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Alira Health Announces the Spin-Off of Product Development Laboratory

Lab Will Continue to Innovate in Wound Care and Chronic Inflammatory Diseases as a Separate Company, ProDevLabs

Framingham, Mass. – Alira Health, a global healthcare advisory, clinical research and technology company, announces the spin-off of ProDevLabs, a new company led by Dr. Mitchell Sanders, PhD, a former Alira Health executive.

ProDevLabs will continue its groundbreaking work as a product development lab focused on chronic inflammatory diseases, including wound care, cancer, infections/biofilms, and neuropathologies such as traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. 

“Dr. Sanders is a visionary scientist who launched this product development lab at Alira Health in 2015,” said Gabriele Brambilla, CEO and Co-Founder of Alira Health. “It’s been a pleasure working with Mitch and nurturing the growth of the lab to become a successful business.”

“ProDevLabs will continue its growth trajectory as a best-in-class CRO,” said Dr. Sanders. “We plan to add new talent and resources to accommodate our clients’ needs. I am grateful to Alira Health for the opportunity to grow these services over the last eight years and look forward to maintaining our close relationship with Alira Health.”

About Alira Health

Alira Health is a global advisory and clinical research firm whose mission is to humanize healthcare and life sciences, in partnership with patients, through innovative technologies and expert guidance. From development to medical care, Alira Health complements the expertise of its Pharma, Biotech, and MedTech clients with a full spectrum of services across their entire solutions lifecycle.

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Have Diabetes? Boston Podiatrists Offer Foot Care Tips

People who have been diagnosed with Diabetes are at greater risk for infection from an injury to the foot, even if that injury is minor, such as a scrape.

Boston Common Podiatry’s Jordana Szpiro, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and Shannon Thompson, D.P.M. offer the following tips to people affected by diabetes:

-Inspect feet and between the toes daily, checking for: dry or cracking skin, corns and calluses, any unusual lesions, discolored or thick nails. Those with Type I or Type II Diabetes who may be experiencing any of these symptoms are at risk for infection and should see a primary care physician or podiatrist immediately for treatment.

-Check shoes and socks for foreign objects before putting them on. A minor scrape incurred by a pebble in the shoe is a major health concern for people with diabetes as there is a risk of infection. A person with diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage) is at even greater risk for infection from a scrape because s/he would not be able to feel they have an injury.

-Check the temperature of soaking or bath water with the hands first to avoid scalding. A minor burn can turn into an open wound and become infected.

-Wear white socks only because the dyes in colored socks can be toxic if absorbed into open wounds and cause infection.

-Have shoes sized and fit by a professional. Shoes that are too large will allow the foot to move within the shoe and chafe the skin. Shoes that are too small can pinch the feet and cause blisters, which may become infected.

-Be aware of any changes in sensation or circulation. Numbness or tingling in the feet may be a sign of neuropathy due to elevated glucose levels over a significant period of time.

– People with diabetes should not cut their own toenails. Again, the risk of cutting nails incorrectly (resulting in ingrown toenails), cutting nails too short, or of nicking the skin is significant. Have a podiatrist do it.

If there is a sign that there is something wrong, schedule an appointment with a podiatrist immediately.

Boston Common Podiatry treats a large number of senior and Medicare patients. The setting is a private; there is no wait time and no referral needed.

For more information, visit the website at www.BostonCommonPodiatry.com or contact the office at 617-262-2266.

About Boston Common Podiatry

Boston Common Podiatry specializes in the treatment of foot conditions including pain, fractures and sports-related injuries; complicated foot conditions caused by diabetes, arthritis and cardiovascular disease; pediatric podiatry, molded orthotics and foot fillers. From athletes and dancers to marathon runners and high-heeled fashionistas to seniors and children, the renowned Boston Common Podiatry cares for patients from the greater Boston and Cape Cod areas.

The practice’s physicians are affiliated with Partner’s Healthcare, Mt. Auburn Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Cambridge Health Alliance, and Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford. The office is handicapped accessible and they offer convenient, on-site x-ray services.

Boston Common Podiatry is one of the few practices in the area offering two of the newest, most advanced treatments: Keryflex, which is a new and innovative solution to fungal or dystrophic nails and the innovative FDA-cleared GenesisPlus laser in the treatment of fungal nails. The GenesisPlus laser provides a fast, highly effective solution, with minimal discomfort for warts, scars and Onychomycosis, which is a fungal infection that causes toenails to thicken, discolor and split. It is also ideal for skin rejuvenation and the treatment of spider veins.

Boston Common Podiatry is located at 264 Beacon Street, Second Floor, Boston, MA. For more information contact 617-262-2266 or visit bostoncommonpodiatry.com.

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ECI Biotech presents at 2010 Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) Annual Conference.

DATELINE: WORCESTER, MA…
Dr. Mitchell Sanders, the CEO and Founder of ECI Biotech of Worcester, MA, a premier developer of low cost and rapid diagnostics trademarked as ExpressDetect, was recently a presenter at the 2010 Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) Annual Conference.

Addressing the BioBusiness Nexus: BioShowcase portion of the conference, Dr. Sanders presented an overview of ECI’s approach to the challenge of translating its technologies into actual products and applications, emphasizing the connection between lab based research and real life applications.

The ExpressDetect sensors that ECI Biotech has developed are low cost, rapid, safe, and simple enough for incorporation into a variety of products that can provide rapid infection diagnostics for use in professional as well as consumer OTC markets. ECI’s target markets for its products include: feminine care, wound care, oral care, and hospital infection control.

Advancing the concept of biology based engineering, ECI’s technologies relate to the detection of microbial pathogens and are of particular value for diagnostic sensors. ECI’s emergent 2011 product line will include diagnostic products targeted at prognosing chronic and acute wound infections which will improve chronic wound care and alleviate patient suffering.”

IBE
The Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) is a professional organization that encourages inquiry and interest in biological engineering. IBE supports the community of scientists and engineers that are addressing global challenges in the environment, resources, energy, health, and sustainability through biological systems analysis and design.

IBE enhances and promotes biological engineering in the broadest manner through research, education, and professional development. The emerging discipline of biological engineering interfaces biological sciences, engineering sciences, mathematics and computational sciences as it applies biological systems to enhance the quality and diversity of life.

ECI Biotech
Founded in 1998, ECI Biotech is a premier developer of low cost and rapid diagnostics trademarked as ExpressDetect. ECI’s first diagnostic products going to launch in 2011 are targeted at prognosing chronic and acute wound infections. With 18 patents pending and six patents issued, ECI currently has several corporate partnerships with industry leaders in both consumer and professional healthcare.

ECI’s target markets for its products include: wound care, women’s health, oral care, and baby care. ECI Biotech’s product pipeline includes a diagnostic sensor for urinary tract infections, as well as advanced wound care systems that provide early warning of emergent infections and promote healing.

ECI Biotech’s headquarters are located at 85 Prescott Street, in Worcester, Massachusetts. For additional information please contact Dr. Mitchell Sanders at sanders@ecibiotech.com, call 508-752-2209, or visit www.ecibiotech.com.

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ECI Biotech launches new product booth at Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing Society Meeting

DATELINE: WORCESTER, MA…
ECI Biotech, Inc., a premier developer of trademarked ExpressDetect diagnostic sensors for consumer and professional care, is pleased to announce the launch of their first trade show booth at the 23rd Annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing Society Meeting to be held on April 17-20th in Orlando FL.

Dr. Mitchell Sanders, the CEO and Founder of ECI Biotech, notes “We are rolling out our wound care product offerings that we plan to submit for FDA approval this fall with an anticipated launch in May of 2011. We are excited to introduce our cutting-edge ExpressDetect diagnostics to this elite community of wound care clinicians, giving us the opportunity to demonstrate the simple, inexpensive, rapid, and safe features of our sensors.

The two products ECI is demonstrating at SAWC are a dressing sensor and a rapid point of care diagnostic.

The dressing sensor:
• Functions both as a dressing and an early infection indicator
• Detects the presence of a high bioburden of microorganisms in wounds before there are any visible clinical signs
• Offers an inexpensive diagnostic ideally suited for home health, long-term care, and military applications.

The point of care diagnostic:
• Utilizes an easy to read handheld diagnostic tool
• Detects proteases of bacteria that correlate to total bacterial level (>106 cfu/ml), the level at which the wound healing society recommends treatment of chronic and acute wounds
• Offers rapid detection of pathogens in chronic wounds, delivering an accurate assessment in only 10 minutes

SAWC
The 23rd annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing society (SAWC/WHS) meeting is the premier educational wound care program within this clinical field and is the largest annual gathering of wound care clinicians in the United States. More than 2,000 physicians, podiatrists, nurses, therapists, and researchers are expected to attend the 2010 SAWC/WHS meeting.

ECI Biotech
Founded in 1998, ECI Biotech is a premier developer of low cost and rapid diagnostics trademarked as ExpressDetect. ECI’s first diagnostic products going to launch in 2011 are targeted at prognosing chronic and acute wound infections. With 18 patents pending and six patents issued, ECI currently has several corporate partnerships with industry leaders in both consumer and professional healthcare.

ECI’s target markets for its products include: wound care, women’s health, oral care, and baby care. ECI Biotech’s product pipeline includes a diagnostic sensor for urinary tract infections, as well as advanced wound care systems that provide early warning of emergent infections and promote healing.

ECI Biotech’s headquarters are located at 85 Prescott Street, in Worcester, Massachusetts. For additional information please contact Dr. Mitchell Sanders at sanders@ecibiotech.com, call 508-752-2209, or visit www.ecibiotech.com.

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ECI Biotech grant advances development of tool for Point-of-Care Detection of Infection in Chronic Wounds.

DATELINE: WORCESTER, MA…

ECI Biotech of Worcester, MA, a premier developer of low cost and rapid diagnostics trademarked as ExpressDetect, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a Phase II grant in the amount of $511,472 from the Small Business Innovation Research Program National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health to advance its development of a Diagnostic Tool for the Point-of-Care Detection of Infection in Chronic Wounds.

This latest round of funding will further ECI Biotech’s development of a simple hand held ExpressDetect diagnostic device for the rapid detection of pathogens in chronic wounds. The device will assist clinicians in making a correct point-of-care diagnosis of infection in chronic wounds, which is currently problematic due to a reliance on physical signs and patient symptoms.

Use of the device will involve a gentle swabbing of the wound. The handheld diagnostic tool will then detect the bacterial level in a chronic wound, utilizing a standardized method of assessment depicted by a line gradient.

Dr. Mitchell Sanders, the CEO and Founder of ECI Biotech, explained the significance of the grant for persons who suffer from chronic wounds. “This diagnostic will allow earlier detection, more accurate diagnosis, and more appropriate intervention.  It will be both cost effective and more convenient for the patient since a rapid diagnosis eliminates the need to have the patient return for subsequent treatment after having a traditional culture or biopsy that can take several days to process. It’s important to treat the infection early with a topical antibiotic or antimicrobial therapy before the infection reaches the blood stream and becomes much more serious and costly to the healthcare system. ECI’s ExpressDetect device will improve chronic wound care and alleviate patient suffering.”

Clinical studies for ECI’s point-of-care rapid diagnostic device involves analysis of samples from patients with chronic wounds obtained from ECI’s collaborator Dr. Tom Serena at the Penn North Centers for Advanced Wound Care. Noted Sanders, “Dr Serena is a leading expert in Advance Wound Care and we are delighted to have his team run our clinical studies.”

Innovations and Applications

ECI Biotech’s executive offices and research facilities are located at 85 Prescott Street, in Worcester, Massachusetts. ECI Biotech is a leading edge protein sensor company with strong intellectual property of particular value for diagnostic sensors and therapeutics. Founded in 1998, its technologies relate to the detection of microbial pathogens and stabilizing active proteins to protect against infection.

ECI Biotech has four areas of core competence: molecular biology, genomics, protein expression, and assay development. ECI’s target markets for its products include: feminine care, wound care, oral care, and hospital infection control.

ECI Biotech’s product pipeline includes a diagnostic sensor for urinary tract infections, as well as advanced wound care systems that provide early warning of emergent infections and promote healing. ECI presently has corporate partnerships with medical device industry leaders, and has 18 patents pending and three patents issued.

For additional information please contact Dr. Mitchell Sanders at sanders@ecibiotech.com, call 508-752-2209, or visit www.ecibiotech.com.

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