CobiCure Launches Fellowship Program to Bridge Gaps in Pediatric MedTech Innovation

NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CobiCure, LLC, a philanthropically funded non-profit company in the Advancium Health Network, is excited to announce the CobiCure Fellowship for Pediatric MedTech Innovation. This initiative, in collaboration with the five FDA Pediatric Device Consortiums (PDCs), aims to address the critical need for pediatric medical devices, an area historically underfunded and overlooked.

Pediatric medical device development has lagged due to perceived small market sizes, limited funding, and lower returns on investment compared to adult-focused technologies. The CobiCure Fellowship is designed to bridge this gap by providing specialized training and mentorship to innovators focused on pediatric care.

In addition to financially supporting and coaching the fellows, CobiCure will organize educational sessions throughout the year, featuring renowned experts in medical device innovation to provide specialized training. With support from institutions like Stanford Biodesign and Deerfield Management, fellows will learn about needs-based device innovation, device development, and the commercialization of pediatric-focused technologies. Each fellow will also receive expert mentorship from PDC leaders as they develop new MedTech solutions for pediatric patients.

"CobiCure's unique mission to advance pediatric MedTech innovation is critical due to the paucity of funding and support for these technologies within the medical device industry," says Dr. Janene Fuerch, Co-Director of Impact-1 and The University of California San Francisco-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortia, Assistant Director of the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship, and Neonatologist at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Training and educating innovators with the unique skill set for pediatric device innovation is crucial to ensuring these patients are proactively included in the health technology development process, rather than left out, as they have been for decades. Our patients and children simply deserve better."

Leading this initiative is Emma Moran, Ph.D., CobiCure MedTech's Director of Strategy and Development. "Our goal is to equip fellows with the skills, tools, and networks necessary to become leading innovators in the pediatric MedTech space, ultimately expanding the pipeline of technologies for pediatric patients. The fellowship aligns with CobiCure's core mission to drive transformative change through advancing innovative solutions and increasing awareness for improved pediatric care," said Dr. Moran.

The 2024-2025 fellows for the CobiCure Fellowship for Pediatric MedTech Innovation are:

• James Reinhardt, PhD | Midwest Pediatric Device Consortium, Nationwide Children's Hospital
• Jhalak Mehta, MS | Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital
• Juliana Perl, MS | UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium, Stanford University
• Stefano Pezzato, MD | Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation, Children's National Hospital
• Tamara Lambert, PhD | The Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

"These fellows bring a diverse range of expertise and a shared passion for advancing pediatric healthcare," says Dr. Moran. "We are excited to be part of the fellow's journey over the next year as they tackle the widely underserved area of pediatric MedTech."

About CobiCure: CobiCure, a non-profit company of Advancium Health Network, is committed to addressing critical gaps in pediatric healthcare by accelerating the development of innovative medical devices and treatments for childhood cancers and diseases. Leveraging Deerfield Management's healthcare investment ecosystem — alongside philanthropic resources and expertise from a broad network of partners — CobiCure prioritizes life-saving solutions over traditional profit-driven goals. For more information on how CobiCure is reimagining the pediatric technology landscape, visit CobiCure MedTech at www.cobicuremedtech.org.

About Advancium Health Network: Advancium Health Network is a mission-driven public charity pioneering ways to overcome barriers in healthcare through a unique model that combines for-profit infrastructure with non-profit ideals. Advancium forges bonds between a diverse body of industry partners, experts, and philanthropic support to leverage its collective expertise and resources. From early-stage innovation to pediatric MedTech and rare diseases, we are confronting healthcare's most daunting hurdles for underserved patients and catalyzing a positive impact on human health. For more information on how the Advancium Health Network is enabling transformative impact visit: www.advanciumhealth.org.

For more information, please contact:

Jyoti Patel

Director, Business Operations & Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE CobiCure