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Area Companies
INNOVATING Medicine and Patient Care BY TRACY WRIGHT
Imagine a medical company dedicated to repairing peripheral nerve damage that could save the arm of a battle-injured U.S. soldier, or another that created a blood test for detecting concussions. Another company is working fervently to create a vaccine to prevent and/or reverse type 1 diabetes while a digital health company has developed a patented pill with a sensor that can be tracked to determine if a patient has taken the prescribed medication. What do these companies have in common? They are all located or can tie their roots to greater Gainesville. These are medical companies working to make real impacts for consumers and patients across the globe. Through the ascension of the University of Florida’s research and health missions, a burgeoning Gainesville medical community and the growth of innovation and business incubators, both established and new medical companies are developing solutions to real-world patient problems. UF Innovate is the umbrella organization over four organizations: Tech Licensing, Ventures, and two business incubators, the Hub and Sid Martin Biotech. “UF Innovate supports an innovation ecosystem that moves research discoveries from the laboratory to the market, fostering a resilient economy and making the world a better place,” said Sara Dagen, marketing and communications manager at UF Innovate. “We support a growing field of medical advances and knowledge. UF researchers continue to discover all sorts of technologies that can result in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and treatments that can help or even heal patients all over the world.” Startup companies form around a technology or invention. The startup company builds a business to develop the invention and get it to market. Tech Licensing at UF Innovate reaches out to companies or talented entrepreneurs who might be interested in building a startup company around those inventions.
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WELLNESS360 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
ViewRay is a local startup that created a system to offer combined imaging and radiation treatment to target cancer therapy directly to tumors, reducing its impact on health tissue. Another startup, Sharklet, employs a sharkskinpatterned film to combat healthcare acquired diseases without the use of chemicals. The mimicked pattern prevents bacteria and viruses from adhering to surfaces. A startup that has grown larger is AxoGen, a leading med tech company dedicated to peripheral nerve repair located in Alachua and based on UF technology. Patients who benefit from AxoGen’s several products, have suffered from traumatic peripheral nerve injuries or require nerve reconstruction after nerve damage from neuroma revisions, surgical intervention or chronic compression injuries. [87 percent of patients have peripheral nerve injuries.] Banyan Biomarkers, which was founded by scientists from the UF McKnight Brain Institute, states that their mission is to “pioneer the innovation, development, and commercialization of biomarkers to accurately and quickly diagnose traumatic brain injuries." The company has developed the first blood test to assess concussion in adults, eliminating the need for CT scans and exposure to radiation. In October 2018, they were awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to procure the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator® (Banyan BTI™). They will be working with military bases across the country using the test on soldiers who have a suspected traumatic brain injury. Approximately 1.25 million American children and adults have type 1 diabetes, and the American Diabetes Association estimates that 40,000 people receive a type 1 diagnosis each year. Located in Alachua, Florida as part of the Sid Martin Institute, OneVax, LLC is comprised of a group of researchers and others passionate about finding solutions for type 1 diabetes conditions. Their ultimate goal is to develop a vaccine, which will prevent or reverse type 1 diabetes. OneVax