Name: David Perryman
Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Intellectual Property Officer (CIPO) at Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE)
Employer Name: Emory University
Location: Atlanta
Number of years in this position or with this employer: 7
School of Law graduation year: 1986
Other degrees / institution / year: B.S. Genetics / University of Georgia / 1983
1. Please briefly describe your current position as COO/CIPO at Drug Innovation Ventures.
I touch on most things that make DRIVE go. I direct the IP strategy, negotiate and draft licenses on our drugs, am involved in the science strategy, help with our contracts for government funding for the development of our drugs, liaison with Emory University and the Emory executive Vice Presidents on DRIVE's board as well as with our external science and business advisors, help manage the business and scientific team that makes all of this happen.
2. What does Drug Innovation Ventures do and how is the company relevant in the fight against COVID-19?
DRIVE's mission is to discover and develop antiviral drugs for emerging infections/neglected infectious diseases (e.g. Ebola, coronaviruses, dengue, chikungunya, Zika and viral encephalitis) and biodefense. Drugs for these diseases and for biodefense are critically needed as they are major public health threats. However, they are generally not profitable enough for industry to pursue, and thus are considered neglected diseases. DRIVE is very unique for a University model in that it brings industry expertise to the assets of a leading research University to 1) develop potential antiviral drugs to a value inflection point that substantially increases the value of the discovery and 2) increase the probability of the potential drug being licensed by industry for the ultimate benefit of the people.
EIDD-2801 is our antiviral drug that has just entered testing in people for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 (in record time). It is also active against other viruses including influenza (seasonal, bird and swine flu), Ebola, chikungunya, encephalitic viruses (VEEV, weaponized by the former Soviet Union, and EEEV (which broke out last summer up the east coast of the U.S. killing multiple people)). Our drug is proactive as it has been years in the making through support from drug development contracts from the U.S. government ($35M). EIDD-2801 has recently been shown to be one of the most effective drugs identified to date in vitro against the new coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) and consequently has received considerable additional attention from governmental agencies and medical groups pursuing a therapeutic agent for the treatment of COVID-19 infection. We have been covered in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, CNBC and many biotech industry publications. EIDD-2801 is a nucleoside analog (like Emtriva and Retrovir, two critical antivirals used in the treatment of HIV infection, for example) and is extremely potent. A key attribute of our drug is that it can be administered orally as a pill. Thus, if successful, it could be deployed early in infection by doctors before the coronavirus causes lung damage and death associated with COVID-19.
3. What do you enjoy most about your job? What is the most rewarding aspect?
I get to use my legal education from UGA law, my genetics training from UGA undergrad, and combine it with business strategy learned through doing. Never boring.
4. What made you decide to pursue your current field of work?
I was a biotech patent attorney out of school and in my early days practicing law in New York City and San Diego I had a lot of exposure to patents relating to immunology. I moved back to Atlanta and became a partner and head of the biotech group at Needle & Rosenberg in Atlanta for many years. As such, I represented the NIH, CDC, Emory, UGA and many universities throughout the country. My practice grew around viruses and infectious diseases. This led me to read a lot on the threat of pandemics and biowarfare. It scared me and I decided I needed to do something more directly impactful to help us prepare for these events. As a result, I partially left the practice of law and became CEO of a small biotech company focused on antiviral drugs. From there on to DRIVE, where I am lucky to be working with some of the very top and most successful people in the antiviral field.
5. What is the most interesting project or case you have encountered in your current position?
Definitely, the coronavirus outbreak and the effort to break all limitations on our speed to get our drug into human testing to try to help impact the pandemic has been most interesting in my current position. We also licensed a drug to a pharmaceutical company that broke state records for a biotech upfront license fee and spun-out another biotech company that was able to raise $25M in Series A financing. Both incredible to be a part of but helping in pandemics, was the reason I left the daily practice of law and the coronavirus has been very challenging and interesting.
6. What do you do to handle the stress of your work? How do you relax after a stressful day?
I fish (mostly fly fish these days) and still play old guys soccer in an O-40 league (and unfortunately, I am very over 40).
7. What advice would you give to someone working in your field?
Know that a UGA law degree is an incredible degree that can take you anywhere you decide to go. For me it was a great springboard towards opportunities which hopefuly make a difference in the world and allowed me to make a good living.
8. What would you consider your greatest accomplishment in life?
BY FAR, my greatest accomplishment is success in associating with great people, caring people, super smart people that want to work on teams to make things better. It all started with my friends at UGA, which led to meeting my wife Kristi (whom I met while on a train in Norway the summer after graduating law school and introduced to me by law school friends Danny Griffin and Tom Rowe). That in turn led to our children, our greatest accomplishment. I am very thankful.
9. Why did you choose to attend the University of Georgia School of Law?
Not even close, the best law school on the planet for the money - and maybe even for any money. No law school touches its quality of people in a supporting community - a community which has been greatly enhanced by Dean Rutledge. Very proud of the evolution of UGA law and the course he is setting with his leadership.
10. Do you have any other family that attended/attends the University of Georgia School of Law? If so, who?
Yes, my daughter Kirstiana Perryman is a 1L at the UGA School of Law. She has a neuroscience degree from Emory and is interested in health-related law and beyond. I am very proud she turned out to be such a good and caring person.
11. What advice would you give to a current law school student?
Think about how you can positively affect the world with your law degree. From helping a single person that really needs you and does not have the money, to scaling your efforts to help across a broader spectrum. Know that UGA has given you the skills to be a critical thinker - a skill that applies well beyond the law and can make you a success in whatever you chose to do.
12. What do you enjoy doing during your free time? What are your hobbies?
Wilderness adventuring in Alaska and Norway, from kayaking to hiking to finding that very remote fishing spot (including out fishing Marlan Wilbanks (J.D.'86) on multiple occasions on such trips).
13. If you could share an afternoon with anyone, with whom would you choose to spend it?
Uga, the bulldog mascot. I have always been fascinated by royalty.
14. When you look out your office window, what do you see?
I see a parking lot. I gave up my law firm corner office looking up Peachtree St. to try to go after pandemics at a not-for-profit. I am satisfied with my view.