KIYATEC recognized with spot in NIH "Innovation Zone"

GREENVILLE, S.C., June 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- KIYATEC, a private company prioritizing the accurate ex vivo prediction of patients' response to drug treatment, is one of seventeen companies that has been selected to participate in the 2014 BIO International Convention's newly created Innovation Zone in San Diego, California from June 23^rd thru the 26^th.

The Innovation Zone is a result of a partnership between the 2014 BIO International Convention, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.  These groups have come together to feature Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funded, early-stage biotech companies in the newly created Innovation Zone.  The founders of the Innovation Zone hope to highlight some of America's leading biomedical technology firms that are ready for partnerships and investor opportunities.  KIYATEC will be in the Innovation Zone along with companies such as StemSynergy Therapeutics, Inc., Humanetics Corporation and Syntrix Biosystems.

The SBIR program provides federal funding to small Research/R&D businesses that have a potential for commercialization.  In September, 2013 KIYATEC was awarded an approximately $295,000 Phase I SBIR contract to establish 3D breast cancer models using living cells obtained directly from breast cancer patients.  Accurate modeling of the response of a patient's cancer to a drug will help patients in two ways – to reduce failures of anticancer drugs during clinical trials because of earlier, more relevant information on drug effectiveness, and to test patient-derived samples in real time for clinical decision making specific to that individual.

Greenville, South Carolina based KIYATEC has been a member of NEXT, an entrepreneurial group that attracts and grows high impact technology companies by developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem needed by these companies, and connecting companies within this ecosystem, since 2006.  Through its involvement with NEXT, KIYATEC has had major growth in the Upstate and the opportunity to present at the 2014 BIO International Convention catapults the company into the national spotlight.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the first ever Innovation Zone at this year's BIO International Convention," said Dr. Matthew R. Gevaert, CEO and co-founder of KIYATEC.  "This is an opportunity to show the world what we've been working on, and to extend our industry and collaborative relationships around the results.  We went through a rigorous review process for SBIR with the NIH and NSF before receiving our funding and now we're looking forward to being able to share how it's going to make a difference in cancer drug selection." 

For more information on KIYATEC visit http://www.kiyatec.com/.

ABOUT KIYATEC, INC.
KIYATEC prioritizes accurate ex vivo prediction of patients' response to drug treatment, with a focus on data correlation to human clinical outcomes. The company creates and utilizes live phenotypic 3D cell-based models for drug response profiling.  These models are applied in order to generate information relevant to preclinical testing, clinical trials and clinical diagnostics applications. By accurately predicting patient drug response without ever exposing actual patients to drugs, KIYATEC will create informed drug selection that minimizes clinical trials' failures and maximizes patient outcomes in the clinic. For more information, please visit www.kiyatec.com or follow KIYATEC on Twitter (@KIYATEC).

CONTACT INFORMATION
Molly Gunson | Smoak Public Relations
[email protected] 
(864) 235-8330

SOURCE KIYATEC