Biotech entrepreneur Francesco Bellini uplifted the next generation of Canadian scientists
Mr. Bellini, who died on Thursday in Calgary after a cardiac arrest earlier in the week, came to Canada as an Italian immigrant in 1967.
He settled in Quebec where he co-founded BioChem Pharma Inc. There, he would go on to raise Canada's presence in biopharmaceutical research on the global stage through the development and commercialization of the 3TC molecule, which remains a critical ingredient in the drug used to treat HIV/AIDS.
'He was Mr. biotech Canada. There's no doubt about that,' said Pierre Larochelle, co-managing partner at Idealist Capital, who worked closely with Mr. Bellini for many years.
In 2001, Mr. Bellini sold BioChem for $5.9-billion in a transaction that set the bar for the industry and it remains highly regarded to this day as an 'Everest of achievement,' said Brian Bloom, CEO of Toronto life sciences underwriter Bloom Burton & Co.
Mr. Bellini carried on leading and investing in companies until he settled into his final major professional role as chair of Bellus Health Inc., with his son Roberto at the reins as CEO. In 2023, the family sold Bellus to British drug giant GSK PLC for US$2-billion.
Clarissa Desjardins, CEO of Congruence Therapeutics, met Mr. Bellini 30 years ago as a young life sciences entrepreneur. In addition to his encouragement of her generation, she said his trajectory from a young immigrant to the head of a Canadian pharmaceutical empire always stuck with her.
'It's quite a legacy of him showing us what was possible,' she said.
Mr. Larochelle said that Mr. Bellini constantly displayed a sense of courage, which had a great influence on him as an entrepreneur and now father.
'He was always undertaking something,' he said. 'Whatever it was, from a business standpoint or personal standpoint, he was always trying something and building something.'
Despite the many trials and tribulations Mr. Bellini faced throughout his career, Mr. Larochelle said it's worth noting that he never compromised on his commitment to his wife and two sons.
'What defined him is he was able to do that, achieve extraordinary success, while staying a very close family and an exceptional husband and father,' he said.
And in circumstances where Mr. Bellini's work and family life collided, Dr. Desjardins said he honourably upheld this trait. For example, if he ever disagreed with a decision being made at Bellus, he would voice his opinion and then defer to his son or the board for a final call, setting his pride aside.
'It showed a lot of leadership, maturity and, frankly, love,' she said.
Outside of life sciences, and even Canada, Mr. Bellini held the status of a local celebrity in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, the small town where his family was from, after he bought the soccer team there in 2014. Walking through the streets with him after that purchase is one of long-time friend and former Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu's fondest memories of the entrepreneur.
'He was celebrated on the streets literally like a rock star,' Mr. Rovinescu said. 'It was as if we were walking with Brad Pitt through the centre of the town. People stopping, taking pictures, asking for his autograph.
Other pursuits of note for Mr. Bellini included a winery he and his wife, Marisa, established in Italy and an olive-oil business.
In the early days of Mr. Bellini's career, Mr. Rovinescu said a portrait of Albert Einstein sat nearby the scientist's desk, with a famous quote plastered on it reminding him not to take no for an answer. That motto of persistence, he said, no matter the number of failures Mr. Bellini faced, became a cornerstone of his character – one which people all over the world continue to benefit from today.
Whether someone has received a treatment made possible by his work, or is one of the scores of young scientists given a chance because of a company Mr. Bellini built or invested in, Mr. Rovinescu said his legacy will continue to be wide-reaching for decades to come.
'When you look at the net effect of all that, that could be millions of lives that would have been enhanced through his contribution to science.'
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