US experience snapped up by locals

In a flurry of recent announcements, ex-Pfizer scientific director Kevin Fahey has been appointed to the boards of three local set-ups.

The three companies involved are Imugene, where he will serve as chairman of the company's commercialisation and scientific board; Meditech Research as chairman of its scientific advisory committee; and Prima Biomed where he will function as a non-executive director.

Fahey, who was heavily involved in CSIRO viral vector and cytokine research projects more than a decade ago, has returned to Melbourne from the US where he was executive director of biologicals discovery for Pfizer. He then worked in Australia for a year as scientific director, strategic alliances for global R&D, again for Pfizer. He maintains it was this experience with a major pharma, combined with his specialist knowledge, which has made him the darling of the advisory board.

"All these appointments are connected with my time in the States," he said. "That experience allowed me to get a good perspective on the commercialisation of biotech research. What I'm doing [for these companies] is helping to put the package together in a way that will make commercial sense. I used to sit on the other side of the desk so I know what people are looking for."

Although he insisted there was no issue with the timing of the three announcements, he admitted that his recent consultancy work had 'brought him into contact with companies keen to commercialise'.

"My previous work with CSIRO and more recently my time with Pfizer have moved me away from pure academia. These appointments are a reflection of the various companies' keenness to get relevant commercial, real world experience onto their boards," he noted.

He described his work at Imugene as helping to get the product in front of the right people, and noted that he had a special feeling for the company's product, as he had initiated research on vector technology and regarded it as something of a 'loved one'.

"They are at a very interesting stage with their products and need to link up with a big pharma. It's good to be working with them on this," he added.

Fahey emphasised that the appointments were based on commercial objectives, and was at pains to point out that the reality of today's research scene was much more fiscally-driven than it ever has been. He said this was something that all research entities needed to be aware of and responsive to.

"Scientists have to realise the curiosity of science is, or has to be, outweighed by the curiosity of business. They have to meet the market need; they can't let 'pure science' get in the way of a commercial decision if they are to survive," he asserted.

Fahey repeated the old adage that you can design and build the best mousetrap there ever was, but if it doesn't sell then it's a waste of time; it's no good.

"What I'm talking about is not really marketing a product, it's more like defining a particular technology in terms of product opportunities," he said. "My role is to try and get the scientist to stop research, to bring the project to an end.

"We have to think tough. It's not sexy, but we need answers to put in front of the big pharma; to give them availability and stability not just more research."