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The Newsletter of the MTTC for the Massachusetts

entrepreneur & tech transfer community 


August 18, 2015
Welcome
Dear All,

It may be August but the MTTC is still busy!   As noted below, the MTTC has received funding from the state so we are planning a full year of activities and programs to support technology commercialization from the Commonwealth's universities, research institutions and hospitals.   

Summer is also the season for interns.... and we've been lucky to have a great summer intern, Andrew Medeiros from UMass Amherst, working for us over the summer on a couple of projects including our website that lists available technologies - MassTechPortal.org.  We hope by fall that we will have a much more comprehensive listing of current technologies available for license.  I am hoping that your summer interns have been as productive as ours!

 The MTTC Team - Abi, Julia, Michele and Barbara   Follow us on Twitter 
IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome
MTTC Update
Funding Opportunities
Spin-off and Start-up News
Events of Interest
Quick Links
MTTC Update

The MTTC received funding in this year's state budget so we are now in the process of a planning solicitation to support proof of concept projects.  We hope to launch a solicitation in early fall for researchers at Massachusetts universities.  As soon as a solicitation is scheduled we will be circulating details and posting them on our website.

Funding Opportunities
VentureWell's fall grants for Students and Faculty
  
VentureWell's E-Team Grant Program cultivates opportunities for collegiate technology entrepreneurs by providing early-stage support and funding of up to $75,000. Deadline to submit is 10/7.
For more information and to apply visit http://venturewell.org/student-grants/
 
VentureWell's Faculty Grants support the creation of new courses and programs in which students develop ideas and gain the skills to bring them to market. Deadline to submit is 11/4.
For more information and to apply visit http://venturewell.org/facultygrants/
Spin-off and Start-up News
UMass Lowell Professor receives $1 million robot study grant
In the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks in 2001 and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, robots played a significant role in evaluating disaster sites. UMass Lowell is trying to improve the way first responders communicate with each other and robots during such emergencies. Google, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Standards and Technology have awarded more than $1 million to a UMass Lowell professor who is advancing the use of robotics to save lives, enhance workplace productivity and improve personal mobility, the University announced Tuesday. The grants will support four research projects led by UMass Lowell Computer Science Professor Holly Yanco, founder of the University's Robotics Lab and director of the New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE). Read more.
The Forsyth Institute and Brigham & Women's Hospital were awarded over $4.8 million by Mass Life Sciences Center to fund the creation of the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, which will accelerate practical understanding of how personal microbial communities interact to promote health or cause disease. The funding will be used for critically needed equipment and facilities that will help the Center create construction, equipment manufacturing and research jobs, training opportunities, and also generate intellectual property for licensing or development into spin-off companies that commercialize microbial and anti-inflammatory-based therapies and products.  Read more
Teva purchases majority stake in Immuneering
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will acquire a 51% stake in Immuneering, a Cambridge, Mass.-based genomic analysis firm. Immuneering, was a presenter at the MTTC's Early Stage Life Sciences Conference 2009. The acquisition will give Teva the exclusive rights to Immuneering's analytics platforms used to aid research and development of treatments for central nervous system diseases. Teva will also get the right of first refusal of programs related to the development of CNS treatments. The firms did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. Read more
 
InfoBionic Announces $8 Million Series B-1 Financing
InfoBionic, Inc., an emerging digital health company focused on creating superior patient monitoring solutions for chronic disease management, today announced an $8 million Series B-1 financing led by Safeguard Scientifics (NYSE:SFE) with participation from existing shareholders Excel Venture Management; Zaffre Investments, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; and various angels. Proceeds from the funding will support InfoBionic's ability to capitalize on the significant opportunity in the cardiac arrhythmia market and commercialize its MoMeŽ Kardia system, a remote patient monitoring platform for cardiac arrhythmia detection. InfoBionic participated in the MTTC's Platform Program. Read more
MassBio's mentoring program announces 4 startups for the next program 
3 out of 4 startups that will take part in the next eight-week program were presenters at MTTC's Early Stage Life Sciences Conference 2015: ACANS Pharmaceutical, Inc., Disease Diagnostic Group, and MIFCOR, Inc.  MassBio's program MassCONNECT, started with about 20 mentors soon after the economic collapse as a way to harness the funding that comes into the area. The goal of the program is to help the startups refine their strategies at the outset, before they even get to the point of talking to angel investors or venture capitalists. Read more  

Tal Medical recently closed a $14 million Series B round
Tal Medical was a recipient of an MTTC' Proof of Concept award in 2006. Tal Medical's roots go back to a serendipitous discovery at McLean Hospital more than a decade ago, when researchers working on bi-polar disorder reported that patients said they felt better after receiving an MRI. As it often does in medtech, that initial moment of discovery paved the way for years of development, eventually leading to the launch of Tal Medical. The Boston-based company, which recently closed a $14 million Series B round, has its low-field magnetic stimulation technology in clinical trials as a non-invasive neurostimulation treatment for depression and bipolar disorder. Read more
EnerScore, a recent MTTC' and MassCEC's Catalyst Program Awardee, received some press from Fast Company and Boston.com, describing their technology which provides an energy rating for homes and apartments.
With $2.5M NIH grant renewal, UMass Medical School to expand research into hepatitis C drug resistance
Amidst euphoria about the blockbuster hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni, UMass Medical School biophysicist Celia Schiffer, PhD, said there still remains a challenge since the drugs are not effective for all of the 150 million people worldwide who are infected with drug resistant strains of hepatitis C virus (HCV) or other variants of the disease. The Schiffer laboratory has contributed seminal discoveries relating to drug resistance in HIV and, more recently, HCV, including direct collaborations with pharmaceutical companies that have developed the new drugs. Now, with a $2.5 million, 5-year renewal of National Institutes of Health funding for her ongoing HCV research, Schiffer and collaborators will build on this foundation to expand efforts to overcome drug resistance in hepatitis C, as well as other viruses such as dengue, which infects 100 million people worldwide. Read more.
Events of Interest
Women in Innovation: Business & Commerce Symposium
  
When: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 1:30 - 4:00 PM
Where: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center - Room 51   
 
ACS Division of Professional Relations and the Women Chemists Committee present the first of three Women in Innovation symposia at the upcoming ACS National Meetings! The interactive panel features dynamic speakers and proven leaders who have successfully commercialized science.  They will share key factors for success during an interactive panel, followed by break out groups where members can speak in small group settings and get their questions answered.
 
For more information and speaker bios please visit Event website
AUTM 2015 Eastern Region Meeting 

When: August 31 - September 1, 2015
Where: Raleigh Marriott City Center, 500 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC
 
The AUTM 2015 Eastern Region Meeting will be held at Raleigh Marriott City Center, in Raleigh, NC. Attendees will gather to discuss best practices and strategies for industry-academia partnerships that culminate in successful product commercialization through company formation or licensing and other agreements.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
M2D2 Family Feud Style Business Networking Event

When: Thursday, September 10, 2015 6pm - 8pm
Where: M2D2, 110 Canal Street, 4th Floor, Lowell, MA 01852
 
Please join M2D2 along with our event sponsors Duane Morris LLP and MPR for a Family Feud Style Business Networking Event.
If you have not yet seen M2D2 new space this is the perfect opportunity. Among the features of this new space are: Lab Space, Lab equipment with maintenance and technical support, Lab training and EHS compliance, Waste removal, Access to UMass Medical School Resources, Access to Umass Lowell business, and engineering & prototyping resources.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
 Digital in Clinical Trials
 
When: September 9, 2015
Where: Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116
  
The conference explores the behavioral and technical hurdles, new business models,
the investment climate, what apps clinical trial leaders want to see and the evolution of standards. There is an opportunity to participate in creating a clinical trial app. Investors and app developers will also benefit from attending.
This one-day event helps drug developers get their arms around the mobile/digital clinical trial landscape.
 
For more information and to register please visit Event website
JLABS: ABCs of the FDA - How to... Set a Preclinical Roadmap
  
When: Thursday, September 10, 2015 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Where: JLABS, 700 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
  
This session will highlight design considerations to optimize drug disposition and safety characteristics in the Discovery phase so that the preclinical road in Development will be a smooth one. Also, you will learn what startups need to know about preclinical requirements and resources to support early clinical trials through Human POC. The workshop will feature Michael Kelley, Senior Scientific Director with Janssen Research & Development.
  
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
The Third Revolution: Convergence of the Life, Physical and Engineering Sciences
 
When: September 14, 2015, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Where: AstraZeneca auditorium and cafe, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, MA
 
Join AstraZeneca for its second speaker series on September 14th  presented in collaboration with MassBio and Mass Life Sciences Center. Dr. Susan Hockfield, President Emerita, Massachusetts Institute of Technology will present "The Third Revolution: Convergence of the Life, Physical and Engineering Science".
Please RSVP by September 4th.

For more information and to RSVP please visit the Event website
BioPharm America 2015
 
When: September 15, 2015 - September 17, 2015
Where: Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA

This three-day conference creates a robust exchange among hundreds of executives from venture capital firms, major pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and biotechnology companies of every size from mature to start-up. The event brings dealmakers from the life science ecosystem together to engage and de-risk the enormous task of drug development. It is a pure partnering event focused on one-to-one meetings driven by the partneringONEŽ software platform that schedules meetings and provides each participant with a dynamic personalized agenda and regular alerts for further meeting opportunities. To help bring attention to early stage projects and small entrepreneurial companies BioPharm America will feature a full Startup Day program.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Biotech Startup Day 2015
 
When: September 16, 2015 10:00 am - 7:30 pm
Where: Boston Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02116
 
Gain exposure to an audience of international dealmakers and early stage investors at the BioPharm America Startup Day. This program is specifically designed for early stage projects and young companies to get on the radar of the global life science community and to make the connections that matter. The program features Investor Roundtable, Industry Roundtable and Pitch Sessions.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
RESI Conference 
 
When: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 7:00 AM-8:00 PM
Where: The Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116

The Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) Conference is an ongoing conference series that will be establishing a global circuit for early stage life sciences companies to source investors, create relationships, and eventually, get funding. The RESI conference focuses on the diverse breadth of early stage investors that LSN tracks, including Family Offices, Venture Philanthropy Funds, VCs, Angel Groups, Corporate Venture Capital Funds, and more. The RESI Partnering Forum allows fundraising executives to identify and book up to 16 meetings with life science investors who fit their company's technology sector and stage of development. Additionally, through an expansive series of panels and workshops, attendees will have the chance to hear firsthand accounts from investors explaining their current investment mandates and process for identifying and qualifying candidates.
 
Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS, will be hosting a cocktail reception to wrap up the event.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Diabetes Today: Discipline, Devices & Development
 
When: September 16, 2015, 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Where: BU Photonics Center, 9th Floor Auditorium, 8 St. Mary's Street, Boston, Massachusetts
 
This forum will open by setting the diabetes business challenge and will address with a clinician's perspective on treatment and the discipline required to bring about quality outcomes in patients. It will then present the technology/product offerings in estimating and optimizing blood glucose from simple test strips and insulin injections to complex subcutaneous continuous glucose monitors and pumps. This will form the basis to have a discussion around issues of patient non-compliance, device hypoglycemic accuracy and preventative interventions. Simultaneously startup and early stage companies - together with the research community, have been advancing innovation around biomarker based diagnosis, formulating oral insulin and non-invasive blood glucose monitoring to progress towards an artificial pancreas. Views on these and other bio-therapeutic revolutions will be discussed.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Leadership Awards Gala
 
When:September 16, 2015 5:30 - 9:00 PM
Where: Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA  
 
The 2015 MassTLC Leadership Awards program shines the spotlight on the companies, people, and technologies that make Massachusetts the leader in tech innovation. More than 700 tech executives and their teams will come together at our Awards Gala for an exceptional evening of music, video, and recognition of the region's best. 
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge: Fashion 4WRD: Revealing the Future of Design & Technology

When: September 17, 2015 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA

Dress to impress and inspire for an interactive evening at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston that will explore the future of design, fashion, science and technology! MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge is partnering with Descience and the MFA for this truly unique event which will begin with a panel discussion featuring designers, entrepreneurs, material futurists, and technologists re-envisioning how the global fashion industry will operate in the next 10 years.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
 Boston BioLife's Life Sciences Technology and Translational Medicine Workshop
 
When: September 18, 2015
Where: Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center, 110 Canal Street, 4th Floor, Lowell, MA 01852
 
This one day course is designed for the scientific professional interested in a broad spectrum of topics in the life sciences technology realm. These include physicians, lead scientists, lab managers, corporate-level executives as well as legal / business development professionals. The workshop will focus on nanomedicine, cellular imaging, biomarkers, animal research and other themes that are relevant to the life sciences community. The agenda will combine lectures, interactive learning and technology demonstrations.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
2nd Technology Transfer for Biologics
 
When: October 5, 2015 - October 6, 2015
Where: Hilton Boston Back Bay, Boston, MA
 
ExL Events' 2nd annual Technology Transfer for Biologics conference recognizes that every instance of technology transfer succeeds or fails based on transparency of communications and the skill of the project manager. Exclusive case studies from industry leaders can help you guarantee biologic quality and accelerate to commercial stages after method transfer. The event focuses on the essential skill sets required for team-based biologics quality assurance during and after method transfer.
 
For more information, to exhibit and to register please visit the Event website
 Health Sciences Entrepreneurship at Northeastern - innovation and healthcare
 
When: October 18, 2015 6:00PM - 9:30PM
Where: Northeastern Boston Campus, 291 St. Botolph Street, East Village, 17th floor, Boston, MA 02115
 
Keynote Speaker: Peter Barrett
Peter is a partner at Atlas Ventures and focuses on investments in therapeutics and medical technologies that significantly change the medical management of patients.
Honorees: Joseph Fleming, Chairman, Health Sciences Entrepreneurs and Infusion Ventures and Christopher Ford, Co-founder, American Renal Associates, Board Member and Mentor, Health Sciences Entrepreneurs      
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
2nd Annual Drug Discovery USA Congress
 
When: October 29, 2015 - October 30, 2015
Where: The Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, 425 Summer Street, Boston MA 02210
 
The Congress brings together a host of senior level experts to discuss recent developments in the industry and debate the best strategies and solutions to improve drug discovery going forward. The program features four interactive streams: Target Based Discovery; Screening & Assays: Enabling Technologies; Discovery Chemistry & Drug Design; and Supporting Innovation: Translational Approaches & Informatics Tools.
Delegates will also benefit from unparalleled networking opportunities. The two-day congress format combines dedicated networking breaks, pre-organized 1-2-1 meetings and our popular drinks reception. The exhibition hall and poster presentation spaces offer a relaxed and professional environment for discussion.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
2015 Innovators Challenge: Last Call for Demos
 
When: October 29- 30, 2015
Where: Boston Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center, 1 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA 02210

As part of the 2015 Partners HealthCare Connected Health Symposium, Partners Connected Health is pleased to announce the fifth annual Innovators Challenge. The theme for this year's session is The Internet of Healthy Things: Integrating Connected Health into Real World Care Delivery.
Please submit your application  as soon as possible as the application will close once we have received 125 submissions. Preference will be given to physical products that meet the theme and can be demonstrated to the audience.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
MassMEDIC's MedTech Showcase
 
When: October 30, 2015 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Where: Westin Hotel, Boston, MA
 
The agenda will feature 10-minute presentations by select emerging medtech company executives. This has always been an excellent opportunity for members of the region's medical device community to learn more about the business plans and technologies being developed by local medtech start-ups. In addition to the company presentations, program segments include an opening plenary session and luncheon speaker. The Showcase attracts over 300 attendees, including industry representatives and potential investors and strategic partners.
 
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
MassBio 2015 CRO/CMO Symposium
 
When: November 13, 2015 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Where: Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, 606 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
 
In its fourth year, the CRO/CMO Symposium shines a spotlight on the strength and success of the CRO and CMO communities in the Commonwealth.
The Symposium draws more than 300 attendees to discuss and evaluate the best alternatives that have evolved in shortening time to market. A series of case studies, interactive panel discussions, and networking sessions provide ample time to explore the various techniques and approaches being used by both virtual and established companies.
 
For more information, to exhibit and to register please visit the Event website
Drug Development Boot Camp
 
When: November 17, 2015 - November 18, 2015
Where: Harvard Club of Boston, 374 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
 
Drug development is a complex process. Each compound or molecule that enters drug development requires a unique drug development program to be devised by the Project Team.  Even after many years of working in drug development, many executives with decision making authority lack in-depth understanding of the drug development process.
The Boot Camp uses accelerated learning techniques to train executives and people working at the cutting edge of new drug R&D, in drug development.
MassLife Sciences members and readers will receive a $50 discount off the advertised price. Please ensure that you mention that you saw the information about the Boot Camp via MassLife Sciences to receive the $50 discount off the advertised price when you contact Dr. Speid to register.
 
For more information, to exhibit and to register please visit the Event website
Quick Links

MTTC is based at UMass and facilitates technology transfer from all research institutions, public and private, in the Commonwealth. The Center is financially supported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and MTDC.  www.mttc.org

  

MATTO is the Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer Offices www.masstechtransfer.org