BioBehavioral Diagnostics is a new company formed to develop instrumentation for objective assessment and management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), including medication response. The technology, developed by Dr. Martin Teichler at McLean Hospital, utilizes a set of proprietary bio-surrogates to enable the accurate assessment and management of ADHD. The company has recently introduced the product as an integrated system marketed to psychiatrists, pediatricians, neurologists and other physicians who treat behavioral disorders.
Daktari Diagnostics, Inc., is a new diagnostics company focused exclusively on the most pressing challenges in global health. The company develops simple, accurate, and affordable products that deliver critical diagnostic information to clinicians and patients across the globe.
Daktari’s initial product is a handheld CD4 cell counter that will enable CD4 counting to be done by anyone, anywhere. Combining groundbreaking innovation in microscale technologies with simplicity in design and use, Daktari’s CD4 counter will bring this essential blood test to parts of the world where millions of people now have access to life-saving drugs, yet cannot begin treatment due to inadequate diagnostics.
HSV-2 Vaccine: Dr. Feng Yao of Brigham & Women’s Hospital has demonstrated a prototype herpes vaccine candidate based on a set of novel features that render the live virus incapable of replication but fully immunogenic as well as manufacturable under special culture conditions. Prevention of herpes-2 infection has been a long sought after goal that may be achievable with this innovative approach utilizing a proprietary gene switch mechanism. PIF is funding the creation of vaccine trial candidate that may be licensed either to a start-up or an incumbent industry player.
Life Image, Inc. is developing a web-based service to help eliminate problems associated with lack of access to patients’ medical-imaging history. The company has partnered with MGH and EMC to design a versatile Universal Inbox to receive diagnostic-quality imaging data from any source. Inboxes can be hosted locally or in the cloud. The local inboxes are used for uploading incoming patient CDs, teaching files, any type of imaging data, or for collaborating with other colleagues on the network. The cloud-based Inboxes are for sharing exams and reports with referring physicians and patients, anywhere.
Nuvilex is a pioneer in creation of products in the areas of aesthetics, dermatology, environmental science, nutraceuticals, and therapeutics. This company was originally created around the InfinitInk product based on inventions developed at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine by dermatologist Dr Rox Anderson and colleagues at Mass General Hospital.
Provasculon was formed in 2008 under the aegis of the Biogen-Idec incubator to develop new therapeutic agents for healing chronic skin ulcers in the near term and myocardial infarction damage in the future. The technology is based on discoveries of modified recombinant natural human growth factors by Dr. Richard Lee and Dr. Vincent Segers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Synostics is a formative stage company organized to develop diagnostic biomarkers found in the synovial fluid that are diagnostic for osteoarthritis. Despite the extensive use of expensive magnetic resonance imaging, there is still no definitive diagnostic test for osteoarthritis, hindering both patient care and the ability to evaluate new drug therapies. Dr. David Lee at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an orthopedic surgeon colleague have developed a prototype assay - PIF will support an expanded validation study to further define the markers utilizing a previously collected tissue bank of fully characterized patient specimen sets.
Synovex is a privately held company developing novel treatments for rheumatoid arthritis based on discoveries by Dr. Michael Brenner and Dr. David Lee at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital related to disease-related adhesion proteins found in the synovial fluid.
TargAnox, Inc.
is developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of diseases and conditions that result from oxidative stress-induced modification of proteins. The company, with offices in Boston and New York, was founded based on technologies developed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital by Dr. Joseph Loscalzo. The first round investors are Ascent Biomedical Ventures and the Partners Innovation Fund.
Visionscope develops medical devices for arthroscopic procedures.