life sciences : Innovation + Job News

When treating ventricular fibrillation--a condition causing the lower ventricles to contract rapidly, pumping little or no blood--time is of the essence. Without immediate medical attention, collapse and cardiac death can occur within minutes. But until late November, doctors treating this fatal disease were still mixing the effective anti-arrythmic agent amiodarone IV by hand, wasting precious seconds. Now, doctors treating ventricular fibrillation and other dangerous heart malfunctions have a better alternative, as King of Prussia pharmaceutical firm Prism Pharmaceuticals announces FDA approval for Nexterone, a premixed, intravenous bag that overcomes the shortcomings of previous treatments.

"Until now, amiodarone IV required admixture at time of use," says Prism CEO Dr. Warren D. Cooper. "Nexterone Premixed Injection overcomes the need to admix, thereby eliminating the potential for medication admixture error."

Prism created Nexterone as a response to organizations like the Joint Commission, the United States Pharmacopeia and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists who all recommend using pre-mixed ready-to-use products. Nexterone is available in several dosage strengths and is also a preferred treatment for rapid heart rate condition ventricular tachycardia.

"The ready-to-use packaging is designed for the storage of Nextarone premixed injection at the point of use in automated dispensing cabinets and crash carts, and offers a two-year shelf life," says Cooper.

Source: Dr. Warren D. Cooper, Prism Pharmaceuticals
Writer: John Steele

Every year, foundations for breast cancer awareness tout the importance of getting a mammogram for early detection and prevention of this deadly disease. But for women in other parts of the world who may not have easy access to health care, a treatment requiring expensive x-ray equipment may not be practical. As a breast cancer survivor herself, Drexel University Associate Professor Dr. Wan Shih has watched women from her home continent of Asia suffer from late detection and low survival rates with great interest. She and her team now believe they have a better way.

Citing shortcomings and false-positives of mammogram technology, Dr. Shih and her team created a tissue scanner able to detect cancerous tissue outside of the clinician's office. The scanner detects hardened or dense tissue that may be cancerous, even in women under 40 who may have denser breasts. Earlier this month, Drexel's portable breast cancer scanner project took a big step toward commercialization, signing a licensing agreement with Philadelphia-based UE LifeSciences.

"In India or China, mammography is for diagnostics, not for screening," says Dr. Shih. "So when women are brought to do mammography, they have already found a lump and, by that time, it may be too late."

The project was selected as one of the inaugural projects for the University City Science Center's QED program, a proof-of-concept development grant that helps academic researchers reach the marketplace. After receiving $200,000 from the QED Program and additional support from the Wallace H. Coulter Translational Research Program at Drexel, the device caught the attention of UE LifeSciences, a company dedicated to increasing early detection of breast cancer.

"This product uses no radiation, it is inexpensive and can be brought to women in developing countries," says Dr. Shih. "Traditionally women feel for breast lumps but this product is more sensitive than human hands. Our goal is to get more women in for testing sooner."

Source: Dr. Wan Shih, Drexel University
Writer: John Steele

These days, most businesses fit into one of two categories--brick-and-mortar businesses and online cyber shops. And from the look of Pure Fare's 21st Street location, the Rittenhouse neighborhood is soon in for another sustainable cafe. But partners Kriti and Kunal Sehgal and  have something far more innovative in mind.

With PureFare.com, the Pure Fare team hopes to help customers monitor their eating habits and keep track of local food. The My Fare program would allow customers who live and work in the neighborhood to use a swipe card, keeping track of meals at Pure Fare. PureFare.com then offers detailed nutritional information for all purchases. Customers can also enter food items from other places into this online food log, helping Pure Fare's health nut customers have a more intuitive view to encourage healthy eating.

"Our goal right now is to cater to the breakfast and lunch crowd," says Pure Fare co-managing partner Kunal Sehgal. "It is a place where you can come to get a sandwich or a cup of coffee but we also offer these other features."

The owners say they have plans to make the building more sustainable as well, using low-impact lighting and composting in the kitchen. But the web tools are what set them apart. Sehgal says they even held up the opening until early 2011 to make sure they got the website just right.

"We are working on the design of the space but also making sure that everything we do is supported by the website," says Sehgal. By very effortlessly tracking what you are eating, we can track your (body mass index), health metrics and we are able to engage the user in a way that has never been done by a fast-casual brand."

Source: Kunal Sehgal, Pure Fare
Writer: John Steele

Leversense CEO Pete Nagy doesn't have a particular affinity for fluids like blood or urine. But after selling his fiber-optics business to a Fortune 100 company, Nagy was looking for his next project and found himself in the laboratories of Drexel University's Dr. Raj Mutharasan. Mutharasan was working on a testing technology that could remain sensitive in dirty, unprocessed materials. Nagy, a career tech entrepreneur, immediately saw the commercial applications and decided to seed fund Leversense, making blood and urine testing his mission.

"The sensitivity we have is pretty extraordinary," says Nagy. "Most products out on the market require a lot of steps, a lot of processes in order to get samples to testing. It is usually very expensive and requires you do it in a lab and not in a practical setting."

This week, the company announced a new Ben Franklin Technology Partners investment of $300,000 for continued development efforts, getting Leversense ready to approach a waiting market with its biosensor diagnostics. In the months spent testing the technology, Nagy has been telling everyone who will listen, drawing attention from markets he didn't expect. One market has been food testing. The average food sample is much more complex and much dirtier than the average human fluid sample so they are much harder to work with. Leversense maintains its sensitivity in milk, which Nagy hopes will give the product great potential in the food-testing market.

"One of the things that attracted me to the technology is how much commercial interest there was," says Nagy. "We have had people approach us about food testing and bio-processing, so we are pursuing those things now as well."

Source: Pete Nagy, Leversense
Writer: John Steele

One of the hardest parts of a veterinarian's job is dealing with scared or skittish animals. Oftentimes, your four-legged friend knows they are going to the doctor and they don't like it. But Wayne veterinarian Dr. Holly Connolly has discovered a way to virtually eliminate these fears and the bad behavior that comes at the traditional vet's office. She took her practice on the road.

Earlier this month, Connolly started Are We Home Vet?  a mobile veterinary office run out of the back of a truck, offering all the same services of a traditional veterinary office, but without the hassles of leaving home.

"Pets are so much happier at home and we are able to catch them before their anxiety level gets so high," says Connolly. "By the time you get them in the car and make that 20-minute trip, they are already worked up so those animals that were a handful at the traditional office are completely different animals in the mobile setting."

The truck is fully equipped with an x-ray machine, a full-service lab, a laser for laser surgery and an exam table. Connolly says that, in the brief time she has been doing it, many of her regular clients have already taken advantage of the service. But perhaps more successful in attracting clients has been the truck itself. Connolly says she receives calls on a daily basis from people who have seen her out and about on her way to her next pet project.

"We will be driving around and you are basically driving a big billboard," says Connolly. "We have literally gotten calls while we are on the road. So the mobile unit has been a draw in and of itself!"

Source: Holly Connolly, Are We Home Vet?
Writer: John Steele

In Philadelphia in late November, keeping cool has never been a problem. That is, unless you run the Philadelphia Marathon. The annual race, which took place on Sunday, Nov. 21, attracted a field of over 11,000 runners, all battling for the finish line. When they got there, runners were greeted by the folks at Arctic Ease, a Phoenixville company specializing in cryotherapy wraps and pads proven to reduce swelling and stay cool for hours. The wraps require no time in the freezer and can be attached for more mobility.

A veteran of the health care industry and avid athlete, CEO Carol Forden founded Arctic Ease in 2009 after creating a chemical compound in her garage. Designed to remove heat from injured tissue, Arctic Ease keeps affected areas at a safe 60 degrees, reducing swelling and pain.

"If you are a weekend warrior and you overdo it or you are a runner in a marathon, on Monday, it is going to be a little tough to move around," says Forden. "What this product does is removes that swelling so you don't have that pain on Monday."

Along with offering wraps to runners at the finish line, Arctic Ease added a product sample to each marathoner's registration info and sponsored a massage tent. The company has appeared at marathons across the country and, after hiring four top-level positions in October 2009, is looking to expand into new markets in 2011. Along with expansion into other sports, Forden says the product may soon help osteoarthritis sufferers return mobility to creaky joints. 

"If you have ever twisted an ankle and wound up in the ER, you know that until they reduce the swelling, they can't do much," says Forden. "If you have nerve damage or a sprained ankle, they will tell you to come back three weeks later and they want you icing that whole time. Arctic Ease makes this process a little easier."

Source: Carol Forden, Arctic Ease
Writer: John Steele

When the state Department of Community and Economic Development announced this week that Philadelphia would receive $785,000 in grant funding for commercialization projects, local development officials had to feel flattered. After all, very few of DCED's grant programs are this competitive and when all was said and done, Philadelphia programs took nearly half the funding, including the only two universities included in the funding round.

Drexel University's Health Innovation Partnership of Southeastern Pennsylvania ($100,000) is a research-in-action program creating products from transitional life sciences research and Temple University's Pennsylvania Environmental Technologies for Pharmaceutical Industry ($600,000) will develop energy-efficient technologies for waste management in the pharmaceutical industry. But the scrappiest competitor may have been the University City Keystone Innovation Zone. After their first proposal was duplicated by another KIZ, officials submitted a new proposal for a suite of programs to help would-be business owners through the commercialization process.

"We are going to re-scope the grant to include workshops on how to pitch to funders, grant writing advice, that kind of thing," says Jeanne Mell of the University City Science Center. She and Science Center colleague Kristen Fitch worked on the proposals, which earned $85,000 from the DCED. "Beyond that, we are looking to continue the great programming we have offered for the last five years."

But the most important thing the UC KIZ hopes to offer is funding. Through a new micro-grant program, UC KIZ hopes to redistribute this funding award to back worthy business plans, getting some products and business concepts to the marketplace sooner rather than later.

"We will continue to offer a steady stream of networking, professional development and entrepreneurial support programs in Philly," says Mell. "What the micro-grant project will allow us to do is add funding as well to get these companies moving."

Source: Jeanne Mell, University City Science Center
Writer: John Steele

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, a five year-old Philadelphia company founded by Dr. Daniel Skovronsky and focused on novel molecular imaging able to detect the early stages of Alzheimer's and a host of other degenerative brain diseases, will be acquired by global pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.

A news release issued on Monday by the Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly says the deal could be worth up to $800 million, including a $300 million upfront payment for all outstanding shares of Avid. Skovronsky and company have made a big splash in Philly. The former scientific director at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research earned Entrepreneur of the Year honors from Ernst & Young in 2009, the same year the company landed more than $34 million in investment.

"We've had a productive and long-standing relationship with Lilly, and believe in their approach to providing improved outcomes for individual patients," Skovronsky says in the release. The release also says Avid and its team will remain in Philly and will continue its support of ongoing clinical trials for other pharma firms. Avid recently submitted a marketing application to the FDA for florbetapir, a molecular imaging agent being investigated to detect the presence of amyloid plaque (a defining pathology of Alzheimer's) in the brain.

According to an Associated Press story, Eli Lilly halted development of semagacestat, a drug being studied as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's, so the Avid acquisition would give it a leg up in getting back in front of a market expected only to get larger.

Source: Eli Lilly, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals
Writer: Joe Petrucci

Susan Ng and her team at Villanova's Real Time Tomography have made a living at perfecting the science of mammogram imaging. Their software products have made traditional film-screen images obsolete, allowing faster mammogram results and more accurate imaging. With a new $275,000 match grant from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, RTT begins the commercialization process this month, bringing their software to the giants at Seimens and GE and, hopefully, saving lives.

"With digital imaging, the image that is produced is not what the radiologist sees, it is processed and enhanced so that lesions are more visible," says Ng. "As the industry moves from film screen to digital, we can process images six times faster, reducing patient wait-time and making images clearer for doctors."

After introducing their 2-D imaging software, Adara, in 2009, Ng and her team have created a 3-D platform to give radiologists an even better view of critically affected breasts. Ng hopes commercialization goes smoothly as RTT has gone to great lengths making compatible software, not just for large companies but for small and mid-sized manufacturers as well. Because everyone deserves a great picture.

"There are a lot of mid-sized companies in Europe and a very big market opening up in Asia," says Ng. "These mid-sized companies have smaller R&D groups and often purchase their software from third parties like us."

Source: Susan Ng, Real Time Tomography
Writer: John Steele  

With Lab Hub, Blue Bell's Halfpenny Technologies hopes to take Health Information Exchange technology to the next level, integrating features like computerized order entry and results reporting with the company's already-respected exchange tools. With a little help from their friends, Halfpenny may be ready to deliver this turnkey technology sooner than expected as the company announced two big steps forward last week.

First came a $2.6 million venture capital investment. Locals like Bala Cynwyd-based Osage Venture Partners and LORE (Loosely Organized Retired Executives) Associates partnered with New York-based Milestone Venture Partners to put support behind Lab Hub. Investors believe the financing will help push Lab Hub over the finish line.

"Halfpenny's strong technology platform, domain expertise and solid business strategy combined with its growing client base have positioned the company to move to the next level, says Osage Venture Partners vice president David Drahms. "We look forward to partnering with Halfpenny in meeting the needs of the evolving healthcare market."

Halfpenny also announced the addition of four industry veterans to the Halfpenny Management Team. New team members include , executive vice president of business development Mitch Fry; chief financial officer Daniel O'Brien; senior vice president of sales Roger Newbury; and vice president of sales Jim Sheils. While trying to establish Lab Hub in new markets, Halfpenny officials hope these experienced team members can keep things growing.

"All of our new team members have impressive track records in healthcare and understand the complex challenges facing the industry today," says Halfpenny chief sales officer Bob Cox. "We are pleased to be able to draw upon the strategic vision and in-depth understanding of these healthcare veterans and look forward to their insights and ideas as we continue to develop solutions that address ever-expanding laboratory outreach, HIE and REC initiatives."

Source: Bob Cox, Halfpenny Technologies
Writer: John Steele

Something is wrong down under. Infection rates at Australian hospitals have increased over the last few years, causing patients and medical professionals to call for hospitals to come clean with infection statistics. Wayne's Molecular Detection Inc. hopes to lend a hand as they announced that the product rollout for its Detect-Ready MRSA diagnosis platform would head to Australia this week, marking the start of a global sales strategy targeting the Asia-Pacific Corridor, parts of Europe and the United States. This strategy targets countries in need of infection prevention abroad before returning to the U.S. to set up a local base.

"(Australians) have the same problems in hospitals that we have here in the states," says MDI CEO Todd Wallach. "Patients are contracting MRSA and other bacterial infections in hospitals after a successful surgery or procedure. Many hospitals have to start implementing infection control procedures that identify patients at risk and force these hospitals to really look at how they take care of a patient from entry level to exit."

Aiding in MDI's transition into the Australian market is Sydney's Integrated Sciences, a medical products and research company that, through a newly minted partnership with MDI, will aid Detect-Ready sales reps in chasing down leads and understanding the needs of the Aussie medical community.

"Our strategy has been very consistent around the world by identifying what we perceive as being the best-in-class, best-in-breed molecular diagnostic distributors," says Wallach. "They become our right-hand-man in the field. We work with them closely to ensure we get the right information conveyed but they bring the right skill set to be able to market a technically advanced product."

Source: Todd Wallach, MDI
Writer: John Steele

Anyone who has used eBay before understands the ease of PayPal. But for the medical industry, where costs come with a long list of variables--whether or not a patient has insurance or if there is a deductible--the simplicity of PayPal is even more desirable. Center City-based InstaMed allows doctors and health care centers the ability to turn any computing device into a payment terminal, able to calculate the copay and deductable for a complete check-out. The technology now operates in over 7,500 health centers, representing all 50 states. This week, InstaMed announced receipt of $6 million in new capital growth funding, bringing total investment to $22 million.

"We allow health systems to get rid of all the hard terminals you would typically see at a retail store or pizza shop where they swipe your card," says InstaMed CEO Bill Marvin. "What's unique about InstaMed is we are one integrated platform for handling everything that has to do with money in health care."

With the new funding, coming from existing investors including Bala Cynwyd's Osage Partners, InstaMed will continue to expand market share, launching new marketing campaigns, and aggressively expanding business development. But as a relatively young company, Marvin is keeping an eye on quality, looking to update technology systems. By keeping their message and technology strong, Marvin's team hopes to make InstaMed as common as Tylenol in American hospitals.

"As a business that was really just an idea six years ago, we implemented our first hospital only three years ago," says Marvin. "We have experienced tremendous growth in the last three years and we are at the point where the existing data centers and technology infrastructure that we built needs to be upgraded and taken to the next level."

Source: Bill Marvin, InstaMed
Writer: John Steele

Launched in 1997, the Drexel School of Biomedical Engineering is a relatively young division for the West Philadelphia institution. But like many young up-and-comers, this school's wisdom belies its age. In a 2006 address to prospective students, Director Banu Onaral promised to lead student thinking toward the future of biomedical innovation, combining engineering and technology with traditional medical practices to dig out new niche markets.

Since this 2006 progress report, the school has made great strides in the field of biomedical optics research. From brain-sensing lie detectors to xray microscope cameras capable of taking high resolution pictures of living cells in real time, optics innovations allow doctors to view the human body in exciting new ways. The most recent project allows doctors to determine the depth and seriousness of wounds through sensors. Diseases like diabetes can create ulcerous wounds that are often misinterpreted. Drexel's sensor technology hopes to change that as the product moves to the commercialization stage.

"These are open wounds but what you see on the surface is not necessarily indicative of what is underneath," says Assistant Professor Elisabeth Papazoglou, "What we have is a small Teflon probe with a sensor and a light so you don't have to worry about contaminating the wound. And once we have several readings, we can determine if there is something more serious going on."

In 2009, the University City Science Center selected the near-infrared wound monitor to receive a $200,000 award from their QED grant program. With this funding, Papazoglou and her team have licensed their technology to Emunamedica, a wound management company out of Hollywood, FL. With this first license, Papazoglou's team hopes to bring a new weapon to the fight against wound disease.

"The more people who use this device and have data, the more people see that it's good, it's fast, nurses can use it," says Papazoglou. "You need that word of mouth to prove that it's not just us."

Source: Elisabeth Papazoglou, Drexel University
Writer: John Steele

If you're interested in innovation and job news from throughout Pennsylvania, do yourself a favor and check out our sister publication called Keystone Edge. Keystone Edge covers Innovation and Job News from Erie to Easton in its weekly online magazine, which publishes each Thursday and is also available via free subscription here.