Dr John North

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell 

Published in the Financial Post

 Aug 11, 2008  

Dr. John North is President and CEO of Inimex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (www.inimexpharma.com). The privately-held biopharmaceutical company, based in Burnaby , BC , focuses on creating novel drugs that selectively trigger the body’s innate defenses. Dr. John North tells the Financial Post what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.  

Mechanically inclined: “As a teenager in Britain , I loved to repair cars. I hoped to become a mechanic but my parents, both educated, insisted on more intellectual pursuits.”  

Anatomy of nature: “While attending Cambridge University , I became enthralled with biology. Graduating, I pursued an academic career. Then, in my early 30s, I made a momentous decision.”  

The heretic son: “Desiring an outlet for my practical talents, in the early 1980s, I entered the fledging field of microbiology. This move scandalized my parents, who felt I’d abandoned the lofty ideals of academic life to descend into the moral slum of business ventures.”  

Canada bound: “Working for a company in Europe , and eventually in Vancouver , I decided to found my own consulting firm. In time, I came to Inimax.”  

Revolution in medicine: “Historically, we looked to nature for medicinal compounds. Now, as we discover the components and dynamics of the human immune system, we are designing drugs that can anticipate and bolster the body’s own healing power. One of our objectives is to combat antibiotic-resistant infections, such as the ‘super bug’ outbreaks in hospitals.”  

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