In 2002 Stephen Roth, who was about to retire as CEO of biotech Neose Technologies, sat down with two scientists from Drexel University to judge whether a new scientific concept made any sense.
The scientists began their presentation, explaining that they believed that serotonin - the much-studied neurotransmitter associated with depression - was a key growth factor for lymphocytes. "My first reaction was: 'Bullshit'," remembers Roth.
But after a lengthy discussion, and reading a pile of literature showing that serotonin was widely distributed in immune tissues,1 and upregulates B and T lymphocytes,2 Roth came around. So much so, he became the new CEO at a biotech devoted to developing the technology: Immune Control. As CEO, Roth's business now is to convince investors that the serotonin idea, no matter how off-the-wall it may seem, is indeed sound. Using their funds, Roth runs a virtual company with only four full-time employees that ...
