Student grudge match

Amin Zargar, Varnika Roy, Dean Larios Berlin

School: University of Maryland College Park, Clark School of Engineering

Team members: Amin Zargar, Varnika Roy, Dean Larios Berlin

Concept: Callinix aims to help large pharmaceutical firms conduct drug screening and delivery research. Every year, Big Pharma develops thousands of drugs that either remain in pre-clinical stages or are denied FDA approval. These underdeveloped compounds often get sidelined because they are deemed unstable or have side effects.

Callinix positions itself as an outsourced testing partner that will screen the drugs and find more effective ways to deliver them to their targeted tissue. Initially the company plans to target cancer-fighting compounds. It also plans to sell improved drug packaging that it claims will extend the commercial life of existing drugs.

Timeline: Callinix projects that the company will start generating revenue in year three ($325,000) and will more than double sales in each of the following four years. The company expects to become profitable by year four. - Brandi Stewart

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