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February 23, 2009
Emory ranks 16th in licensing research discoveries revenue

By Holly Korschun

A new report from the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) ranks Emory 16th among universities in revenue received from commercializing research discoveries. In FY07, the year of the most recent report, Emory received nearly $17.7 million in licensing revenue.

In addition to funds received from previously licensed discoveries, the licensing team in Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer transacted a record high 40 new licensing deals in 2007 and launched six new start-up companies.

In fiscal year 2008 Emory transacted 24 licensing deals and launched three new companies. In 2008 Emory received more than $19 million in licensing revenue from drugs, diagnostics, devices and consumer products.

Through fiscal year 2008, Emory had received a total of $760.4 million in licensing revenues, including $540 million in 2005 from future royalty payments from the HIV/AIDS drug Emtriva. At least 42 start-up companies have resulted from licensing Emory discoveries.

“This ranking underscores our team’s ability to ensure that outstanding discoveries from our faculty become available in the marketplace for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, as well as other consumer needs,” says Todd Sherer, director of technology transfer. “Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer helps serve the mission of the University, which includes creating, preserving and applying knowledge in the service of humanity.”

The tech transfer team works with Emory scientists to patent promising discoveries and license them to existing companies or new start-up companies. A portion of the funds received is shared with the Emory inventors and the other portion is returned to the research enterprise to help support future discoveries.

Emory’s robust product pipeline includes more than 50 products in all stages of development and regulatory approval, with 27 having reached the marketplace and 12 more in human clinical trials. The most widely used drugs for HIV/AIDS, diagnostic tests for genetic disorders, drugs for cancer and hemophilia, a technology to improve angioplasty, and imaging software for diagnosing cardiovascular disease are among the many Emory discoveries now commercially available for patients and physicians.

For more information about technology transfer at Emory, including its product pipeline, see www.ott.emory.edu.