Biotech Firms Forge On In Race To Unearth Profits From SOD

Author: RENEE TWOMBLY, p. 1, 8-9. Since 1965, entrepreneurs have struggled to find a way to capitalize on the enzyme's anti-inflammatory properties Immunologist Mark Saifer was sure, even before it had a name, that the peculiar emerald-green protein could reduce inflammation. But Saifer and the other scientists who have acted on that conviction to build up DDI Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., couldn't say why the protein, derived from bovine testicles, worked, much less how it c

Written byRenee Twombly
| 9 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
9:00
Share

Author: RENEE TWOMBLY, p. 1, 8-9.


Since 1965, entrepreneurs have struggled to find a way to capitalize on the enzyme's anti-inflammatory properties

Immunologist Mark Saifer was sure, even before it had a name, that the peculiar emerald-green protein could reduce inflammation. But Saifer and the other scientists who have acted on that conviction to build up DDI Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., couldn't say why the protein, derived from bovine testicles, worked, much less how it could be converted into a drug or what diseases it could treat.

"When we started we were really alone," says Saifer, who joined the company in 1970 and is now DDI's scientific director. "We were the only crazy believers in something that we didn't even know was an enzyme." AUTHOR: Robin Twombly, p.9 When a cell metabolizes oxygen to make energy, it forms oxygen molecules with an extra electron. That property allows these ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Published In

Share
July Digest 2025
July 2025, Issue 1

What Causes an Earworm?

Memory-enhancing neural networks may also drive involuntary musical loops in the brain.

View this Issue
Explore synthetic DNA’s many applications in cancer research

Weaving the Fabric of Cancer Research with Synthetic DNA

Twist Bio 
Illustrated plasmids in bright fluorescent colors

Enhancing Elution of Plasmid DNA

cytiva logo
An illustration of green lentiviral particles.

Maximizing Lentivirus Recovery

cytiva logo
Explore new strategies for improving plasmid DNA manufacturing workflows.

Overcoming Obstacles in Plasmid DNA Manufacturing

cytiva logo

Products

sartorius-logo

Introducing the iQue 5 HTS Platform: Empowering Scientists  with Unbeatable Speed and Flexibility for High Throughput Screening by Cytometry

parse_logo

Vanderbilt Selects Parse Biosciences GigaLab to Generate Atlas of Early Neutralizing Antibodies to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella

shiftbioscience

Shift Bioscience proposes improved ranking system for virtual cell models to accelerate gene target discovery

brandtechscientific-logo

BRANDTECH Scientific Launches New Website for VACUU·LAN® Lab Vacuum Systems