Amedea Pharma Presents 2026 Medical Innovation Olympics Winners -- Finalists Earn San Francisco Presentations During J.P. Morgan 2027

DIAPIN Therapeutics and Adelle Diagnostics win Gold at Rockefeller Center

NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Jessica Reed, CEO, DIAPIN Therapeutics, and Maria Grazia Ruocco, CEO/Co-Founder, Adelle Diagnostics, won PRODUCT and CONCEPT Gold at the fifth annual Medical Innovation Olympics' October 16 finale held at Rockefeller Center. Ruocco claimed a dramatic victory in the final two-minute statement.

All six finalists earned the opportunity to present in San Francisco on January 11–12, 2027, during J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

The October 1–16 competition featured 14 qualifying competitors from U.S., Italy, France, Greece, and Israel. United Nations officials and Republic of Georgia's Consul General attended.

Under "Crystal Clear, Treatment Near," the fifth annual Medical Innovation Olympics championed its mission: advancing access, quality, and continuity of care.

"We are celebrating what humans CAN do - their ambition, potential, talent, character, and achievement," said Tim Mikhelashvili, PharmD, #MIO founder/host and CEO, Amedea Pharma.

MEDALISTS

PRODUCT: Gold — Jessica Reed, DIAPIN Therapeutics, DT678 antiplatelet development; Silver — Nathan Monty, EnamelPure, dental hygiene innovation; Bronze — Chris Sturm, Facet Dynamics, RESTORE artificial back joint (Investigational Use Only).

CONCEPT: Gold — Maria Grazia Ruocco, Adelle Diagnostics, precision neurology diagnostics; Silver — Jim Chen, Calaris Diagnostics, saliva-based liver fibrosis risk stratification; Bronze — David Larwood, MycaZED Therapeutics, Nikkomycin Z for life-threatening fungal disease.

KEYNOTES AND EXPERT DISCUSSIONS

Co-hosts Mikhelashvili and Shota Bagaturia, CEO, NewsOut!, welcomed:

Keynotes: Epigenetic restoration to reverse age-related diseases - Michael Ringel, COO, Life Biosciences; power of many voices in oncology - Kirk Shepard, CMO, PDS Biotechnology; cardiometabolic prevention, evidence, and access - Keith Ferdinand, Chair, Preventative Cardiology, Tulane University School of Medicine; Medical Affairs across drug development - Alex Palumbo, Founder/CEO, Medscion.

Building New Healthcare Champions with Sports Transparency and Competition: Chris Piedmonte, Co-Founder/Managing Partner, Neoterra Capital; Graham Long, CCO, Amedea Pharma; Charles Legg, COO, CureLab Oncology; Chris Cook, two-time Olympian/NHS UK Advisor, Wondrous; Mikhelashvili.

Redefining the Role of AI on Leadership, Talent, and Impact on Healthcare: Tala Fakhouri, Chief AI/Regulatory Officer, Parexel; Sourav (Neil) Banerjee, CEO/Founder, QMSintegrity; Joao Dias, Head, Global Scientific Affairs, Haemonetics; Venera Jordan, Founder/Principal, DigitalProductGuru; Mikhelashvili.

Why Stars Are Aligning Between Science and Advocacy to Extend Health Span and Longevity: Jerry McLaughlin, CEO, Life Biosciences; Francisco Leon, CEO, Tolerance Bio; John Hemming, CEO, Cirrostratus Exedra; Keith Comito, CEO, Lifespan Research Institute; Jonathan Ross, Director of Operations, Alliance for Longevity Initiatives.

From Innovation to Impact on Patient Outcomes: Rashad Massoud, Head, Global Health USA, IQVIA; Eric Griggs, International Health/Wellness Ambassador, U.S. Congress–Louisiana; Nino Mikaberidze, Co-Founder, MedVeritas Global; Mackenzie Howe, Co-Founder/CEO, Atheni.

Fireside chats: Access to medical innovation — Alan Gray, Partner, U.S. Market Access/Pricing, Alira Health; strategy and capital in private-stage biotechs — Stephen Mitchener, former CBO, Alpha-9 Oncology.

RECOGNITION AND PARTNERS

The Alliance for Longevity Initiatives.

"It's not the steps you take but the footprints you leave that are critical," Mikhelashvili said. "You are writing your own chapter in Medical Innovation."

To view the full press release, including all 14 qualifying competitors, click here.

Media: Tim Mikhelashvili | [email protected] | (718) 865-6093

PEACCEL's Frederic Cadet won the Innovation Sprint, Innovation with Hurdles, Innovation High Jump, Innovation Shot Put, and Most Active Innovator among Competitors awards.

John Hemming, and Denise McNerney, Partner, COO, Global Life Sciences Alliance, received Most Active Innovator honors among judges and attendees, respectively. Priyanka Yerandekar, Partner, Venture Forward Capital, expert judge won the $200 live healthcare trivia contest.

Sponsors: Amedea Pharma (Gold); Best Practices and NewsOut! (Silver); Alira Health (Bronze); PTP (Olympic Village sponsor).

Media partners: New to The Street; Wall St New York Magazine; Global Life Sciences Alliance; BLPN; New York BIO; Oncology Voice Network; Lifespan Research Institute; Alliance for Longevity Initiatives 

SOURCE Amedea Pharma, Inc.