Trimeris Co-Founder, AIDS Pioneer Dani Bolognesi Launches New Venture

Research Triangle Park, N.C. — Dani Bolognesi, the Trimeris co-founder who was forced out of the biopharmaceutical firm last March, is back in business with a new venture.

And The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences is giving him a boost.

Bolognesi has teamed up with Robert Bonczek, who was forced out as chief financial officer at Trimeris (Nasdaq: TRMS) in the same shakeup, to form b3bio, Inc.

Also joining the firm are Bruce Sullenger and Andrew Ellington.

“We are extremely pleased to announce our partnership with The Hamner Accelerator for Translational Science,” Bolognesi, who is CEO and chairman of b3bio, said in a statement. “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 improvement in drug safety is paramount among them.”

The startup, which was formed last fall, will be housed at the Hamner’s new business incubator called the Hamner Accelerator for Translational Bioscience.

The focus of b3bio is RNA therapeutics, and the company is using a technology platform licensed from Duke University and the University of Texas. Bolognesi taught at Duke, where his pioneering work in AIDS research led to the HIV drug Fuzeon that Trimeris sells internationally in partnership with Roche.

In addition to his CEO role, Bolognesi served as Trimeris’ chief scientific officer. Bolognesi has been a pioneer in AIDS research.

Bolognesi helped launched Trimeris in 1993. Fuzeon received FDA approval in 2003.

Research done by Bolognesi and Dr. Tom Matthews, Trimeris' other co-founder, when they were at Duke led to Fuzeon, which was first called T-20. It is a new kind of drug, a fusion inhibitor. They determined that part of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, could be used to prevent viral reproduction through viral fusion.

In 2004, Bolognesi stepped aside as CEO, but he returned to the job in 2006 as Trimeris struggled toward profitability.

As part of The Hamner incubator, b3bio will receive work and laboratory space as well as access to Hamner researchers. The startup is the second added to the incubator. BioMedonics was added last month.

“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.”

Career Highlights

Highlights of the b3bio founders as provided by The Hamner and the company:

Dani P. Bolognesi, Ph.D.

• Pioneer in AIDS Research
• Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of b3bio, Inc.
• Co-Founder, and past CEO and Chief Scientific Officer for Trimeris, Inc.
• Long-Standing Scientific career spans three decades
• Held positions at Duke University including: James B. Duke Professor of Surgery, Professor of Microbiology/Immunology, Vice Chairman for Research and Development, Department of Surgery and Director of the Duke University Center for AIDS Research
• He and his team contributed to the first anti-HIV drug known as AZT, the establishment of a central laboratory supporting all HIV-vaccine clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, and the identification of the HIV protein targeted by fusion-inhibitor drugs.
• Holds a Doctoral degree in Virology from Duke University

Bruce Sullenger, Ph.D.

• One of Duke University’s most prominent and well-regarded scientists
• Graduate work established the concept of therapeutic RNA ligands for inhibiting HIV replication
• Current Director of the Duke Translational Research Institute
• Joseph and Dorothy Beard Professor of Experimental Surgery and Chief of the Division of Experimental Surgery at Duke University
• Co-founder of Regado Biosciences and past Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board
• Co-founder of Argos Therapeutics, Inc.

Andrew Ellington, Ph.D.

• One of the most prominent scientists at the University of Texas
• Fraser Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Texas
• Developed the process of in vitro evolution that yields nucleic acid ligands as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School
• A Scientific Founder of the Scientific Advisory Board of NascaCell Technologies AG and Archemix as well as SAB for Ambion
• His work continues to develop aptamers for a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic applications

Robert R. Bonczek

• Past Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel of Trimeris, Inc.
• Professional background includes 24 years at E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.
• At E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., served as Chief Financial Council an Corporate Director of Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs
• Holds a BA in Chemistry and a JD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania