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Drug Research Aid Not Ready To Roll

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By DAVE SIMANOFF, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2007

TAMPA - SRI International, the Menlo Park, Calif.-based research giant that recently opened an outpost in the Tampa Bay area, could lend its guidance and expertise to scientists developing promising medicines at Florida universities.

But it's probably not going to happen soon.

SRI corporate director Alex Beavers said his organization has other things it needs to achieve in Florida before it will consider replicating its successful PharmaSTART program here. Through PharmaSTART, SRI forged partnerships with pharmaceutical researchers at a handful of northern California universities, including Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley.
PharmaSTART helps researchers test, fund and receive approvals for new drugs, Beavers said.

'A lot of times, the researchers haven't been through these processes before, unless they've been in the industry themselves,' he said.

Beavers spoke Tuesday morning to the Florida Venture Forum, a nonprofit group that helps match startup companies with investors. He also said SRI might expand its Center for Research and Independent Aging from California to Florida in the future.

SRI opened its office in St. Petersburg less than a year ago. It has about 20 employees, and is adding researchers, engineers and experts who know how to turn laboratory advances into commercial gains.

SRI's focus in the Bay area is maritime research and security, nanotechnology, life sciences, energy and the environment, Beavers said.

Other research companies also offer partnerships with research universities, Beavers said. SRI created PharmaSTART to build upon its relationships with its neighboring universities in northern California, Beavers said.

'We're not trying to claim we're unique in doing this,' he said.

Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at (813) 259-7762 or dsimanoff@tampatrib.com.

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