Chapter 1: Part 4, Vion Rising

In the late summer of 1986 Hans Delholme had lost his wife to renal failure. After being on an organ transplant waiting list for a year and dialysis for six months her condition declined rapidly. Desperate measures and an experimental new drug being developed at CIT prompted Hans to donate one of his kidneys to his wife Dora. Although far from an ideal donor Hans' kidney would work well for a short time but eventually her body would reject it unless something counteracted her immune system. HYB20-X was that agent, it was the newest development in immunosuppressant technology. Although promising at first the drug worked far to well in dampening her immune system, she eventually succumbed to complications brought on by the common cold.

Two years later with his life savings Hans started a Californian biotech firm called Immunogenix. The corporate profile was much like that of the hundreds of other upstart firms in the US. It was a small privately funded firm with idealistic goals. The company was focused on the budding technology of solid phase DNA/RNA synthesis. After ten years of research and fighting against an approaching bankruptcy Hans' small team developed Immunomix-9. By using modified Short interference RNA (siRNA) to Hybridize across nonspecific genetic divides Immunogenenix was able to create a drug that allowed the cellular DNA of a donor organ to mimic the recipient DNA of the host and visa-versa. Immunomix-9 was the silver lining of Hans' grey skies, the world would be a better place because of it, and it was all for her... it was all for Dora.

In stark contrast to Hans' bright outlook, was the dark financial forecast for Immunogenix. Due to poor business planning the small biotech firm was far overextended financially. There was no way that they could fund the phase three clinical trails needed for FDA approval. A motto that Hans' father told him years back in Norway echoed in his ear canal and reverberated in his mind... "Desperate times call for desperate measures." this was a truly desperate time for Immunogenix. Hans would not let his wifes' legacy fade the way she had... no... he wouldn't let her die twice!

As if in answer to his prayers Hans had received a proposal through his companies business attorney. It was from a large New England Biotech firm based in Cambridge Massachusetts called Viron Technologies. Viron had come into large capital backing from an undisclosed source. They wanted to buy out Immunogenix and all their intellectual property. Hans had known of Viron through many of their publications in the industries most popular journals. Dealing mostly with variant protein coats on viruses Hans had read the articles just to stay up on the tech, but there were a few articles that had really caught his attention.

The articles had dealt with the cellular decay of appendages following traumatic amputation. The Viron scientific advisory committee felt that there was a way to aid the revivification of amputated limbs long after the standard of the S.T.S.D.T.M or Short Time Separation and Decreased Temperature Model that prevailed among medical professionals. This model stated in short that severed limbs could only be reattached if a limited amount of time had passed and the severed limb had been refrigerated, this was also the case for organ transplants. Hans remembered the article because he could see the benefit it would have for transplant patients. The ability to use organs that were no longer viable would have a huge impact on the dreaded transplant waiting lists, being able to use technically dead organs coupled with Immunomix-9 would be the largest medical breakthrough in the history of medicine.

Hans' only concern was that Immunogenix would be swallowed whole by the large biotech firm and Immunomix-9 lost in the merger. Sure their intentions were for the drug and the supporting IP, but they were not divulging whether or not they were going to market it, develop it further, or shelve it to keep it from competing with another drug they might be bringing to market. Viron's holdings were vast and arose from mainly a biotech background, as they had grown they branched out into other fields such as industrial chemicals, leather tanning products, paints and dyes, and computer software. This was not uncommon, most large companies adopted a chimeric structure to soften economic blows when one market had a recession.

The Viron business advisory committee sensed Han's hesitance and reacted promptly. They proposed a new business entity that would consist of their biotechnology division and Immunogenix. Although less daunting then the large corporate entity the new company would still be the largest biotech firm in the hemisphere. The proposal even included a tenured consultancy position for Hans, although he knew that was a bone to entice him into the deal. It wasn't like he would need the money after the sale, as the deal stood right now he would make five million for the company alone and another fifty million over five years for the intellectual property.

After weeks of sleepless nights the tenacity of Viron's business attorneys and a slew of PR and marketing reps broke down any remaining indecision he may have had. After the due diligence had been done the final contract was signed in the summer of 2001. Although just a technicality there was a formal signing where the major players from both companies where present. Hans was the last to sign the stack of documents. Not being comfortable with the formal nature of the meeting, the backslapping, and all the fake smiles, Hans stepped out of the meeting room and into the lobby. An unsettling feeling came across him as he watched a work crew installing the new corporate logo. Claws... bloody claws, Hans thought to himself as he walked under a workman's ladder. As he passed out through the front entry way he looked up one last time at the clean lines and spindly lettering of the new logo that traced out two shadowed words, Vion Technologies...



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