OBIO® launches national health science technology training program powered by Upskill Canada

December 7, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – The Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) has launched its national Health Science Technology Training for Software and Data Professionals training program, powered by Upskill Canada. The program is part of the first wave of partnership agreements that are taking an industry-oriented approach to supporting Canadian workers. These agreements will help thousands of workers find new careers through skills training and job placement in some of the most dynamic industries in Canada.

The program will support fast-growing health science employers developing digital technologies to address their talent needs, create new career paths for individuals who want to transition into high-demand roles in health science and attract tech professionals with the necessary expertise to fill these roles.

Up to 100 participants will be upskilled through the program to help them secure their next role in the industry by integrating foundational software skills with industry-specific knowledge. Over 14 weeks, the program will cover topics including software development for health science, regulatory frameworks for software as a medical device, data compliance, cybersecurity, AI & machine learning, and foundational skills.

Supported by funding from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s (ISED) Upskilling for Industry Initiative, more than 15,000 Canadian workers will benefit from an innovative approach to skills training. Central to the Upskill Canada initiative is the role of community training providers, who work closely with local and national employers to identify precise suites of skills being sought by industry. Equipping workers with these skills will create new career pathways for Canadians and better position Canadian companies to compete both domestically and internationally.

Quick Facts

• OBIO® supports early-stage and venture backed companies enabling them to raise capital, build the workforce, and accelerate commercialization and adoption.

• OBIO’s Workforce Development programs support in-demand skills development of the life science workforce to remove barriers faced by employers in the labour market, enabling access to industry-ready talent, and facilitating hiring and retention.

• Individuals interested in applying for the first cohort of the Health Science Technology Training for Software and Data Professional as talent participants can complete and submit an application by December 15 at: obio.ca/health-science-technology-training.

Quotes

“We’re so proud to formally launch Upskill Canada with our inaugural class of workers and training service providers. This is a big first step – but it’s only the beginning. We’re looking forward to working with our supporters in government and industry to upskill many more Canadians, so they can transition into high-demand roles in the modern workforce – and help fast-growing companies achieve their full potential.”

– Rhonda Barnet, CEO of Palette Skills, which was chosen by ISED to run the Upskill Canada initiative

“OBIO® is thrilled to partner with Upskill Canada to deliver the national Health Science Technology Training for Software and Data Professionals training program. Developing the health technology workforce and enabling talent to transition into high-demand technology roles will enable Canadian companies to commercialize and adopt digital technologies faster, giving them a competitive edge on a global scale.”

– Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®

To learn more, visit paletteskills.org/upskillcanadaprograms.

About OBIO®

Founded in 2009, OBIO® is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies that position Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. OBIO® advances this goal through collaborative partnerships with industry, the investment community, academia, the healthcare system and government. For more information, please visit obio.ca and follow OBIO® on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

About Upskill Canada

Upskill Canada is a national talent platform that helps fast-growing companies access the talent they need to compete and succeed globally while creating new career pathways for workers to rapidly transition into high-demand roles. Upskill Canada will target all regions of the country and support Canadian-based employers, with a particular focus on small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It will focus on strengthening key growth sectors, including digital technology, cybersecurity, agricultural technology, advanced manufacturing, clean technology and biomanufacturing.

Media contact:

Doriane Rey
Manager, Marketing & Events
dorianerey@obio.ca  

New technology aims to improve access to cancer care

November 28, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®), and Gray Oncology Solutions (Gray) are thrilled to announce the results of the deployment and evaluation of a new technology developed in Canada and aimed at optimizing operations in cancer care.

Over the past few decades, remarkable strides in cancer treatment have significantly improved the treatment of patients. While offering exciting possibilities, these advances have also introduced a high level of complexity that can be a challenge to manage effectively.

The scheduling of care journeys, which plays a pivotal role in ensuring patients’ access to care and the optimal use of hospital resources, is a highly manual and inefficient process, leading to increased administrative burden, wait times and cost of care delivery.

In a concerted effort to maintain the quality of care and maximize hospital resources, TOH partnered with Gray to deploy and evaluate their novel technology, GrayOS. This project was carried out with support from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™).

GrayOS is the operating system for cancer care, which automates and optimizes the operations of cancer centres. It was co-developed with the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and now deployed in clinics across multiple provinces, where it has been proven to increase efficiencies, reduce administrative overhead, save costs and improve staff experience.

TOH, one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals, became the first Ontario hospital to introduce and evaluate the technology. TOH, Gray and OBIO® are excited to share the preliminary results of this evaluation.

In less than six months, the solution saved costs and reduced the administrative burden by 60%. After GrayOS was deployed, TOH reported a 17% increase in the rate of patients treated within the targeted time outlined by Cancer Care Ontario, which is the provincial agency that sets standards for cancer care.

“Using GrayOS has played a pivotal role in reducing our operational challenges in radiation oncology,” said Melissa Diffey, Manager, Radiation Medicine Program at The Ottawa Hospital. “With this innovative technology, we are now able to further streamline our workflow and improve wait times by scheduling more patients within the targeted treatment deadline.”

The team will continue to monitor the results as further impact is expected from the efficiency gain.

“We’re incredibly grateful that The Ottawa Hospital has been such a great partner in deploying, testing and evaluating our technology. The meaningful results and interest we’ve received from Québec and now Ontario signal that we are on the right track to addressing a significant challenge in cancer care,” added André Diamant, CEO of Gray.

“OBIO® is proud to have partnered with The Ottawa Hospital and Gray Oncology Solutions on this inter-provincial project. The results of this evaluation reflect the impact of using cutting-edge technology in healthcare to improve clinical efficiency and enhance patient care. We are eager to continue to support GrayOS in the next steps of procurement and wider adoption across Ontario’s healthcare systems,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®.

GrayOS will continue to help The Ottawa Hospital treat more patients with the same amount of resources by unlocking additional capacity to prioritize scheduling in a way that minimize gaps in the calendar.

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace.

For more information, please visit OBIO.ca or contact Bibaswan Ghoshal, Senior Director, Market acceleration at bibaswanghoshal@obio.ca.

About Gray Oncology Solutions

Gray Oncology Solutions (Montréal-based start-up) has a vision of a healthcare ecosystem with no resources wasted. In pursuit of this vision, they have developed an “operating system” which simplifies cancer treatment by streamlining workflows across multiple points of cancer care (GrayOS). Operationally, this translates to the optimization & automation of patient scheduling while explicitly incorporating the complex multi-disciplinary workflow resulting in increased access to care, reduced patient wait times, increased patient/staff satisfaction and ultimately superior patient care.

For more information, please visit www.gray-os.com or contact André Diamant, CEO at andre@gray-os.com.

About The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals where we are guided by our vision to provide the world-class and compassionate care we would all want for our loved ones. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, is home to the Regional Trauma Centre and Cancer Centre, and to discoveries that are adopted globally.

Backed by generous support from the community, we are focused on reshaping the future of health care to improve the health of our diverse population of patients from Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Nunavut.

For more information about The Ottawa Hospital, please visit OttawaHospital.on.ca or contact Alison Jennings, Manager (acting) Digital Innovation at ajennings@toh.ca.

University Health Network partners with Zamplo Inc. to optimize technology-enabled cancer remote monitoring

Nov 22, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – The measurement of and clinicians’ response to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT) has been found to have many clinical benefits, including the patient’s improved quality of life and increased overall survival. This method has the potential to better utilize healthcare human resources, and decrease the need for extended clinical hours, urgent care and emergency care.

Through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN®), OBIO® has facilitated a study by the University Health Network (UHN) with Zamplo Inc., an Alberta-based company with a connected health platform, the Zamplo app, to monitor PROs of patients undergoing RT.

The app provides researchers and clinicians with a flexible tool to collect PROs, including symptoms, ability to function and/or quality of life, through multiple formats at any required frequency (e.g. a routine survey or an ad hoc measurement). The app can be used for patients with any disease regardless of their treatment or related conditions and can collect information from both patients and caregivers. The data is easily shared across the platform by healthcare providers in any setting of the patient’s choice.

As part of its strategic priorities, UHN aims to transform the health system through consumer-centric innovation and emerging technologies, supporting outstanding patient experiences in every interaction.

“Consumer-friendly apps such as Zamplo focus on enhancing personalized, equitable, compassionate care and transforming the patient experience, while also helping the care team optimize treatment and use of hospital space and resources,” said Philip Wong, MD, who is the EAHN™ evaluation lead at UHN.

“Our evaluation with OBIO® focuses on a proactive model of care which enhances patient-clinician communication and informs optimal clinical decision making, leading to fundamental changes in radiation therapy symptom management while maintaining a safe model of care with better utilization of resources,” he added. “The goal is to challenge today’s fragmented system and put consumer-friendly apps and tools in the hands of patients, families and providers.”

“Navigating cancer care can be complex and daunting for patients and caregivers. Zamplo is a care tool made by patients for patients to modernize and improve their experience,” said. Jennifer Croke, MD, Radiation Oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network. “The platform acts as a triage for radiation follow-up care, directing more complex cases for in-person assessment and helping others avoid taxing and sometimes costly trips to the hospital. Thus, patients on radiation can use the platform to inform the treatment team of their well-being, and the care team is better informed about the patient’s medical and/or psychosocial needs or lack thereof.”

“The Zamplo app allows clinicians and researchers to focus on the “whole” patient, supporting improved communication without increasing consult time, and engaging patients and their caregivers more in their care,” said Shaneel Pathak, CEO of Zamplo. “The Zamplo app allows patients to document their health journey on a desktop or mobile device, including symptoms, activities and medications. Researchers and clinicians can use the app to gather PROs through questionnaires and health tracking journal entries to help determine quality of life. Through OBIO’s EAHN™ program, Zamplo is now partnering with the largest health research organization in Canada.”

“OBIO® is delighted to support Zamplo, an Alberta-based company, through the EAHN™ program to facilitate a project with UHN and help Zamplo access the Ontario market,” said. Maura Campbell, PhD, President and CEO of OBIO®.  “We look forward to seeing the benefit of the Zamplo app to better utilize healthcare human resources and improve patients’ quality of life.”

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. To learn more, visit: obio.ca.

About Zamplo Inc. 

Zamplo Inc. is a mission-driven social enterprise, founded in 2015. Zamplo has created a person-centered connected health platform that provides a central location for individuals to track their whole health data while staying connected to their clinicians, caregivers, researchers and the health community.

With informed consent, the Zamplo App can be used to collect patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between participants and researchers through an integration with the electronic data capture platform, Zamplo Research. This integration supports patient-centered research by streamlining study enrolment, providing tools for PRO collection, and focusing on participant engagement and quality of life. Researchers and clinicians can engage participants in their own care as participants retain control of their data and can access their personal health information to make more informed decisions.

About University Health Network

University Health Network consists of Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals, the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, arthritis, vision, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. University Health Network is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. For more information: www.uhn.ca.

Contacts

For more information about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal
Senior Director, Technology Adoption
Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization
bibaswanghoshal@obio.ca

For more information about Zamplo Inc. please contact:

Shaneel Pathak
CEO
Zamplo inc.
shaneel@zamplo.org

For more information about University Health Network please contact:

Ania Jones
Sr. Manager, Strategic Communications & Partnership Engagement
University Health Network
ania.jones@uhn.ca

A made-in-Ontario medical device proven to save lives now being evaluated in its home province

Nov 7, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – In trauma situations where physicians are treating an unstable patient who is experiencing bleeding, time is of the utmost importance and the medical team needs to act quickly. Small and fast-acting solutions are needed to reduce complications and save lives.

Through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN ™), OBIO® has facilitated an evaluation between Front Line Medical Technologies and Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) to help trauma patients receive a cutting-edge treatment for hemorrhage control.

Front Line’s COBRA-OS® is an innovative, minimally invasive medical device that helps control bleeding in patients with non-compressible trauma in the torso. The device is inserted to block the artery above the injury. This stops the blood flow and enables patients to reach the operating room where trauma surgeons can effectively control the bleeding and increase the patient’s chance of survival. The COBRA-OS® can be deployed in just over a minute and is the smallest device of its kind in the world. It is being used in multiple American Level 1 trauma centres and by US military groups.

“We have had the incredible privilege of providing front line physicians with a tool that has already helped save many lives since the COBRA-OS® has been available commercially in North America,” said Asha Parekh, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Front Line Medical Technologies. “The device has mainly been adopted in the United States and we are extremely excited to have Hamilton Health Sciences evaluating the utility of the COBRA-OS® for their system and patients”.

“As an alumnus of the McMaster University general surgery program, I am so proud to come back to Hamilton to help introduce this life-saving device to my colleagues for their trauma patients,” said Adam Power, MD, CMO, Co-founder, and practicing vascular surgeon.

”At Hamilton Health Sciences, we’re committed to finding innovative solutions to help our patients and the community. Collaborating with organizations like OBIO® is an essential part of developing partnerships with the right companies to make impactful change,” said Ted Scott, Vice President Innovation at Hamilton Health Sciences. “When it comes to trauma patients, every second counts. So, as the regional trauma centre for Central South Ontario, it’s our responsibility to explore all ways to utilize the limited time we have to save a patient’s life.”

“The trauma team is very pleased to be part of this project and looks forward to working with these important partners to bring cutting-edge technology to the bedside of our injured patients to help make a difference with saving their lives,” said Paul Engels, MD, trauma surgeon and trauma medical director at Hamilton Health Sciences.

“OBIO® is eager to facilitate this EAHN™-funded project between HHS and Front Life Medical Technologies, supporting a medical device that increases the survival for trauma patients,” said Maura Campbell, PhD, OBIO® President and CEO. “We are delighted to see Front Line Medical Technologies build on the previous success of COBRA-OS® and to support the commercialization of their innovation in Canada.”

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. To learn more, visit: obio.ca.

About Front Line Medical Technologies

Front Line Medical Technologies is a medical device company lowering the barriers to bleeding control and resuscitation worldwide. The company offers a life-saving tool, the COBRA-OS™ (Control of Bleeding, Resuscitation, Arterial Occlusion System) to help patients survive emergency situations. The COBRA-OS is used for REBOA (Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta) procedures, and its significantly reduced size decreases both the time it takes to complete the procedure and the risk of complications.

About Hamilton Health Sciences

Hamilton Health Sciences is a community of 15,000 staff, physicians, researchers and volunteers that proudly serves southwestern Ontario residents. It is the only hospital in Ontario that cares for all ages, from pre-birth to end-of-life and offers world-leading expertise in many areas, including cardiac and stroke care, cancer care, palliative care and pediatrics. Hamilton Health Sciences is also a world-renowned hospital for healthcare research and has a daily focus on improving the quality of care for patients through innovation and evidence-based practices.

Contacts

For more information about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact: Bibaswan Ghoshal, Senior Director, Technology Adoption

For more information about Front Line Medical Technologies, please contact: Asha Parekh, CEO and Co-Founder

For more information about Hamilton Health Sciences, please contact: Wendy Stewart, Communications Advisor

A4i (The App4Independence) and The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre Awarded Funding from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network to Evaluate a Digital App-based Platform for Severe Mental Illness

October 19, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Treating schizophrenia spectrum disorders effectively is challenging due to the complexity of the illness. Treatment often requires lifelong self-management and various therapies that must be used in timely cycles to achieve the best outcomes. Additionally, constraints across the healthcare system limit many aspects of clinical interaction, including risk identification and care planning, which can lead patients to feel disempowered, socially isolated and disengaged from the treatment process.

To address barriers to treating severe mental illnesses and improve patient experience, A4i Inc. (A4i – App4Independence) has partnered with The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre to drive the adoption and integration of their app-based platform. The A4i app helps patients experiencing severe mental illness improve their health by building connections with other peers and using app features designed to identify risk of relapse and readmission. Commercially and clinically validated, A4i’s tools and digital biomarkers have shown excellent engagement, increased retention rates and other promising clinical outcomes.

With support from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), The Royal is evaluating A4i in the Ozerdinc Grimes Family Regional Psychosis Clinic, which provides specialized care and support for individuals who experience psychosis due to a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The evaluation’s goal is to assess how A4i integrates into an outpatient clinical setting and to help clinicians understand the app’s impact on patients who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum.

“We are grateful to be working with The Royal in Ottawa to support a particularly vulnerable population in such a resource intensive environment,” said Amos Adler, CEO of A4i Inc. “Validated technologies such as A4i can support the health system’s efforts to better engage and support client populations in the recovery process. We are learning and adapting to truly integrate innovation into clinical workflows.”

“With the right support, people with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses can manage their symptoms and live well. Through this collaboration enabled by OBIO®, we have the potential to expand and strengthen the supports available to our clients using A4i. We are demonstrating how a digital therapeutic mobile app and clinical portal can scale virtual care, care-coordination and create system efficiencies,” said Dr. David Attwood, Clinical Director of the Integrated Schizophrenia Recovery Program at The Royal.

“OBIO® is excited to support this first project with the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, which is bringing digital therapeutic innovations to the forefront of the mental health space,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “We are eager to see how the A4i solution can improve care for patients living with schizophrenia and enhance their wellbeing.”

A4i addresses the gaps in the current system of care for individuals with severe mental illness and, more specifically for this project evaluation, schizophrenia spectrum illnesses. The A4i app supports recovery, care coordination and community functioning while using machine learning to identify risks of relapse for patients with complex mental health issues.

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace.

About A4i

A Joint Venture between Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and MEMOTEXT digital therapeutics platform, A4i has secured early pilots across North America and has deep expertise in mental and digital health.

About The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre

The Royal is one of Canada’s foremost mental health care, teaching, and research hospitals and is home to The Royal Mental Health Centre, the Brockville Mental Health Centre, the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health, and the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. Hope, access, and new possibilities are at the centre of everything we do. Through partnerships with clients, families, colleagues and community partners, our mission is to transform the lives of people living with complex and treatment-resistant mental health and substance use needs – today, and tomorrow. Click here to learn more about The Royal, our suite of services, and our impact.

-30-

Media contacts:

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Senior Director, Technology Adoption, OBIO®

Amos Adler, M.Sc, CEO, A4i Inc.

Michaela Berniquez, Communications Coordinator, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre

Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) partners with A.I. VALI to evaluate an artificial intelligence platform for real-time endoscopy image analysis

October 12, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Currently, clinicians go through a time-consuming process of manually analyzing endoscopy video and images, and then reporting the patient’s results. The process can sometimes lead to unfortunate human errors. This is exacerbated by the current backlog of patients waiting for endoscopies resulting in increased physician burnout.

Through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), OBIO® has facilitated the first-ever partnership between the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) and A.I. VALI, a female-led, Toronto-based health technology start-up, to evaluate the modular Artificial intelligence (AI) platform, AIDREA™, within endoscopy clinics.

The A.I. VALI AIDREA™ platform uses real-time Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) techniques to analyze physicians' voices during procedures, as well as data collected from medical images, such as endoscopy video images and tissue biopsy samples. This solution provides clinicians with accurate, reproducible and affordable real-time analysis. It has a critical impact on the quality of analysis in the early detection of diseases such as cancer and allows delivery of the best-personalized treatment model. The AIDREA™ solution offers four key features: it works with any endoscopy device, it provides real-time video image analysis, it generates instant patient reports, and it has a feedback loop to train the AI model.

“Our mission is to improve the quality of diagnosis and care, therefore, validating the AIDREA™ platform in top Canadian research hospital settings benefits A.I. VALI by providing valuable feedback, enhancing credibility, opening new market opportunities, acquiring data for research and development, and generating financial gains through increased adoption,” said Azar Azad, CEO of A.I. VALI.

“OBIO is thrilled to support a female-led company that is tackling significant healthcare challenges while simultaneously leveraging critical technologies such as AI,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “The A.I. VALI platform can help improve workflow efficiencies to address patient backlogs that hospitals are currently facing which in turn can result in increased diagnostic accuracy.”

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace.

About A.I. VALI 

A.I. VALI offers services in research and development, analytical validation, optimization, and validation for regulatory submissions. These services can be utilized by our clients and incorporated into the early stages of drug development through clinical trials and validation of biomarkers, or companion diagnostics (CDx), by providing precise interpretation of information on cell functioning, as well as the structure of critical proteins and biomarkers. Our extensible data science environment and toolkit was built to serve as an architectural framework and community platform for developing and distributing reusable data visualization modules and reusable multi-modality data integration pipelines. Our innovative system allows our team to develop the algorithms, validate them properly, and either commercialize them directly, or support our clients in their efforts to commercialize these products.

Contacts

For more information about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal
Senior Director, Technology Adoption
Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization
bibaswanghoshal@obio.ca

For more information about A.I. VALI please contact:

Azar Azad
CEO
A.I. VALI.
azar@aivali.org

OBIO® opens applications for its newly-launched Life Sciences Critical Technologies & Commercialization (LSCTC) Centre of Excellence

September 26, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Economic trends and market forces are rapidly shifting towards new critical technologies that are transforming the health science sector. The commercialization and adoption of critical technologies such as 5G/advanced networks, ethical artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, robotics, quantum computing and blockchain will ensure that Ontario innovators stay competitive in the global market. To address the long-standing technology development and commercialization gaps that impede growth-stage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from being able to scale domestically, the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) is inviting health science companies from across the province to apply for the Life Sciences Critical Technologies & Commercialization (LSCTC) Centre of Excellence.

Supported by the Government of Ontario, the LSCTC Centre of Excellence will catalyze a globally competitive collaborative ecosystem by leveraging and building on Ontario’s expertise and capabilities. Critical technologies are driving innovation and intellectual property (IP) creation globally across all health science sectors of life sciences, medtech and healthtech.

“We are excited to support Ontario’s health science companies to develop healthcare solutions leveraging the critical technologies. The LSCTC Centre of Excellence establishes our province as a leader in the commercialization and adoption of innovative technologies globally,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President & CEO of OBIO®. “The LSCTC Centre of Excellence will be a hub for the advancement of made-in-Ontario intellectual property, enabling the growth of Ontario’s health science sector.”

The LSCTC Centre provides infrastructure, commercialization, technology adoption and talent programming to Ontario SMEs and emerging ventures, including but not limited to therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices and digital health. The LSCTC Centre leverages the expertise of OBIO® and its partners: HaloHealth, Linamar, L-SPARK, MaRS, NirvSystem, Recursion Canada, Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre, and Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP).  

“We are delighted to partner with OBIO® to support health science companies with AI expertise through the LSCTC Centre of Excellence,” said Naheed Kurji, member of the OBIO® Board of Directors & President of Recursion Canada. “My experience taught me the importance of having a coordinated network of ecosystem players offering an easy-to-navigate set of programmatic activities and general support to enable early-stage companies to be able to scale globally.”

Ventures participating in the LSCTC Centre will have access to technical & commercialization support, which will accelerate business growth and capital investment, enhance productivity and create high value jobs.

To access the LSCTC Centre resources, OBIO® invites interested ventures to review the eligibility criteria and submit an application.

For more information, contact Christina Yeh, Vice President, Programs & Strategic Partnerships, OBIO®. 

Hypercare helps cut pagers and paper on-call schedules at Southlake thanks to OBIO®

September 19, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Today, Hypercare announced the procurement of an innovative Canadian digital software solution at Southlake Regional Health Centre. The technology provides clinical teams with an unprecedented means to securely communicate and collaborate amongst each other, and efficiently coordinate on-call schedules.

Ongoing staffing shortages since the start of the pandemic have created a need to coordinate schedules across the hospital. The previous approach for on-call scheduling at Southlake was inefficient and overloaded through the hospital switchboard. The hospital manages forty clinical on-call and support schedules in various formats and updates these rosters verbally or via email.

Albert Tai, CEO of Hypercare, along with co-founders, Umar Azhar, CTO, and Dr. Joseph Choi, emergency physician and COO, recognized the need to replace old-fashioned pagers and outdated, manual internal on-call processes. In response, the co-founders of Hypercare built a software platform that could become the sole source for hospital communication and on-call scheduling. Hypercare’s platform enables users to instantly contact on-call doctors without having to first track them down. Hypercare’s platform also enables users to securely share clinical images and prioritize important messages.

OBIO®, through funding and advice from its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), supported Hypercare’s commercialization journey from inception to procurement. OBIO®, Hypercare and Southlake collaborated to evaluate the impact of Hypercare’s digital software solution on on-call scheduling and make the case for procurement.

“With the current stress in the healthcare system, EAHN™ has been able to provide more resources for the project to help get it off the ground. They are helping remove obstacles in the way to allow healthcare systems to sign off on Hypercare and see the value,” said Dr. Albert Tai, CEO at Hypercare.

“Hypercare has improved our efficiency,” said Sam Fielding, Chief Information Officer at Southlake. “By integrating this secure messaging app and consolidating on-call schedules, Southlake’s central communications team is able to react and reach team members quicker, helping to improve patient outcomes.”

An EAHN™ evaluation successfully demonstrated that Hypercare could solve Southlake’s on-call scheduling management and communication challenges. With a positive determination of value and recommendation, OBIO’s EAHN™ program was able to provide follow-on funding and advisory support to Southlake to plan and implement the procurement of Hypercare’s platform in accordance with Broader Public Sector procurement guidelines.

“The Hypercare procurement demonstrates how the EAHN™ program enables the adoption of innovative Canadian technologies in our health systems. We are delighted that through EAHN™, Southlake now has a streamlined on-call scheduling system that will benefit patients, thanks to better coordinated care,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “EAHN’s 65+ member health organizations and systems can now leverage Southlake’s procurement of Hypercare to adopt the technology.”

About OBIO®

Founded in 2009, OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO.ca for more information.

About Hypercare

Hypercare is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that provides everything a clinical team needs to communicate compliantly and to coordinate care effectively and efficiently. The platform includes various modules to provide secure messaging, on-call scheduling, virtual pagers, automation of care escalation and code team activations. To learn more about Hypercare, visit www.hypercare.com.

Media Contacts:

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration, OBIO®

Albert Tai, Chief Executive Officer, Hypercare

OBIO’s EAHN™ supports the evaluation of Huron Digital Pathology’s technology solutions for faster and more accurate diagnoses

Sept 13, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Hospitals generate thousands of pathology slides and reports each month. If harnessed, this immense body of knowledge could be used to support a faster and more accurate diagnosis for patients. Grand River Hospital, in partnership with Huron Digital Pathology, is conducting an evaluation of Huron’s state-of-the-art Scan, Organize and Analyze digital pathology solutions that enable seamless digitization and efficient management of pathology slides. The collaborative effort between Huron and Grand River Hospital was made possible by the funding and advisory support provided by OBIO® through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™).

Huron’s Scan, Organize and Analyze platform includes the versatile and high throughput TissueScope iQ™ scanner with smart features, which can rapidly scan up to 400 standard pathology slides or 200 double-wide slides. Once scanned, SlideVault™, an image management system, indexes the digitized slide images, making them accessible to pathologists through a web browser and tools for viewing and managing the images.

The evaluation, supported by EAHN™, commenced in April and focuses on assessing the performance of Huron Digital’s solution within the context of Grand River Hospital. Specifically, Grand River Hospital will ensure seamless connectivity and integration between SlideVault™ and Grand River’s existing pathology information system. Pathologists at Grand River will also conduct a retrospective validation study, comparing digital image diagnoses with microscope-based diagnoses to evaluate accuracy and concordance.

“Our engineers have worked for more than a year with Dr. Demo Divaris, Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital Integrated Chief of Pathology, and laboratory staff to implement a digital workflow within the anatomic pathology lab. We are pleased to have successfully integrated our scanners and software for the imaging, evaluation, and diagnosis of pathology cases. All of us at Huron are proud that our technology is contributing to the fight against cancer”, said Audil Virk, President of Huron Digital Pathology.

“Grand River Hospital is proud to evolve our partnership with Huron Digital Pathology, one that began as a simple research project over 5 years ago,” said Ron Gagnon, president and CEO of Grand River Hospital. “Our organization is committed to innovating and transforming the way we deliver health care and this includes using a first-of-its-kind technology, like that developed by Huron Digital Pathology.”

“The collaboration between Huron Digital Pathology and Grand River Hospital provides an opportunity to showcase how Canadian digital pathology solutions can revolutionize seamless digitization and efficient management of pathology slides, advancing collaboration, research and diagnostics in the field,” stated Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “This partnership is yet another example of how OBIO® and EAHN™ are spearheading the adoption of cutting-edge Canadian technologies in our healthcare systems, ultimately improving efficiency and patient care.”

“Digital Pathology is the wave of the future in Laboratory Medicine. Nationally, labs face serious health human resource pressures and we need to use innovative technologies to bridge the gap for fair and equitable access to all patients. Further to this, the use of Digital Pathology will be tested in its ability to scale across our region and its use will be expanded to include St. Mary’s General Hospital through our integrated pathology services.” explained Giroux, Integrated Lab Administrative Director at Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital. ” The OBIO® EAHN™ program provided a financial boost to help make this happen, and GRH is excited to partner with Huron Digital Pathology, in our backyard of St. Jacobs.”

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. For more information, please visit OBIO.ca.

About Huron Digital Pathology

Huron Digital Pathology is on a mission to transform glass slides into shareable knowledge. Its Scan, Organize, and Analyze solution for pathology combines award-winning whole slide imaging hardware with powerful image search technology to connect pathologists, researchers and educators with the expertise of their colleagues to help speed up diagnosis and accelerate disease research.

About Grand River Hospital

Grand River Hospital is one of Ontario’s largest community hospitals with an outstanding team of 5,000 dedicated health care workers and volunteers.  We provide services and support to more than 840,000 residents at our two campuses and satellite locations in Waterloo Region and Guelph Wellington. We take pride in the ways we collaborate with our health system partners, our region’s academic and innovation communities, and diverse community stakeholders as we work toward providing a world class experience for patients, families and team members.

Our programs include cancer and renal (kidney) services; care for the most seriously ill and injured adults; services for mothers, newborns and children; emergency care; mental health and addictions; and care for older adults including rehabilitation.

Our pathology and laboratory services are integrated with St. Mary’s General Hospital in order to provide seamless services and support to our clinicians and patients in our region.

Contacts:

For more information about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal
Senior Director, Technology Adoption
bibaswanghoshal@obio.ca

For more information about Huron Digital Pathology Inc, please contact:

Audil Virk
President
avirk@hurondigitalpathology.com

For more information about Grand River Hospital, please contact:

Carla Girolametto
Director of Innovation, Research
carla.girolametto@grhosp.on.ca

OBIO® receives funding from the Ontario government to bring new technologies to market

Today, the Ontario government announced that the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) will receive $9.7 million to support their program to help Ontario companies in the life sciences sector to adopt, develop and bring to market critical technologies, such as 5G, ethical artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cybersecurity, quantum and robotics. 

The new funding, through the province’s Critical Technology Initiatives program, will help OBIO® launch a new Life Sciences Critical Technologies & Commercialization Centre of Excellence alongside its delivery partners. The centre of excellence will use a hub and spoke model to help small and medium-sized businesses in the life sciences sector adopt, develop and bring to market critical technologies, and will include access to two 5G living labs in Ottawa and Toronto. 

"We are grateful for this new funding, which will enable us to support companies through the adoption, development and commercialization of critical technologies, a key driver for the Ontario life sciences sector," said Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. "We look forward to working with our partners to launch the Life Sciences Critical Technologies Centre of Excellence, ensuring that Ontario-made technology companies are supported in the province to become international market leaders."  

We acknowledge the Ontario government for their continued support of OBIO®.  

CHEO successfully evaluates in-house 3D printing as a solution to save time and money

July 12, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – Eager to implement innovative solutions to save time and money and better serve patients and families, CHEO, a leading pediatric healthcare and research centre in Ottawa, partnered with PolyUnity Tech Inc, a leader in Additive Manufacturing as a Service (AMaaS). With the support of OBIO® through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), they evaluated how a digital inventory and 3D printing solution could help solve supply chain issues. The solutions explored include printing replacement parts, repairing equipment and medical devices, and creating new product innovations across the CHEO organization (CHEO, CHEO Research Institute and CHEO Foundation).

CHEO wanted to understand if 3D printing could address the cost of managing multiple vendors, complex procurement processes, and the threat of future supply chain disruption to the local healthcare system. PolyUnity’s i3D.Health solution is a fully managed product design, digital inventory and 3D printing manufacturing solution that enables healthcare providers and their networks to design, access and produce what they need on demand.

The EAHN™-supported evaluation started in the fall of 2022 and engaged an impressive 29 departments across seven hospitals, including CHEO, with the involvement of over 110 active users. The results were remarkable, with more than 200 new innovations requested, 1,281 products successfully delivered, and 460 pieces of equipment repaired and returned to service. CHEO estimates that for every dollar spent, 28 dollars were saved when using the PolyUnity solution.

“Embracing transformative technologies like 3D printing is paramount in addressing the current challenges we face and ensuring the continued growth and resilience of our healthcare system,” said Dr. Jason Berman, Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, CHEO Research Institute, and Vice-President Research, CHEO. “EAHN™ played a pivotal role in facilitating the PolyUnity evaluation, granting CHEO invaluable insights into implementing innovative technologies like 3D printing as a solution within our organizations.”

A few examples of 3D printing solutions provided by PolyUnity include a critical attachment piece for hammock attaching to a specialized stretcher needed to transport patients by air, a test tube rack to increase efficiencies in the CHEO Research Institute labs, and a mask dispenser system to improve use of space and accessibility.

“PolyUnity’s quick turn-around time from idea to design and printing of the attachment piece for the stretcher hammock enabled me to work in parallel on other repairs, trusting that their team would develop a viable solution,” said Mark Heathcote, Technician, CHEO Clinical Engineering.

Following CHEO’s positive determination of value and a recommendation to proceed with a procurement process, OBIO’s EAHN™ program will now provide support to other healthcare organizations interested in the procurement of a fully managed 3D printing solution.

PolyUnity is at the forefront of bringing AMaaS and its associated benefits to the healthcare sector. Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, utilizes a computer-controlled process to create three-dimensional objects by depositing materials, typically layer by layer. By harnessing AMaaS, healthcare providers can leverage rapid and innovative product solutions while simultaneously reducing operational inefficiencies, driving down costs, and enhancing overall patient outcomes. AMaaS empowers healthcare professionals such as clinical engineers, doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists to swiftly transform problems into prototypes and commercial products.

“We’re asking our healthcare organizations to continuously do more with less. Innovation is critical to this and organizations, like CHEO, who embrace innovation will lead the country in delivering extraordinary value-based healthcare services. We’re so proud of the 200+ innovative products created in collaboration with CHEO’s team members and excited to continue creating more solutions together,” said Jacqueline Lee, CEO, PolyUnity.

PolyUnity’s i3D.Health web-based software serves as a hub for all digital product designs, housing a comprehensive product library and an ideas portal for future on-demand production through local/regional 3D print facilities. To date, PolyUnity has collaborated with healthcare partners to develop over 220 problem-solving non-medical and medical (Class 1) devices.

“The evaluation between PolyUnity and CHEO showcases how hospitals can effectively reduce costs and address supply-chain and procurement challenges through the implementation of a 3D printing solution,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “By bringing a Newfoundland and Labrador-based company to the Ontario market, EAHN™ is advancing a pan-Canadian approach to facilitating adoption of cutting-edge Canadian technologies within our healthcare systems.”

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace.

For more information, please visit OBIO.ca or contact Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration, OBIO®.

About CHEO

Dedicated to the best life for every child and youth, CHEO is a global leader in pediatric health care and research. Based in Ottawa, CHEO includes a hospital, children’s treatment centre, school and research institute, with satellite services located throughout Eastern Ontario. CHEO provides excellence in complex pediatric care, research and education. We are committed to partnering with families and the community to provide exceptional care — where, when and how it is needed. CHEO is a partner of the Kids Come First Health Team, a network of partners working to create a high quality, standardized and coordinated system for pediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. Every year, CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Ruff, Director of Communications, CHEO Research Institute.

About PolyUnity Tech Inc.

PolyUnity is a Canadian healthcare technology company with a driving purpose to “Improve Healthcare Experiences.” Their mission is to partner with healthcare organizations and use agile manufacturing to provide efficient, less expensive solutions that reduce frustrations. PolyUnity’s i3D healthcare solution significantly reduces the cost and complexity of traditional healthcare procurement, builds supply chain resiliency and reduces its carbon footprint. It enables healthcare providers and their networks to design, access and produce what they need on-demand. Visit PolyUnity for more information and connect with us on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.

For more information, please contact Mark Gillingham, President, PolyUnity Tech Inc.

New study setting the stage for non-opioid analgesic in post-surgical pain management

July 5, 2023 (Toronto, ON) — Patients are often prescribed opioids after undergoing surgical care to help them manage their post-surgical pain. This intervention often leads to dependency and creates additional burdens on the healthcare system.

AmacaThera, a clinical-stage biotechnology company transforming therapeutics, is developing AMT-143, a long-acting formulation of a non-opioid analgesic designed to be placed directly at the surgical site. Upon injection, the compound would sustain drug release for two to three days, ideally to help patients through the most severe pain window following a surgery. If successful, this approach to pain management would alleviate the need for opioids in the patient’s pain management journey. New opioid sparing products for post-surgical pain management must demonstrate a positive impact on current patient care and the healthcare system.

AmacaThera is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the University Health Network (UHN) to evaluate the health economic impact of opioid use in post-surgical pain management. Funded by OBIO® through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), the evaluation aims to quantify the economic impact of opioid use on health systems using indicators such as length of hospital stay, overall health care system cost, and self-reported pain levels by patients within the current standard of post-surgical pain management.

“Many patients we see are already experiencing chronic pain prior to surgery and may already have an active opioid prescription; after surgery, their dosage stands to be even higher. We want to come in to give them novel options for managing that pain,” says Dr. Hance Clarke, Medical Director of The Pain Research Unit at Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network. Dr. Clarke is also the President-Elect of the Canadian Pain Society and Co-Chair Knowledge Translation, University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain. “Chronic post-surgical pain and persistent post-surgical opioid use is a significant burden to today's health care system, and patients need innovative options to improve their post operative pain trajectories, improve their mobility, and reduce the reliance on opioid analgesic medications,” he added.

“UHN is the largest health research hospital in Canada with a world-class department of anesthesia and pain management,” said Mike Cooke, CEO of AmacaThera. “They are exactly the right partner to access rich data on the current pain management experience for most patients. With that knowledge, we can then use data to illustrate the current patient experience in an opioid context and show how our product may provide improvement.”

This partnership presents a unique opportunity to identify important areas where non-opioid pain management products like AMT-143 may improve pain management practices, with the overall aim of providing alternatives to opioids for post-surgical patients.

“The three days following a surgery are the most difficult for patients. To date, opioids have presented the strongest source of relief, despite their known downstream risks for the patient and the healthcare system,” said Molly Shoichet, AmacaThera’s CSO and Professor at the University of Toronto. “AMT-143 is designed as a non-opioid alternative. Results from this retrospective study will help us to establish a baseline from which we can evaluate AMT-143 in a Phase II clinical trial.”

“OBIO® supports companies driving innovations in key areas, including therapeutics, that can transform healthcare practice,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, OBIO® President and CEO. “This is a first for the EAHN™ program, a therapeutics cost-benefit evaluation project that will help AmacaThera set data-driven benchmarks for future clinical evaluations of new opioid-sparing products currently in development. We are delighted that AmacaThera is forging a path towards commercialization of therapeutics through the EAHN™ program”.

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. For more information, visit OBIO.ca.

About AmacaThera

AmacaThera Inc, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company transforming therapeutics to make a difference in patient health. AmacaGel™, our unique, injectable hydrogel platform provides localized sustained drug delivery for improved patient outcomes across multiple therapeutic areas, including post-surgical pain management, cancer and other hard-to-reach unmet medical needs. For more information, visit: www.amacathera.ca.

About UHN

University Health Network consists of Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals, the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, arthritis, vision, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. University Health Network is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. For more information, visit: www.uhn.ca.

Media Contacts:

Bibaswan Ghoshal
Director, Market Acceleration
OBIO®

Mike Foorer
VP Business Development & General Manager
AmacaThera

Ania Jones
Sr. Manager, Communications & Partnership Engagement
Commercialization at UHN

Making managing asthma easier for patients and providers

June 29, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Nearly 3.5 million people across Canada suffer from asthma, the third most common chronic disease in adults and one that is increasing in prevalence. With support from OBIO® through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), the Albany Medical Clinic is partnering with Toronto-based digital start-up EAPOC (Evidence at the Point-of Care) to evaluate its electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS), a disease management and clinical decision support system (CDSS) designed to improve health outcomes for patients with asthma.

Prior to an appointment with their healthcare provider, patients access the eAMS through its web portal or app and complete an electronic questionnaire. The eAMS processes the information for care providers and generates personalized, guideline-based advice for each patient.

“The eAMS was developed as a response to gaps in primary care delivery for asthma care,” noted Dr. Samir Gupta, EAPOC President and CEO. “Although it has proven effective in trials, a successful evaluation of the sustainability of this technology will provide us with an opportunity to increase its adoption for asthma treatment, but more significantly, to expand its application to the management of other chronic diseases, thereby improving patient outcomes for millions of Canadians and others around the world.”

“We welcome the opportunity to work with EAPOC to evaluate a system that can help our physicians enhance patient care,” said Dr. Brian Adno, Medical Director at the Albany Medical Clinic. “The eAMS is a thoroughly researched, easy-to-use tool that allows our physicians to treat patients with asthma efficiently and effectively.”

“Providing effective primary care not only improves health outcomes for patients, it also has the potential to reduce future healthcare system costs,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “The Albany Clinic and EAPOC evaluation demonstrates the importance of supporting innovation in the primary care setting and OBIO® is pleased to support it through the EAHN™ program.”

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO.ca for more information.

About EAPOC

EAPOC (Evidence at the Point-of Care) is a health technology company that develops computerized decision-support systems to enable providers to improve the quality of care.  There are highly prevalent and stubborn gaps between the best care that guidelines recommend and the actual care that patients receive. The company is founded on the principle that when the needs of patients and providers are prioritized, technology can not only effectively bridge these gaps and improve outcomes for patients, but also improve efficiency for providers. Visit EAPOC for more information.

About the Albany Medical Clinic

The Albany Medical Clinic, celebrating 75 years of service to the East Toronto community, is one of Canada’s oldest full-service healthcare clinics supporting a patient community of over 50,000.  Since 1946, the Albany Medical Clinic has been providing a wide range of quality community-based healthcare including onsite diagnostic testing and a Walk-in Clinic open to the community.  Today, the medical team at the Albany Medical Clinic has more than 35 family doctors and more than 40 different specialists supported by a team of staff including nurses and other direct physician supports. Visit Albany Medical Clinic for more information.

Contacts

For more information, about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact: Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration.

For more information about EAPOC, please contact: Samir Gupta, CEO.

For more information about the Albany Medical Clinic, please contact: Wanda Morvay, General Manager and CFO.

New CHEO Research Institute study to examine feasibility and engagement with Mobio Interactive mobile mindfulness therapy for youth

June 1, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – A new CHEO Research Institute study, in collaboration with Mobio Interactive, is underway to examine the feasibility of delivering clinically validated mindfulness therapy for youth through an AI-powered mobile app. The collaboration will also explore whether Mobio’s AmDTx app helps youth better engage with mental health services, and how healthcare providers may leverage the tool for adjunctive therapy and remote patient monitoring. The study is funded in part by the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHNTM).

“With mental health and wellness-related issues reaching an all-time high, especially in young Canadians, it is time to find scalable and objectively quantifiable ways to serve them,” said Dr. Bechara Saab, Mobio Interactive’s CEO & Chief Scientist. “Our mission is to help create a world where anyone, anywhere who is living with mental health issues, has the opportunity to access clinically meaningful support.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the wait times for Canadians seeking mental health support were at an all-time high. The problem has continued to escalate, with a 52% increase in people seeking mental health services during the pandemic, according to The Canadian Mental Health Association.

“CHEO, like many other pediatric hospitals, is experiencing unprecedented demands for mental health services and we must find innovative solutions. This study will provide initial evidence on whether a mindfulness training program delivered using mobile technology is a feasible way of managing distress and promoting resilience for youth waiting for outpatient mental health services at CHEO. If the study shows this new mobile approach to early intervention works, it could be a game changer by identifying an innovative, affordable, and scalable therapeutic tool,” said Dr. Gary Goldfield, Senior Scientist and clinical psychologist at the CHEO Research Institute, who is leading the study alongside Dr. Michael Cheng, co-investigator, and psychiatrist at CHEO.

AmDTx delivers and measures clinically validated psychotherapy. The mobile therapy includes wellness sessions ranging from mindfulness training to music therapy, as well as indication-specific step-by-step programs. Additional features of AmDTx include AI-enabled objective measurements of mental wellbeing using the camera on the mobile device, along with personalisation algorithms that guide the user into a suite of meditations and psycho-education based on effective stress reduction from previous use, as determined by the company’s proprietary digital biomarker extraction and analysis.

By providing funding for this study, OBIO’s EAHN™ program continues to advance health technology innovation and commercialization and help healthcare organizations access innovations that can impact the patient’s journey.

“This project will test both AmDTx’s ability to support youth as they experience increasingly longer wait times for outpatient mental health services, as well as the app’s impact on outcomes during treatment,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO, OBIO®. “We are excited to support this important study that focuses on improving the pressing problem of longer than acceptable wait times for outpatient mental health services in Canada.”

About OBIO®

The Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®), a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. To learn more, visit: obio.ca.

About Mobio Interactive

Mobio Interactive is a digital health company that is meeting the exploding demand for efficacious mental healthcare with artificial intelligence-powered digital theragnostics. To learn more, visit mobiointeractive.com.

About the CHEO Research Institute

The CHEO Research Institute coordinates the research activities of CHEO and is affiliated with the University of Ottawa. The seven programs of research at CHEO RI focus on a full spectrum of pediatric topics. Key themes include cancer, diabetes, obesity, mental health, emergency medicine, musculoskeletal health, electronic health information and privacy, and genetics of rare disease. At the CHEO Research Institute, discoveries inspire the best life for every child and youth. For more information, visit cheoresearch.ca.

Contacts:

For more information about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal
Director, Market Acceleration
bibaswanghoshal@obio.ca

For more information about Mobio Interactive, please contact:

Michelle Tjia
Chief of Staff
michelle@mobiointeractive.com

For more information about the CHEO Research Institute study, please contact:

Jennifer Ruff
Manager of Communications
(613) 261-3979
jruff@cheo.on.ca

Women’s College Hospital Evaluates Gotcare to Enhance Care Journey for Homebound Older Adults

May 23, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Care for homebound older adults involves little overlap between primary care and community services. This problem has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Through the Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN ™), OBIO® has recently facilitated an evaluation between Gotcare, a national health technology start-up reimagining health services in the home, and the Centre for Digital Health Evaluation (CDHE) at Women’s College Hospital (WCH). Gotcare enables support at home through a combination of personalized in-home visits, health monitoring, virtual care, and ongoing interventions addressing social isolation. 

The EAHN™ evaluation will measure Gotcare’s model of care through the recently launched “In the Community (ITC): Health Ambassadors Connecting Primary Care for Homebound Older Adults Living in the Mid-West Toronto Area”. The initiative aims to support both patients with complex needs and their family physicians by providing a menu of services the patient and provider can access together, to expand the reach of primary care into the home. 

“The CDHE is a national leader in the provision of timely, high-quality evaluations of digital health technologies at various stages of maturity. Our evaluation of Gotcare will provide the organization with the scientifically rigorous and clinically relevant insights to enhance their services,” said Dr. Onil Bhattacharyya, family physician and scientific director of the CDHE. “Comprehensive homecare for older adults, enables them to ‘age in place’ and reduces the use of healthcare resources downstream.” 

“For many homebound patients, leaving their home for health-related appointments can feel like a full-time job. Alternative options, such as self-monitoring, can be stressful and challenging for patients resulting in limited adoption and success. In the ITC model, regular in-person health ambassador visits, on-demand virtual care access, easy to use technology interfaces, and ongoing interventions addressing social isolation, create a distributed ecosystem of care in the community. Initiatives like ITC bridge the gap between primary care and community services, so that we can create a healthier and more inclusive society by providing equitable access to all, regardless of background or location,” said Chenny Xia, Co-Founder & CEO of Gotcare. 

“OBIO® is excited to support this EAHN™-funded evaluation of Gotcare by Women’s College Hospital. This initiative will enable better support for vulnerable patients that require at home care”, said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “This project is an example of how EAHN™ can facilitate adoption of innovative Ontario technologies to enable new models of home-based care for elderly adults transitioning from in-patient care to improve coordination and patient outcomes.” 

About OBIO® 

Founded in 2009, OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO.ca for more information. 

About Gotcare  

The healthcare worker shortage has left many older adults without access to the care they need. By attracting and upskilling community health workers who have previously left the sector, Gotcare is rehumanizing the patient care journey. They provide personalized in-home care, AI-driven biometric monitoring, and virtual care to address low-acuity care needs right at home. Gotcare is a social enterprise and  a certified living wage employer. For more information: gotcare.ca.

About Women’s College Hospital  

For more than 100 years Women’s College Hospital (WCH) has been developing revolutionary advances in healthcare.  Today, WCH is a world leader in health equity and Canada’s leading academic ambulatory hospital. It focuses on delivering innovative solutions that address Canada’s most pressing issues related to population health, patient experience and system costs. For more information about how WCH is transforming patient care and leading health system solutions, visit www.womenscollegehospital.ca.

Contacts 

For more information about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal
Director, Market Acceleration
bibaswanghoshal@obio.ca

For more information about Gotcare, please contact:

Chenny Xia
Co-Founder & CEO
chenny@gotcare.ca

For more information about Women’s College Hospital please contact:

Jordan Benadiba
Manager, Public Affairs
jordan.benadiba@wchospital.ca 

SCN and OBIO® partner to enhance the commercialization of life science innovations through specialized training for scientists

(Le français suit l’anglais)

May 16, 2023 (Ottawa/Toronto) – Today the Stem Cell Network (SCN) and Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) are pleased to announce the formalization of their partnership as they expand their efforts to enhance the commercialization of Canadian life science innovations through specialized training programming for scientists.

Although SCN and OBIO® have been close collaborators for many years, including for OBIO’s® annual Investment Summit each February, the formalization of this partnership will allow the two organizations to offer the following:

• A Health Science Industry Training Course through OBIO’s popular Health to Business Bridge Program (H2BB™). This 27-hour course will arm trainees with the skills and knowledge to commercialize a therapeutic product or work in the health science industry. 

• A half-day industry symposium at SCN’s Till & McCulloch Meetings this October in Toronto. This symposium will feature several industry and investment experts and heads of Canadian regenerative medicine and biotech companies who will share with attendees what it takes to start and grow a successful company in Canada.

• A brand-new Scientific Founders Program. This program will take the form of an intense one-week bootcamp aimed at new scientific founders or those who are considering creating a biotech start-up in Canada.

“The bottom line is that we need to create a ‘sticky environment’ here in Canada, where our researchers not only have the chance to innovate, but also have the opportunity to commercialize their research,” said Cate Murray, President and CEO of SCN. “OBIO® has a mandate to further the commercialization of life science innovations, and SCN’s mission is to advance research and train the next generation of scientists. This partnership with OBIO® will help to cement a full and complete pipeline from innovation to commercialization and ultimately build a stronger regenerative medicine sector within Canada.” 

“OBIO® is thrilled to strengthen our relationship with Stem Cell Network,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “Canada is already a leader in regenerative medicine, largely due to the efforts of SCN. Canadian researchers have attracted significant funding and their efforts in training have produced a highly skilled talent pool. The combination of these two elements has resulted in substantial innovation in the regenerative medicine space. However, the path to commercializing innovative cell therapies is long and arduous and requires more than technical expertise. OBIO’s® workforce development programs provide a bridge from the technical training of SCN to the commercial requirements of the life sciences industry. Through our partnership with SCN, together we will fill a critical talent gap that will ensure early-stage regenerative medicine innovations are successfully commercialized in Canada.”

For more details, please contact:

Samantha Rae Ayoub
Vice President, Communications & Knowledge Mobilization
srae@stemcellnetwork.ca

Doriane Rey
Manager, Marketing & Events
dorianerey@obio.ca

---

Le RCS et l’OBIO® s’associent pour soutenir la commercialisation des innovations en sciences de la vie en offrant un programme spécialisé de formation aux scientifiques

Le 16 mai 2023 (Ottawa/Toronto) – Le Réseau de cellules souches (RCS) et l’Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) sont aujourd’hui heureux d’annoncer leur décision d’officialiser leur partenariat. Cette mesure vise à élargir les efforts qu’ils déploient pour soutenir la commercialisation des innovations canadiennes en sciences de la vie en proposant un programme spécialisé de formation aux scientifiques.

Bien que le RCS et l’OBIO® collaborent étroitement entre eux depuis plusieurs années, y compris pour le Sommet de l’investissement tenu chaque année par l’OBIO® en février, l’officialisation de ce partenariat permettra aux deux organisations d’offrir ce qui suit :

• Une formation sur l’industrie des sciences de la santé dans le cadre du populaire programme de transition Health to Business Bridge (H2BB™) de l’OBIO®. Ce cours d’une durée de 27 heures permettra aux stagiaires d’acquérir les compétences et les connaissances nécessaires pour commercialiser un produit thérapeutique ou travailler dans l’industrie des sciences de la santé. 

• Un symposium industriel d’une demi-journée dans le cadre des réunions Till & McCulloch du RCS, en octobre, à Toronto. Ce symposium réunira plusieurs spécialistes de l’industrie et de l’investissement ainsi que des dirigeants d’entreprises canadiennes de médecine régénératrice et de biotechnologie, qui expliqueront de manière détaillée aux participants ce qu’il faut pour lancer et faire prospérer une entreprise au Canada.

• Un tout nouvel Atelier pour les fondateurs scientifiques. Cet atelier intensif d’une semaine s’adressera aux nouveaux fondateurs scientifiques et aux personnes qui envisagent de créer une entreprise biotechnologique au Canada.

« En définitive, nous devons créer un “environnement rétentif” ici au Canada, dans lequel nos chercheurs ont non seulement la possibilité d’innover, mais aussi de commercialiser leurs recherches », a déclaré Cate Murray, présidente-directrice générale du RCS. « l’OBIO® a pour mandat de favoriser la commercialisation des innovations en sciences de la vie et la mission du RCS est de faire avancer la recherche et de former la prochaine génération de scientifiques. Ce partenariat avec l’OBIO® contribuera à consolider l’ensemble de la filière de recherche, depuis l’innovation jusqu’à la commercialisation et ainsi à renforcer le secteur canadien de la médecine régénératrice. » 

« L’OBIO® est ravie de resserrer ses liens avec le Réseau de cellules souches », a déclaré Maura Campbell, présidente-directrice générale de l’OBIO®. « Le Canada est déjà un chef de file de la médecine régénératrice, en grande partie grâce au RCS. Les chercheurs canadiens ont attiré des investissements substantiels et leurs efforts de formation ont produit un bassin de talents hautement qualifiés. La combinaison de ces deux éléments a donné lieu à plusieurs innovations dans le secteur de la médecine régénératrice. Cependant, le chemin vers la commercialisation des thérapies cellulaires novatrices est long et ardu et exige plus qu’une simple expertise technique. Les programmes de perfectionnement de la main-d’œuvre de l’OBIO® font le pont entre la formation technique du RCS et les exigences de commercialisation de l’industrie des sciences de la vie. Grâce à notre partenariat avec le RCS, nous comblerons ensemble une lacune importante sur le plan du talent et aiderons à faire avancer les innovations embryonnaires dans le domaine de la médecine régénératrice au Canada au stade de la commercialisation. »

Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez communiquer avec :

Samantha Rae Ayoub
Vice-présidente aux communications et à la mobilisation des connaissances
srae@stemcellnetwork.ca

Doriane Rey
Responsable du marketing et des événements
dorianerey@obio.ca

Toch Sleepsense technology enables retirement home staff to monitor overnight bed-exits for seniors with real-time alerts

Sensor technology piloted in retirement home can improve health and safety of residents, study finds

May 2, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – Many seniors struggle with insomnia or may be living with dementia – conditions that can put them at increased risk of injury from nighttime wandering and falls. Nevertheless, overnight staff at care homes are faced with the challenge of providing direct and continuous monitoring of all at-risk residents. With funding and advisory support from OBIO®, through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), researchers at Bruyère partnered with Tochtech Technologies to evaluate the Toch Sleepsense, an award-winning bed alarm system’s ability to monitor nocturnal activity in real-time.

Toch Sleepsense is a non-contact sleep monitoring device, easily placed under the foot of a bed that is uniquely designed to detect when a person exits the bed. The system can provide “out-of-bed” alerts to care teams, helping them respond quickly to residents who may be at risk of falling or wandering, and generates high-level reports on sleep quality, helping health care providers better support a resident’s care.

Over the course of a five-month pilot, AGE-WELL SAM3 National Innovation Hub researchers validated the technology’s accuracy in an objective laboratory setting at Carleton University with multiple bed styles and sensor placements. The evaluation was also conducted, in a real-world environment, located at The Courtyards on Eagleson, a seniors’ retirement community for people living with dementia that is owned and operated by All Seniors Care Living Centres.

The evaluation found that Sleepsense was successful in monitoring high-risk residents getting out of bed and wandering at nighttime by effectively alerting staff, which reduces the need for hourly checks on all residents’ rooms.

“Staff members felt the technology supported their work enabling them ultimately to provide better care for their residents,” said Dr. Frank Knoefel, Senior Investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute and consultant at Courtyards. “Not only can this technology support resident safety, we saw real examples of it supporting resident health when a family noticed their loved one was tired during daytime visits. Thanks to the available data on sleep cycles that the sensors also capture, we were able to recommend medication adjustments and monitor changes to the resident’s sleep pattern. One family was really happy to see objective evidence of sleep improvement in real time.”

Between validated testing in a controlled and home care environment, outcomes show the valuable impact the Sleepsense technology can have for long-term care and retirement homes. With the assessment resulting in a positive determination of value, OBIO’s EAHN™ program will now provide follow-on funding and advisory support to EAHN™ members to plan and implement the procurement of Sleepsense in accordance with provincial procurement guidelines.

“The evaluation demonstrates that this innovative, made-in-Canada solution will help to improve the care and safety of residents in long-term care settings who frequently get out of bed and wander­­­ at night, said Dr. Maura Campbell, OBIO® President and CEO. “OBIO® welcomes any opportunity to bring commercial-ready technologies that have a positive impact on patient care to the healthcare system.”

“We are pleased that our partnership with Bruyère can help continue improving the care journey of the aging population,” said Jessica Yang, CEO, Tochtech Technologies. “The EAHN™ program provides critical exposure for this innovative technology across the Ontario health care sector.”

About Tochtech Technologies

Founded in 2014, Tochtech Technologies is a digital healthcare company whose mission is to build smart, cost-effective senior care solutions solutions that offer caregivers peace-of-mind while enabling seniors to live healthier and safer lives. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Tochtech’s philosophy centres around the use of technology to eliminate the risk and sense of disconnect for seniors, especially those living independently. Tochtech has developed first in-class solutions in the areas of stove safety, voice integrated personal aides and a risk predictive smart care platform. Using voice integration, AI and proprietary algorithms, these products enable caregivers to provide proactive, personalized care to extend older adults’ ability to live a healthy and longer life.  Visit Tochtech Technologies for more information.

About Bruyère

Bruyère is an academic health care organization training the next generation of health care leaders and using research and industry partnerships to improve care. Bruyère plays a unique role in the region’s health care system providing specialized hospital care, primary care, long-term care, and assisted and independent living for older adults while the Bruyère Research Institute focuses on finding the next generation of care for aging Canadians and vulnerable populations. To learn more about Bruyère, visit www.bruyere.org.

About OBIO®

Founded in 2009, OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO.ca for more information.

For more information:

Jessica Yang, CEO & Co-founder, TochTech Technologies

Blake Daly, Project Manager, Health Innovation Bruyère Research Institute

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration, OBIO®

Nailing it: Innovative project treats toenail fungal infections easily and effectively for seniors

April 11, 2023 (Windsor, ON) – Like skin, toenails dry out as we age. This can result in cracks in the nail, providing a breeding ground for a fungal nail infection. This is a concern for seniors because it spreads easily, becomes more difficult to treat and can be quite painful. With support from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), the Banwell Gardens Care Centre is working with ToeFX Inc. to evaluate ClearToe Therapy Light, a safe and effective solution for the treatment of onychomycosis (toenail fungus). 

Authorized for sale by Health Canada as a Class II Medical Device by Health Canada, ToeFx’s ClearToe Therapy Light is a user-friendly, lightweight and portable unit that can fit easily into any space.  Safe and effective, this clinically proven treatment for toenail fungus can treat an entire foot in just 30 minutes. 

“Banwell Gardens Care Centre is excited by the opportunity to participate in an evaluation of this innovative new treatment,” said Sara Fox, Executive Director.  “Healthy feet are the bedrock for seniors’ mobility, which is integral to an improved quality of life.” 

“We are so grateful to the EAHN™ program for supporting an evaluation which we are confident will demonstrate how our product can bring safe and accessible treatment to those who need it cost effectively,” said Monika Yazdanian, CEO of ToeFx Inc.  “We are confident that the results of the evaluation will lead to better integration of this easy-to-deliver therapy across institutional settings.” 

“OBIO® is pleased to support this collaboration through the EAHN™ program, the first in a long-term care facility”, said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO.  “While Banwell Gardens Care Centre and ToeFx Inc. are evaluating a made-in Canada therapy that meets a real clinical need, they are also laying the groundwork for future EAHN™ partnerships in the long-term care sector.” 

About ToeFx 

ToeFX is driven by innovation. Created by scientists, our vision is to create the world’s most effective foot care treatments. We understand that toenail fungus can be embarrassing, hard to treat, and hard to talk about. We want to help the millions of people hiding their feet to “show off their toenails” with confidence. Our commitment to our partner clinicians and their patients is to provide innovative, high-quality products that really work.  Visit ToeFx Inc. for more information. 

About Banwell Gardens Care Centre 

With 142 long-term care residents, Banwell Gardens Care Centre maintains a warm, inviting atmosphere in the neighbourhood of Tecumseh. We pride ourselves on providing outstanding, compassionate care to our residents and paying close attention to their individual needs. We are pleased to offer French Language Services and strive to meet the needs of our bilingual community. Well-established programs such as pet and music therapy, restorative care and physiotherapy enhance residents physically, mentally and emotionally. Our landscaped courtyard features seating and a walking path for exercise and the enjoyment of all.  Visit Banwell Gardens Care Centre for more information. 

About OBIO® 

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO.ca for more information. 

For more information:  

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration, OBIO® 

Monika Yazdanian, CEO, ToeFX Inc.  

Sara Fox, Executive Director, Banwell Gardens Care Centre 

OBIO® and Communitech® partner to facilitate adoption of made-in-Canada healthcare solutions

March 30, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – OBIO® and Communitech have partnered together to further their shared commitment of advancing Canadian healthcare technologies.

Committed to supporting Canadian healthcare technology from validation to commercialization, OBIO® is supporting this partnership through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), which matches companies with healthcare organizations to evaluate solutions and facilitate broader adoption across healthcare systems. OBIO’s national network has more than 50 healthcare organizations and health systems that are ready to adopt Canadian-made innovative technologies to advance patient care.

“We welcome the opportunity to partner with Communitech,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, OBIO® President and CEO. “We share a common purpose in advancing Canadian-made healthcare technology solutions. The EAHN™ and Future of Health programs complement each other and provide Canadian tech companies with an ideal opportunity to leverage the networks and expertise of both organizations.”

This partnership is supported at Communitech through its Future of Health Program, a collaborative focused on building connections across the healthcare ecosystem while identifying innovative solutions to shared healthcare delivery challenges. Communitech®, in collaboration with OBIO®, will continue to identify Canadian tech firms with scalable innovations to help overcome the biggest hurdles facing today’s healthcare systems.

“Communitech is committed to helping our healthcare systems– from hospitals to primary and long-term care facilities– access the much-needed support of made-in-Canada innovation,” said Chris Albinson, CEO and President of Communitech. “This partnership complements our mission and values while giving five startups engaged in our Future of Health program crucial assistance in taking their solutions from validation to commercialization.”

Through this partnership, up to five Canadian technology startups selected in partnership with Communitech’s Future of Health Program team will receive up to $100,000 through the EAHN™ program to facilitate a technology evaluation in a clinical setting. NextUp Care, FluidAI and Voyce are the first three companies to benefit from the partnership by being paired with members of EAHN™.

– 3 0 –

About OBIO®
OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO.ca for more information.

About Communitech®

Established in 1997 in Waterloo Region, Communitech was built by tech founders who saw the need for a community of support to help ensure the future prosperity of Canada. Today, Communitech is Canada’s leading innovation hub, supporting a community of more than 1,200 founders by providing accelerated opportunities to access talent, capital and sales.

As Canada’s tech supercharger, Communitech helps founders start, grow and succeed by:

• Hiring and retaining the smartest, brightest and most experienced people

• Accessing growth financing at every stage

• Selling to the biggest customers at home and around the world

• Connecting the right people at the right time – peers who have been there before, coaches who can guide them through the difficult spots and partners from all over Canada

For more information, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration, OBIO®

Danielle Braun Carlin, Program Manager, Ecosystem Collaboration, Future of Health, Communitech

OBIO® enables Alberta Health Services to partner with Trexo Robotics to evaluate Robotic Walking Device for Children’s Rehabilitation

April 4, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – In North America, 250,000 children are unable to walk due to central nervous system injuries or neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy.  With support from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), Ontario-based Trexo Robotics and Alberta Health Services (AHS) are embarking on a study to evaluate the Trexo Plus pediatric robotic gait training system. This system is meant to enable children with difficulties in moving to experience walking and improve balance.

Led by Dr. Elizabeth Condliffe at the University of Calgary and Alberta Children’s Hospital, this study will evaluate the clinical feasibility and utility of the Trexo Plus healthtech device in the rehabilitation of pediatric patients with difficulty walking. The study will develop workflows for offering this innovative approach to rehabilitation including perspectives both patients and therapists, impacts on patients’ mobility, and whether patient and caregiver goals are met. We are dedicated to finding ways to help our patients including children with difficulty walking optimize their health and unlock their potential.

“OBIO® is delighted to support this EAHN™-funded evaluation between AHS and Trexo Robotics, which will help improve the quality of life for children with disabilities or injury”, said Dr. Maura Campbell, OBIO® President and CEO. “This project shows how EAHN™ supports inter-provincial collaborations that accelerate broader market adoption for Canadian-made healthcare technologies.” Increasing innovative health technologies in our provincial systems ensures the highest quality of care to patients, allowing doctors and therapists to deliver the best possible outcomes.

Trexo Robotics was co-founded by Manmeet Maggu and Rahul Udasi in Ontario. “There was nothing out there for kids to use at home, and everyone wants to see their kids walk. We decided we would build it”, said Maggu. Children with various disabilities that impact their mobility can benefit from getting upright and walking in the Trexo Home, the first at-home robotic pediatric gait trainer. Trexo has seen adoption of its Trexo Plus primarily in private clinics, in the U.S., Canada and internationally. “We are eager to complete the study and see our reach increase in provincial hospitals, clinics and rehabilitation facilities”, added Maggu.

About OBIO®

OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace.Visit OBIO.ca for more information.

About Trexo Robotics

The Trexo device is the first wearable robotic device designed to help children with disabilities experience walking in a stable and independent way. It works by converting a passive walker into a fully powered robotic device that is completely mobile, stable, and capable of delivering consistent and reliable gait training. The approach to co-creating their devices with children, parents and physiotherapists, is deeply ingrained in the way Trexo Robotics think of solutions. At the end of the day, their goal is to create technologies that physical therapists trust, parents can afford and children love.

Contacts:

For more information, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration, OBIO®
Manmeet Magu, CEO, Trexo Robotics