Happy 2023!

Welcome back to the Springboard Corner where we highlight and share recent milestones of life science and hi-tech startups which we have worked with through Connect’s Springboard program.

Avacen Medical – Developed a drug-free and FDA-cleared pain management device, was honored with the Patient-Centric Pain Relief Breakthrough Technology of the Year for 2022 award by Global Health & Pharma Magazine.

DermTech – A global leader in developing precision medicine diagnostics for early detection of skin cancers, the company was founded in 2015. They are the first to have developed a non- invasive genomic testing platform for early-detection of melanoma. So far this year, six new commercial insurance payers have agreed to cover the test, bringing the total covered lives to almost 115 million.

Nascent Biotech – A clinical stage biotech company developing monoclonal antibody therapies, they recently announced the enrollment closure of their final patient cohort for Phase-1 clinical trials. Additionally, they announced the completion of their fifth and final dosing period. Both announcements relate to Pritumumab, their lead candidate, as treatment for brain cancer. Pritumumab received FDA orphan drug designation in 2015.

NeuraLace Medical – Developed a non-opioid and FDA-approved pain reduction medical device – Axon® Therapy – recently announced its first patient enrollment in their Axon Therapy and Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (AT-PDN) study. Furthermore, the company was awarded a five-year contract totaling $1.4M with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Augusta, Georgia, to treat veterans suffering from chronic neuropathic pain.

Qubitekk – A leader in developing quantum technologies using entangled photons, they recently announced a partnership with EPB of Chattanooga, TN to launch the country’s first commercially available quantum network. This is a big step forward in accelerating the use of quantum technologies to drive cybersecurity solutions as well as the next generation internet.

Trefoil Therapeutics – A clinical-stage biotech company developing regenerative therapies to treat corneal diseases, announced its first patient dosing as part of its Phase-1 safety study. The study is designed to evaluate their lead candidate, TTHX1114, in a topical eye drop formulation.