Biotechnology Business Development

The USISTF has seen tremendous success in the field of biotechnology business development between the United States and Israel. Names of the companies we have supported can be seen in the table below. In addition we are providing two case studies on some of our most successful partnerships.

The Grantees below worked with the U.S.-Israel Science & Technology Foundation to implement a program of collaborative exchange and strategic partnering between the U.S. and Israeli companies. A select group of Israeli companies were brought to the U.S. to be trained, mentored, and coached on product development, business strategy, and finding sources of U.S. capital.

In total, USISTF Business Development grants of approximately $745,000enabled these pioneering technology companies to leverage $141.1 million in additional funding. Companies reported earlier creation of a revenue stream, greater interest from investors, and a benefit to launching U.S. offices. Companies awarded funding include:

The successes of these ventures facilitated the translation of cutting-edge technology into useful products and applications. They also provided a sound economic contribution to the industry and a financial return for specific investors. The table below summarizes the technologies and achievements from USISTF’s RFP in Biotechnology.

USISTF Grantee and Grant Amount	Name of Company	Description of Technology	Achievements
Maryland Israel Development Center & The Trendlines GroupReceived $341,000	Chiasma	New technology for the oral delivery of macromolecules and other impermeable drugs into the bloodstream.	-Chiasma raised $44 million in funding from MPM Capital and Arch Venture Partners. -Opened an office in Rockville, MD.
Maryland Israel Development Center & The Trendlines Group	EMZA	Developers of visual recognition sensors and systems for the homeland security market.	-Raised $1.5 million in funding. -Established a beta test site with Constellation Energy of Baltimore, MD.
Maryland Israel Development Center & The Trendlines Group	ET View	Designed an endotracheal tube (TVT) that reduces physical harm in patients by allowing doctors to see the tube’s insertion into the trachea instead of blind insertion,.The estimated annual number of intubations in the United States is 7.8 million. Estimated medical device market of $700M to $1.5B in annual sales.	-ETView’s Intubation Trainer launched in November 2005. -TVT approved by the FDA in December 2005 as a medical device in record time. -Raised $2.5 million in funding through New York-based investment bank Burnham Securities. -Began sales of TVT in the veterinary market in 2006.
Maryland Israel Development Center & The Trendlines Group	Scientific Laboratory Products (SLP)	First disposable sleep apnea screener – the Sleep Strip.	-The FDA and CE approved SleepStrip® as a disposable home screening test for sleep apnea. -SLP granted the ISO 9002/EN46002 certification. -Established an office in St. Charles, IL. -Began sales in the U.S. market in September 2004.
Maryland Israel Development Center & The Trendlines Group	MultiGene Vascular Systems (MGVS)	Cell therapies for patients with blocked arteries	-Received FDA approval in September 2005 to begin human clinical trials in Philadelphia and Michigan. -Established an office in the U.S.
Maryland Israel Development Center & The Trendlines Group	Andante	Developed an orthopedic gait monitoring system, SmartStep, that enhances rehabilitation of patients with impaired lower limb function	-Raised $3 million from private investors. -Applied for 2 patents. -Product is currently in use in most major hospital in Israel and some in the EU.
BioEnterprise & BioEnterprise IsraelReceived $150,000	Vascular Biogenics Ltd. (VBL)	Developed a gene therapy treatment that targets diseases of the vascular wall, by controlling blood flow to cancer cells.The drug market for cancer drugs in the US is currently estimated at $10 billion. The company has a small molecule lead candidate for the prevention of atherosclerosis and a gene therapy candidate that can produce both apoptosis and angiogenesis.	-The Cleveland Clinic has signed a term sheet with VBL. -The company has raised $25 million to date from key funders such as Kadima High Tech, Pitango Venture Capital, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. -VBL’s lead cardiovascular therapy, CI-201, began clinical trials in early 2006. -Lead cancer therapy, GT-111, began clinical trials in the second half of 2006 at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
BioEnterprise & BioEnterprise Israel	Critisense	Developed a device for monitoring the metabolic state of patients in critical condition.	-Raised $1.2 million in funds. -Established an office in the U.S. -Began clinical trials in 2007, to be submitted for goal of FDA approval.
BioEnterprise & BioEnterprise Israel	Simbionix	Developed software and hardware for clinical simulation, for use in education and training of medical professionals.	-Raised $9.4 million in funds. -Established an office in the U.S.
BioEnterprise & BioEnterprise Israel	MDG Medical	Created technology that reduces hospital medication errors, called ServeRx.	-Raised $16 million in funds. -Established an office in the U.S. -ServeRx is currently in use in the U.S., Europe, and several countries in the Middle East.
BioEnterprise & BioEnterprise Israel	Early Sense	Devised a system of advanced sensing and signal processing technologies that give early warning of changes in hospital patient vital signs.	-Raised $1.8 million in funds. -Established an office in the State of Georgia.
Chicago Microtechnology and Nanotechnology Community (CMNC) & The Trendlines GroupReceived $181,629	Cima NanoTech	Developed nanomaterial-based products for use in electronics applications.	-Named one of three “Most Innovative Israeli Nanotechnology” (MI2NT) companies. -Raised $11 million for investors in Japan and Korea. Secured a $1 million grant from Motorola and BIRD Foundation for nanotech commercialization. -Operates a research facility in Caesarea, Israel, a manufacturing facility in Otake, Japan, and corporate HQ in Saint Paul, MN.
Chicago Microtechnology and Nanotechnology Community (CMNC) & The Trendlines Group	NutraLease	Developed nano-sized particles that are used as vehicles to targeted compounds, such as nutraceuticals and drugs.Nano encapsulation helps ingredients reach their target in the body by affecting solubility in water and oil.	-Named one of three “Most Innovative Israeli Nanotechnology” (MI2NT) companies. -Won the prestigiousKaye prize from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. -Partnered with Adumim Food Ingredients to scale up technology applications for nano encapsulation of ingredients in the Israeli food industry.
Chicago Microtechnology and Nanotechnology Community (CMNC) & The Trendlines Group	Sol-Gel Technologies	Provides innovative drug delivery solutions and life cycle management opportunities using patented, sol-gel based encapsulation systems in silica.The technology enables new and stable combinations of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients resulting in improved efficacy and usability.	-Named one of three “Most Innovative Israeli Nanotechnology” (MI2NT) companies. -Entered into a development and licensing agreement worth $24.7 million with a leading U.S. pharmaceutical company for the development and commercialization of a major dermatologic product. -Established an office in Livingston, NJ. -Applied for 3 patents.
University of Haifa & University of Southern California (USC)Received $72,300	Theragame/Institute for Creative Technologies	A virtual reality therapy tool for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) patients.Uses video game graphics and a virtual reality headset to immerse users in a virtual Iraq, to be used as a therapeutic tool. The overlap of Virtual Reality (VR) and occupational therapy is a cutting edge field.	-Currently, the only home-based therapy on the market for those suffering from PTSD, phobias, and other anxiety-related disorders.-In the past two years, the Theragame system went into clinical use at Emory University, Little Rock, AK and Camp Pendleton, a marine base in Southern California. -The USC project received additional funding from the Office of Naval Research.