Biolocity

Emory and Georgia Tech

Commercialization

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Sanguina Announces Collaboration with AstraZeneca

Congratulations to Biolocity graduate company, Sanquina, on their newly announced collaboration with AstraZeneca on a study to develop a custom version of AnemoCheck Mobile, a smartphone application that provides noninvasive and equipment-free hemoglobin levels for patients with anemia of chronic kidney disease. Learn more about the collaboration here.

The AnemoCheck/Sanguina Team, Dr. Wilbur Lam and Erika Tyburski, received support from the Biolocity program (then the Coulter Translational Program) in 2016.  We are excited for their continued success and this new collaboration with AstraZeneca!

“Biolocity enabled us to receive an FDA 510(k) clearance on our first generation product. We couldn’t have done it without the support of Biolocity.”

– Erika Tyburski, AnemoCheck

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Guide Therapeutics Acquisition

The Biolocity team is pleased to share that graduate company, Guide Therapeutics, a developer of nonviral drug delivery vehicles for genetic medicines, was acquired by Beam Therapeutics in February of 2021.  Details on their merger are available here.

Guide Therapeutics Principle Investigator, Dr. James Dahlman, participated in the Biolocity Launch program in 2019 receiving project management and business mentorship to assist in completing commercialization milestones for his GuideTX technology.  We are thrilled about his recent success and company acquisition!

“As a scientist without formal business training, I had no idea how to speak with Venture Capitalists or create an appropriate pitch deck. The Biolocity team helped me learn these valuable skills.”

– James Dahlman, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory School of Medicine

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Innovations Selected for Biolocity Launch

 

Five research innovations from Emory University and Georgia Tech selected for Biolocity Launch.

The Biolocity team is excited to announce the faculty-lead innovations selected to participate in the newest cohort of Biolocity Launch! In addition to receiving funding to support commercialization milestones, awardees join a year-long collaboration with consultants and business advisors for project management and longitudinal coaching to accelerate the development of their patient-impacting technologies.

Each year, Biolocity opens an intensive, multi-stage application process that provides applicants with the opportunity to receive pitch coaching, market assessments, and competitive analysis needed for commercial success. Faculty work with entrepreneur advisors to de-risk their technology at each application stage before final acceptance into the program by an oversight committee comprised of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, clinicians, biomedical engineers, and university technology transfer experts.

Below are the select projects included in this year’s cohort:

  1. Dynamic Sampling Platform: This platform technology aims to provide simple, accurate, and low-cost quality monitoring for cell therapy bioreactors. Principal Investigators: Andrei Fedorov, PhD, Georgia Tech, Edwin Horwitz, MD, Emory University, and Mason Chilmonczyk, PhD, Georgia Tech.
  2. Focused Cryo: A cryoablation system designed to aid in targeting peripheral nerves in a highly precise manner. The platform has applications in metabolic syndromes, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic pain. Principal Investigators: David Prologo, MD, FSIR, Emory University.
  3. NanoCliq: A vaccine technology that leverages protein nanoparticle platform to prevent the onset of Leishmaniasis, a fatal disease that currently has no vaccine available. Principal Investigator: M.G. Finn, PhD, Georgia Tech.
  4. New Therapeutic for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): The development of an LRH-1 agonist drug which increases innate steroid production specifically at the site of inflammation in the gut. Principal Investigators: Nathan Jui, PhD, Emory University, Eric Ortlund, PhD, Emory University, and John Calvert, PhD, Emory University.
  5. Twice Therapeutics: A two-step method that can deliver long-lasting gene therapies to diseased tissues without re-engineering viruses. Principal Investigators: James Dahlman, PhD, Georgia Tech and Eric Sorscher, MD, Emory University

“We are fortunate in this current climate to continue to be able to provide funding that will assist the commercialization of these promising technologies,” says Manuel Kingsley, interim director of the Biolocity Program. “While research may look different this year, the passion these innovators have for improving healthcare delivery is unwavering as is our team’s commitment to their advancement. We look forward to working with each awardee to support their technology development.”

Funding and commercialization support provided by Biolocity is used to bridge the gap in development between early-stage university research and its path to the market. If you are interested in commercialization guidance for a device, therapeutic, or platform technology with the ability to positively impact human health, schedule a meeting here.

To learn more about Biolocity’s funding and partnership opportunities, visit www.Biolocity.org.

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Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub Licenses AngioCloud

The Biolocity team is excited to announce the successful license of AngioCloud, a web-based software for the treatment of brain aneurysms, by 11Ten Innovation Partners. Their technology and team are an excellent example of the success that can come from collaborations between clinicians and software engineers. This is also an opportunity where Biolocity engaged the Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub to curate the commercial opportunity for AngioCloud and source the licensing opportunity.

AngioCloud is a graduate of the Coulter program (now Biolocity), which provides funding and commercialization guidance to patient-impacting university technologies. During their time as a funded technology team, Biolocity provided financial and consulting support for prototype development and quality systems for the AngioCloud technology. “We applied with the idea that funding would be the primary determinant necessary for our success. What we learned is that the guidance, advocacy, mentorship, and regulatory resources received were every bit as critical, said Frank Tong, MD, AngioCloud co-inventor. “Our team is profoundly grateful to the Biolocity team for their guidance in translating a technical idea into a real world clinical resource that will soon benefit patients.”

“The Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub is focused on developing and commercializing technologies that make an impact on healthcare cost, quality, and access. As such, we are very excited to announce that we have licensed AngioCloud, an interventional radiology 3D imaging platform that uses computational algorithms to calculate the specifications of implantable devices”, said Will ElLaissi, Director of the Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub. “This technology helps device OEMs manage inventory and customize offerings and gives Neuro-Interventionalists the tools they need to pick the right device so that they can maximize outcomes and reduce costs.”

Biolocity is thrilled to partner our portfolio project, AngioCloud, with the Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub. “This is a great example of complimentary programs and resources working together at Emory to accelerate medical technologies to the market,” Shawna Khouri, Managing Director of Biolocity.

To learn more about AngioCloud, visit: http://www.ott.emory.edu/industry/featured/angiocloud.html 

ABOUT BIOLOCITY
Biolocity is a philanthropic, multi-institutional program that accelerates the commercialization of medical technologies with intellectual property held at Emory University and/or Georgia Institute of Technology. Biolocity utilizes the Coulter Process: a combination of grant funding, education, and operational business expertise to de-risk academic innovations and translate them to the private sector. In the last five years, Biolocity’s 40 portfolio technologies have resulted in 20 start-ups, two industry partnerships, and three products on the market.