UNMC students complete first tech transfer boot camp

June 23, 2015 Comments (1) News

Grad students Richard Nelson (left) and Simarjeet Negi look on during a session of UNeMed's first Technology Transfer Boot Camp, a week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science.

Grad students Richard Nelson (left) and Simarjeet Negi look on during a session of UNeMed’s first tech transfer Boot Camp, a week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science. (Photo: Charlie Litton)

OMAHA, Nebraska (June 23, 2015)—UNeMed’s first-ever tech transfer Boot Camp concluded last week, churning out seven University Nebraska Medical Center students and postdocs that are now better armed to help commercialize the science and discoveries that emanate from university research.

Created and designed by UNeMed’s Agnes Lenagh, PhD, the Boot Camp was a rigorous, hands-on course about the commercialization process. It gave participants a chance to experience the day-to-day operations of a technology transfer office like UNeMed. Students participated in mock contract negotiations, evaluated technology disclosures, and simulated marketing campaigns to commercialize hypothetical technologies.

“This will definitely impact me positively, and lead to more career choices,” said Simarjeet Negi, a PhD candidate at UNMC.

UNeMed Licensing Specialist Agnes Lenagh, PhD, listens to student presentations during the first-ever Technology Transfer Boot Camp. Lenagh organized the week-long training session to help grad students and postdocs develop tools needed to commercialize scientific discoveries and inventions.

UNeMed Licensing Specialist Agnes Lenagh, PhD, listens to student presentations during the first-ever Technology Transfer Boot Camp. Lenagh organized the week-long training session to help grad students and postdocs develop tools needed to commercialize scientific discoveries and inventions. (Photo:Charlie Litton)

Dr. Lenagh, a licensing specialist at UNeMed, created the Boot Camp after UNeMed recently received almost two dozen applications for one internship position at UNeMed. With so much interest in the industry, she wanted to help others boost their experience, and perhaps give them a chance to land a similar opportunity at another institution.

“We wanted to give students a chance to experience what it’s like at UNeMed and expose them to tech transfer,” Dr. Lenagh said.

The course featured a wide range of UNeMed staffers as guest speakers who instructed topics that covered the entire range of day-to-day technology transfer activities.

“I found the talks not only informative, but engaging as all the speakers welcomed interruption and indulged even tangentially related questions from the participants,” said another participant, Tyler Scherr, also a PhD candidate.

Dr. Lenagh hopes the students will walk away with more than just a certificate of completion.

“Hopefully, they’ll think differently about their research in the lab,” she said. “Hopefully, they’ll think about how their research can become a product and help people.”

As the technology transfer arm of UNMC, a part of UNeMed’s mission is education, offering special services including the Boot Camp, various free seminars, and an educational course. The course, “Bioscience Entrepreneurship,” was first offered in in the 2013 fall semester, and is expected to return to the curriculum in the 2016-17 school year.

Pictured, from left, are grad student Tyler Scherr, postdoc Jing Li and grad student Emily Harrison who were among UNeMed's first class of a Technology Transfer Boot Campers in a week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science.

Pictured, from left, are grad student Tyler Scherr, postdoc Jing Li and grad student Emily Harrison who were among UNeMed’s first class of a Technology Transfer Boot Campers in week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science. (Photo:Charlie Litton)

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The trouble with fighting rare diseases

June 18, 2015 Comments (1) Blog, Success Stories

by Charlie Litton, UNeMed | June 18, 2015

There are those things you learn that make you want to drop everything, and pull the kids out of school for a round of hugs and ice cream. The kind of things that transform nightly bed-time tantrums into positively delightful problems.

Things that make you question the existence of a higher power.

Juvenile Batten Disease is one. If there’s something worse, I’d rather not know about it, thank you very much.

Juvenile Batten Disease is horrific enough—if you really must know, I’ll dive into those gruesome details later. What makes it extra-spicy evil is not just that it afflicts small children. It’s the rarity of it.

Wait, what?

It’s rare. Isn’t that a good thing?

Yes, if you’re weighing the odds that it will someday destroy your family. No, if you hope to someday soon see a cure.

The horrible truth is that rare diseases don’t show up on a lot of researchers’ radar. And for the few that do focus their energies on rare diseases, the funding stream is probably outstripped by the youth soccer league budget in Harlan, Iowa.

I don’t know if Harlan even has a youth soccer league, but if they do, I’d wager they’re the best little soccer players in southwest Iowa. And no matter how well-heeled those kids might be in cleats and shin guards, it’s a far cry from what’s needed to cure something like Juvenile Batten Disease.

It occurs in about one of every 100,000 live births. It’s a genetic disorder that must be present in both parents before passing it on to any children. Even then, there’s a one in four chance the child will actually develop the disease.

But those that do must endure a gut-wrenching progression of symptoms that sound almost medieval for the torment they must cause. It usually begins right about the time they might be enrolling in things like youth soccer. Kids develop vision problems at 4- to 8-years-old. As the disease slowly kills brain cells, they steadily regress skills they’ve learned and then decline into blindness, seizures, behavioral issues, and dementia. Eventually, they are bed-ridden husks of their former selves.

It’s always fatal. Few survive beyond their twenties.

The rarity of this wretched disease is indeed a blessing, but it complicates things too. Big pharmaceutical companies gamble anytime they fund a research project. I don’t know about you, but my palms sweat just picking Powerball numbers. Pharmaceutical firms? They risk billions.

When a researcher thinks she has an idea that might work on a rare disease, the unavoidable fact is not enough people live with the disease to justify paying for the needed research.

We can lament this fact of capitalism all we want, but companies don’t remain in business very long if they can’t pay the bills.

But something unexpected happened recently.

PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals, which has since changed its name to Abeona Therapuetics, went all-in on destroying Juvenile Batten Disease. They signed a deal with a researcher here who thinks she has a way to do more than ease the symptoms of the disease.

Kielian CRW_7862A professor in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Tammy Kielian, PhD, learned about the disease when her niece, Olivia, was diagnosed in 2012. Kielian immediately focused her energy, skill and expertise on Juvenile Batten Disease.

Now she has the help of a good corporate citizen. It will be years before this develops into a product that could help families, but good news like this doesn’t come along every day.

This kind of news calls for hugs and ice cream.

*UPDATE-June 22, 2015—On June 19, 2015, PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals announced that it changed its name to Abeona Therapuetics “to reflect broader rare disease commitment,” according to a press release on CNN Money. The text above was updated to reflect the company’s name change.

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UNMC Vice Chancellor Leuenberger to step down in July

May 28, 2015 Comments (0) News

by Tom O’Connor, UNMC

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OMAHA, Neb. (May 28, 2015)—A key figure in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s dramatic growth over the past three decades, Don Leuenberger announced today that he will step down in July as vice chancellor for business and finance.

In his role as vice chancellor, Leuenberger, 70, was responsible for all campus facilities, budget, human resources, information technology, finance/business services, security and legal service. More than 600 people are included in these departments.

During Leuenberger’s 27 years as vice chancellor, building space on campus has more than tripled, going from 2.3 million sq. ft. in 1988 to more than 7.1 million sq. ft. (including 837,000 sq. ft. of building space under construction).

“Don has had an outstanding career,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold. “I feel very fortunate to have had him on our leadership team.  He wore many different hats and has an amazing blend of talents. I continue to look forward to working with Don as he takes on a new role.”

Dr. Gold said Leuenberger will continue to be involved in several of UNMC’s key initiatives including relations with China and in economic and community development.

Dr. Gold said a national search will be conducted to fill the vice chancellor position.

Among some of the highlights during Leuenberger’s tenure were:

  • Development of an academic campus in which all colleges/academic facilities were located on the east end of campus in close proximity to the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza;
  • Complete overhaul of antiquated research facilities with the creation of two research towers on the west end of campus – the Durham Research Center and Durham Research Center II;
  • Ongoing construction of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the largest construction project in the history of the University of Nebraska (the $323 million project is scheduled for completion in 2017);
  • Being instrumental in UNMC developing a strong presence in China by forging partnerships with several Chinese universities and institutions; and
  • Being instrumental in UNMC’s economic development role in Omaha and Nebraska.

“It’s been a privilege to be a part of the growth of the campus,” Leuenberger said. “We’ve transformed from a relatively small, Midwest academic medical center to one with a growing national and international presence. The physical growth of the campus is just emblematic of the growth in excellence in all areas on the campus and the overwhelming support we have received from the state and the community.

“When you look at anyone’s legacy, I think you have to look at the people with whom you have worked. I’ve been privileged to have worked with and recruited some outstanding leaders on campus. They, in turn, have recruited and mentored others – many of whom will have a significant impact on UNMC for decades to come.

“Most importantly, we have established a reputation within the entire university for innovation, capability and integrity – and always providing quality service. That means everything to me.”

Complacency will not be an issue in the next phase of his life, he said. An avid bicyclist, Leuenberger plans to ride in RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride across Iowa) on July 17-23. It will be the seventh consecutive year he has rode in the event.

A fixture in State Capitol

Don Leuenberger’s name is widely known in the halls of the Nebraska State Capitol building.

Working in the Nebraska State Budget Office and as state tax commissioner for the Nebraska Department of Revenue, he served on the staffs of five Nebraska governors and the cabinets of four. They included Norbert Tiemann (staff only), James Exon, Charles Thone, Kay Orr and Ben Nelson.

Between 1995-1998, Leuenberger took a leave of absence from UNMC to serve as director of social services/policy secretary for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, he led a massive reorganization effort involving the merger of five state agencies.

At UNMC, his career spanned five different chancellors – Charles Andrews, M.D., Carol Aschenbrener, M.D., William Berndt, PhD, Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.

The Leuenberger File

Education:

  • B.A., Indiana State University, 1967
  • M.A., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1969

Work Experience:

  • 1969-1981, Nebraska State Budget Office
  • 1981-1983, state tax commissioner, Nebraska Department of Revenue
  • 1983-1986, assistant vice president and director of university-wide computing, University of Nebraska – Central Administration
  • 1987-1988, state tax commissioner, Nebraska Department of Revenue
  • 1988- present, vice chancellor for business and finance, UNMC
  • 1995-1998, director of social services/policy secretary, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (leave of absence from UNMC)

Awards:

  • 1979 – Governor’s nominee for the National Governors Associated Distinguished Services to State Government Award
  • 1981 – Governor’s nominee for the Distinguished Leadership Award of the Association of Government Accountants
  • 1997 – First recipient, UNL College of Arts & Sciences Alumni Achievement Award
  • 2005 – William M. Kizer Leadership Award, Wellness Council of the Midlands

Professional Activities:

  • 2006-present, chairman of the board, UNeMed, UNMC’s technology transfer company
  • 2001-2010, board of directors, United Way of the Midlands (also served on Executive Committee and as chair of the Planning and Allocation Committee)
  • 2008 – board of directors, Biomedical Technology Transfer Corp. (BioTT)
  • 2003 – involved in the organization and launch of Destination Midtown, a program to help define future development and growth for the Midtown Omaha area
  • 1993-present, secretary/treasurer, board of directors of UNeHealth, a non-profit corporation involved in enhancing and supporting the clinical research mission of UNMC
  • 1988-1989, member, State School Finance Review Committee
  • 1990-1995, member and chair, State School Finance Commission

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New prototypes for interventional radiology find funding

May 27, 2015 Comments (1) News, Success Stories

Greg Gordon, M.D., aligns a prototype of his patented Lock-Block radiation shield during a round of early tests. Dr. Gordon built his own startup company, Radux Devices, around inventions designed to better protect physicians from radiation.

Greg Gordon, M.D., aligns a prototype of his patented Lock-Block radiation shield during a round of early tests. Dr. Gordon built his own startup company, Radux Devices, around inventions designed to better protect physicians from radiation. Photo: Charlie Litton

by Tyler Mueller, UNeMed

OMAHA, Nebraska (May 27, 2015)—A successful interventional radiology procedure can improve a patient’s life, but the people performing them, physicians like Greg Gordon, M.D., limp away feeling worse.

“I get home, and I can’t walk,” Dr. Gordon said. “I can’t move.”

Dr. Gordon invented two devices and built around them a new startup company, Radux Devices, which he hopes will make some of the pain and risk of IR a distant memory for him and other physicians. A recent proof-of-concept grant from the University’s Nebraska Research Initiative will give him the chance to prove his ideas can work.

Interventional radiologists like Dr. Gordon—who practices at Omaha’s Veteran Administration Hospital while holding a faculty appointment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center—use continuous X-ray scans to do things like injecting dyes and clearing arterial blockages through an access sheath, usually in a patient’s neck, arm or thigh.

In any IR procedure, Dr. Gordon must wear a lead-heavy protective apron that shields him from X-ray radiation. With multiple patients in a day, it’s not uncommon for physicians to wear the vest for up to 10 hours. Even with the 30-pound protective vest, X-ray radiation exposure is still a legitimate risk. And the extra weight adds bodily stress and strain that, like radiation exposure, accumulates and gets worse over time.

Bodily stress, strain, and other similar injuries are common issues, and anywhere from 60 percent to 70 percent of interventional radiologists complain about spinal problems according to a 2009 study conducted by the Society of Interventional Radiology. These injuries are caused by the leaded protection IR physicians wear while standing in awkward positions and angles. Dr. Gordon said he’s had five knee surgeries and two hip procedures to fix the damage caused—all the while suffering from an unrelated arthritic condition, ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammation of the spine where joints can fuse together.

“I think my skillsets go down because I get pain and so stressed that I can’t maintain the steady hand that I need,” Dr. Gordon said.

Besides bodily stress, cancers and tumors are another risk from IR procedures. Working closely with X-ray radiation for extended periods cumulatively increases the chances of developing health problems such as cataracts, breast cancer and central nervous system tumors, even when wearing protective garments. According to the same 2009 study, radiologists are three times more likely to die from brain cancer than physicians who do not use radiation.

Dr. Gordon said there haven’t been a lot of improvements in the health and safety for IR employees despite the risks because “that’s just part of the job.”

Lock-Block is a radiation shield that protects physicians from radiation during prodecures that require continuous x-ray imaging, such as inserting a stent.

Lock-Block is a radiation shield that protects physicians from radiation during prodecures that require continuous x-ray imaging, such as inserting a stent. Photo: Charlie Litton

Dr. Gordon’s solutions to the problems were a flexible sheath and a radiation shield. The sheath reduces radiation exposure by pushing physicians’ hands further away from the radiation field and allowing them to operate in more comfortable positions. The portable radiation shield, about the size of a steno notebook, blocks X-ray radiation from the physician’s hands and body.

But in order for the devices to be saleable in the medical market, they need FDA approval and studies proving their effectiveness. The University of Nebraska awarded Dr. Gordon a $250,000 Nebraska Research Initiative proof of concept grant to develop and test working prototypes.

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UNeMed welcomes mobile apps

May 12, 2015 Comments (1) News

unemedappserviceOMAHA, Neb. (May 12, 2015)—Faculty, students and staff working on or thinking about developing a new smartphone or tablet application can find the help they need at UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

UNeMed can help UNMC faculty, students and staff develop and publish an app, and also help them secure and protect any intellectual property associated with the new software. UNeMed can also provide additional resources by tapping existing relationships with programmers and software engineers throughout the university system and in private industry.

UNeMed is a registered developer and publisher on the most widely recognized app marketplaces: The iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store.

Those who have an idea for a new or improved mobile app can reach UNeMed at 559-2468.

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Zhang passes US patent bar

May 11, 2015 Comments (0) News

Qian ZhangOMAHA, Neb. (May 11, 2015)—UNeMed technology development specialist, Qian Zhang, PhD, recently passed the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s patent bar exam and is now a registered patent agent.

“I’m very excited to be registered as a patent agent,” said Dr. Zhang, who is now the fifth full-time staffer to have passed the patent bar. “It has been one of my goals.”

As a patent agent Dr. Zhang can now draft, file and prosecute patent applications for UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Born in Linyi, China—a city of 10 million near the northern end of the Yellow Sea coast—Dr. Zhang attended graduate school at the UNMC where she earned a doctorate in cancer biology in 2011. She also holds an MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Dr. Zhang first joined UNeMed as a licensing associate in 2011, where she helped evaluate and bring UNMC innovations to the market. Dr. Zhang also plays a role for UNeMed in developing international markets, particularly in China.

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ProTransit wins ‘Buzz of BIO’ contest

May 5, 2015 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (May 6, 2015)—ProTransit Nanotherapy, an Omaha biomedical startup formed around technology invented at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, recently won an online competition that will give it a rather large megaphone.

buzzofBIOwinnerThe victory means ProTransit Nanotherapy will gain two rare chances for international exposure at the world’s largest biomedical exposition when the BIO International Convention convenes in Philadelphia next month.

ProTransit Nanotherapy won the “Buzz of BIO Technologies of Tomorrow” category by a wide margin, unofficially finishing with 892 votes, more than 150 better than the runner-up’s final tally of 736.

As part of the prize package, ProTransit CEO and co-founder Gary Madsen, PhD, will get an opportunity to deliver a company presentation to a global audience of potential investors, and then sit down in one-on-one partnering meetings with potential industrial partners and investors. Dr. Madsen will also receive free admission to the annual convention for a total package worth about $4,500.

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Dr. Madsen

But the added value of the exposure itself is difficult to pin down.

“It would be nearly impossible to get this type of exposure given the international focus of the meeting,” Dr. Madsen said via email. “There is no other venue where this type of exposure can be obtained.”

Dr. Madsen said that without the prize, he and his company would not have been able to attend the conference as even mere spectators, let alone gain the level of exposure the presentation and partnering meetings will deliver.

Dr. Madsen, the former Entrepreneur in Residence for UNeMed, co-founded ProTransit in 2013 with former UNMC researcher and inventor Vinod Labhashetwar, PhD, who is now at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Labhashetwar developed a novel nanoparticle that can deliver antioxidant enzymes to the deepest layers of skin where they can prevent and perhaps undo some of the damage caused by free radicals. The technology could be incorporated into current skin care products and make them far more effective at things like preventing skin cancer, wrinkles and blemishes.

In the future, ProTransit will also be developing similar products for treatment of serious ailments like spinal injuries and stroke.

UNeMed is the technology transfer and commercialization office (TTO) for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. UNeMed serves all UNMC researchers, faculty and staff who develop new biomedical technology and inventions, and strives to help bring those innovations to the marketplace.

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Intelligent Design: Smarter research for smarter drugs

May 1, 2015 Comments (0) Blog

by Charles Litton | April 30, 2015

Many drugs have the same problem.

They often bumble around, interacting with whatever tissue they meet, blind to the difference between diseased and healthy tissue.

That’s why, when a medication stumbles into enough healthy cells, a wide range of toxic and sometimes scary side-effects are often the result.

dongwang2_LOMaking smarter drugs is certainly possible—if you have about a decade to kill and a few hundred million of spare change lying around. But an intelligent and skilled researcher could save a lot of time, energy and increasingly rare grant funding by looking for ways to improve existing drugs.

It sounds like a simple enough process: If “simple” also includes things like successfully landing a rover on Mars or understanding on a molecular level the complex intricacy and interaction of molecules within human physiology.

A pharmaceutical chemist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Dong Wang, PhD, is that rare breed of scientist that makes this kind of research sound easy. He’s a drug designer of sorts, looking for ways to help the tried and tested drug molecules to improve their ability to differentiate the good from bad.

“There are a lot of beautifully designed drug molecules out there,” said Dr. Wang, a professor in the UNMC College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. “This is about using them in a better way.”

Dr. Wang’s research interests have a particular focus in musculoskeletal issues, which can be anything from broken bones, joint replacement and osteoporosis to rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and even spinal injuries.

Dr. Wang’s work is commonly known as a prodrug design approach. He repackages a known “therapeutic warhead” into a new, more focused delivery mechanism. The reduced side-effects might be similar to the way laser guided missiles eliminated the wide-scale collateral damage of World War II carpet bombing raids.

“We want to make the drug work better, work more efficiently, and restrict them from causing harm,” said Dr. Wang.

By making drugs smarter, Dr. Wang hopes to remove a significant amount of the associated side-effects. If his successes are as dramatic as some of his early tests suggest, then his approach could arm physicians with familiar treatments that are more potent and much less harmful to patients.

Several of his prodrugs have attracted wide industrial interests from across the globe, including a new design on an existing lupus treatment. By encapsulating a powerful anti-inflammatory steroid, dexamethasone, in a targeted delivery vehicle, Dr. Wang said his animal tests showed near-100 percent effectiveness at preventing dangerous kidney inflammation, lupus nephritis, which can lead to kidney failure.

In testing lupus animals already presenting with nephritis, his formulation eliminated the inflammation in about 80 percent of the animals, and in the remaining 20 percent his version of treatment still reduced the condition to a more mild form. Dexamethasone alone only stopped further progression of nephritis, and did virtually nothing to reduce it, Dr. Wang said.

Dr. Wang cautioned that such dramatic results are not typical for all of his designs, but improving what already exists in a safe and cheaper way to improve the effectiveness of existing treatment strategies.

“Using intelligent design you can dramatically change the landscape, and provide the physician a better alternative to treat the patient,” said Dr. Wang. “And the health care cost may also be significantly reduced.”

Charles Litton is the communications associate at UNeMed Corporation, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He can be reached at charles.litton@unmc.edu or 402-559-2468.

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Make ProTransit Nanotherapy the “buzz” of international BIO conference

April 15, 2015 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (April 15, 2015)—ProTransit Nanotherapy, an Omaha startup based on technology and innovation developed at UNMC, has the opportunity to gain international exposure if it gains enough votes in an online contest.

PTNTBIO, one of the world’s largest international biotechnology conferences, is hosting the “Buzz of BIO,” where the company receiving the most votes will win the rare opportunity to deliver a company presentation to industry leaders at the next BIO convention, to be held in Philadelphia on June 15-18.

A company presentation at BIO would provide ProTransit Nanotherapy unique access to the international biotech community at the conference and the opportunity to generate additional partnering meetings with the world’s largest biomedical firms. The presentation will also be promoted through BIO’s website and printed promotional pieces.

To vote, visit https://convention.bio.org/buzzofbio/voting.aspx and select ProTransit Nanotherapy in the “Technologies of Tomorrow” category (companies are listed alphabetically).

Anyone can vote once per day—once for each email address—until polling closes at 4 p.m. on April 21.

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Entrepreneur Legal Clinic startup talk is April 17

April 15, 2015 Comments (0) News

LINCOLN, Neb. (April 15, 2015)—A free seminar detailing the elements of a successful startup founder will be offered Friday, April 17, in Lincoln, Neb.

Hosted by the Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Law, “Startup Founders: Who to Choose, When to Choose Them, and How to Incentivize Success,” will be held at Union Bank Catalyst at 9:30-10:30 a.m.

The presentation will be delivered by clinic student attorneys, Shannon McCoy and Matthew Dunlop who will discuss key legal issues that all new businesses and startups should consider. There will be a particular emphasis on selecting the right co-founders, distributing ownership and the best incentives that can lead startups closer to success.

A local startup, The Doughnut Hole, will provide guests with a complimentary snack. To ensure there is enough food for everyone, please RSVP to eclinic@unl.edu.

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Tech transfer boot camp set for June

April 13, 2015 Comments (0) News

by Charles Litton, UNeMed

unemed tech transfer boot campOMAHA, Neb. (April, 13, 2015)—A week-long boot camp training program will be offered in June for those interested in technology transfer and related fields away from the research bench and other scientific pursuits.

UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, will host the program as a way to help more UNMC researchers and students gain a wider range of skills and experience to match their scientific knowledge and training.

The course will be held June 15-19, meeting every day at 8-11 a.m.

The program is designed to provide information across a range of technology transfer relevant areas, including:
• Evaluating new inventions
• Intellectual property law
• Marketing and commercialization
• Contract negotiation

Rather than provide a series of lectures, UNeMed’s tech transfer boot camp will dive into more hands-on activities that will highlight real-word situations and help illustrate key aspects of the technology commercialization process.

Cost is free, but space is limited. Applications to participate will be accepted until May 5th.
More information about the program and the application process can be found at https://www.unemed.com/bootcamp.

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ScanMed climbs to national leader of MRI innovation

April 1, 2015 Comments (0) News

by Charlie Litton, UNeMed

OMAHA, Neb. (March, 25, 2015)—Long before Nebraska’s largest city landed on any national top 10 lists for its startup scene. Long before the state carved out incentives and initiatives to promote high-tech business growth and development. Long before anyone thought Nebraska was a good place to start a biomedical company, there was Randy Jones and his ideas for better MRI scanners.

ScanMed founder and CEO Randy Jones, PhD, looks over one his prototypes for an MRI scanning coil that will help physicians finally get detailed images of a patient’s lung tissue. (Photo: Charlie Litton)

ScanMed founder and CEO Randy Jones, PhD, looks over one his prototypes for an MRI scanning coil that will help physicians finally get detailed images of a patient’s lung tissue. (Photo: Charlie Litton) 

Jones, who holds a doctorate in electrical engineering, founded ScanMed of Resonance Innovations in his basement as a four-man operation in the mid-1990s: Back when most other medical device companies were running to biomedical hubs like Cleveland or Minneapolis.

Jones stuck with Nebraska, and it’s finally starting to pay off.

In the last three years, his business has exploded to a multimillion dollar company with a growing national reputation for rebuilding, repairing and developing new and innovative coils for magnetic resonance imaging scanners, or MRIs. After 10 tumultuous years of innovations, breakthroughs and setbacks, ScanMed’s next generation of coils—and its burgeoning repair service—has finally turned the proverbial corner with more than 30 employees and a three-year facility expansion that has grown from 5,000 to 15,000 square feet.

Already, that space could soon start feeling cramped.

“All the conditions were right, finally,” Jones said. “It’s still a little underutilized, which is good because we’re still growing. And this year is going to be a tremendous growth year.”

Jones said the company enjoyed a 99 percent growth in 2013, and used that momentum to expand operations in 2014. In 2014, ScanMed cut into its growth rate with more than $1 million investment in product development and additional hardware.

A key piece of nearly exponential growth was a 2012 buy-in from the state. With a $500,000 matching seed investment, ScanMed became the first company to receive investment funds from Invest Nebraska, a public-private venture development organization funded in part by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Invest Nebraska focuses on fostering high-growth, high-paying industry startups and small business in Nebraska.

“The fact that we got a lump sum of real capital was real helpful,” Jones said, “because we were able to buy, or at least put down deposits on, a lot of necessary equipment to get to our next growth plane.”

Just two-and-a-half years later, in December 2014, a private strategic investor bought out Invest Nebraska’s interest—at an undisclosed, but tidy profit—and sent ScanMed sailing into the future.

Jones said the infusion of cash from Invest Nebraska and other investors helped ScanMed install a 3D printer and one of the nation’s few fully-functioning MRI scanners not attached to a hospital or university. The scanner alone—a used version of General Electric’s most popular model—cost about $600,000 to purchase and install, and Jones said he already has plans to add to his arsenal a popular Siemens version.

Having a scanner on-site frees Jones and his team from renting scanner time at a local hospital. Now, they can test at will the kind of innovative products that are at the core of Jones’ passion for the business.

But the business wouldn’t have survived this long without a repair service division that “carried” ScanMed during a downturn in the medical device industry in 2008 and 2009.

“There were almost no new equipment purchases in almost two years,” Jones said “What does that do to a medical device company? You just die and go away.”

ScanMed paid the bills and survived the lean years with an MRI coil repair service that now fulfills orders from across the world. The repair service accounts for about half of ScanMed’s business, but it was the innovations that inspired ScanMed’s beginning. And it appears more innovation will pave its future.

ScanMed has developed innovative coils that focus an MRI’s powerful imaging technology on specific body parts. ScanMed products can show physicians problems in areas that previously remained elusive. Jones said he has an imaging coil that can accurately detect prostate cancer, and another that can read the notoriously difficult-to-see soft tissue in the lungs—which could have a profound impact on how physicians treat and diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD.

“Having survived all the nasty stuff that we have survived,” Jones said, “I feel pretty comfortable with where we are.”

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Antimicrobial peptide work goes on with $1.8 million from NIH

March 17, 2015 Comments (0) News

From UNMC Today

by Elizabeth Kumru, UNMC

OMAHA, Neb. (March 17, 2015)—Engineered peptides may soon be the therapy of choice against nasty bacterial and viral infections, as well as cancer and HIV.

Guangshun (Gus) Wang, PhD, assistant professor, pathology/microbiology, received a five-year, $1.88 million RO1 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to extract the most critical parameters and design and optimize potent antimicrobial peptides, basically, templates for a new generation of antimicrobials.

He’s going after the life-threatening “superbugs” that have the ability to escape the killing power of traditional antibiotics. The ESKAPE pathogens are Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the Enterobacter species.

Dr. Wang

Dr. Guangshun (Gus) Wang, PhD

Peptides are naturally occurring tiny proteins that present a vast improvement over traditional antibiotic medications in that bacteria are far less likely to develop resistance to treatment.

“This is an exciting time especially since the pipeline for novel therapeutics to treat drug-resistant infections is dry. This is a novel way to approach this problem,” Dr. Wang said.

His work began to be noticed in 2004 when he went live with his massive peptide database, which now contains more than 2,500 peptides from a wide variety of sources, from human, animal and insect to fungi, fish and plant.

The Antimicrobial Peptide Database (APD) facilitates naming, classification, statistical analysis, search, prediction and design of novel antimicrobials with desired properties. It is the most comprehensive in the world, has received more than two million web hits and has been cited in more than 700 journal articles and patents.

With this NIAID grant, Dr. Wang has expanded his laboratory capabilities to test cytotoxicity in human cell lines and in vivo efficacy in animal models and is designing new compounds for UNMC’s center for Staphylococcal research.

Two years ago, Japan-based Taisho Pharmaceutical Company contracted Dr. Wang to make a new set of peptides to kill a particular bacterium that can only be treated now by one drug that has bad side effects, said Joe Runge, J.D., senior licensing specialist, UNeMed Corporation, the technology transfer and commercialization arm of UNMC.

“This is a new paradigm of peptide intervention,” he said. “More peptides will eventually become drugs. Dr. Wang uses information in his database and leverages his expertise to custom make peptides. It’s a perfect example of direct and applied biotechnology.

“He’s at a point in his career where he can do amazing things,” Runge said.

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Biopharma symposium enters second year, set for April 7-8

March 12, 2015 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (March 12, 2015)—In a step to improve dialogue, research collaboration and student learning objectives, UNMC’s College of Pharmacy is sponsoring the second annual Biopharmaceutical Research and Development Symposium April 7-8, 2015. The symposium will bring together leading academic researchers with biopharmaceutical industry scientists for a day-and-a-half of seminars, round-table discussions and networking opportunities.

This symposium will feature invited speaker presentations from leading scientists in biopharmaceutical industries and academia. In addition, 3-4 graduate students and postdocs will also give an oral presentation. Graduate students are also encouraged to make poster presentations.

This symposium will provide a unique opportunity for the faculty, post-docs, and graduate students at all nearby University of Nebraska campuses (UNMC, UNO and UNL), Creighton University and other local universities and colleges to have discussions with scientists from industries on the topics of mutual interest

The symposium registration is free. To register or view a complete list of events, times and speakers, please visit https://www.unmc.edu/pharmacy/programs/symposium/index.html

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Preview: Glancing ahead at what 2015 might bring

February 20, 2015 Comments (0) News

*Editor’s Note: Before we got too deep into 2015, we wanted to scan through our pipeline for a few highlights that have the greatest potential to make headlines this year. Most of our technologies are still in early stages of development, so we have to work hard to stow our excitement about all the potential they hold. Other technologies are closer, but still aren’t quite ready for prime time—Yet. But here are a few things that are really close. Things we hope to tell the world a lot more about before the end of 2015.

by Tyler Mueller, UNeMed | Feb. 20, 2015

COPD detection: Is there an app for that?

UNeMed is in advanced talks with a commercial partner to use a chronic obstructive pulmonaryCOPD Detection Platform Hardware disease (COPD) detector in the largest ongoing clinical study of COPD exacerbation. The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Jenna Yentes, PhD, designed the device to detect signs of COPD, the narrowing or destruction of lung tissue. The device measures the relationship of a user’s walking and breathing patterns or biorhythms. Using these biorhythms, the user can be alerted to early signs of exacerbation, the flare-up of symptoms that speeds up the destruction of lung tissue.

A blood test for the heart

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha—Dan Anderson (left), Michael Duryee (right) and Geoff Thiele (not pictured)—believe they found a way to determine who will develop potentially deadly heart disease with a simple blood test.

A team of collaborators are working on an international study to further prove and validate the authenticity of a blood test as a viable assessment of the risk of heart attacks. A molecule found in a person’s blood may signal an important distinction between coronary artery disease and heart attacks. A simple, inexpensive blood test could determine the presence of the molecule, malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde or MAA, -indicating a higher risk of heart attacks. The discovery of the molecule could alert patients to their risk level before they become susceptible. The inventors are also analyzing the biology of MAA for an even more precise test.

An answer for pancreatic cancer treatment resistance

natarajan2Amarnath Natarajan, PhD, received a University of Nebraska Proof of Concept grant to further his research on “13-197,” a pancreatic cancer drug. Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal form of cancer with roughly 45,000 diagnosed people a year. About 43,000 of them will die within five years of diagnosis. Existing treatments, when successful, only last a certain amount of time before a patient develops resistance to treatment. “13-197” has shown promise in tests with few side effects. Using the grant, Dr. Natarajan hopes to develop new and improved analogs of 13-197 to improve its potency and effectiveness.

Laparoscopic training: High-tech quality, low-tech cost

UNeMed is working with industry experts to design an advanced prototype of a portable laparoscopic simulator for FDA testing to simulate advanced surgical models but in a low-cost, low-tech environment. The portable laparoscopic training simulator can be used virtually anywhere, making the training for minimally invasive surgery that much easier. The simulator eliminates the space and equipment requirements of a typical laparoscopic setup, making nearly any space a usable training spot at a fraction of the cost. Included software will provide feedback to surgeons so they can better understand areas in need of improvement.

Protect the healing hands

Radux Devices is working on FDA approval and distribution on two technologies focused on safety and efficiency during surgeries that require X-ray imaging. In the summer of 2014, Radux received from the University of Nebraska a proof of concept grant that funded additional tests that hope to prove the reduced risk of radiation to the hands of physicians during surgery and improved workflow. The first product, the ARRESS (attachable radiation reduction extension support sheath,) is an extension sheath that keeps physicians farther from the radiation field and improves workflow. The second product, the Lock-Block, is a portable radiation shield that connects to the sheath extender.

UNeMed incubator will boost growing biotech industry

UNeMed is in the process of putting together a program that will nurture and support early-stage biotech startups. Similar to other incubator programs across the country, UNeMed’s incubator will bring together as many resources as possible into one physical space so that UNMC-borne technologies and startups have all the tools and resources needed to succeed. A more detailed announcement hopefully will come soon, but the incubator could include a physical lab space on UNMC’s campus, providing a new company with rare access to all the facilities, expert faculty, skilled staff and other resources such as mentors, advisers and potential collaborators.

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UNMC, Nebraska Medicine yield large economic footprint

February 17, 2015 Comments (0) News

Study reports economic impact of $4.2 billion annually

by Tom O’Connor, UNMC

OMAHA, Neb. (Feb. 16, 2015)—UNMC and its primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, have a combined $4.2 billion annual impact on Nebraska’s economy, a study released today indicates.

Durham Research CenterThe study, completed by nationally recognized consulting firm Tripp Umbach, shows that the Med Center not only contributes to the state’s well-being in health care, but also is a major player in driving its economy, said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.

“Our work impacts Nebraskans every day. Although our primary goal is to improve the lives of Nebraska through clinical care, education, research and community outreach, we’re proud to be such a strong contributor to the state’s economy and take that responsibility seriously,” said Dr. Gold, who also serves as chairman of Nebraska Medicine’s advisory board.

Tripp Umbach studied fiscal year 2013-2014, and its study includes UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, and the work that those organizations’ employees do for affiliates such as the VA Medical Center and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.  Since 1995, Tripp Umbach has completed economic impact studies of all 130 medical schools and 400 teaching hospitals for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

“It’s clear that UNMC and Nebraska Medicine have a significant impact on the economic health and well-being of our state. The education, research and patient care happening here attracts talent to Nebraska, produces a skilled workforce, leads to new products and innovations, and improves the quality of life for people around the state and the world,” said University of Nebraska Interim President James Linder, M.D. “I could not be more proud of the economic, educational and health benefits that UNMC and Nebraska Medicine bring to Nebraska.”

Of the $4.2 billion impact, $1.8 billion was through direct expenditures for goods and services by UNMC, employees, students, out-of-state patients and visitors. The remaining $2.4 billion came in the form of indirect spending within Nebraska, meaning the businesses and individuals that received direct payments from the medical center and its affiliates then respent their money within the state.

“It takes strong pillars to support a thriving state and local economy, and two of Greater Omaha’s most powerful are based – literally – at the city’s core,” said David Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “UNMC and Nebraska Medicine are an undeniable force in terms of economic impact, job creation and workforce development; phrases we revere at the Chamber because we know they equate to lives improved and enhanced access to prosperity city-, region- and statewide.”

Dr. Gold noted that a key benefit of the Med Center, economically, is attracting fresh dollars to the state’s economy and keeping dollars from leaking out of the state to other academic health centers.

For instance, the Tripp Umbach report concluded that two clinical service lines – cancer and transplantation – have an economic impact of $377.8 million and $139.1 million, respectively, on the state’s economy.

“Programs such as these serve a double benefit by keeping money in the state’s economy and attracting dollars to the Nebraska economy from other regions of the country and internationally,” Dr. Gold said.

Other findings of the report included:

  • UNMC and Nebraska Medicine created and supported 28,927 Nebraska jobs in fiscal year 2013-2014.
  • UNMC and Nebraska Medicine generate $99.1 million per year in state and local taxes (i.e. dividends, fines/fees, sales, property, real estate, motor vehicle, licensing and other taxes).
  • UNMC graduates working throughout Nebraska generate an economic impact of $3.9 billion. Based on profession, physicians have a $2.7 billion impact or $1.3 million per graduate, followed by dentists ($534 million total/$750,000 per grad), pharmacists ($339.9 million/$300,000 per grad), advanced practice registered nurses ($147 million/$250,000 per grad), physician assistants ($134.7 million/$250,000 per grad), and physical therapists ($111.4 million/$200,000 per grad).
  • The combined impact of two service lines (cancer and transplant services) at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine totals $516.9 million (direct and indirect spending).

The study showed that about $1 in every $25 in the Nebraska economy is generated by UNMC/Nebraska Medicine, and the Med Center generates one in every 35 jobs in the state.

“The work we do to educate next generation health care providers, advance research of critical health issues and treat patients from around the world will always be our top priority,” said Dr. Gold, “but it’s both humbling and gratifying to know how connected and significant that work is in keeping a strong Nebraska economy.”

Nearly half of Nebraska’s physicians, dental professionals, bachelor-prepared nurses and allied health professionals have graduated from UNMC. As an academic health science center, UNMC offers patients world-class health care backed by the latest research innovations and practiced by faculty training the next generation of health providers.

Tower cranes dot the landscape as the medical center continues construction work, in Omaha, on the $323 million Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the Lauritzen Outpatient Center, the Lozier Center for Pharmacy Sciences and Education/UNMC Center for Drug Discovery, and, in Kearney, the UNMC/UNK Health Science Education Complex.

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