Fink Spends 23 Years Observing Innovation at UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 3, 2011) — In Joseph Fink's many years of service as chair of the University of Kentucky's Intellectual Properties Committee, he's heard stories of inventions and discoveries made at UK that range from fascinating to highly unusual.

Fink, professor of pharmacy law and policy at the UK College of Pharmacy, recently stepped down as chair of UK's Intellectual Property Committee after 23 years.  Assuming the chairmanship in 1988, Fink helped handle 1,393 disclosures during his years of service.

"I have enjoyed working with Joe over the years," said Don Keach, director of Intellectual Property Development at UK. "He represents the best the University has to offer, as a scholar, a teacher and through his public service.  He has been kind enough to provide me with his wise counsel over the years and I will miss that interaction.  His willingness to serve the University and Commonwealth will continue to be an inspiration."
 

When an innovation or discovery is made by a UK faculty member, student or staff while using university resources, that person must disclose the discovery before the Intellectual Property Committee, who in turn makes a decision on whether appropriate protection should be pursued by the UK Research Foundation and assists with the patenting process. The committee meets once a month during the school year and usually hears six to eight cases per meeting.

One innovation Fink introduced during his tenure was that review of submissions continues during the summer. Those decisions are then reported to the committee when it reconvenes in the fall.
 

"It's one of the more interesting committees on campus," Fink said. "Serving on the committee gives you a good feel for what's going on across campus."
 

Fink estimates that among the colleges on campus, the most number of disclosures come from the UK College of Medicine, while the College of Pharmacy has the most number of disclosures per faculty member.
 

Some of the more notable discoveries have catapulted former UK students into high profile jobs, led to the formation of internationally known companies, and generated millions of dollars in revenue for the inventor and the university.
 

Some of Fink's recollections include mechanical engineering student Tommy Forker's ('96) senior project that led to a lucrative career with Toyota Motor Manufacturing. Forker discovered a method to capture paint particles (overspray) under water, thus preventing them from escaping into the environment.
 

"It was quite an exciting time for a young student," Forker said. "NASA visited us to try and use the same technology to capture exhaust gases during shuttle launches. It was pretty cool."
 

After graduating from UK, Forker went to work for Toyota in vehicle development and mass production support for the functional area of the vehicle.  Today, he is an engineering manager in Vehicle Development. His career has taken him all over the world - Japan, Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia.
 

Another notable case Fink recalls is the husband-wife team whose drug discovery led to drug development for skin cancer and anti-aging products that are sold at the exclusive Golden Door Spa's located across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
 

While working with the cholesterol lowering drug, Niacin, then UK faculty members, Mike Jacobson (UK College of Pharmacy 1992 - 1998) and Elaine Jacobson (UK Clinical Nutrition), discovered that a derivative of the drug could potentially reverse the risk of skin cancer by 'flipping a switch' in the body that can reverse the risk.
 

Out of the Jacobson's discovery, the company Niadyne was formed in 1998. When nationally known venture capitalist Richard Brown heard about the Jacobson's discovery, he bought an interest in the company and now serves as its chief executive officer.
 

In 2005, Niadyne was divided into two separate companies, Niadyne for development of consumer products, and Niadyne Pharma for development of both consumer and pharmaceutical products. Niadyne holds an exclusive agreement with the UKRF and the University of Arizona for the pharmaceutical application of numerous technologies developed by the Jacobsons. The firm’s patent portfolio includes more than 20 issued U.S. patents and broad foreign coverage.
 

Fink said the Intellectual Property Disclosure that has generated the most money for UKRF came from Anwar Hussain, professor emeritus in the UK College of Pharmacy, who discovered a nasal drug delivery system in the 1970s to treat migraine headaches. 

Traditional migraine drugs in oral dosage forms are absorbed into the blood stream and then pass through the liver. During this process, the liver may actually deactivate some of the therapeutic properties of the drug. The nasal delivery system uses the nasal membrane as the point of introduction into the blood system and is a much more user-friendly method with fewer side-effects to fight migraines because it initially bypasses the liver.
 

Hussain's discovery led to a patent and the product Stadol nasal spray, which was subsequently marketed by Bristol-Myers. His work has generated more than $14 million in revenue income for UK from patient royalties and has brought national and international attention of the UK College of Pharmacy.

Fink says not all discoveries heard by the Intellectual Properties Committee are accepted though. Some disclosures, while interesting and novel, were rejected due to legal issues concerning marketability or intellectual property infringement, for example.
 

Stepping down as chair of the Intellectual Properties Committee will not be freeing up Fink's time. In fact, he says he is staying as busy as ever and remains intrinsically involved with university life.  For the past three years, Fink has served as UK's Faculty Athletics Representative to the Southeastern Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association and as a member of the UK Athletic Association Board. Other service to the university includes chairing the University Appeals Board.
 

And, first and foremost, Fink is a teacher of future pharmacists and academicians. He stays actively involved in student life and individually mentors pharmacy students. However, over the years, Fink's reach has extended far across the campus.
 

"Fink exemplifies the spirit of higher learning," Forker said. "Fink's communication style made you feel happy and empowered. He made me want to do better than what I thought was my best at the time."

Media Contact: Ann Blackford at (859) 323-6442 or ann.blackford@uky.edu