Lamb at today’s Indiana Life Sciences Summit in recognition of his globally significant research into the causes of and potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease as well as his many years of advocacy to increase research funding and raise awareness for challenges the disease brings to families and caregivers.
“As we were planning our 2023 Life Sciences Summit, which focuses on Indiana’s globally significant work related to Alzheimer’s disease, one name kept coming up as the catalyst or force behind much of the progress being made: Dr. Bruce Lamb,” said Dan Peterson, chair of the BioCrossroads Board of Directors. “It was clear who had earned our annual Watanabe award.”
More than 6 million Americans 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease, and the number of Hoosiers with Alzheimer’s is expected to increase 18 percent between 2020 and 2025. Several Indiana researchers and thought leaders are on the forefront of the battle to find a cure for people living with Alzheimer’s, as well as to support those who care for them. The Summit brought dozens of leaders, including Lamb, together to discuss how work being done in Indiana is contributing significantly to progress in both areas.
Lamb, an IU Distinguished Professor, oversees Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, a collaborative team of more than 100 faculty investigators from IU with a collective $75 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in nine research interest groups—addiction, neurodegenerative disorders, neurodevelopment, advanced imaging, ocular neurobiology, pain, psychiatric disorders, spinal cord and brain injury, and stem cell research. In 2010, when funding for Alzheimer’s research was challenging, he and the Alzheimer’s Association recruited 60 Alzheimer’s researchers from across the country to participate in a relay-style bicycle ride spanning 4,500 miles from San Francisco to Capitol Hill. Along the way, they collected 110,000 signatures from Americans who wanted to see more research funding for Alzheimer’s disease. Since that time, federal funding for Alzheimer’s research has increased more than 700 percent.
Among Lamb’s achievements:
Overseeing the growth and development of the Alzheimer’s disease research program at the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at Indiana University School of Medicine that since Lamb’s arrival in 2016 has grown from approximately $15 million to greater than $70 million today. In 2021, the school received the fourth most funding in the United States from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the largest branch for Alzheimer’s disease research within the NIH.
Leading the Model Organism Development and Evaluation for Late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease (MODEL-AD) Consortium, which received a five-year, $48.8 million grant renewal from the NIA to research treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The latest funding is a renewal of the original grant program worth $35.8 million. This funding established a unique collaboration between the IU School of Medicine, Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, the University of Pittsburgh and Sage Bionetworks to develop mouse models with genetic mutations similar to those responsible for Alzheimer’s disease in humans and to perform pre-clinical testing with promising therapeutics.
Collaborating with researchers from Purdue University to lead the Target Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for Alzheimer’s Disease (TREAT-AD) drug discovery center, which is funded by a five-year, $36 million grant from the NIA to discover new therapeutic targets and drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and accelerate development of new treatments.
Together with Alan Palkowitz and Tim Richardson of the TREAT-AD Center and Derek Small of Luson Bioventures, launched the Indiana biotechnology company Monument Biosciences, which seeks to leverage exciting discoveries from the TREAT-AD Center and the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute into new therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s disease.
Leading a recent groundbreaking, collaborative study that shed new light on the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease. The study’s paramount importance explains the critical role of microglial immune responses and their potential to impact disease risk, positively or negatively. This discovery promises to reshape the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and carve a path toward targeted therapeutics.
Lamb began his professional career at Case Western Reserve University and also served at the Cleveland Clinic. He joined IU School of Medicine as executive director of the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute in 2016. His laboratory works on basic and translational science of Alzheimer’s disease, with a focus on animal models of Alzheimer’s disease, discovery of new therapeutic targets, the role of immune pathways in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and the role of traumatic brain injury as an environmental modifier for the development of Alzheimer’s pathologies. In 2020, Lamb became co-director of the IU School of Medicine-IU Health Neuroscience Institute, which combines clinical care, research and education across all areas of neuroscience.
Lamb is actively involved in advocacy for increased research funding for the disease and has received multiple honors including the National Civic Award and the Zaven Khachaturian Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alzheimer’s Association. He is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He serves on the Alzheimer’s Association Board of Directors and chairs the organization’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Group, while also serving on the Indiana chapter board.
Lamb received his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania prior to a post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.
Read about previous August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year award winners here.
About BioCrossroads: BioCrossroads, is the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s (CICP) initiative to grow, advance and invest in the life sciences. It is a public-private collaboration that supports the region’s existing research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business development. BioCrossroads invests capital and provides support to life sciences businesses, launches new life sciences enterprises (including the Indiana Health Information Exchange, OrthoWorx and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute,) expands collaboration and partnerships among Indiana’s life science institutions, promotes science education and markets Indiana’s life sciences industry.
INDIANAPOLIS (October 16, 2023) – BioCrossroads today announced the agenda for its 2023 Life Sciences Summit, which will focus on Indiana’s leadership role in research and medical advances related to Alzheimer’s disease as well as in helping people who live with Alzheimer’s and caregivers manage the disease that affects more than 6 million Americans – including about 110,000 Hoosiers.
“Our annual summits have always offered meaningful insights, but this year we are pleased to focus on how Indiana researchers and care-focused organizations are involved in globally significant advances that could provide life-altering change for so many people,” said Jane Dunigan-Smith, BioCrossroads’ senior vice president and chief strategy officer. “The hard work so many Hoosiers have put into the battle against Alzheimer’s disease is coming to realization, and we are proud to offer a forum that showcases it.”
Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indianapolis Chapter Executive Natalie Sutton said the summit is an opportunity to raise awareness of the many developments in Indiana that have been made and will soon be helping to improve thousands of lives.
“People with Alzheimer’s live with physical, social and financial challenges that upend their lives and introduce an element of fear and uncertainty that exacerbates the underlying diagnosis,” she said. “This gathering will underscore how the state’s life sciences community is making a true difference for Hoosiers and people around the world who live with this disease and for those who fear they may one day face it. I think they’ll leave with a measure of hope that solutions – or at least significant advances in care – are on the horizon.”
Among the accomplishments to be discussed at the summit:
The latest news regarding Alzheimer’s drug development from Eli Lilly and Company, Roche Diagnostics and other Indiana-based pharmaceutical companies.
How a care model developed in Indiana for families dealing with Alzheimer’s patients is spreading across the country and giving caregivers necessary support.
News reporters focused on Alzheimer’s disease and healthcare are encouraged to attend the day-long summit on Thursday, November 9, 2023, at the Mavris Event Center in Indianapolis. See the full agenda here.
The summit begins at 9:30 a.m. and closes around 4 p.m. after the announcement of the annual BioCrossroads Watanabe Award recipient. In between, participants will hear about promising research and medicines for people living with the disease, insights from a resident of Central Indiana who lives with Alzheimer’s disease, caregivers and advocates who provide important support systems. They include:
Bruce Lamb, executive director of the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at the IU School of Medicine
Phyllis Ferrell global head Alzheimer’s external engagement at Eli Lilly and Company
Maria Carrillo, the chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Association
Alan Palkowitz, M.D., president and CEO at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Dawn Brooks, global business development leader for Alzheimer’s at Eli Lilly and Company
Tatiana Foroud, executive associate dean for research affairs at the IU School of Medicine
Cristian Lasagna-Reeves, PhD, director of Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Group at the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute
Russell Barton, chief operating officer, Acumen Pharmaceuticals
Natalie Sutton, chapter executive at the Alzheimer’s Association of Indiana
John Dwyer, president of the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Association
About BioCrossroads
BioCrossroads, is the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s (CICP) initiative to grow, advance and invest in the life sciences. It is a public-private collaboration that supports the region’s existing research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business development. BioCrossroads invests capital and provides support to life sciences businesses, launches new life sciences enterprises (including the Indiana Health Information Exchange, OrthoWorx and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute,) expands collaboration and partnerships among Indiana’s life science institutions, promotes science education and markets Indiana’s life sciences industry.
Nora Doherty Recognized as 2022 Watanabe Life Sciences Champion for Strategic and Meaningful Impact on Indiana’s Life Sciences Industry
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 22, 2022) — BioCrossroads’ Board of Directors today named former executive vice president of strategy of BioCrossroads and managing director of the Indiana Seed Funds, Nora Doherty, as the recipient of the 2022 August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year Award. The prestigious honor, named in tribute to BioCrossroads’ late Chairman August Watanabe, was given to Doherty at today’s Indiana Life Sciences Summit and 20th Anniversary CELLebration.
Some of Doherty’s most significant achievements included developing a market for Indiana’s life sciences start-ups, including forming and managing funding mechanisms, engaging with universities and start-ups, and organizing new enterprises.
Recognizing the need for early stage or seed stage capital, BioCrossroads, began a Seed Fund program in 2005, with Doherty as Manager; followed by Fund II in 2012; and Fund III in 2018. These three Indiana Seed Funds, totaling $24.25 million, have invested in 32 life sciences start-ups since 2006. Those companies have gone on to raise an additional $796 million, more than 33 times BioCrossroads’ initial investment. In addition to returns to investors, the Funds have succeeded in unlocking considerable new (and lasting) entrepreneurial activity and talent, spurred the participation of significant additional investors and forged invaluable relationships with Indiana’s research universities, the State of Indiana and national venture capital firms.
In addition, Doherty has guided dozens of start-up companies with her advice, wisdom, and connections. She has also served on advisory committees for the Indiana Future Fund ($73M), INext ($58M), and Next Level Fund ($250M).
“Nora’s work with start-ups encouraged deep relationships with our research institutions, especially Indiana and Purdue universities, bringing some of their innovations to market. It has also led to productive collaborations between industry and academia,” said Patty Martin, president and CEO of BioCrossroads. “She is incredibly well regarded by many of the leading scientists and start-up CEOs in the state, as well as venture capital fund managers across the country. She was instrumental in putting Indiana’s life sciences entrepreneurial ecosystem on the map.”
In addition to BioCrossroads’ capital strategy, Doherty’s strategic insight over two decades has driven a number of successful research projects that helped identify a collective response to a changing environment, including the launch of the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (2012) and activation of 16 Tech (2015).
Doherty’s impact is evident through the management of a research report that turned into an actionable and impactful project — Analytix Indiana. She conceptualized and facilitated the 2020 TEConomy Partners study titled Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics in Indiana: An Initial Discussion of Industry Needs and University Capabilities. This study supported the creation of Analytix Indiana, an initiative to support the recruitment of academic talent, foster corporate and academic collaboration, create significant data assets to support both life sciences and advanced manufacturing, and establish an Indianapolis-based common place for university and industry engagement at the 16 Tech Innovation District.
Doherty has always had a strong entrepreneurial mindset. Prior to her work at BioCrossroads, she was a co-founder, vice president of operations and vice president legal, human resources and administration, and corporate secretary with Indianapolis-based Escient Technologies.
“It is difficult, if not impossible, to capture the full impact of Nora’s initiative, intellect and leadership on Indiana’s life sciences sector,” remarked Martin. “She has tirelessly, often from behind the scenes, ensured that ideas were activated and results achieved.”
Previous August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year award winners include:
Leonard Betley, retired chairman, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation
Richard DiMarchi, Standiford H. Cox professor of Chemistry and the Linda & Jack Gill chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University. Co-founder of Ambrx, Inc., Marcadia Biotech, Calibrium, MB2 and MBX
Dane A. Miller, founder of Biomet
Bill Cook, founder of Cook Group
Lilly Endowment, under the leadership of Chairman Thomas Lofton
Phillip Low, Ralph C. Corley distinguished professor of Chemistry and director of the Purdue Center for Drug Discovery—Biochemistry, co-founder of Endocyte and On Target Laboratories
Bill Eason, founder of Bio-Dynamics, predecessor to Roche Diagnostics
John Lechleiter, former chairman, president and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company
John Swisher, founder of JBS United
Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department
Anantha Shekhar, former executive associate dean for research affairs at the IU School of Medicine
Clem McDonald, chief health data standards officer of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Harvey Feigenbaum, “Father of Echocardiography” (Echo), distinguished professor, Indiana University School of Medicine.
Pete Kissinger, Purdue University professor and founder of Inotiv
INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 13, 2021) — BioCrossroads’ Board of Directors named educator, innovator and researcher Dr. Peter Kissinger as the recipient of the 2021 August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year Award. The prestigious honor, named in tribute to BioCrossroads’ late Chairman August Watanabe, was given to Dr. Kissinger at today’s Indiana Life Sciences Summit. His research has helped patients around the world, and his leadership has contributed to the Indiana life sciences community.
An academic, researcher and entrepreneur, Dr. Kissinger is highly recognized for his pioneering work in sophisticated techniques for drug development. He taught at Purdue University for more than 40 years, influencing thousands of students.
He has helped guide multiple startup companies, including Prosoila, Phlebotics, Animated Dynamics, and Tymora Analytical. Kissinger teams have enabled painless sampling of laboratory animals that both sped up drug development and reduced the numbers of animals required.
In 1974, Dr. Kissinger founded Bioanalytical Systems, Inc., recently rebranded and formally renamed Inotiv, Inc., headquartered in West Lafayette, IN. Inotiv conducts contract preclinical research to support FDA filings and develops instruments and procedures for pharmacology research. It was the first life sciences business in the Purdue Research Park to go public. Kissinger quickly became involved in planning the park itself, where he also co-founded with the Purdue Research Foundation a business incubator called INventure. This was likely the first university-affiliated new business incubator in Indiana.
Inotiv has grown into a leading publicly traded contract research services and instruments provider to the pharmaceutical industry with more than 300 Indiana employees. Inotiv now has operations in Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, and Colorado. Inotiv recently announced the acquisition of Envigo, a leading global provider of research models and services based in Indianapolis. Upon completion, the combination will add additional operations in the USA and Europe.
“The Indiana life sciences landscape would look much different without Peter Kissinger,” said Patty Martin, president and CEO, BioCrossroads. “He is a leader, teacher, mentor, scientist, innovator, and entrepreneur. Dr. Kissinger has been teaching and training tomorrow’s scientists at Purdue University since 1975 and at the same time demonstrating an amazing ability for turning scientific research into commercial success. “
Dr. Kissinger was a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Indiana Heartland region for 2001 and 2002 and is a recipient of the Outstanding Commercialization Award for Purdue University Faculty. He received a Sagamore of the Wabash in 2019 as well as Purdue’s Wetherill Medal, established to recognize outstanding efforts in service and outstanding teaching and scholarship by its members.
He has served on company and nonprofit boards, including the Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council (IMDMC) and the Indiana Health Industry Forum (IHIF). He is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has published more than 240 peer-reviewed scientific papers.
Dr. Kissinger is focused on better data for better decisions in preclinical and clinical pharmacology. The data come from valid samples, methods, and instrumentation that few patients will ever see. He notes that “we don’t discover new drugs. Our role is in development, where safety and efficacy in the clinic are the ultimate objectives. We’ve provided support for many successful pharmaceuticals across multiple therapeutic areas for four decades. You won’t see our name at Walgreens or CVS. That’s OK.”
BioCrossroads presents the Watanabe Award annually to an individual or organization that has made or enabled unique achievements in the development of Indiana’s life sciences and healthcare research, clinical, educational or economic advancement.
Dr. Kissinger joins an impressive list of previous August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year award winners, including:
Leonard Betley, retired chairman, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation
Richard DiMarchi, Standiford H. Cox professor of Chemistry and the Linda & Jack Gill chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University. Co-founder of Ambrx, Inc., Marcadia Biotech, Calibrium and MB2.
Dane A. Miller, founder of Biomet
Bill Cook, founder of Cook Group
Lilly Endowment, under the leadership of Chairman Thomas Lofton
Phillip Low, Ralph C. Corley distinguished professor of Chemistry and director of the Purdue Center for Drug Discovery—Biochemistry, co-founder of Endocyte and On Target Laboratories
Bill Eason, founder of Bio-Dynamics, predecessor to Roche Diagnostics
John Lechleiter, former chairman, president and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company
John Swisher, founder of JBS United
Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Department of Public Health
Anantha Shekhar, former executive associate dean for research affairs at the IU School of Medicine
Clem McDonald, chief health data standards officer of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Harvey Feigenbaum, “Father of Echocardiography” (Echo), distinguished professor, Indiana University School of Medicine.
About BioCrossroads
BioCrossroads (www.crossroadshealthventures.com) is Indiana’s initiative to grow, advance and invest in the life sciences, a public-private collaboration that supports the region’s existing research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business development. BioCrossroads invests capital and provides support to life sciences businesses, launches new life sciences enterprises (Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, 16 Tech, Indiana Health Information Exchange, and OrthoWorx ), expands collaboration and partnerships among Indiana’s life science institutions, promotes science education and markets Indiana’s life sciences industry.
