Blaze Bioscience Inc., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Spinoff with ZymoGenetics, Inc. Vet at the Helm, Seeks to "Paint" Tumors

Heather Franklin had a lot to think about in September 2010. She was a senior vice president at Seattle-based ZymoGenetics, when it agreed to be acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb for $885 million. Now that the big company was calling the shots, it was time to think about a new move in her career. Jim Olson, a physician/scientist/entrepreneur at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, sensed opportunity. Franklin’s name kept popping up at local industry events, when he asked people about the best candidates in town to become biotech CEOs. So he started bending her ear over the phone the day of the Zymo-Bristol announcement, September 7, 2010. The message: Here’s a great new technology that can help cancer patients, which needs a seasoned executive like you to help develop it.

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