Start-Up Previews (02/2011)
Executive Summary
A preview of the emerging health companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile group, "Emerging MS Treatments: Reading the Gilenya Tea Leaves," includes profiles of Allozyne, GeNeuro, Nuron Biotech and Receptos. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: Intralink-Spine, NinePoint Medical, PanOptica and Urovalve.
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Intralink-Spine Inc.
A single injection of a collagen matrix modification reagent in one or two sites of the spine to treat degenerative disc disease and lower back pain could allow most patients to avert surgery altogether, according to the inventor behind Intralink-Spine's technology.
Urovalve Inc.
Compared with conventional urinary catheters, which require an external collection bag or an intermittent catheter inserted multiple times daily, the Surinate Bladder Management system from Urovalve Inc. could significantly improve the plight of men suffering from acute or chronic urinary retention. The device is designed to empower patients to manage their condition discreetly, thanks to a magnetic valve that passively closes the urethra to prevent urine leakage and can be opened with a handheld external magnet to empty the bladder.
NinePoint Medical Inc.
Over the past 20 years, the diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma - the most common form of esophageal cancer - has doubled in the US and now stands at roughly 16,500 new cases each year. This dramatic increase is believed to be related to an increased incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obesity. Physicians agree that to slow the increase in this deadly cancer, detection at its earliest stages is critical. Unfortunately, the standard tools available to do this are less than ideal. NinePoint Medical has developed technology designed to detect precursors to esophageal cancer in real time, in vivo, using near-infrared light and complex computing algorithms.