XLerateHealth announces eight innovators in latest cohort
From medical devices to therapeutics, they are learning the skills needed to successfully commercialize their technologies.
XLerateHealth (XLH), a nationally recognized healthcare accelerator headquartered in Louisville, KY, in partnership with the University of Kentucky (UK) through UK Innovate, has announced the selection of eight innovators from across the Southeast to participate in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded IDeA Regional Entrepreneurship Development (I-RED) Program.
Participants were selected through a competitive application process for work on technologies that include medical devices and therapeutics. The participants are:
- Daniel Bonthius, Co-Founder of Apex Orthopaedic LLC (Clemson University), is developing a novel surgical system called R-FIX that utilizes rib fixation to correct early onset spinal deformities.
- Rani Brooks, Founder of BioPhoundry LLC (Tulane University), has developed a synthetic biology platform that accelerates drug-discovery for precision antibiotics to combat drug-resistant infections.
- Brittany Levy, Founder of TalkiTourni LLC (UK), created an automated emergency tourniquet device aimed to improve rates of adequately applied tourniquets outside of the hospital setting.
- Michelle Martinez, Founder of Dynamiko Pharmaceutics LLC (Universidad Central del Caribe in Puerto Rico), is developing affordable and selective anticancer compounds that target a predominant pathway in Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
- Brad Profitt, Founder of Ortho-HAB LLC (Marshall University), has developed a medical device, KneeXT, geared towards recovering knee extension post trauma/injury/surgery.
- Mark Tseytlin, Co-Founder of BioMap5D LLC (West Virginia University), is developing molecular imaging medical devices that hold promise for diagnosing/treating cancer, as well as detecting and treating implant infections.
- M’Hamed Turki, a Gastroenterology and Endoscopic Fellow (Marshall University), has invented an oropharyngeal cannula that is attached to a bite guard and allows the passage of endoscopes and helps prevent hypoxia during upper endoscopies.
- Ken Webb, Co-Founder of NeuroHope Therapeutics Inc. (Clemson University), is developing a drug-loaded, polymer-based nanotherapeutic to treat central nervous system trauma. Their first indication will be acute spinal cord injury.
“Our team is grateful to the NIH for their continuous support of academic technology commercialization. The resources made available to researchers and clinicians in the IDeA States by this grant are invaluable. The XLerator Network’s External Advisory Committee is excited about the eight innovators selected to participate in the second I-RED cohort, and is delighted to have been part of the selection process,” said Dr. David McLoughlin, Chair of the External Advisory Committee for the XLerator Network.
The goal of the I-RED program is to help selected participants acquire the fundamental business and entrepreneurial skills needed to successfully commercialize their technologies. As part of this program, XLN will expand the suite of healthcare focused commercialization modules on the ScholarRx platform. The team will also provide wrap-around commercialization services that include healthcare focused programming, talent access through their Executive-On-Roster® platform, and test a newly created Mentor / Startup Founder “Customer Discovery” matching program.
“This second NIH/NIGMS STTR award will allow us to build on prior work to develop, launch, test, and validate entrepreneurship education and training tools that foster the translation of promising biomedical discoveries and technologies from research laboratories into commercial products,” noted Jackie Willmot, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of XLerateHealth.
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