Ehud Gazit Excellence In Research And Tech Transfer

Prof. Ehud Gazit, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research and Development

Chairman, Ramot Ltd.

Chair of Nano-Biology

[email protected]

From Innovation to Invention

• The prime role of the research university is excellent basic research

• Universities are globally the prime source for innovation and creativity

• Our mission statement is knowledge transfer to the scientific community, industry and the general public

• Technology transfer as specific case of knowledge transfer

The Route to Tech Transfer• Any member of the university staff has the option

– but not the obligation – to file patents to protect intellectual properties

• All patenting activities are handled by the Tech Transfer companies

• The decision to file a patent application is based both of the technology and market analysis

• Faculty member is entitled to part of the commercialization revenues

Options for commercialization

• Licensing of the technology to a large company• Establishment of a start-up companies (equity

equivalents as alternative to licensing payments)

• Technology maturation in the framework of the university (for example the TAU-Tech partnership).

• Sponsored research and options

Faculty member as an entrepreneur

• The inventor is the person with best understanding of the technology

• In case of a licensing to a start-up, there is a need for contribution by the inventor

• We allow the inventor to have an executive position in the founded company (for example Allon Therapeutics and EnStorage)

• Some of the research activities could be conducted at the university

TAU areas of Excellence in Science and Knowledge-

transfer• Drug development – over 20 molecules in the

pipeline

• Electrical engineering and (Bio) MEMS

• Energy and energy storage

• Medical devices and biomedical engineering

• Chemistry and Computer Science

• Films and Arts

TAU new vision of innovation, creativity, and

entrepreneurship• TAU brands itself as a leader in creativity and

innovation – “The Tel Aviv Spirit” • Target players includes faculty members,

staff, and students• With the face to the community – Social

responsibilities interacting with various communities

• Active in MIT forum, networking events, and business-academia interfaces

Ramot at TAU Ltd.

• A private company fully owned by Tel Aviv University

• Chaired by Vice President

• President, Provost and Director General on Board as well as Israeli business leaders

• Professional staff headed by the CEO, oversee business development, IP management, and project management

Success Story #1 ($1.55B deal): SanDisk Completes Acquisition of msystems

msystems acquisition by SanDisk joins together two flash memory leaders with complementary products, customers and channels. Together the combined company will have the people, technology, manufacturing and IP to play a leading role in creating new markets and accelerating the penetration of flash memory into existing storage applications.

x4™ Technology: The Next Level of NAND Flash

Success Story #2 ($1.2B deal): GSK to partner EPIX in search for potential

Alzheimer's treatments

EPIX will receive total initial payments of $35 million, including $17.5 million through the purchase of 3,009,027 shares of common stock. In addition, EPIX will be eligible to earn potential milestones of up to $1.2 billion based on the achievement of certain discovery, development, regulatory and commercial milestones across the four GPCR programs. EPIX will also receive tiered double-digit royalties on sales by GSK of all collaboration-developed product sales.

The TAU-Tech Partnership

• Over $8.5M raised from private investors

• Investment in a basket of 7 technologies

• A major licensing deal with European Pharma company

• Founding of start-up company in energy storage

• Other projects under active BD efforts

• Six of the technologies are still “alive” due to financial buffering

ThankYou