The Biolocity program has selected six promising technologies with the ability to impact patient health for its 2022-2023 cohort of Biolocity Launch. This year-long collaboration helps awardees commercialize their innovations by advancing through critical milestones.

The program includes mentoring from business advisors, project management support, and funding to accelerate technology development and reach commercial milestones. Housed in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biolocity funding is open to all faculty at Emory University and Georgia Tech.

“There is a rich pipeline of promising patient-impacting technologies being developed at Emory University and Georgia Tech,” says Courtney Law, Ph.D., managing director of Biolocity. “This year’s applicant pool was very competitive, and the projects selected to be a part of this cohort have a strong potential for commercialization. We are excited to work with these passionate innovators to advance their technologies toward the market and ultimately patient impact.”

Biolocity selects projects through an annual, multi-stage application process that allows university innovators to receive pitch coaching, market assessments, and competitive analysis to cultivate commercial success. Faculty members work with entrepreneur advisors to de-risk their technology through each application stage. The final cohort is determined by an oversight committee of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, clinicians, biomedical engineers, and university technology transfer experts.

This year’s cohort includes:

• Athena: Athena is an early-stage cell therapy company developing a mesothelin-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell product, for the treatment of mesothelioma and other mesothelin expressing solid tumors. Principal Investigator: Crystal Paulos, Ph.D. (Emory University).

• Bystro by revXon: A search engine for your life-sciences data. Principal Investigator: Thomas Wingo, MD (Emory University).

• DexaPatch: Low-swelling, steroid-releasing, implantable hydrogel platform to reduce post-operative inflammation in tight surgical spaces. Principal Investigators: Andrés Garcia, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech), Adam Klein, M.D., Daniel Refai, M.D., Stephen Linderman, M.D., Ph.D. (Emory).

• MagTrack: MagTrack is a wearable alternative controller that simplifies power wheelchair driving and the control of digital devices for people living with tetraplegia. Principal Investigators: Nordine Sebhki, Ph.D., and. Omer Inan, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech).

• Orally Bioavailable CXCR4 Antagonists for the Treatment of Cancer: Best-In-Class Orally Bioavailable CXCR4 Antagonists Heat Up Solid Tumors. Principal Investigators: Dennis Liotta, Ph.D., Eric Miller, Ph.D., Haydn Kissick, Ph.D., and John Petros, M.D. (Emory University).

• ProLymph Nano: Drug delivery technology unlocks new market opportunities by targeting the lymphatic system. Principal Investigator: Susan Thomas, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech).

In addition to project management and mentorship, awardees gain access to resources including incubators, accelerators, and venture capitalists that can potentially translate into follow-on investment or other business opportunities upon graduation from the Biolocity program.

Learn more about Biolocity and our portfolio at biolocity.org.

The Biolocity program has selected five promising and patient-focused technologies for its new cohort of Biolocity Launch, a year-long collaboration that helps faculty members commercialize their innovations.

The program includes mentoring from business advisors, project management support, and funding to accelerate technology development and reach commercial milestones. Housed in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biolocity is open to all faculty at Emory University and Georgia Tech.

“We are fortunate that, despite the pandemic, there is a rich pipeline of promising patient-impacting technologies being developed at Emory University and Georgia Tech,” said Courtney Law, managing director of Biolocity. “This year’s applicant pool was competitive, and the projects selected to be a part of this cohort have a strong potential for commercialization. These innovators are passionate about improving human health, and we are excited to work with them to advance their technologies toward the market.”

Biolocity selects projects through an annual, multi-stage application process that provides university innovators with the opportunity to receive pitch coaching, market assessments, and competitive analysis to cultivate commercial success. Faculty members work with entrepreneur advisors to de-risk their technology through each application stage with the final cohort determined by an oversight committee of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, clinicians, biomedical engineers, and university technology transfer experts.

Since 2015, the program has awarded more than $8.7 million across 58 projects, generating over 10 times that much follow-on investment.

This year’s cohort includes:

• Agrithera: A therapeutic strategy to overcome the pharmacological drawbacks of cannabidiol (CBD) for epilepsy treatment by creating precursor molecules that metabolize to CBD in the body. Principal Investigators: Dennis Liotta, Ph.D., and Stephen Traynelis, Ph.D. (Emory University).
• NiPro: A customized nipple prosthesis with a subcutaneous anchoring system to help patients with body image issues after breast reconstruction. Principal Investigator: Nick Boulis, M.D. (Emory University).
• Sanicka: A clinical decision support tool to aid treatment selection and optimization for leukemia patients. Principal Investigators: Ana Quiroga, Ph.D., and Sakis Mantalaris, Ph.D., (Georgia Tech); Nicki Panoskaltsis, M.D., Ph.D. (Emory University).
• Sleep Monitoring Biopatch: A soft, wearable biosensor patch and accompanying software to enable at-home sleep testing. Principal Investigators: Hong Yeo, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech) and Paul Zolty, M.D. (Piedmont Hospital).
• Urearetics: A novel mechanism to treat uremic pericarditis and pericardial effusions in chronic kidney disease patients by inhibiting urea transport. Principal Investigators: Jeff Sands, M.D.; Janet Klein, Ph.D.; and Xiaonan Wang, M.D. (Emory University).

This is the first year that project funding for Biolocity has been expanded through a gift to the Emory School of Medicine from John and Rosemary Brown. They established an innovation-to-market fund to take a multi-pronged approach to advancing new technologies, including support for Biolocity.

“We are grateful for the generosity of the Brown Innovation Fund, which has allowed us to expand our commercialization support of technologies at Georgia Tech and Emory University. The Brown family’s vision to build partnerships across campuses allows us to continue our goal to support human health innovation at both institutions,” Law said.

Learn more about Biolocity and our portfolio at biolocity.org.