Tomáš Hudlický, the Brock Professor of Chemistry who is also Canada Research Chair in Biocatalysis, has recently passed the $1-million mark in revenues generated through licensing agreements for processes developed in his labs.

Tomáš Hudlický

Over the past six years, Hudlický has been working closely with the Georgia-based pharmaceutical company Noramco. During that time the Hudlický research group has come up with new processes for the manufacture of important medicinal agents for pain control and alcohol and drug addiction.

In addition to the licence agreements for scientific developments, this successful research relationship has provided Brock University with around $850,000 in research funding, said John Wilson, director of Business Development and Commercialization in the University’s Office of Research Services.

In total, five licences and six patent applications have been made for processes developed by Hudlický.

Gary Libben, Brock’s Vice-President of Research, says Hudlický is an example of how Brock researchers have been contributing to advances in the world of medicine.

“Universities have an important role to play in finding breakthroughs that will help millions of people,” said Libben, “and Dr. Hudlický is a leading example of that in Canada.”

Wilson said the ability to commercialize some of the fruits of the University’s research ultimately provides valuable funds for future students and faculty members pursuing research and innovation at Brock.

Hudlický, who came to Brock in 2003 after eight years of teaching and doing research at the University of Florida, was honoured in 2010 with the Alfred Bader Award from Canadian Society for Chemistry.

His current research interests include the development of enantioselective synthetic methods, bacterial dioxygenase-mediated degradation of aromatics, design and synthesis of fluorinated inhalation anesthetic agents, synthesis of amaryllidaceae alkaloids, and design of unnatural oligo-saccharide conjugates with new molecular properties.

When not in the lab, Hudlický likes to ski, play hockey and play guitar in rock bands.