Avisa Pharma, a New Mexico startup commercializing diagnostic breath test technology developed at the University of New Mexico, has been selected as a “Best University Startups 2016” company by the National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer (NCET2), an association of university startup officers.
Out of the 800 startups created each year from universities around the country, 200 companies were submitted by their universities and screened by NCET2 to find the top university startups for 2016. Avisa was among 18 university companies chosen in the first round of winners. During the week of August 29, a second round of 17 winners will be announced from the finalists. The selected companies were scored by a selection committee of 25 Fortune 500 corporate representatives.
The 35 winning companies will present in front of an audience of Global 1000/Fortune 500 companies, VCs and angels looking for investment opportunities at NCET2’s inaugural University Startups Demo Day to be held at the National Press Club and Congress on September 20 in Washington, DC.
“Avisa’s breath test technology is an innovation based on outstanding research and development focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial lung diseases that affect the young, the elderly, and poor populations around the world,” said STC CEO Lisa Kuuttila. “Along with Avisa, four other STC companies are finalists for the Best University Startup 2016 award—more than any other university start-up program in the country. This is recognition of the high quality of these young companies being formed from UNM technologies.”
“This is great news and a recognition that we are on the forefront of dealing with severe lung infections and the overuse of broad spectrum antibiotics,” said Avisa CEO David Joseph, co-founder of Avisa with UNM faculty member Graham Timmins. “Our breath test technology is targeted at emergency rooms, hospital floor units and intensive care units where serious cases of pneumonia are seen and antibiotic resistant superbugs are more likely to be present. The test will aid clinical decision making on use and choice of antibiotics within 10 minutes.”
Dr. Timmins is a faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNM’s College of Pharmacy and chief science advisor to Avisa Pharma Inc. The breath test is quick and non-invasive. It measures the presence of the urease enzyme found in certain bacteria that cause pulmonary infection using a proprietary, nebulized drug inhaled by the patient.
“These are some of the most exciting early-stage investment opportunities presented by the country’s great universities,” said Tony Stanco, executive director of NCET2. “Universities, with deep networks of students, alumni, researchers, faculty and staff, are uniquely positioned to create the world’s most important new companies. These companies create high-value jobs and solve real problems with great promise to have a major impact on the world. The University Startups Demo Day is the university community’s opportunity to show investors and Congress the jobs and companies they help create.”
For more information about the University Startups Demo Day, visit the NCET2 website.