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Biotech / Medical : ICOS Corporation

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To: Edscharp who wrote (681)	5/12/1999 1:48:00 PM
From: DJ	of 1139

Bill Gates' interest in biotech is a combination of financial, intellectual, and philanthropic. He's interested in being a "technology visionary," so I see his ICOS investment and board membership as a way to learn more about this technology and the industry. Who could be a better mentor than Rathmann--who understands the science, the business, and the Washington regulatory scene and the Wall Street biotech crowd? BillG also knows that this business is likely going to do very important things in the next few decades. I see Rathmann (and Lee Hood at the University of Washington--who holds the Gates Chair) as mentors. Bottom line: I read Gates' ICOS investment as distinctly more than financial--he's interested in the science too (and also in humanitarian opportunities stemming from this industry's development). One final point: Rathmann is discussed in some detail in the book "Corporate Creativity" by Robinson and Stern--with regard to how he managed R&D at 3M (his role in the development of Scotchgard). There's no question that Rathmann is an R&D icon from which other companies, even BillG, can learn a lot.

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