Four Finalists Announced for 3rd Annual BioChallenge Pitch Competition

BioChallengeThe BioChallenge is a pitch competition that puts companies head to head for a chance to win $25,000. The New Orleans BioInnovation Center (NOBIC), organizers of the event, have announced the four finalists that will compete on November 18th during Innovation Louisiana, a life sciences entrepreneurship conference in New Orleans:

  1.    AxoSim Technologies: AxoSim is a contract research organization dedicated to improving preclinical pharmaceutical development. Using advanced “nerve-on-a-chip” technology, AxoSim facilitates the prediction of neurological safety and efficacy early in the drug development pipeline. By providing an alternative to animal testing, pharmaceutical companies will have access to high content data faster and earlier than currently possible.
  2.    Crescentium: Crescentium’s initial product, the GemView LM, is designed to provide critical care physicians with a safe, inexpensive method of performing surgical procedures like tracheostomies while eliminating complications inherent in current procedures. The GemView LM gives physicians the advantage of continuous visualization of the larynx, trachea or lungs without obstructing or removing the patient’s airway.
  3.    ORA Estuaries: ORA Estuaries grows oyster reefs into living coastal protection infrastructure. The company has developed OysterBreak, which takes advantage of the oyster’s inherent nature of clustering to form a coastal protection structure. The oysters not only form a natural breakwater that helps prevent shoreline erosion, but also help filter the water and grow faster than the sea level rise due to climate change.
  4.    Taxor Diagnostics: Taxor is developing a diagnostic test to help doctors and patients personalize breast cancer treatment decisions by predicting whether a certain chemotherapy will be successful for a patient’s specific type of cancer. By making this prediction, patients can be spared from ineffective chemotherapy regimens and their side effects and also save valuable treatment time.

According to NOBIC, Innovation Louisiana will feature regional and national experts discussing industry and investment trends in bioscience startup development. “The conference will include panels, seminars, and keynote speeches on various issues that high-growth startups face, from finding venture capital and grant funding to navigating regulatory pathways during product development. The pitch event will immediately follow the closing keynote of the conference.”

More information is available at neworleansbio.com.