The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) played a critical role in creating biotech company Be Cool Pharmaceutics LLC (Be Cool), with initial support from the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, which funded workshops on launching companies. The research efforts which ultimately led to Be Cool’s creation also secured U.S. Small Business Administration Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.
Be Cool is Alaska’s first biotech company, specializing in developing innovative thermolytic drugs to suppress shivering and seizures. Founded by Dr. Kelly Drew, a professor at UAF, the company emerged from years of research supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Be Cool is at the forefront of drug development, leveraging advancements in neuroscience and thermoregulation for therapeutic applications.
Since its founding in 2017, Be Cool has sustained employment for 1 to 4 individuals annually and continues to drive innovation in Alaska’s growing biotech sector. The company has received significant federal funding, including a $457,306 SBIR grant and a $55,000 National I-Corps grant to advance its technologies. While Be Cool is in the early stages of commercialization, its innovative therapies have the potential to transform emergency medicine and space health, creating ripple effects across multiple industries. By enabling local job creation and advancing Alaska’s biotech infrastructure, Be Cool is setting a foundation for long-term economic and scientific growth.