The Daily Bulletin

Please join the Chemistry and Physics departments today, October 18, for the seminar "Athenex: What Is Possible with Science Degrees from Buffalo State?" presented by Robert F. Keem, ’88, ’98, general manager of Athenex Pharma Solutions from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 173.

About Robert F. Keem
My chemistry background from Buffalo State (B.A. and M.A.) has allowed me to grow and develop in the pharmaceutical industry. It is exciting to see the growth right now in the Buffalo area. A background in analytical chemistry provided me the flexibility to take on roles in quality control, analytical method development, product research and development, project management, and operations. My presentation will focus on Athenex’s target market and potential opportunities that Buffalo State students may have through internships and employment opportunities. Athenex is focused on both proprietary and generic pharmaceuticals that help improve the human condition. I will correlate my time at Buffalo State and how it has helped me take on more and more responsibilities in a fast-growing industry. I will also present other opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry that can start with a four-year degree from Buffalo State.

About Athenex  
Athenex is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer that can have a life-changing impact on cancer patients. We are developing a series of orally administered chemotherapeutic agents using our proprietary P-gp pump inhibitor delivery system. This technology enables the oral administration of multiple anti-cancer agents, which currently are only given by IV because of poor oral absorption. Oral administration of certain cytotoxic chemotherapies can potentially overcome key challenges associated with IV administration. We believe that our Orascovery platform overcomes these obstacles by allowing more frequent dosing over longer periods of time, which is expected to be better tolerated and allow for higher total dosage and longer time exposure to the chemotherapeutic agent. Further, we believe additional agents like immuno-oncology and targeted therapies can be better optimized when combined with the benefits of oral chemotherapy agents.

Commercial 503B Compound Pharmacy Products
We directly manufacture our own products in our 503B Compound Pharmacy. We use our internal cGMP operations, and selected contract manufacturers to make both sterile to sterile products and products from sterile bulk API. We source some of our APIs from our own internal supply chain to make products from sterile API bulk. We also buy APIs from other sources. For sterile to sterile products, we source the sterile vials and bags from national suppliers. This second oncology business further expands our offering to the U.S. oncology market.