The Hamner Institutes For Health Sciences Signs b3bio, Inc.

The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences (www.thehamner.org) has announced that b3bio, Inc. has joined The Hamner Accelerator for Translational Bioscience. The accelerator program provides an opportunity for leaders of emerging companies and academic institutions to access resources at The Hamner while also partnering on research projects and grant funding. To support companies like b3bio, Inc., The Hamner collaborates with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, university business schools and other entrepreneurial programs to facilitate commercialization of new technologies.

Founded in the first quarter of 2007, b3bio is a privately-held biotechnology company with an expertise in the field of RNA therapeutics, a nascent but rapidly developing frontier of biotechnology being touted as the next biotech revolution. The company’s technology platform, which is licensed from Duke University and the University of Texas, is aimed at developing an entirely new class of medicines which employ small RNA molecules to target individual cells and tissues with remarkable precision. It is widely anticipated that if successful, such technology has the potential to attack previously untreated diseases such as cancer, inflammation and infection, as well as improve upon current treatments by reducing unwanted side effects.

The founding partners of b3bio are comprised of executives and world-class scientists with extensive experience in the areas of basic research/discovery, product development, pre-clinical/clinical development, regulatory, finance and business/commercial development.

The founding partners of b3bio are:

• Dani P. Bolognesi, Ph.D.
• Bruce Sullenger, Ph.D.
• Andrew Ellington, Ph.D.
• Robert R. Bonczek

Related Links:
www.thehamner.org

Quotes:
"We are pleased to announce that b3bio has joined our accelerator program," said Rick Williams, chief business officer at The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences. "In the short time that b3bio has been at The Hamner, our two organizations have already developed several opportunities for significant scientific and business development collaborations."

"We are extremely pleased to announce our partnership with The Hamner Accelerator for Translational Science," said Dr. Bolognesi, CEO and chairman of b3bio. "Our overall mission fits well within the fabric of The Hamner and the vision of its CEO, Dr. William Greenlee – that new paradigms are necessary to develop the medicines of the future and that substantial improvements in drug safety is paramount among them."

About The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences:
Located on a 56-acre campus in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences is an independent, nonprofit organization, which conducts translational research with academia, the private sector and government to improve public health and expedite development of new medicines. With the ultimate goal of preventing and curing disease, The Hamner offers an open, collaborative and cross-disciplinary approach to facilitate the use of new molecular biology tools in biomedical research. CIIT, the flagship institute for The Hamner, has been recognized for more than 30 years as a leader in research focused on environmental risk assessment and public health. For more information, please visit www.thehamner.org or call (919) 558-1200.

Keywords:
The Hamner for Health Sciences, The Hamner Accelerator for Translational Bioscience, b3bio Inc., RNA Therapeutics, RNA Molecules, Biotechnology, Drug Safety, New Medicines, Nonprofit, Dr. William F. Greenlee, Dr. Charles E. Hamner, Biomedical, Biotechnology, Research Triangle Park, RTP, Accelerator, Translational Medicine, Dani P. Bolognesi, Robert Bonczek, Bruce Sullenger, Andrew Ellington, Trimeris Inc.

Patty Briguglio
MMI Associates, Inc.
(919) 233-6600
patty@mmimarketing.com
PR Firms Raleigh, NC

(end)