Edmonton’s own Robert Foster is a globally renowned pharmaceutical scientist, researcher, entrepreneur, and the visionary behind several highly successful biopharmaceutical companies. His groundbreaking research, drug development, and unwavering commitment to improving healthcare standards have saved thousands of lives worldwide, as reported by iedmonton.net.
Early Life and Education
Born in Edmonton on June 10, 1958, Robert was the middle of three children. His father, Frederick, originally from Manitoba, was a Second World War veteran who participated in the D-Day landings. After the war, he moved to Alberta, where he owned and operated several sawmills. Robert’s mother was a musician from Smoky Lake, where her family had resided since immigrating from Ukraine in 1899.
Robert was an active child. He started playing the trumpet at six, having already learned piano. He had a passion for hockey, enjoyed cycling, and conducted his own experiments with a chemistry set. At 13, his father put him to work at one of his sawmills, an experience that quickly taught Robert the meaning of hard labour. The work was incredibly tough for a teenager. Lying on his back in the mud and pouring rain, repairing a forklift transmission with oil dripping into his eyes, he quickly learned to be a problem-solver. When issues arose, they needed immediate solutions to keep operations running.
Foster continued working for his father until he enrolled at the University of Alberta at 18, initially dreaming of a career in music. However, those plans changed drastically at 20 after a major throat surgery. Fortunately, he rediscovered his passion for chemistry, which, at the time, resonated with his way of thinking.
In 1979, Robert earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. That same year, he met Caroline Savage, a nursing student. By 1982, Robert had completed his Bachelor of Science, and Caroline had earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and they married. They went on to have four children. In 1985, Robert made history by becoming the first person in Canada to earn a Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences degree.
In 1988, he became an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta. From that point on, Robert began to challenge and inspire his students, becoming a catalyst for many successful careers.
Entrepreneurial Endeavours for the Greater Good
Meanwhile, in his lab, Foster focused his attention on cyclosporine, then a standard drug for organ transplant patients. The irony was that cyclosporine precariously balanced between helping the body prevent rejection of a new organ and causing side effects that would ultimately damage that very organ. Robert recognized the critical need for newer, gentler drugs and was determined to make a difference.
Despite his love for scientific research, Foster never lost his entrepreneurial spirit. In 1993, he founded his own biotechnology company, Isotechnika Pharma, allowing him to leverage his scientific and clinical expertise in the business world. By 1997, he fully transitioned from his tenured faculty position to dedicate himself entirely to drug development.
Thus, Foster became both a scientist and a businessman. He tirelessly worked in the lab to create a unique molecule that would form the basis of new medications, capable of helping organ transplant patients globally. He then actively travelled the world to attract potential investors and speak at medical, scientific, and banking conferences.
Robert also set out to assemble a world-class team to help him achieve his dream. He sought talent beyond the University of Alberta, recruiting top graduates. Many were skeptical, believing that a new drug could never be developed in Alberta.
The Discovery of Voclosporin and the HeliKit Diagnostic Test
Robert’s intuition proved correct. In 1997, his team discovered voclosporin. In 2002, he secured the largest licensing deal in Canadian history at the time, a $215 million USD agreement with the Swiss company Hoffman-La Roche for the use of the drug in immunosuppression for kidney transplants. This deal put Edmonton on the map in the global pharmaceutical industry. However, Roche later abandoned the agreement, citing a lack of commercial potential despite voclosporin’s therapeutic promise. Fortunately, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from Victoria, British Columbia, saw the drug’s potential and expressed interest in collaborating with Robert Foster. Together, they continued clinical studies for autoimmune diseases, with lupus nephritis as an indication. Soon after, Isotechnika Pharma was acquired by Aurinia, and Robert became its CEO, and later, after the company name changed from Isotechnika Pharma to Aurinia, its Chief Scientific Officer.
In 2021, 28 years after Robert founded Isotechnika Pharma, voclosporin was approved as Lupkynis™, the first oral treatment for patients with lupus nephritis. Notably, Robert is one of only a few Canadian scientists in the country’s history to discover a drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In addition to voclosporin, Foster developed a diagnostic kit called HeliKit, which detects the presence of the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, a common cause of stomach ulcers. Importantly, once diagnosed, patients can quickly undergo antibiotic treatment. This test became a much-needed alternative to other diagnostic procedures, including endoscopic procedures, which can be lengthy, invasive, and costly. HeliKit has been successfully used in many countries for several years.
Robert didn’t stop there. In the early stages of voclosporin’s development, he and his team identified chemically related molecules that showed great potential in treating fibrosis, viruses, and certain cancers. To explore the potential of what would later be known as rencofilstat, he left Isotechnika Pharma in 2014 and founded Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals. It was soon acquired by Hepion Pharmaceuticals, where Robert became CEO. While rencofilstat’s clinical trials are currently in an uncertain state, the drug still holds significant potential for treating a range of diseases. Hepion Pharmaceuticals has focused its research programs on liver fibrosis and liver cancer, conducting numerous mid-stage human clinical trials.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout his career, Robert has published 228 articles, abstracts, and book chapters on drug analysis, development, and pharmacokinetics. He is also the author of 207 patents.
In 2024, Robert received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Alberta for his outstanding dedication to mentoring and inspiring the next generation of scientists. He was also awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award (2022) from the university and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Many prestigious organizations have recognized Foster’s work, including the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, and others. In 2022, he was named one of Alberta’s 50 influential people.