Susumu Nishinga/Photo Researchers, Inc./Andrew Meehan
If a biotech visionary can make it anywhere, then it should be in New York City, a growing chorus of government officials and scientific leaders now say. Nestled among the high-rises and bright lights of Manhattan are several top ranked research institutions and hospitals that are increasingly viewed as the launching pad for business-minded scientists.
Leading the way is Columbia University. The Ivy League school has been one of the most successful major research universities at commercializing drugs and technologies discovered in campus labs. According to a recent survey the Association of University Technology Managers, Columbia made $155.6 million from licensing fees in 2002, compared to the $82 million all nine California Universities made combined. At least 65 biotech companies have also gotten their start at Columbia, including Memory Pharmaceutical, cofounded by Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel. (Memory has since moved out of the city ...
