University of Nebraska climbs to 73rd on international patent list

March 14, 2024 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (March 14, 2024)—For the seventh consecutive year, the University of Nebraska landed among the world’s top 100 universities for securing United States patents.

All told, innovations created by faculty, students and staff from the University of Nebraska system accounted for 46 U.S. patents issued in the 2023 calendar year.

“Innovation is a key facet in any forward-looking enterprise, but especially in health care,” UNMC chancellor Jeffrey Gold, MD, said. “The patents received by UNMC scientists and clinicians set a blueprint, not only for the lifesaving and life-transforming new discovery’s of diagnostics, medications and devices they create, but for a path to improved health outcomes for citizens of Nebraska, the United States and the world. This defines the ‘bench to bedside’ research at UNMC.”

Nebraska’s 46 patents is one better than the 45 secured the previous year, which led to a 5-spot jump to 73rd among the world in 2023. Narrowing the lens to the U.S. only, the University of Nebraska is 55th, producing the same number of patents as its Big Ten colleagues Rutgers and Indiana.

Former UNMC surgeon Dmitry Oleynikov (left) and UNL engineer Shane Farritor (right) test an early prototype of their surgical robotic platform during a trial in Omaha several years ago. Their collaboration created a startup company, Virtual Incision, which hopes to make major surgery—like a bowel resection—a laparoscopic procedure. The FDA recently approved their innovation for use in human patients.

“For us to appear on a list highlighting the most innovative Universities in the world is a big deal. Research and Innovation at the University of Nebraska continues to grow and produce new discoveries at a rapid pace, and each of these patents has potential to make the world a better place,” said Michael Dixon, PhD, president and CEO at UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization for UNMC and UNO. “However, in addition to the number of patents issued, another key metric is the number of those patents that have been licensed by a company for further development. At UNeMed, around 60 percent of our issued patents have been licensed and the companies that are developing that technology are investing significant private dollars to create products that will improve our lives.”

UNMC’s patented technologies in 2023 includes six patents related to Virtual Incision — a UNeMed startup built on surgical robotic innovations developed via a cross-campus collaboration between UNMC and UNL.

Virtual Incision gained some recent national media attention when its core technology, MIRA, successfully performed tests aboard the International Space Station in early February. MIRA, which stands for Miniaturized In Vivo Robotic Assistant, is currently under review for FDA clearance.

Another surgery-related patent, for a device called the Aquablade, was developed by Jason MacTaggart, MD, and Alexey Kamenskiy, PhD. AquaBlade is a device that uses a specialized cutting tool that employs a high-pressure water jet to repair life-threatening tears in artery walls, and could also help remove previously deployed stents.

During 2022 Innovation Awards ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, at the Hilton Omaha, UNeMed President & CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, (left) presents UNMC researchers Howard Gendelman, MD, (center) and Benson Edagwa, PhD, with the Startup of of the Year award in recognition of the recent success of Exavir Therapeutics, a company they co-founded based on the antiretroviral therapeutics they’ve developed at UNMC.

Another pair of UNMC patents relate to another UNMC startup, Exavir Therapeutics, which was created on the innovative work of Howard Gendelman, MD, and Benson Edagwa, PhD. Exavir is focused on developing ultra-long acting therapies for the treatment of HIV. Current treatment regimens for HIV often require a strict schedule of daily doses. But Exavir’s technology could transform HIV treatment to just a single dose once or twice a year.

Another patent was issued for UNMC researcher Dong Wang’s, PhD, drug delivery technology called ProGel, which is liquid at room temperature and becomes a gel when warmed to body temperature. His startup, Ensign Pharmaceutical, is currently developing a ProGel formulation of a common steroid, dexamethasone, for the treatment of osteoarthritis-related pain. Currently, anti-inflammatory steroids like dexamethasone are used to provide immediate relief from debilitating pain and swelling caused by osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, the effect is short-lived, providing relief for just a few days. ProGel, however, could extend that effectiveness for months.

Dong Wang, PhD

Additional UNMC patents in 2023 include new approaches for creating arteovenous fistulas; a new diagnostic for coronary artery disease; an improved method for using CRISPR, a DNA slicing tool common in research applications; new approaches for treating various cancers; and several other devices that range from nanofiber-based materials to a screening tool that helps assess a patient’s risk of complications prior to surgery.

The University of California system — which includes 10 major campuses — dominated the list with 546 U.S. Patents. MIT was a distant second with 365 patents and the University of Texas system — and its nine campuses — was third at 235.

Purdue led all Big Ten institutions with 198 U.S. patents, followed by Michigan (136), Wisconsin (134), Northwestern (108), Maryland (108), Minnesota (96), Illinois (89), and Ohio State (87).

Trailing Nebraska were Michigan State (45) and Penn State (40). Iowa was not listed among the top 100.

Read article

FDA approves Virtual Incision robot for human use

February 28, 2024 Comments (0) News, Success Stories

Virtual Incision MIRA

LINCOLN, Nebraska (February 24, 2024) — The FDA has granted Virtual Incision approval to use its ground-breaking surgical robotics platform, called MIRA, for adult patients undergoing colectomy procedures. FDA approval finally opens the door for the Nebraska-born innovation to be used in hospitals, possibly enabling wider access to minimally invasive procedures to millions of Americans.

“While this is an important milestone, there’s always more to do,” said Michael Dixon, PhD, president and CEO of UNeMed, the tech transfer and commercialization office at UNMC that helped establish Virtual Incision. “The surgical robots need to be made and surgeons need to be trained to use them. But for patient safety and functionality, it’s passed the major hurdles. It’s been a long, decade-plus odyssey to go from an idea to an approved product, so this didn’t happen overnight. And getting to widespread adoption probably won’t happen overnight either; however, I am optimistic that this technology will have a major impact on healthcare over the next decade.”

MIRA, short for Miniature In vivo Robotic Assistant, is the product of a cross-campus collaboration between University of Nebraska-Lincoln robotics professor, Shane Farritor, PhD, and former UNMC surgeon Dmitry Oleynikov, MD.

It will be initially limited to colectomies, also referred to as a colon resection. Considered a major surgery, colon resections are among treatment options for patients with lower gastrointestinal diseases including diverticulitis, colon lesions and inflammatory bowel disease. Colon resections often involve a large incision so the surgeon may remove the damaged or diseased portion of the bowel.

It may take months to recover fully from such an open procedure, but recovery would be significantly reduced when the same procedure is performed laparoscopically. A surgical robot like MIRA, can provide that option to more patients.

Former UNMC surgeon Dmitry Oleynikov (left) and UNL engineer Shane Farritor (right) test an early prototype of its surgical robot several years ago in Omaha. Their collaboration created a startup company, Virtual Incision, which now has FDA clearance to use their robotics technology in human adults.

Other surgical robotic options exist, but they are massive, main-frame units that take up an entire room and reach into the body from outside the patient. MIRA, however, is a small, self-contained surgical device that is inserted through a single midline umbilical incision in the patient’s abdomen. It does not require a dedicated operating room or specialized infrastructure, so it is expected to be significantly less expensive than existing robotic alternatives for laparoscopic surgery. Virtual Incision’s technology promises to enable a minimally invasive approach to surgeries performed today with a large open incision.

Virtual Incision said it will begin commercializing MIRA in select centers across the United States, and will eventually ramp up to additional sites over time. Virtual Incision added that it will seek additional approval for uses in other conditions related to gynecology, general surgery, urology and other soft tissue and solid organ surgery.

Studies of MIRA in gynecological procedures are already planned for later this year; and a new version of MIRA that is designed for general surgery is expected to be used in a first-in-human study outside the U.S., also later this year.

Read article

New sampling device created at UNMC gains investment boost

February 21, 2024 Comments (0) News

Demonstration of the MicroWash nasal sample collection device.

OMAHA, Nebraska (February 20, 2024) — A UNMC startup company announced today a massive boost to its homegrown efforts at reinventing the painful and uncomfortable nasal swabs that so many suffered during the COVID 19 pandemic.

University Medical Devices successfully closed a $1.6 million seed round of funding, which will fuel the company’s push to place its cornerstone device, MicroWash, into the hands of clinicians where it can potentially help patients everywhere.

Developed by a team of prolific inventors in UNMC ‘s emergency medicine department — assistant professor Thang Nguyen, PhD, MSN, and department chair Michael Wadman, MD — MicroWash is nasal sample collection device that is far less invasive than the traditional swabs that gained notoriety.

“We’re incredibly proud of the UMD team,” said Michael Dixon, PhD, president and CEO of UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO. “Drs. Wadman and Nguyen are two of our most creative and inventive faculty members, and it’s great that others are now finally going to see what we’ve known for so long. They’re a great example of what can happen when you are focused on solving problems and helping patients.”

UNeMed worked with the inventors to secure additional development support for their technology, which ultimately led to the creation of the Omaha-based startup.

Although it was developed in response to the challenges posed during the pandemic, MicroWash could work in collecting samples for a number of viral infections, including flu, RSV and COVID. The device is a self-contained attachment that resembles a syringe without a needle. It contains a solution that is flushed into the nasal cavity with the plunger, then drains back into the device. The device is then capped, and sent to the lab for testing.

A recent video using an outdated prototype demonstrates how the device works, and can be viewed here.

“This collection system is especially crucial for higher-risk populations and a significant step toward mitigating the global impact of future pandemics,” UMD said in a press release.

The funding round, which began in March 2023 and closed in December, was led by Bright Minds Capital Partners, Invest Nebraska and leaders from AV Legacy Holdings LLC and UMD.

“Having our seed round close fully funded is a testament to investors’ belief in our concepts, recognizing we’re a trailblazer in how upper respiratory infection samples are collected for testing,” James Young, UMD founder and CEO, said in the release. “It demonstrates confidence in UMD’s ability to impact national and global health security, as well as faith in our top-tier executive and inventor team.”

 

Read article

UNMC research creates new potential for new Parkinson’s treatment, licenses two patents to Coya Therapeutics

February 14, 2024 Comments (0) News

HOUSTON, Texas (February 14, 2024) — An innovative approach to treat Parkinson’s disease, pioneered at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, could reach patients within the next year as a part of a clinical trial.

Howard Gendelman, MD, and R. Lee Mosely, PhD, initially identified ld-IL-2 monotherapy — short for low dose interleukin-2 — as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease. At the same time, Coya Therapeutics was pioneering work with ld-IL-2 to target multiple neurodegenerative conditions, and had generated highly promising clinical data in ALS, and Alzheimer’s disease. The promising data generated by UNMC in Parkinson’s disease led to a licensing partnership with Coya.

UNMC experiments showed that ld-IL-2 can be particularly effective for use in patients suffering from Parkinson’s. In a recent publication, Drs. Gendelman and Mosely report that ld-IL-2 stimulates a robust anti-inflammatory response with regulatory T cells, or Tregs, which can protect brain cells from the kind of damage found in Parkinson’s.

In June of 2023, UNMC’s technology transfer office, UNeMed, licensed the intellectual property relating to the use of ld-IL-2 to Coya Therapeutics for further development and commercialization in Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Gendelman extended the research with ld-IL2 to combination approaches with another cytokine, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, or GM-CSF. GM-CSF is a potent immune modulator known to promote Treg activities and dampen pro-inflammatory responses. Preclinical data — generated by the Gendelman and Mosley laboratories — demonstrated that the combination of ld-IL-2 with GM-CSF resulted in a synergistic 4- to 6-fold increase in Tregs compared to treatments with either cytokine alone.

Earlier this month, UNeMed additionally licensed the use of ld-IL-2/GM-CSF to Coya Therapeutics for further development and commercialization in multiple inflammatory diseases, including neurodegenerative and autoimmune conditions.

“We believe that Treg dysfunction is the common thread that binds together many neurodegenerative diseases,” Coya Chief Business Officer, Arun Swaminathan, PhD, said in a recent press release. “These two licenses are based on strong preclinical animal data and builds upon the highly promising clinical data observed in ALS and AD, and expands the optionality that Coya has in strategic partnering discussions to execute on future clinical trials in Parkinson’s disease.”

Added UNeMed president and CEO, Michael Dixon, PhD: “We are incredibility excited about this partnership. Coya is in a great position to develop this new therapy, and bring it to the market where it can have a significantly positive impact on healthcare.”

Read article

FDA Insights Seminar series returns on Jan. 30

January 18, 2024 Comments (0) News

UNeMed will continue a seminar series dedicated to regulatory insights on Tuesday, Jan. 30, when FDA project manager Erik Laughner leads a discussion on regulatory issues related to biologics.

He is also expected to cover how to write better Investigational New Drug applications, and explain the review process.

The hour-long seminar is free and open to all, and will be held via Zoom (https://bit.ly/FDAinsights_Jan30) beginning at noon.

Laughner is a project manager at the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which is within the Office of Regulatory Operations. He holds a master’s degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. He then spent eight year at John Hopkins as a researcher in molecular biology, working with Nobel laureate Gregg Semenza, MD, PhD.

UNeMed plans to host two more events in the FDA Insights series, with the next discussion tentatively planned for April. Specific topics have not yet been determined.

Amanda Hawley, PhD, a senior licensing specialist at UNeMed, is producing the seminar series as a way to help University innovators navigate a sometimes arcane regulatory process.

“Essentially, we want to provide introductory webinars relevant to FDA filings of pre-INDs (investigational new drug) or 510(k) clearances for medical devices, so our researchers can obtain a better understanding of the process, expectations and requirements when filing with a regulatory agency,” she said.

UNeMed opened the series during Innovation Week in October 2023 when Margaret Kober led a discussion related to her work in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Additional information about future events in this seminar series will be announced as soon as those details are known.

Fullscreen Mode

Read article

Year in Review: Highlights from 2023

December 22, 2023 Comments (0) Blog

by Charles Litton, UNeMed | December 22, 2023

It’s that time again where we look back at the year that was 2023. In keeping with tradition, here’s a look at some of the more popular and important stories, events and happenings during the previous year:

1. Boot Camp

When the Tech Transfer Boot Camp returned following a pandemic-induced two-year hiatus, it wasn’t without concern that it wouldn’t regain its popularity. We were delighted to to see that our concerns were unjustified, but was 2022 just an anomaly? Apparently not. Announcing the 2023 installment of Boot Camp became our most popular story, even overtaking the Innovation Awards at the top spot. As Boot Camp hits its stride, we can safely say the popular event isn’t going anywhere. In fact, plans to expand the offering with a spin-off event are in the works…stay tuned.

UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, (right) presents UNMC researcher Rebekah Gundry,PhD, with the 2023 Emerging Inventor award during the Innovation Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

2. Innovation Week

Even though it was knocked off the top perch (barely), Innovation Week—and the Innovation Awards—remain a massive driver of traffic to this site. Even stories detailing previous award shows remain popular. The most recent Awards show was our second as an in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies to virtual space.

3. Board of Directors expands

UNeMed landed a few big fish to join its board of directors during 2023. The announcements attracted a lot of attention, which is no small surprise when you learn more about the new additions: Kimberly Lamb, PhD; Michael Bishop, PhD; and Alexi Wellman.

4. Brianna Hetland’s banner year

There was a stretch at one point where it seemed as though our news feed was dedicated to the sole purpose of reporting the tribulations of one inventor, Breanna Hetland, PhD. The nursing professor founded Remote ICU, a startup based on one of her innovations, and has been tearing through the national entrepreneur community with impressive zeal: Landing a regional nursing award for innovation, a spot in a national mentoring program, and a fellowship for startups built from nursing innovations. Her technology, The Family Room—which helps families, patients and caregivers better communicate during acute hospitalizations—is the basis of her startup…which, by the way, ended up winning the top prize of a national pitch competition.

5. Napkin contest returns

The return of the Back-O-the-Napkin contest appeared to be welcome news to readers and inventors, as was the follow-up story announcing the eventual winners. The continuing popularity of the contest ensures that it will enjoy continued existence, especially as an easy way for University inventors to get the ball rolling on protecting and commercializing their innovations.

6. Idea Pub returns

Again, it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but announcing the return of a UNeMed networking event clearly resonated with our entrepreneurial and innovator friends, both inside the University and from the wider Omaha community. Future versions of the event will likely include additional elements as we continue building and growing the event. Stay tuned.

7. Vireo expansion continues

In early 2023, Vireo Resources celebrated the grand opening of the first U.S. creatine production facility, located in Plattsmouth, Neb. The $16.6 million project increased the existing facility to 70,000 square feet, and Vireo plans to expand the payroll to 200 employees while creating about $174 million in annual economic impact to the area.

8. Annual Report

UNeMed’s annual reports have always been a popular feature here, and the 2023 installment was no exception.

9. Networking opportunity

When the Nebraska Startup Academy announced regular “VC Office Hours” every Wednesday in Omaha, it showed just how big and engaged the local entrepreneurial ecosystem has become. Typically, this list would include hugely popular stories about our most successful startups such as Virtual Incision, which completed a clinical study and landed $30 million in additional investments. Or the announcement about Exavir Therapeutics and its new $3 million NIAD grant. Still, the growth of opportunities to meet, share and help other entrepreneurs is apparently a strong pull for our readers.

10. Inventor’s Guide to Technology Transfer

Our 82-page guide takes the “kitchen-sink” approach to helping University faculty, students and staff navigate a sometimes arcane system for inventing, protecting and eventually commercializing innovations. It continues to remain one of the more popular features here.

Classics:

Several posts from previous years remain popular and relevant, particularly those that focus on day-to-day operations and legal issues associated with intellectual property.

  1. The Importance of Technology Transfer
  2. Five important aspects of copyrights that you should know
  3. Veins and arteries are just pipes, right?
  4. How to determine who is an inventor on a patent: Unraveling inventorship vs. authorship
  5. Technology Transfer 101: Defining Research Commercialization

Read article

$2 million EDA grant will help local entrepreneurs, inventors

December 11, 2023 Comments (0) News

FORT COLLINS, Colorado (December 11, 2023)—UNeMed and University of Nebraska inventors and entrepreneurs will benefit from a recently announced grant award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Based in Ft. Collins, Colo., Innosphere Ventures Regional Life Sciences Incubator was awarded a $2 million grant over three years as a part of the EDA’s 10th cohort of its “Build to Scale Venture Challenge” program, which was established “to support technology entrepreneurs, catalyze innovation, and fuel economic growth.”

“This award will bring significant resources to Omaha,” UNeMed president and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, said. “It will allow us to connect our startups with other bioscience companies across the six-state region. In addition, it will spring startup and educational resources to Omaha to help new companies get started.”

Innosphere Ventures Regional Life Sciences Incubator is a consortium of state bioscience trade organizations and academics institutions from six states: Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Texas and South Carolina. Nebraska’s contingent includes UNeMed, NUtech Ventures and BIO Nebraska. NUtech is UNeMed’s sister office managing technology transfer operation for Nebraska’s Lincoln and Kearney campuses.

According to an Innosphere press release:

“The three-year grant will fund the incubator’s mission of accelerating high-quality job growth, creating economic opportunity, and supporting the next generation of industry-leading companies in the life sciences sector.

“…With approximately 30 science and tech-based companies benefiting from Innosphere programs annually, Innosphere is at the forefront of organizing early-stage capital and providing critical business support to entrepreneurial startup teams within the ecosystem. The Regional Life Sciences Incubation Program will support startups that are developing or commercializing technologies, products, devices, and life-saving breakthroughs, accelerate the journey from laboratory discoveries to market, and catalyze economic growth.”

The Build to Scale Venture Challenge grant is from the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is part of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).

Partners of the Regional Life Sciences Incubation Program include Bio Nebraska, BioUtah, and the Colorado BioScience Association.

University partners across the six states include: Colorado State University, the Medical University of South Carolina, Texas Tech University, University of Colorado-Anshutz, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of New Mexico and the University of Utah.

“We extend a warm invitation to entrepreneurs, university faculty, investors, foundations, and all stakeholders who share our vision of advancing the life sciences ecosystem,” Mike Freeman, CEO of Innosphere Ventures, said in a press release. “Your involvement is crucial to the success of this endeavor. Together, we can amplify our impact, provide vital resources, and create an even more dynamic and innovative landscape. We encourage you to join us in this transformative journey as we collaborate to fuel the growth of life sciences and science-based startups and drive economic prosperity across the region.”

Read article

UNeMed Board expands, adds expertise from Boston and San Diego

November 17, 2023 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (November 17, 2023)—UNeMed announced today that Michael Bishop, PhD, and Kimberly Lamb, PhD, have joined its Board of Directors.

“When the topic of new Directors came up,” UNeMed Chairperson Anne Barnes said, “we knew it was important for us add expertise from the strongest biotechnology clusters in the world and we couldn’t be happier with the result. Adding expertise and connections from Boston and San Diego is a homerun for us.”

UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, officially added the new members during the most recent Board of Directors meeting held on Nov. 6, 2023.

“Dr. Lamb and Dr. Bishop are incredible assets for UNeMed and all the University inventors we serve,” Barnes said. “Honestly, this should be viewed as great news for everyone in Nebraska, because these are two people with extensive and impressive backgrounds. They have the kind of perspective and experience that can have a massively positive impact.”

UNeMed serves all UNMC and UNO researchers, faculty and staff who develop new technologies and inventions, and strives to help bring those innovations to the marketplace.

Kim Lamb, PhD

For Dr. Lamb, a Boston-area native, this will be her second stint with UNeMed. After earning her doctorate in cell and molecular biology from UNMC in 1998, Dr. Lamb worked as a research scientist at Transgenomic, Inc., a life sciences-startup based in Omaha. She then joined UNeMed as a marketing specialist in 2000, and was promoted to UNeMed’s vice president of marketing and licensing before returning to Boston in 2005.

“I was fortunate to have Dr. Lamb as a mentor during my early days in technology transfer, and I’m excited that we have been able to recruit her back in this role,” UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, said. “The breadth and depth of her experience on both the academic and corporate side—as well as her deep connections in the Boston bioscience cluster—will open many new doors for UNMC and UNO innovators.

Back in Boston, she amassed an impressive record developing experience creating and implementing strategy and processes to propel discovery and clinical stage programs for drug discovery over the last 18 years—at places like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Merck Sharp & Dohme, LLC, Epizyme, Inc. and Applied Genetic Technologies, Inc. In her most recent role at Amathus Therapeutics Inc., she led a discovery collaboration for Parkinson’s disease with Merck, and assumed a corporate leadership role to oversee operations and the budget on behalf of the company for the board.

Dr. Lamb said she still holds an affinity for Omaha and UNMC.

“While the Boston area will always be home for me, my years at UNMC and in Omaha provided the foundation for my professional success driving drug discovery collaborations, and I really wanted to find a way to contribute more,” Dr. Lamb said. “Getting this chance to be a part of something bigger than myself and find some small way to give back to UNMC and UNeMed was an opportunity I couldn’t walk away from. The amount of growth I’ve seen at both UNO and UNMC campuses in the last 10-15 years is mind-blowing. I’m convinced that some great things are coming, and I’m incredibly honored to be a part of it.”

Mike Bishop, PhD

Dr. Bishop, who earned his doctorate in organic chemistry from Rice University in 1993, joins UNeMed’s Board of Directors with a no less impressive track record, which includes 26 years as a medicinal chemist with GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.

“When we started looking for a candidate that had both industry and academic drug development experience, Dr. Bishop jumped off the page immediately as a perfect fit,” Dr. Dixon said. “His experience in big pharma, working with academics developing new therapeutics, is a fantastic fit for us. In addition, Dr. Bishop will help us connect with the second largest biotech cluster in the world: San Diego. His experience and professional insights should open a whole range of new doors for us.”

It was as GSK’s senior director of Discovery Partnerships with Academia that Dr. Bishop first encountered UNeMed, during its Midwest Drug Development Conference in 2018.

“I was extremely impressed by this effort, and it marked UNeMed as a group with innovative ideas that gets things done,” Dr. Bishop said. “I’m excited to join the Board of such an organization and look forward to providing thoughtful support and governance.”

Dr. Bishop is currently the CEO and principal consultant at Bishop Drug Discovery Consulting, a company he founded in 2019. While working as a consultant, he has served in a variety of scientific and research-related roles for new biotech companies, where he helps build drug discovery plans, find new drug candidates, secure intellectual property and cultivate potential investors.

Prior to his consulting work, Dr. Bishop spent most of his career at GSK where his teams and programs delivered a dozen clinical development candidates. As the Director of GSK’s Discovery Partnerships in Academia program, Dr. Bishop also built successful partnerships with academic researchers and their projects, which often led to new startup companies.

Before joining GSK, Dr. Bishop was a technical support chemist at the Amoco Chemical Company in Texas. After receiving his PhD, he signed on as a Medical Chemist at Burroughs Wellcome, which merged into GlaxoWellcome in 1995 and eventually became GSK in 2000.

Read article

Rebekah Gundry, ER team highlight 2023 Innovation Awards

November 3, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, (right) presents UNMC researcher Rebekah Gundry,PhD, with the 2023 Emerging Inventor award during the Innovation Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, (right) presents UNMC researcher Rebekah Gundry,PhD, with the 2023 Emerging Inventor award during the Innovation Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

OMAHA, Nebraska (November 3, 2023)—UNeMed’s annual Innovation Week concluded last night with its Research Innovation Awards Ceremony, with UNMC researcher Rebekah Gundry, PhD, taking top honors as UNeMed’s Emerging Inventor.

Other top awards included the Startup of the Year and the Most Promising New Invention of 2023.

Kenneth Bayles, PhD, UNMC's Vice Chancellor for Research, addresses an estimated 165 attendees during the 2023 Innovation Awards Ceremony on Nov. 2, 2023.

Kenneth Bayles, PhD, UNMC’s Vice Chancellor for Research, addresses an estimated 165 attendees during the 2023 Innovation Awards Ceremony on Nov. 2, 2023.

The ceremony featured remarks from UNMC Vice Chancellor for Research Ken Bayles, PhD, before UNeMed CEO and President Michael Dixon, PhD, delivered a short presentation in review of the previous fiscal year.

Dr. Bayles opened the evening with remarks that touched on the “long journey” that can take an innovation from an idea to a commercialized technology that benefits people everywhere.

“You’ve got to have that grit to take the seed of an idea and make through the highs and lows,” Dr. Bayles said.

Dr. Bayles, who also served as associate vice chancellor for research and creative activity at UNO, also highlighted a key strength of Nebraska’s Omaha campuses.

“You hear people come from the outside and say how great it is here (in Omaha),” he said. “Fundamentally, I think it’s the people. That’s our advantage over the coasts…we just work together really well.”

The awards ceremony recognized all UNMC and UNO inventors who contributed to a new invention disclosure, had a U.S. patent issued or had a technology licensed.

Dr. Gundry, the Stokes-Shakelford Professor and Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, earned the Emerging Inventor award in recognition of her innovations and accomplishments in the field of mass spectrometry, bioinformatics and cell surfaceome.

Dr. Gundry, who earned her doctorate from Johns Hopkins in 2006, is an inventor on eight new inventions over the last five years. Her work focuses primarily on developing and applying novel mass spectrometry-based technologies and bioinformatics tools to better understand cell surface glycoproteins and glycans. Several pharmaceutical companies have expressed an interest in working with Dr. Gundry and her innovative technologies in pursuit of new therapeutics.

From top are Michael Wadman, MD, Thang Nguyen and Wesley Zeger, DO.

From top are Michael Wadman, MD, Thang Nguyen and Wesley Zeger, DO.

UNeMed presented a trio of UNMC clinical faculty with the 2023 Startup of the Year Award: Michael Wadman, MD; Thang Nguyen, PhD; and Wesley Zeger, DO.

The trio are co-founders of the UNMC startup, University Medical Devices, Inc., which was built around one of their inventions: MicroWash.

MicroWash is a new alternative to collecting nasal samples rather than the intrusive and uncomfortable swabbing technique that gained notoriety during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

University Medical Devices was accepted into NMotion’s 2022 Growth Accelerator cohort, and is currently in the process of closing a $1.5 million seed financing round.

Finally, UNeMed presented the Most Promising New Invention of 2023 award to a collaborative team of UNO and UNMC innovators.

Three UNO researchers from the biomechanics department—Alexey Kamenskiy, PhD; Anastasia Desytova, PhD; and Ali Akbar Ahmadi—teamed with UNMC surgeon, Jason MacTaggart, MD, to create the “Optimized Vascular Stent.”

Clockwise, from upper left, are Alexey Kamenskiy, PhD; Jason MacTaggart, MD; Ali Akbar Ahmadi; and Anastasia Desyatova, PhD.

Clockwise, from upper left, are Alexey Kamenskiy, PhD; Jason MacTaggart, MD; Ali Akbar Ahmadi; and Anastasia Desyatova, PhD.

The invention is a promising solution to vascular stents in the legs, which are notoriously difficult to successfully implant because leg vessels are delicate. The repeated bending of the leg can damage the vessel, stent or both. The inventors are working on prototypes that can balance improved durability while avoiding increasing the risk of damaging the femoropopliteal artery in the legs.

Innovation Week began, Monday, Oct. 30 with the Kick-Off, which featured free T-shirts, coffee and doughnuts, along with the chance to meet UNeMed staff. I-Week also featured a panel discussion of Women Innovators, a seminar about clearing regulatory hurdles in drug development applications, and a startup showcased that featured several new companies built on University of Nebraska innovations.

More information about Innovation Week and the Innovation Awards ceremony, including its history and awardees, can be found at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

Fullscreen Mode

Read article

Innovation Awards are tonight

November 2, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (November 2, 2023)—Innovation Week, UNeMed Corporation’s annual celebration of the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and concludes tonight with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Innovation Week began Monday, Oct. 30, with the “Kickoff,” an open house that featured mingling opportunities with UNeMed staff, free T-shirts, coffee, doughnuts and other goodies.

Innovation Week continued on Tuesday, Oct. 31, with an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights” by Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

On Wednesday, Innovation Week featured two events, beginning with a panel discussion featuring women inventors, and concluding with a showcase of recent startups built on University innovations.

The panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” featured three successful University of Nebraska inventors who shared their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation: Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

“Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase” highlighted a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors.

Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

Read article

Two events on tap today for Innovation Week

November 1, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (November 1, 2023)—Two big events are planned for UNeMed’s Innovation Week today, beginning with a panel discussion featuring women inventors and concluding with a showcase of recent startups built on University innovations.

The panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” will feature three successful University of Nebraska inventors who will share their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation. Coffee and doughnuts will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.

Elizabeth Beam, PhD; Rebekah Gundry, PhD; Breanna Hetland, PhD

From left: Elizabeth Beam, PhD; Rebekah Gundry, PhD; Breanna Hetland, PhD

Panelists will include Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

The panel will be held in the Sorrell Center, Room 2010, at 9-10 a.m.

“Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase” will be held in the Wigton Heritage Center atrium at 4:30-6:30 p.m. It will highlight a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors. Free drinks will be provided, along with excellent networking opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and other members of the local startup community.

Innovation Week is UNeMed Corporation’s annual celebration of the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and concludes tomorrow with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

startup showcaseAn invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Innovation Week began Monday, Oct. 30, with the “Kickoff,” an open house that featured mingling opportunities with UNeMed staff, free T-shirts, coffee, doughnuts and other goodies.

Innovation Week continued on Tuesday, Oct. 31, with an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights” by Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

Fullscreen Mode

Read article

I-Week continues today with FDA insights seminar

October 31, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (October 31, 2023)—Innovation Week continues today at noon when UNeMed hosts an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights.”

Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, will share her insights, tips and strategies for Investigational New Drug Applications and the review process. Anyone may join the session via Zoom at https://bit.ly/Iweek23FDAinsights.

Margaret Kober

Margaret Kober

UNeMed produces Innovation Week every year as a way to celebrate and congratulate the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. It began Monday, Oct. 30, with the “Kickoff,” an open house event hosted in the Durham Research Center atrium.

Two additional events are planned for Wednesday, Nov. 1, beginning with panel discussion in the Sorrell Center, room 2010, at 9-11 a.m. and then the “Startup Showcase” at 4:30 p.m.

The panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” will feature three successful University of Nebraska inventors who will share their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation. Coffee and doughnuts will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Panelists will include Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

“Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase” will be held in the Wigton Heritage Center atrium. The Startup Showcase will run about two hours, and will highlight a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors. Free drinks will be provided, along with excellent networking opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and other members of the local startup community.

Innovation Week concludes on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 2, with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

Fullscreen Mode

Read article

UNeMed releases 2023 Annual Report

October 30, 2023 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (October 30, 2023)—UNeMed released today its 2023 annual report, detailing key metrics, highlights and notable achievements during the fiscal year ending in 2023.

The report focuses on recent successes that highlight elements of UNeMed’s mission statement: UNeMed fosters innovation, advances research, and engages entrepreneurs and industry to commercialize novel technologies.

Those successes detail the ground-breaking work of UNeMed startup Virtual Incision, the growth of Vireo Resources, the ongoing Innovation Hub development, and several other initiatives related to boosting UNMC and UNO inventors and their ideas.

Virtual Incision is a surgical robotics company built on a collaboration between a former University of Nebraska Medical Center surgeon and a University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineer. During the previous fiscal year, Virtual Incision announced the successful conclusion of a clinical trial, and additional plans to test their platform aboard the International Space Station.

Vireo initially built its facility in Plattsmouth, Neb., to be closer to the UNMC innovators that created their successful product, Creatine-HCL. During the previous year, Vireo broke ground on a $16.6 million project that will expand their manufacturing facilities to about 70,000 square feet while creating an additional 150 local jobs.

The Innovation Hub is an ongoing construction project along Saddle Creek Road that will allow UNeMed and the University create better collaborative opportunities between inventive faculty and other entrepreneurs and investors.

The annual report also looks back at several other successful initiatives, while shining a spotlight on a rash of successes enjoyed by UNMC’s Breanna Hetland, PhD. Dr. Hetland’s innovations, which are related to improving the quality of care in intensive care units, attracted national accolades.

Finally, the 2023 annual report presents core metrics for all of UNeMed’s activities, and features several portfolio technologies with great potential for additional development.

The complete annual report can be viewed online, and printed copies are also available. Contact UNeMed to receive a free printed copy.

Fullscreen Mode

Read article

Innovation Week 2023 kicks off today

October 30, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week

OMAHA, Nebraska (October 30, 2023)—Innovation Week, UNeMed Corporation’s 17th annual celebration of the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, begins today at 9-11 a.m. in the Durham Research Center atrium.

The Innovation Week Kickoff is an open house that will feature mingling opportunities with UNeMed staff, free T-shirts, coffee, doughnuts and other goodies. Free and open to all, the Kickoff is a good chance to learn more about technology transfer, and the commercialization process of a university innovation.

Innovation Week will continue on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at noon when UNeMed hosts an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights.” Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, will share her insights, tips and strategies for Investigational New Drug Applications and the review process. Anyone may join the session via Zoom at https://bit.ly/Iweek23FDAinsights.

Two additional events are planned for Wednesday, Nov. 1, beginning with panel discussion in th eSorrell Center (room 2010) at 9-11 a.m. and then the “Startup Showcase” at 4:30 p.m.

The panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” will feature three successful University of Nebraska inventors who will share their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation. Coffee and doughnuts will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Panelists will include Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

“Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase” will be held in the Wigton Heritage Center atrium. The Startup Showcase will run about two hours, and will highlight a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors. Free drinks will be provided, along with excellent networking opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and other members of the local startup community.

Innovation Week concludes on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 2, with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

Fullscreen Mode

Read article

Innovation Week starts Monday

October 23, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

2023 Innovation Awards

OMAHA, Nebraska (October 23, 2023)—UNeMed Corporation’s 17th annual Innovation Week kicks off Monday, Oct. 30, and will celebrate and recognize the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Hosted by UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO, Innovation Week begins with an open house 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 30, in the Durham Research Center atrium. The week culminates with the UNMC Research Innovation Awards Banquet Thursday, Nov. 2.

All events are free and open to the public, but the Awards Banquet is by invitation only. Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

Monday’s Kick-off event will feature doughnuts, coffee, T-shirts and other freebies, along with a chance for attendees to meet UNeMed staff.

On Tuesday, Oct. 31, at noon, UNeMed will host an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights.” Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, will share her insights, tips and strategies for Investigational New Drug Applications and the review process. Anyone may join the session via Zoom at https://bit.ly/Iweek23FDAinsights.

Two additional events are planned for Wednesday, Nov. 1.

First, at 9-10 a.m., UNeMed hosts a panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” where three successful University of Nebraska inventors will share their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation. Coffee and doughnuts will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Panelists will include Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

Later that day, beginning at 4:30 p.m., UNeMed will host, “Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase,” in the Wigton Heritage Center atrium. The Startup Showcase will run about two hours, and will highlight a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors. Free drinks will be provided, along with excellent networking opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and other members of the local startup community.

Innovation Week concludes on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 2, with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Fullscreen Mode

Read article

More Founders Bootcamp is coming in October

September 29, 2023 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (September 29, 2023)—NMotion powered by gener8tor is working with Nebraska Angels, Invest Nebraska, The Combine, Scott Technology Center, and Nelnet to launch a free, virtual series for startup founders and people thinking about launching a startup.

The More Founders Bootcamp series will launch Oct. 16 via Zoom, and will run the next several weeks. Planned discussions will run about 30 minutes, beginning at noon, and will include “Venture Capital 101” on Oct. 16, “Ring the Register” on Oct. 23, “Executive Summaries” on Oct. 30 and “Pitch Decks” on Nov. 6.

Register for free at www.nmotion.co/freebootcamp.

The seminars are expected to answer the following questions for all entrepreneurial minded attendees:

  • What does it take to launch a high-growth startup?
  • What is venture capital and is it right for you?
  • How do you ring the register with customers?
  • Why are executive summaries and pitch decks so darn important but often overlooked?

Read article