Newswise — Baltimore, MD – Sinai Hospital has opened Maryland’s first hospital-based bioincubator facility, a state-of-the-art research facility to serve the needs of emerging biotech and life science companies. The Sinai Hospital BioIncubator also offers researchers access to LifeBridge Health physicians and scientists as well as the potential to develop clinical trials.
“The launch of the Sinai Hospital BioIncubator reaffirms our goal to offer innovative, world-class medical care,” says Mauro Moscucci, M.D., M.B.A., chair of medicine at Sinai Hospital and medical director of the LifeBridge Health Cardiovascular Institute. “We have worked to create a collaborative environment where early-stage biotech and life sciences companies can leverage a comprehensive set of resources and research opportunities that will advance medical breakthroughs and foster continued growth.”
The facility offers laboratory space with close proximity to treatment areas, which may be beneficial to both patients and researchers in potential clinical trials. Tenants can also access common laboratory equipment, conference rooms with video-conferencing capabilities and can leverage Sinai’s institutional review board (IRB) and administrative oversight.
While the new bioincubator has been available for internal use by physicians and scientists at Sinai, the hospital is now marketing lab space to prospective tenants, with an initial focus on medical device and diagnostic start-ups.
“The Sinai Hospital BioIncubator will offer smaller enterprises the opportunity to lease space that provides a wide variety of amenities required for research, but that are also manageable in terms of size and budget,” explains Michael Tangrea, Ph.D., scientific director. “Our goal is to start tenants in spaces starting as small as 100 square feet in size and give them the chance to grow into larger lab space as their companies expand over time.”
Prebuilt lab space will facilitate rapid move-ins and flexible lease terms, allowing for extensions as research projects warrant.
Initial tenants for the bioincubator include Accelevir Diagnostics, LLC, which is working on ways to detect inactive or “hidden” HIV in the blood with the eventual goal to develop new treatments for this form of the virus.
“The concept behind a ‘bioincubator’ is to create an environment to nurture and grow ideas. By bringing start-up companies under the same roof as our Sinai researchers and medical teams, we hope to encourage collaboration and accelerate new discoveries,” says Amy Perry, president of Sinai Hospital and executive vice president of LifeBridge Health.
Companies interested in the new facility should submit an application form to the LifeBridge Health Research Institute Committee or email bioincubator@lifebridgehealth for additional information.
About LifeBridge Health
As one of the largest, most comprehensive and most highly respected providers of health-related services to the people of Maryland, LifeBridge Health advocates preventive services, wellness and fitness services, and educational programs. LifeBridge Health includes Sinai Hospital, Northwest Hospital, Carroll Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, and related subsidiaries and affiliates. For more information, go to www.lifebridgehealth.org.
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