CTC Paves the Road Connecting Innovative Ideas and Commercial Markets
Big, innovative ideas with the potential to improve clinical care for children get their business wings at the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC).
The center collaborates with researchers and physicians, facilitating the translation of their discoveries through a host of services, including patent protection.
The CTC develops technologies through research partnerships, delivers products to the market through licensing, creates start-up companies and provides crucial funding opportunities for emerging projects.
This year, the center received more than 160 new innovation disclosures, and exceeded its goals in licenses and revenue, with more than $4.1 million in sponsored research agreements.
Its growth is a testament to not only its service to improving health outcomes for kids, but also the breadth of work occurring throughout Cincinnati Children’s.
The CTC also launched a new partnership with Adare Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize drug reformulation opportunities.
It continued its key partnerships with Alexion and Shire, and has forged a reputation as a national leader in developing new therapies for rare diseases. One example: lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D), a genetic disease caused by massive lysosomal accumulation of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides. It leads to progressive, life-threatening organ damage.
A therapy developed at Cincinnati Children’s for LAL-D patients received FDA approval last year and is now approved in the United States, European Union and Japan. The drug, Kanuma, is being marketed by Alexion and stands to have a significant impact on children and adults with the disease.
It also held its first Applied Innovation Advisory Committee meeting, which is comprised of innovators from throughout Cincinnati Children’s.
“Cincinnati Children’s researchers discover dozens of health innovations every year. Whether they are prospective molecular targets for treating or diagnosing disease or concepts for new medical devices, many discoveries require additional support to get them to the market,” says Margaret Hostetter, MD, Director of Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation. “This is where our Center for Technology Commercialization comes in.”
