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Brown said this yearÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s summit highlighted the entrepreneurs, researchers, companies and institutions that are making a positive difference in West VirginiaÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s life science community.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThis event allows us to promote the rapidly growing life science industries in West Virginia and share work being done by our universities, biotech companies and a host of other people and organizations that are helping entrepreneurs around the state grow and thrive,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Brown said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThis also allows new collaborations and partnerships to be developed.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

MU collaborates with industry

Marshall University President Brad D. Smith said academic institutions bring a deep expertise and cutting-edge facilities to create more research and technologies.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIn this industry we have to have collaboration with private industry and public offices to bring those ideas to market so they can have a great impact on society in general. We cannot do this alone. We do this collectively.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Toney Stroud, Marshall UniversityÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s chief legal officer and vice president for strategic initiatives and corporate relations, said part of development of the schoolÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s 4th Avenue Innovation District will be for med tech.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe have a partnership with a company called Intermed Labs, which assists companies with healthcare innovations, how to get those to market, how to get them commercialized and out into the public,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� he said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re working with some other companies and we have the interests of four or five different med tech companies that are all primarily startups. We have established this med tech building that weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re going to put in the Innovation District that will help these companies get that product started, help them with marketing and whatever other help they may need to get those products to market.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Intermed Labs opportunities

Intermed Labs CEO Tom McClellan spoke about the companyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s role in commercializing medtech opportunities and the organizationÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s partnership with Marshall University.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI believe there are thousands of ideas trapped in universitiesÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ or health care systemsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ or doctorsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ minds,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� McClellan said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe were built to unlock those ideas and basically to create an idea. Starting a company can take a huge amount money, time and effort, and we bring to bear all the things that you need, all the little pieces to do that.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

McClellan said many health systems are losing money.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s why youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re seeing a lot of consolidation and consolidation health care,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� he said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHealth care systems must innovate to survive. They must create new revenue streams. And that can be just operational efficiency, reducing waste, but it can be patient care, new treatments, new technologies and new diagnostics. Those new revenue streams are critical.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Ongoing work and opportunities

The five-hour event also featured local medtech companies ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” including Alcon, Ortho-Hub and others ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” discussing their products and operations and the assistance theyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve received through the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center. GATC Health Chief Operating Officer Tyrone Lam showcased the companyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s partnership with the state of using its transformative AI platform to accelerate drug discovery.

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) President James Nemitz and WVSOM representatives discussed the schoolÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s planned $35 million research expansion and ongoing work in clinical, community-based participatory and public health research.

Other presentations included discussions on state and federal policies impacting the life sciences industry, as well as a look at opportunities the industry offers the Huntington Area Development Council (HADCO).

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œBioscience industries are an important targeted sector for HADCO for business recruitment purposes, but more importantly, itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a target for Marshall University with all the research theyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re doing,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� said David Lieving, HADCO president and CEO. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re very interested in how we can leverage he research thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s going on here in Huntington into potential job creation and new investment in the city.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Representatives from Marshall, WVU and the West Virginia Small Business Development Center also spoke about entrepreneur assistance programs to help grow SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) awards and company commercialization.

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