In 2006, our founders, Drs. Charles Magness and Shawn Iadonato, who had both worked in the early stages of the human genome project, joined forces in Seattle to study the deadly Hepatitis C virus. Despite skepticism from peers, they focused their efforts on rare individuals, who in the face of repeated exposure to virus, remained disease-free. Their work through Illumigen Biosciences, Inc. resulted in the notable discovery of a protective “wellness gene.” Further research led to the creation of a protein compound with the potential to increase immunity to HCV. This breakthrough compound (IB-657) and its potential application toward an HCV vaccine or other drug therapy, resulted in the purchase of Illumigen Biosciences by Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in December 2007. The agreement could ultimately be a $340 million transaction.