— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Goutham Narla, chief scientific officer for WARF Therapeutics and founder of Rappta Therapeutics.
This program of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is focused on developing and ultimately commercializing new medicines based on UW-Madison research.
“That’s really meant to take a very exciting biological target, and to develop a drug, go through all the pre-clinical studies and then partner that with industry or venture in order to then clinically develop it,” Narla said.
He joined WARF in April, taking over for former WARF Therapeutics leader Jon Young. Narla’s background as a physician-scientist includes his work as a professor at the University of Michigan, and as an entrepreneur advancing new ways to treat cancer.
“My role here is to very carefully and thoroughly credential targets, meaning they’re biologically appropriate to drug, and then work with our team … to develop the best modality to target it,” Narla said. “So is it an inhibitor we want … is it an activator, is it a large-molecule antibody, is it a small-molecule drug, and leverage the contract research organizations that we work with.”
The discussion explores the technical process of identifying promising therapy targets, as well as the hurdles these therapeutic prospects must clear to go to market.
Meanwhile, Narla highlights his work with the drug development firm Rappta Therapeutics. The business was ultimately acquired by New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Merck, which will be developing its treatment for patients with certain forms of endometrial cancer and lung cancer.
Narla also emphasizes the concrete impact on patients from WARF’s drug development efforts.
“That’s where we feel our value-add is, take the amazing discoveries from campus, take expertise that we have at WARF plus externally, and leverage that at those targets that were discovered on campus to then translate them to drugs that will go into patients suffering from disease,” he said.
Listen to the podcast here and see the full list of WisBusiness podcasts.
— Two under-construction and two proposed natural gas-fired plants serving We Energies are expected to consume about 73 million gallons of water per year, according to a new analysis by the Sierra Club’s Wisconsin chapter.
That figure includes projected water usage from two under-construction plants – one at the site of the coal-fired Oak Creek Power Plant, and one in the town of Paris – plus the proposed Foundry Ridge Energy Center in Darien and Red Oak Ridge Energy Center in Paris currently before state regulators.
We Energies is building the first two projects, and has filed paperwork with the Public Service Commission to purchase the Foundry Ridge and Red Oak Ridge power plants, which are being built by Invenergy.
The projects are expected to help meet energy demand created by new hyperscale data centers.
The Sierra Club also provided water use projections for a potential 1.2 gigawatt gas-fired plant in Calumet County, which it said would use another 69 million gallons of water a year.
That project appears in public documents from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, but has not been submitted by developers to the PSC for approval.
The Sierra Club’s report says Wisconsin’s coal and gas plants currently consume around 8.7 billion gallons of water a year, and withdraw around 1.34 trillion gallons of water.
Report author Noah Ver Beek said today that the new plants will consume less water than many current coal and gas plants, since they are expected to mostly use closed-loop water systems.
“But it’s still really significant amounts of water,” Ver Beek said.
Chapter Director Elizabeth Ward said she was concerned that the new projects would undo recent declines in water withdrawals driven by shuttering coal plants. The Department of Natural Resources estimated that 73% of the state’s water withdrawal in 2024 was for power generation.
We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway wrote in an email that the utility’s power plants will consume 25% to 30% less water than they did in 2015.
“We take our responsibility seriously to provide reliable power and protect the resources that make our communities strong. Water is one of those resources,” Conway said. “The numbers show we are using less of it to generate power than we did in the past, not more — and that is the direction we intend to keep going.”
— The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has invested $229 million in 67 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties over the 2026 fiscal year, which ended June 30.
According to a release from WEDC and Gov. Tony Evers, that included more than $132 million in Enterprise Zone and Business Development Tax Credit incentives for 40 projects statewide.
The largest project supported is Eli Lilly’s $4 billion expansion in Kenosha, which is receiving up to $100 million in Enterprise Zone tax credits, the most in state history.
WEDC also provided $32.1 million in Business Development Tax Credits to 39 companies.
The release also highlights WEDC’s investments into child care, housing, community development, startups and entrepreneurs, and its efforts to support rural economies and expand global exports.
“Through its broad range of programs and resources, WEDC aims to support communities in every corner of Wisconsin,” WEDC Secretary and CEO John W. Miller said. “WEDC’s work encompasses helping communities create and maintain vibrant downtowns, partnering with existing and new businesses to support their growth, enabling startups to progress from concept to reality, and promoting Wisconsin goods and services in the global marketplace.”
— More than 100 communities are to receive a share of $30 million toward replacing or repairing aging culverts and bridges.
Funding for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s new Local Small Structures Improvement Program was made available in the 2025-27 biennial budget.
Those funds are a subset of the $150 million set aside for the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program. Including the 101 projects announced yesterday, the programs have funded 221 projects in 64 Wisconsin counties, according to a release from Gov. Tony Evers.
— The moving truck rental company U-Haul, in a mid-year report on its one-way rentals from the Milwaukee area, found Florida the top destination for all age groups except Gen Zers, who gravitated to Texas.
The company also looked at top cities to which those from different generations booked one-way rentals from Milwaukee.
The only Wisconsin cities to make the top five were Madison–the top city for Gen Xers and Millennials–and Appleton, which came in at fourth place for Millennials from the Milwaukee area.
TOP STORIES
Generac pivots toward data centers as hyperscale orders reach $1 billion
Forward Fest is growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem
Willy Street businesses feel the strain as occupation enters second week
TOPICS
AGRIBUSINESS
Sargento takes Wisconsin cheese on national tour
BANKING
Horicon Bank prioritizing local relationships
ECONOMY
U.S. Economy has sluggish 1.5% Q2 growth, inflation remains above fed target
EDUCATION
Lawsuit challenges UW-Madison’s Lawton program
UWEC introduces high schoolers to biomedicine
HEALTH CARE
First phase of SSM Health cancer care expansion in Fond Du Lac complete
MANUFACTURING
Modine sales up again due to data center development, but supply chain issues persist
MEDIA
Marcus Corp profit more than doubles as blockbuster movies drive record quarter
REAL ESTATE
Racine County sees almost 60% growth in single family home permits compared to 2025
RETAIL
John Schlifske steps down from Kohl’s board after 15 years
TRANSPORTATION
Should Madison reduce where drivers can turn right on red?
PRESS RELEASES
