RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. August 30, 2011 – Bank loans and other traditional sources of capital don’t exist for brand new life-science companies, so a low-interest loan program through the North Carolina Biotechnology Center is helping three more get off the ground in the Research Triangle Park area.
CertiRx, of Research Triangle Park, Qualiber, of Chapel Hill, and Zoion Pharma, of Raleigh, have each received the maximum $30,000 in Company Inception Loan funding to help them take care of non-scientific business start-up activities.
CertiRx is developing authentication systems to detect counterfeit products including prescription drugs. Tainted and phony medicines are an increasing problem across the globe, especially in developing countries.
The company founder is microbiologist and pharmaceutical-industry veteran Thomas Mercolino, Ph.D., an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
Qualiber is developing a drug-delivery system based on nanoparticles designed by Leaf Huang, Ph.D., chairman of the Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics at UNC’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
The company’s initial focus is on delivering chemotherapy agents specifically to cancer cells in a way that minimizes side effects, and on delivering a new class of drugs called siRNA to the interior of target cells where the drugs can exert their effects.
The company was founded by Huang and entrepreneur Anil Goyal, Ph.D., who serves as president and CEO.
Zoion Pharma’s founder is former Inspire Pharmaceuticals President Greg Mossinghoff. His new company is developing a treatment for dry-eye disease in dogs, and other veterinary medicines.
CertiRx and Qualiber are also participating in the Biotechnology Center’s Business Acceleration and Technology Out-licensing Network (BATON) entrepreneurial support program.
BATON provides a non-financial business boost to startup companies from consultants such as legal and accounting firms, contract research organizations and a host of other service providers.
The Biotechnology Center is a private, non-profit corporation supported by the N.C. General Assembly. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business, education and strategic policy statewide.
Contact: Robin Deacle, vice president of corporate communications, at robin_deacle@ncbiotech.org or 919-541-9366. Visit the Biotechnology Center’s website at www.ncbiotech.org.
