NC biotech startups share global spotlight in Raleigh

Some 1,000 of the smartest minds in biotech, crop science, medicine and medical devices are gathering in Raleigh today and Wednesday for the annual life science conference put on by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development. A whopping 53 startups will have a chance to impress the best and brightest.

A new report published Monday by widely respected research firm Battelle documents the continuing growth of the state’s life science sector) (61,000 jobs, $73 billion economic impact). The data came just in time for the Raleigh show, which the N.C. Biotechnology Center is helping put on. The Center also sponsored the Battelle report.

And as usual the life science conference, which will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, features a list of high-profile guest speakers as well as panel discussions on topics from A to Z.

This truly is one of the state’s premier technology showcases.

But the future rests on the continuing infusion of discovery and fresh minds in the emerging companies who hope to turn their intellectual power into products that help the state of the world improve.

A lucky 13 companies from across the state will be “showcased,” making individual presentations to the entire crowd. These firms demonstrate clearly that biotech and life science don’t just belong to the Triangle. The 13 come from across North Carolina.

In the demo room will be another 40 companies, all perhaps aiming to be “showcased” in 2016 – unless they hit a home run at this event and land the investors they need to turn ideas into gold.

In the Spotlight

Here are the 13 showcase firms:

Baebies, Inc.: A company that is saving children’s lives through newborn screening. Baebies has developed technology that uses a smaller sample to get fast results and has a streamlined process for newborn screening tests.
BioResource International, Inc.: A global biotechnology company specializing in the research, development and manufacture of high-performance enzyme feed additives that help poultry and swine producers optimize animal nutrition.
G1 Therapeutics: A clinical-stage oncology company developing small molecule kinase inhibitors that block cell proliferation while protecting bone marrow from chemotherapy.
GeneCentric Diagnostics, Inc.: A personalized diagnostics company that has developed a product that will transform diagnosis, improveprognostic accuracy, and personalize therapy for lung cancer patients.
NeuroTronik: A development-stage medical technology company pursuing an electric stimulation of nerves approach for patients presenting at the hospital with Acute Heart Failure Syndrome.
Novan Therapeutics: A clinical-stage biotech company focused on advancing nitric oxide therapies that address antibiotic resistance. Novan is expanding its platform with clinical studies in dermatology and wound care.
Novocor Medical Systems: A group that has developed a novel device to induce therapeutic hypothermia in the 420,000 Sudden Cardiac Arrest patients treated annually in the US by EMS personnel.
Physcient, Inc.: A medical device company that develops new surgical instruments to help patients hurt less and heal faster. Physcient’s first device is the Differential Dissector for blunt dissection, which is a major component of over 6 million surgeries each year in the US.
Spyryx Biosciences: An emerging biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics for devastating, life-threatening pulmonary diseases with high unmet medical need such as cystic fibrosis (CF).
Symberix: An early stage pharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of a new class of medication that prevents chemotherapydrugs from targeting the helpful bacteria that reside in patients’ lower gastrointestinal tracts.
T3D Therapeutics, Inc.: A Research Triangle Park, NC-based company committed to developing and commercializing disease remedial therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other CNS disorders.
TouchCare: Technology that enables healthcare providers to connect with their patients quickly and easily for face-to-face video appointments on any mobile device.
Vascular Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: A private biopharmaceutical company working to address the complications of diabetes, specifically diabetic nephropathy, in a patient population with few options for effective treatment.