OBI & OTRADI April 2020 Newsletter

Stay Home. Save Lives.

OBI staff is complying with Governor Kate Brown’s directive to Stay Home, Save Lives. The employees in the administrative office of OBI/OTRADI is teleworking during this time, but please know that we are still here for you. Some of our client companies have staff working from home, while their staff working on essential research may continue working in their offices and laboratories, utilizing safe distancing and hygiene practices. We’re all working diligently to take steps to reduce the spread of Coronavirus and avoid getting sick with COVID-19.

Oregon and Federal Resources for Business

This pandemic is affecting businesses large and small. Here are some resources that we hope you find helpful during this time:

Caregiven Featured in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

Caregiven, one of OBI’s digital health startup companies, was featured in the AIMed March 5, 2020 special report entitled “Women in AI – DeathTech.” Caregiven’s digital health platform guides families to the appropriate end-of-life support and services so they can spend less time overwhelmed by administrative tasks and more meaningful time with their loved one. If you are unable to view the entire article, please email candice@caregiven.co (not .com) for a PDF copy.

Dr. David Farrell of Gamma Therapeutics gives TEDx Talk

Can We More Accurately Predict Heart Attacks and Strokes? Dr. David Farrell, TEDxMcMinnville, March 6, 2020


“Can we more accurately predict heart attacks and strokes? The clot thickens…” (Read full OHSU article here)

OBI Companies Combat Covid-19

Hemex Health is working on a fast, low cost and accurate point of care diagnostic for COVID-19. It is built on our miniaturized electrophoresis platform. We are applying for grants to do the needed work.

Nelson Bio Lab is working with other companies to develop COVID-19 diagnostic kits. We already have samples and have obtained samples from other Chinese companies. The FDA has accepted them. If necessary, we can provide kits.

Rewire Neuroscience is a provider of artificial intelligence technologies intended to quickly and accurately detect biomarkers for diseases and other physiological states in tissue samples and cell cultures. We offer core AI, machine learning, and computer vision services for integration into biomarker detection workflows. This technology can be used for automated analysis of diagnostic testing kits and assays. Rewire Neuroscience is an Oregon startup that is funded by state and federal grants and located at the Oregon Bioscience Incubator.

RxHomeTest has launched a COVID-19 PCR test kit that can be ordered by clinicians for their patients with symptoms (not available for direct-to-consumer yet). You can contact them at test@rxhometest.com for more information.

Sirona Dx can accelerate your COVID-19 studies! Our expert team offers the industry’s most comprehensive immune profiling of blood samples using state-of-the-art CyTOF technology. We’ll help you maximize results from precious blood samples of COVID-19 patients and translate new discoveries into better clinical outcomes. Using antibody panels developed for single-cell mass cytometry, we can simultaneously analyze 44 immune markets in less than 300 µL of blood and help you identify immune signatures to reveal the best treatment and immunization strategies.

Sonivate Medical, Inc. is part of a group of institutions (including Duke University Medical School) which submitted a White Paper on 3/21 regarding detection of COVID-19 using artificial intelligence (AI) and Sonivate’s SonicEye Dual-Array Ultrasound System.  The approach is to use Sonivate’s High Frequency Linear array to scan the lung. Up to 80 participants will be evaluated in North Carolina comparing their ultrasound images to those of their CT-Scans. The AI algorithms will be based on these findings and integrated with early images/findings from China. It is expected to be a 6-9 month program. The objective is to evaluate a patient’s condition on a 20 point scale with a minimally trained clinician. This is a proposal and does not have any certainty of being awarded.

StoneStable, Inc. is not directly working on SARS-CoV-2, but are working on how to make vaccines better, including potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and testing kits.

Vir Biotechnology announced that “. . . laboratory testing showed two of its antibody drugs appeared to neutralize the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 and that it would pursue testing them in people.” Read full STAT article here.

OBI’s NEW Mentoring Program

Exciting news! We have listened to your feedback and have ravamped our biomentor program!

The newly expanded program is in two separate parts:

Apply now! Applications to become a Mentor are open now! Applications for Mentees will open in May.

Please see our Mentoring page for Fast Facts about both programs and links to the applications.

Upcoming Events

OBI Event: Virtual Lunch & Learn – Negotiate Like a Boss by Being Yourself
April 14, 2020
12:00-1:00 PM
Register here
Free to attend – join us from the comfort of your home or office,
but register soon because tickets are going fast!

 


OBI Event: Virtual Lunch & Learn – Financial Projections in the Time of Coronavirus
April 21, 2020
12:00-1:00 PM
Register here
Free to attend – join us from the comfort of your home or office!

 

OBI Partner Event: Pacific Northwest Healthcare Demo Day
This virtual event launches April 8, 2020
Information and Registration

OBI Companies pitching in this event include: 

Bates Medical Systems
Caregiven
Hemex Health
Madorra
OmnEcoil Instruments
StoneStable
Suturegard Medical, Inc.
HealthSaas (OBI Graduate)
Sparrow Pharmaceuticals (OBI Graduate)

 

TAO Webinar: Maintaining Connection & Collaboration While Teleworking
April 9, 2020
11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Information and Registration

 

BIO International Event: BIO International Convention
June 8-11, 2020
San Diego, CA
Start-Up Stadium was designed to provide start-up companies with the opportunity to engage key members of the investment community, venture philanthropy groups, strategic partners, and non-dilutive capital at the world’s largest biotechnology event. Apply now.