2004 Community Impact

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Description

Durham-based Inspire Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company actively pursuing promising new treatments in ophthalmology and respiratory disease areas, among others.

Reasons for winning the award

Building a world-class biopharmaceutical company is hard work, but the Inspire team has demonstrated that entrepreneurs can create tremendous results when they direct their entrepreneurial talent and zeal to community service efforts. Focusing on cultural arts, education and literacy programs, and advancements in science, medicine and health, Inspire has created a culture of community involvement and set the standard for other young companies in our region, with a special flavor. For example, Inspire issued a challenge to other area pharma/biotech companies to donate over 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food to the North Carolina Food Bank during the Christmas 2003 holiday season. Inspire donated 1,000 pounds and pledged to give the Food Bank an additional cash donation of $1,000 for every company that beat its goal. After two other area biotech companies raised over 1,000 pounds of food for the challenge, Inspire delivered a $2,000 check to the NC Food Bank in December 2003.

Quote

"It is critical to promote the health and growth of our communities as we are building the next great place for business. Our support of the arts, science, education and health enhances our communities and our ability to recruit and retain talented people." -- Christy L. Shaffer, Ph.D., CEO, Inspire Pharmaceuticals

History

Inspire began operations in 1995 and went public in August of 2000. Inspire's original technology was licensed from UNC, where scientists had discovered the role of P2Y2 receptors in mucosal hydration and clearance. Recognizing the broad potential of these discoveries, Inspire scientists developed P2Y2 receptor agonists as potential treatments for multiple diseases where these receptors play a role, including dry eye, cystic fibrosis and retinal disease.

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