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Brown said this yearòòò½ÊÓƵ™s summit highlighted the entrepreneurs, researchers, companies and institutions that are making a positive difference in West Virginiaòòò½ÊÓƵ™s life science community.

òòò½ÊÓƵœThis event allows us to promote the rapidly growing life science industries in West Virginia and share work being done by our universities, biotech companies and a host of other people and organizations that are helping entrepreneurs around the state grow and thrive,òòò½ÊÓƵ� Brown said. òòò½ÊÓƵœThis also allows new collaborations and partnerships to be developed.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

MU collaborates with industry

Marshall University President Brad D. Smith said academic institutions bring a deep expertise and cutting-edge facilities to create more research and technologies.

òòò½ÊÓƵœIn this industry we have to have collaboration with private industry and public offices to bring those ideas to market so they can have a great impact on society in general. We cannot do this alone. We do this collectively.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Toney Stroud, Marshall Universityòòò½ÊÓƵ™s chief legal officer and vice president for strategic initiatives and corporate relations, said part of development of the schoolòòò½ÊÓƵ™s 4th Avenue Innovation District will be for med tech.

òòò½ÊÓƵœWe have a partnership with a company called Intermed Labs, which assists companies with healthcare innovations, how to get those to market, how to get them commercialized and out into the public,òòò½ÊÓƵ� he said. òòò½ÊÓƵœWeòòò½ÊÓƵ™re working with some other companies and we have the interests of four or five different med tech companies that are all primarily startups. We have established this med tech building that weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re going to put in the Innovation District that will help these companies get that product started, help them with marketing and whatever other help they may need to get those products to market.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Intermed Labs opportunities

Intermed Labs CEO Tom McClellan spoke about the companyòòò½ÊÓƵ™s role in commercializing medtech opportunities and the organizationòòò½ÊÓƵ™s partnership with Marshall University.

òòò½ÊÓƵœI believe there are thousands of ideas trapped in universitiesòòò½ÊÓƵ™ or health care systemsòòò½ÊÓƵ™ or doctorsòòò½ÊÓƵ™ minds,òòò½ÊÓƵ� McClellan said. òòò½ÊÓƵœWe were built to unlock those ideas and basically to create an idea. Starting a company can take a huge amount money, time and effort, and we bring to bear all the things that you need, all the little pieces to do that.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

McClellan said many health systems are losing money.

òòò½ÊÓƵœThatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s why youòòò½ÊÓƵ™re seeing a lot of consolidation and consolidation health care,òòò½ÊÓƵ� he said. òòò½ÊÓƵœHealth care systems must innovate to survive. They must create new revenue streams. And that can be just operational efficiency, reducing waste, but it can be patient care, new treatments, new technologies and new diagnostics. Those new revenue streams are critical.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Ongoing work and opportunities

The five-hour event also featured local medtech companies òòò½ÊÓƵ” including Alcon, Ortho-Hub and others òòò½ÊÓƵ” discussing their products and operations and the assistance theyòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve received through the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center. GATC Health Chief Operating Officer Tyrone Lam showcased the companyòòò½ÊÓƵ™s partnership with the state of using its transformative AI platform to accelerate drug discovery.

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) President James Nemitz and WVSOM representatives discussed the schoolòòò½ÊÓƵ™s planned $35 million research expansion and ongoing work in clinical, community-based participatory and public health research.

Other presentations included discussions on state and federal policies impacting the life sciences industry, as well as a look at opportunities the industry offers the Huntington Area Development Council (HADCO).

òòò½ÊÓƵœBioscience industries are an important targeted sector for HADCO for business recruitment purposes, but more importantly, itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s a target for Marshall University with all the research theyòòò½ÊÓƵ™re doing,òòò½ÊÓƵ� said David Lieving, HADCO president and CEO. òòò½ÊÓƵœWeòòò½ÊÓƵ™re very interested in how we can leverage he research thatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s going on here in Huntington into potential job creation and new investment in the city.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Representatives from Marshall, WVU and the West Virginia Small Business Development Center also spoke about entrepreneur assistance programs to help grow SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) awards and company commercialization.

More information can be found online at .