Hadasit Newsletter – 2019 Summary
Hadassah Innovation Spotlight
Message from the CEO, Dr. Tamar Raz
I am pleased to share with Hadassah inventors, researchers and business collaborators our highlights summarizing Hadasit’s 2019 activities.
During 2019, we signed close to 30 commercial agreements licensing Hadassah-based technologies to relevant companies, establishing new start-ups, and creating data-based collaborations. We enhanced the Hadassah Innovation ecosystem via our work with IBM at the Hadassah Accelerator, start-up companies at the BIOHOUSE, and support of our companies at HBL. We were honored to host Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) executives at Hadassah for the launch of the Bio Convergence program. Hadassah and HUJI experts, together with our start-up companies, delivered presentations about how to facilitate multidisciplinary research excellence in various medical fields.
As part of our goal to bring industrial-related research to Hadassah, Hadasit was awarded NIS 3.3 million to support 2 Magneton and 5 Kamin Grants in 2019, completing another successful year with close to 100% funding of applications to the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA). Magneton grants support joint R&D for industrial companies in collaboration with academic institutions (universities and hospitals).
We wish great success to the Hadassah awardees: Dr. Iris Lavon, Prof. Adi Vaknin, Prof. Stella Chaushu, Dr. Amir Haze, Dr. Anat Blumenfeld, Prof. Zvi Israel, Dr. Radgonde Amer, and Dr. Batia Avni.
Yours Sincerely,
Tamar Raz, CEO
Collaboration Agreement to Support Development of Medical Cannabis Products
Hadasit and Canonic, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: EVGN) focused on the development of medical cannabis products, executed an agreement for pre-clinical studies to support the development of anti-inflammatory medical cannabis products.
Work will be conducted under the supervision of Prof. Reuven Or and Dr. Osnat Hazan at Hadassah, and will include screening Canonic’s cannabis core collection in inflammatory in-vitro models.
Study data is expected to support the development of Canonic’s Precise product line. Hadasit, Hadassah researchers and Canonic view this agreement as the beginning of an ongoing relationship.
Hadassah-Invented Products Receive FDA Clearance
Hadasit portfolio companies have been busy obtaining regulatory clearances and taking their first steps towards bringing new products to market. Three new “Hadassah conceived” product families are scheduled to enter the market during 2020.
- GuideIn Medical developed a product that facilitates video-guided intubation. FDA cleared and CE marked, it was recently introduced to the market.
- Nobio received FDA clearance for several products from its Infinix platform for dental restoration and protection against bacteria, and has started worldwide sales.
- Fidmi Medical has received FDA clearance for a unique gastrostomy device aimed at preventing accidental dislodgement and facilitating easy replacement.
Hadasit Marks Record Year for Data Collaborations
2019 was a breakthrough year for data collaborations, bringing 7 new partnerships to Hadassah. Datasets of clinical records, procedure videos, real-time monitors and imaging modalities became sources for new developments.
The new collaborations involve gastroenterology, gynecology, ophthalmology, neurology, genetics, internal medicine and orthopedics. Together with Hadassah, data companies are aiming to create new therapeutics, develop real-time emergency alerts, and diagnose disease earlier.
Additionally, Hadassah’s Data Research Center began operations in early 2020. Stay tuned for more exciting developments!
ZOOM IN INVENTIONS & PATENTS
An invention is a solution for a technical problem that can be protected through a patent. Innovations and ideas developed by Hadassah employees that are unique and have commercial potential are registered as patents by Hadasit. Hadasit’s team is responsible for the process of pursuing patent protection of the innovative idea and for commercializing the protected technology to a third party.
2019 Highlights
- 49 New ideas reported to Hadasit (Invention Disclosures)
- 28 New patent applications filed
- 12 Patents granted worldwide
Revolutionary New Treatment for Intractable Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)
A new patent application was filed relating to the use of vaginal microbiota transplantation (VMT) to treat the most severe cases of recurrent and antibiotics-nonresponsive BV. BV is the most common vaginal infection in women of reproductive age, causing diminished quality of life.
The research efforts are a collaboration between Ahinoam Lev-Sagie, MD and Debra Goldman-Whol, PhD of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hadassah, and a team from the Weizmann Institute of Science headed by Prof. Eran Elinav. The intriguing and revolutionary proof of concept was published recently in the prestigious medical journal, Nature Medicine
We wish the team success in developing this concept into a commercial remedy.
Negotiations to License New Treatment for Respiratory Diseases
A patent relating to a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of respiratory diseases using Nitroxide radicals was recently issued in the US, and is expected to be approved soon by the European Patent Office.
The research is a collaboration between Prof. Neville Berkman of the Adult Pulmonology Unit at Hadassah and Prof. Sara Goldstein and Dr. Amram Samuni of the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Hadasit and Yissum are now in advanced negotiations with a potential commercial partner to license the technology.
We encourage researchers from the Hadassah Medical Center to approach Hadasit’s team with any questions or new conceptions, creations, ideas and technologies.
You are welcome to contact the Hadasit BD and IP team (Ariel Rabin; Tal Almog; Ophra Rickover).