Business: FSU's cancer fighter is a moneymaker

The institution recently was ranked third in the nation in licensing income, with $46.6-million in 1998 from lucrative research patents. The biggest contributor among FSU's 10 licensing deals was Taxol, which the university has licensed exclusively to Bristol-Myers Squibb. In 1998, FSU earned $45-million from the cancer drug Developed by chemistry professor Robert Holton. In 1999, Taxol earnings were expected to top $60-million.

The only colleges reaping more from technology transfer are the University of California system, with $73-million, and Columbia University, with $62-million.

John Fraser, FSU's director of technology transfer, says that if Florida universities reported as a group, as California's do, they might land at the top of the list. University of Florida was ninth in the rankings, with 1998 license revenues of $19-million.

FSU's license for Taxol is good until 2011 and Fraser said it's unlikely that another discovery will match Taxol's moneymaking ability.

"Fundamentally, we're a one-horse operation and that horse is called Taxol," he said. "Our other horses are obviously much smaller, but they're there and they're growing."

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