Professor of Law

Professor Chahine teaches New Ventures, a first of its kind course that combines various aspects of legal and business principles in real-world settings. Students experience the legal and business aspects involved in launching a technology-based venture through a combination of classroom instruction and placement in one of three external clinics: the Technology Commercialization Office, the Lassonde Entrepreneurial Center, or the University Venture Fund. Topics include confidentiality agreements, technology valuation, due diligence, material transfer agreements, venture financing instruments, and complex technology licenses.

Professor Chahine is a member of the Law and Biosciences Project, an interdisciplinary project focusing on cutting edge issues at the intersection of law and rapidly emerging biosciences. The team is currently focused on the complex legal issues (informed consent, privacy, ownership, etc.) raised by large databases that combine a patient's family history, biological specimens, genetic information, and medical records to develop the next generation of prognostic and diagnostic medical tools.

Professor Chahine consults with early-stage bioscience companies. At these companies, Professor Chahine works closely with the founders, board of directors, and management to implement a comprehensive business strategy, including marketing, regulatory, intellectual property, and fundraising.

Previously, Professor Chahine was President and Chief Executive Officer of Avigen, Inc. a biopharmaceutical company in the San Francisco Bay area developing drugs for chronic neurological disorders where he still serves on the Board of Directors. Professor Chahine served as Avigen's Chief Operating Officer as well as Vice President of Business Development and Intellectual Property. Prior to joining Avigen, he worked at a patent law firm specializing in biotechnology and chemical patents. Professor Chahine also worked as a research scientist at Pfizer (formerly Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals) and the University of Utah Department of Human Genetics.

During his career, Professor Chahine has successful raised over $200M in capital; has completed numerous deals with large pharmaceutical companies (including Bayer AG, Baxter Healthcare, and Genzyme) totaling several hundred million dollars; and received over 70 US and International patents.

Publications:

• The importance of "legalese" in biotechnology patents. Nature Biotechnology, Oct;16: 971-2(1998)
• Building the proper foundation for genomic based patents, Nature Biotechnology, 16: 683-684 (1998)
• Enabling DNA and Protein Claims: Why Claiming Biological Equivalents Encourages Innovation, American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal, 25(3): 333 (1997)
• Patenting Genes: Just when you thought it was safe, Nature Biotechnology, 15: 586-587 (1997)
• Going beyond the native: Protecting DNA and protein patents, Nature Biotechnology, 15: 183-185 (1997)
• Electrical Activity Suppresses Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Gamma Subunit Promoter Activity. Developmental Biology, 168: 416-428 (1995)
• Calcium Regulates the Expression of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit RNAs, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 269: 19447-19456, (1994)
• Coupling Muscle Electrical Activity to Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Gene Expression Via a Cyclic AMP-Dependent Second Messenger System, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 268, 2893-2898, (1993)
• A 102 Base Pair Sequence Confers Electrical Regulation on the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (nAChR) Delta-Subunit, Development, 12 , 123-128, (1992)
• Molecular and electrophysiological characterization of the allelic variant of the rat alpha-6 GABA-A receptor subunit, Molecular Brain Research, 16, 173-178, (1992)

Articles and News:

• Industry opposes genomic legislation. Nature Biotechnology, May;20: 419 (2002)
• Amgen preserves erythropoietin monopoly for now. Nature Biotechnology, Mar;19: 188 (2001)
• Hatch-Waxman changes debated. Nature Biotechnology, Jul;18: 710-1(2000)

• Amgen battles for EPO in Congress. Nature Biotechnology, Nov;16:999-1000 (1998)
• Patent office resurrects EST debate, Nature Biotechnology, 16: 711 (1998)
• Genentech sues to protect clot buster market share, Nature Biotechnology, 16: 410 (1998)
• US courts disagree on generic exclusivity, Nature Biotechnology, 16: 132 (1998)
• All clear for HIV-targeting ribozyme in phase II. Nature Biotechnology, Feb;16:123(1998)
• Cancer prognostic approved. Nature Biotechnology, Feb;16:121(1998)
• Elanex battles for piece of erythropoietin market, Nature Biotechnology, 16: 16 (1998)
• Wrangling over the rights to BRAC1, Nature Biotechnology, 15: 936 (1997)
• An Industry in Focus: Utah's Biotechnology Boom, Utah Business, October: 27-31 (1997)
• University of Colorado wins inventorship dispute with American Cyanamid, Nature Biotechnology, 15: 831 (1997)
• Eli Lilly Wins on Appeal, Nature Biotechnology, 15: 823 (1997)
• Amgen Protects its Billion Dollar Protein, Nature Biotechnology, 15: 496-497 (1997)