Hope all is going well. February has been a complete blur for sure! So many different things going on at the company that it leaves your head spinning. I am not saying this just for me, but for the team as well. We have so many different programs going on all at once, along with new business coming in and pursuing potential new opportunities that it can give me a little angst. I guess nothing is perfect. Either too slow or too busy. It would be great to have something in the middle, but such is life. Along with these areas, we are still out fund raising because we need to grow the team and business footprint to meet demand for our products. It is great to see the company really starting to pick up some steam. The fear is not being able to meet the moment. There are worse problems in the world but nonetheless it is something we need to tackle. And we will, just like we always do (or we’ll die trying).
The title of this week’s blog is inspired by a world-renowned chef who also happens to be from Massachusetts, Chef Emeril Lagasse. We share some similarities. We were both born in the same area of our state (south coast area) and both have French Canadien and Portuguese background in our heritage. I always enjoy the way he presents his cooking, many times using the saying listed in the title of the blog. I feel like this month has been that kind of month. We are starting to kick it up a notch on several fronts.
Here are the top 5 things that you might have missed (or we haven’t told you yet or we are giving you a sneak peek into):
1. First, for those that missed our most recent webcast, please go check it out (https://www.biosurfaces.us/single-post/two-decades-in-the-making-webcast-9). Special thanks to Cam for putting this together (not always easy when you are not working with professional actors or speakers). Also, thanks to our team for providing insights into our ongoing programs. For a small team, we accomplish a lot at the company. Nothing makes me prouder than having someone ask me how we do so much. Our three key areas of business (IVRT, cell therapy delivery and co-development programs) really accentuate the versatility of our Bio-Spun™ technology.
2. We welcomed a new addition to our BioSurfaces family this month. Dr. John O’Gara is joining us as our new Director of Operations. I have known John for many years. We first met coaching an in-town basketball team that our sons were on. I never had a clue that John was working in the medical device field. All we cared about is keeping 3rd – 5th grade boys from going crazy. Over the years, we discussed how it would be great to someday work together. Well, someday is here. As we expand our IVRT business and work with different companies interested in using our Bio-Spun™ technology for their medical device applications, the timing could not be better. We are so glad to have John aboard!
3. Our IVRT business is picking up on many fronts. We have several established life science tool companies evaluating our Bio-Spun™ scaffolds for their plastic housing. One is already in the process of sending samples to their established customer base (hope to have an announcement on that next month). We executed a distributor agreement with CellSystems, which will provide visibility for our products to customers in Europe (especially in Germany and Austria). We already have several customers in France and Germany so it will be nice to expand our footprint. We are in discussions with several other distributors in the US. We are also seeing significant repeat business from several companies, including interest in custom scaffold development. It is amazing to see how this business is growing. I believe we are really at the tip of the iceberg.
4. We executed a license (non-exclusive) and technology agreement with a liver therapy company (you are getting an early preview for a press release coming out in March). I cannot give you too much as it will spoil the announcement. The company will be using our Bio-Spun™ material to deliver their liver organoids (small mini-livers) to help a patient’s liver heal. The liver is the only organ in the body that can fully regenerate so the goal is to help a damaged liver with its functions, allowing it to return to a more normal state. We are excited about this partnership and hopefully one day we’ll be able to help patients.
5. Our team continues to make excellent progress on our Gates Foundation grant, which is focused on encapsulating cells in our Bio-Spun™ Cell Chamber. These cells, which are protected from attack by the person’s immune system due to the chamber’s design, produce a target biotherapeutic such as an anti-HIV antibody. The cells use the nutrients from the body to thrive while producing therapeutic levels of the antibody. The goal is to deliver a therapy for an extended period of time to people in low- to middle income countries, who either cannot afford an expensive drug or lack access to healthcare. With the current dismantling of USAID and NIH, these types of grants become more critical to help develop therapies to prevent the spread of disease around the world.
March is shaping up to be just as busy. There will be at least one announcement and potentially other news brewing. All good stuff. To our Muslim readers, Ramadan Mubarak. To our Christian readers, have a blessed Lenten season.
Matt
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