Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership | Illinois

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Bob Shopes’ Biotechnology Firm, Favrille, Inc. creates a Therapeutic Cancer “Vaccine”
By: Kristina Russell, B.S. in Advertising, College of Media, Class of 2010

Bob Shopes’ mission is to use biotechnology to improve the world of medicine and ultimately translate research and innovation into outcome-based health solutions in the clinical and health fields. In 2000, Bob Shopes and Daniel Gold founded Favrille, Inc., devoted to the development and commercialization of patient-specific immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer and other diseases of the immune system.

Favrille’s leading product, FavId, has improved the lives of many patients. Dr. Shopes’ development of a cost-effective, automated way to identify and clone the genes unique to a patient’s cancer has allowed Favrille to produce a lifetime supply of a patient’s medicine in much less time than traditional methods.

Bob Shopes graduated with a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Illinois in 1986 and completed his postdoctoral work at Stanford University’s Medical Center.
From 1990 to1994, Shopes served as the director of antibody research at Stratacyte Corporation, a subsidiary of Stratagene. In 1994, he became the founder and chief executive officer of Tera Biotechnology Corporation, a company devoted to the discovery of new antibody targets, and in 2000 founded Favrille.

Dr. Shopes, whose work had its roots at Illinois, continues to work relentlessly to improve individualized medicine. He is an innovative scientist who has changed the field of biomedical treatment and the lives of many people.