Ivor Royston - Hybritech archives

Dr. Ivor Royston was born in Retford, England in 1945. His family moved to the United States when he was nine years old. He attended Johns Hopkins University from which he received his M.D. in 1970. He was interesting in cancer research from the start and attended Stanford University for his internship and residency so that he could work with leading specialists in the field. After a three year stint as a researcher with the Public Health Service at N.I.H. (1972-1975) he accepted a teaching position at the University of California-San Diego where he remained until 1990. In 1990 he co-founded the San Diego Regional Cancer Center (now the Sydney Kimmel Cancer Center) to provide cutting-edge cancer therapy. In 1993 he co-founded Forward Ventures, a venture capital firm to underwrite research in the life sciences. Dr. Royston also served on the National Cancer Advisory Board as a Clinton Administration appointee. While a faculty member at UCSD Royston co-founded Hybritech to market the advanced monoclonal antibody therapies he was developing. His rationale was that only a private, for-profit venture would be able to raise the amounts needed to fund this research, but many in the academic community criticized this move. After surviving government investigations and at least one lawsuit by a rival, Hybritech was a successful enough venture that Eli Lilly and Company purchased it.

Hybritech was one of the first biotech companies and pioneered the development of monoclonal antibodies and medical monitoring tests, such as the PSA Test, to detect cancers in their earliest, most treatable stages of development.