Dear Reader,
We had an exciting 2011 at OTD with key accomplishments summarized below. The group is now complete and we are projecting 2012 to be very active, with several new ventures in the pipeline and many industry license discussions on-going. We have significant commercialization activity emerging from (1) Coulter Translational Partnership in the Biomedical Engineering department (led by Sol Eisenberg); (2) the NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Institute (led by David Center); (3) School of Management’s ITEC entrepreneurial activities to scale student involvement in our commercialization efforts (led by Paul McManus); (4) the Department of Medicine (led by David Coleman); (5) Boston Medical Center (led by Kate Walsh) and; (6) the Fraunhofer Institute of Manufacturing (led by Andre Sharon).
Key accomplishments in 2011
Maximize Collisions
- Student Analyst training (80+ attendees)
- TDDR 2011: Tech, Drugs and Rock n Roll (650+ attendees)
- $50K Ignition Grants (5) and $200K Launch Awards (1)
- 30% increase in ideas submitted by faculty
- Pfizer CTI agreement for new biologic drug development
- Kindle Mentoring (80+ mentors, 45+ mentees, new website, mentor-in-residence program)
- Innovator of the Year Award (Boston Globe coverage)
- BU spin-off Novophage launches with $5.7M series A of venture capital
Minimize Friction
- BU Express Startup License (completed and being used)
- Online MTA and CDA agreement form
- IP & licensing team formed with three patent and transaction lawyers
Operational Excellence
- Hired six new staff at OTD and one at Coulter/BME
- Established a second office on the medical campus
- Submitted a FY2013 budget 8% lower than FY2007 inflation adjusted
- 15+ student volunteers and hires
The OTD organization evolved considerably in 2011. You can find details about our organization including subject related contact list here.
Sincerely,
Vinit Nijhawan, OTD Managing Director
Carmela Abraham’s work with the protein Klotho has provided a potential method of alleviating cognitive decline in aging organisms. In the lab, Abraham discovered a deficiency of Klotho in aging monkeys and mice, which seemed to correlate with the development of cognitive decline. Furthermore, she found that overexpression of Klotho resulted in a 30% increase in lifespan of transgenic mice. Her proposed product would utilize these findings to improve the overall health and mental well-being of any organism by elevating its levels of Klotho.
Gerald Denis has used genetic manipulation of the BET protein family to uncouple obesity from Type-2 Diabetes and inflammation. They have produced mice that are metabolically healthy despite being severely obese—by suppressing the expression of Brd2 (a member of the BET family), these mice are protected from Type-2 Diabetes. Denis proposes to use these findings to produce a few BET inhibitor compounds which could help prevent or alleviate those at risk (or suffering from) Type-2 Diabetes.
As Boston University’s Director of New Ventures at the Office of Technology Development, my focus is to help build new companies based on technologies being created at the University. I was excited by the tremendous interest of faculty in participating in the creation of new ventures. I’ve found our experienced researchers are keen on finding new ways to impact society and translate their cutting-edge research into influential ventures. BU thrives on the spirit of “One BU,” where an engaged and collaborative community is also helping to create fertile ground for cultivating the next big idea.
Lung cancer is diagnosed in over 220,000 patients in the U.S. every year, and results in more cancer deaths than breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers combined. If detected at an early-stage, lung cancer can be treated using standard of care surgery. Most of these patients treated with surgery have reduced lung function and surgeons would prefer to remove less lung tissue from around the margins of the tumor rather than compromising the patient’s lung function further. However, the smaller the margin removed from around the tumor, the higher the risk of recurrent disease. Systemic chemotherapy and radiation therapies are not effective for early stage patients and have significant negative side effects. Unfortunately, even with the best available treatment, about half of the 50,000 early stage patients treated annually with surgery, will develop a fatal recurrence. Clinician and patients are desirous of new and more effective localized, low toxicity treatment options which can prevent cancer recurrence.
Founded in 2008, AcuityBio started as a collaborative effort by Boston University’s Dr. Mark Grinstaff (Professor of Chemistry) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital Dr. Yolanda Colson (Cardiothoracic oncology Surgeon and Scientist) to improve the current standard of care for lung cancer patients and address the major clinical problem of tumor recurrence. Their goal was to create a unique and simple-to-use drug-loaded implant that could reduce cancer recurrence by locally delivering therapeutic levels of drug to residual tumor cells for extended periods of time. Utilizing Colson’s experience in surgical oncology and Grinstaff’s knowledge in polymer chemistry and engineering, the team developed the ABC MeshTM. Together with Jesse Wolinsky, a post-doctoral researcher in Grinstaff’s lab, the team published several papers on the technology in March of 2010. A few months later, First Founders Ltd. introduced Dr. Jay Schwartz to the inventor team to act as the new company’s CEO. AcuityBio’s biocompatible and biodegradable ABC MeshTM will be stapled in at the edge of the resection during normal tumor removal surgery and deliver chemotherapeutic drug locally to the tissue over 50 days and then be absorbed by the body. By localizing the administration of chemotherapeutic agent, the optimal dose of drug can be delivered over a time span where it will be most effective and result in little to no side effects. The ABC MeshTM technology has come a long way from its inception and will be headed to the clinic within two years.
Natick, MA August 10, 2011
