AAAneurysm Outreach Screening of 1,000+ Veterans Identifies 16 Needing Treatment

More than 1,000 military veterans participated in the largest free screening event for abdominal aortic aneurysms in the U.S., which was held in late July by tenant non-profit AAAneurysm Outreach. Held in conjunction with the 118th national convention of Veterans of Foreign Wars and VFW Auxiliary in New Orleans, the free screening resulted in 16 aneurysms being discovered, requiring medical attention. The non-invasive ultrasound screening is a quick and painless way to find aneurysms and save lives. The third-leading cause of sudden death in men over 60 in the U.S., an abdominal aortic aneurysm is fatal within minutes, and there are no symptoms. You can learn more about the organization’s work here.

July 31, 2017 — Read more at InfoMMed News

BioInnovation Center Honored with DDD’s 2017 Downtown Nola Award

The Center is proud to be among six recipients of the 2017 Downtown Nola Awards, presented by the Downtown Development District of New Orleans each year to businesses, organizations, and individuals who have made “exceptional contributions to the progress of downtown New Orleans.” We want to express our thanks to the DDD for selecting us as part of this outstanding group of organizations making an impact across our region. The awards luncheon will be held on Friday Sept. 22, and more details on all six award recipients and the ceremony are available here.

July 31, 2017 — Read more in New Orleans Living Magazine

Advano Expands Staff, Relocates to UNO in New Collaboration

Advanced materials startup Advano is now headquartered at the University of New Orleans as part of a new collaborative agreement with the UNO Advanced Materials Research Institute. Advano is developing a cheaper and more efficient method of manufacturing silicon nanoparticles to improve lithium ion batteries, used in many industries from electric vehicles to telecommunications and beyond. The startup has also hired several new staff members, including three from out of state, and now has nine full-time employees. 
July 21, 2017 — Read more at Uno.edu

Xavier Spinout Zenopharm Receives $298,000 SBIR Grant

Led by researcher Dr. Guangdi Wang, Xavier University spinout startup Zenopharm has received a federal Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institutes of Health for nearly $300,000. The grant from the National Cancer Institute will help fund pre-clinical studies for the team’s novel breast cancer therapeutic. This orally-administered drug has shown promise in early studies in treating breast cancer and preventing recurrence more effectively and with fewer side effects than the injected treatment currently available. The Zenopharm team hopes to progress to clinical trials after completing these IND-enabling studies. Zenopharm has been working with the Center’s Commercialization team on strategy development and is a past BioChallenge pitch competition finalist.