Scientific Advisory Board

Josefino B. Tunac Ph.D

Dr. Tunac founded a privately held pharmaceutical company, Fermical, Inc. (Detroit, MI), in 1987, that was involved in the discovery and development of biotech-based pharmaceuticals.  In his laboratory, Dr. Tunac discovered and developed a number of biotech-based drugs. These drugs were parlayed to start other biotech companies including: Supergen, Inc. [SUPG: NASDAQ], (mitomycin C, pentostatin) and  Acea Biotech, Inc. (Corifungin™, antifungal drug).  Dr. Tunac also developed the Tunair™ flask system (a laboratory culture flask and the Airmentor™ (a novel bioreactor) for the manufacturing of biotech-based pharmaceuticals.  He was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Metropolitan Center for High Technology in 1995.

Dr. Tunac obtained his doctorate degree from the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University (the birthplace of antibiotics) where, as a graduate student, he discovered his first antibiotic, Hydroheptin (first water-soluble polyene macrolide). This feat prompted Merck & Co. (Rahway, NC) to hire Dr. Tunac in 1974 as a senior scientist and became instrumental in the discovery and development of commercially important compounds with multi-billion dollar sales, including avermectin, antiparasitic agent (Ivomec® Heartgard®); the thienamycin class of antibacterial antibiotic (Primaxin®); and, the screening rationale that would lead to the discovery of lovastatin (Mevacor®, the first statin to become a multi-billion dollar blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug).  Dr. Tunac was recruited in 1977 by Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis (later bought by Pfizer) to direct the Antibiotics and Chemotherapy program where he was responsible for the cGMP manufacturing of pentostatin (Nipent®, an anticancer drug), vidarabine (Vira-A®, an antiviral drug), and daunomycin (Daunorubicin®, an anticancer drug) and the discovery of a number of novel anticancer leads. 

Dr. Tunac has more than twenty patents and patents pending covering a variety of new pharmaceuticals and biotech equipment.  Five to ten-fold improvements in mitomycin (an anti cancer drug), pentostatin, lovastatin, and cyclosporine (Sandimmune®, an anti-organ rejection drug) yields are produced in the Airmentor™ when compared with conventional fermentors. Dr. Tunac served as a consultant to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and has at least 45 publications, presentations, and symposia, and is an active member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Microbiology (ASM), and the Society for Industrial Microbiology (SIM).