Newswise — Columbia University Science and Technology Ventures (STV) announced today that PCAsso Diagnostics, the exclusive licensee of retinal imaging technology developed at Columbia, is the winner of the Most Innovative Technology Award from the 2009 SmartStart UNYTECH Ventures Forum.
PCAsso Diagnostics is developing a novel imaging technology, called Poly-Chromatic Angiography (PCA), which was invented by Samir Tari, MD during his tenure in the Department of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Tari founded PCAsso Diagnostics in 2008 to commercialize PCA for diagnosis of vascular leakage disorders of the retina, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. PCA provides quantitative information about vascular leakage that will help clinicians tailor treatments to the severity of the leakage.
PCAsso Diagnostics was chosen from a select group of 26 pre-qualified entrants, by a panel of experienced venture capital investors. "PCAsso is developing a technology that could change the practice of medicine and addresses a real need, now," said Peter Pritchard, Program Director for the Center for Economic Growth, which sponsored the event.
"We are very pleased to be recognized by such a distinguished audience, it has helped build our confidence and credibility with investors," said Dr. Tari. "Also, the Venture Forum has helped to open doors with high quality investors, those with the vision and experience in nurturing and mentoring emerging companies such as PCAsso."
"This is a well-deserved award for PCAsso," said David Lerner, STV's Director of New Ventures. "We continue to be enthusiastic that commercial development of PCA will lead to improved diagnostic and treatment options for patients."
The SmartStart UNYTECH Forum is upstate New York's largest venture forum. Since 2001, over 220 emerging companies have successfully raised more than $360 million in funding.
About Columbia University Science & Technology Ventures
A leading academic and research university, Columbia University continually seeks to advance the frontiers of knowledge and to foster a campus community deeply engaged in understanding and addressing the complex global issues of our time. Columbia University's technology transfer office, Science & Technology Ventures (STV), serves as a bridge between Columbia's researchers and the business community. STV's core objective is to facilitate the transfer of inventions from academic research to outside organizations for the benefit of society on a local, national and global basis. As such, STV's primary mission is to identify, evaluate, protect, and license or form companies based on Columbia's intellectual property. STV at Columbia University is considered one of the leading technology transfer offices in the world, with more than 300 invention disclosures from faculty, 70 license deals and 12 new start-ups each year. For more information on STV, please visit www.stv.columbia.edu.
About PCAsso Diagnostics
PCAsso Diagnostics, LLC (www.pcasso.org) is a privately-owned diagnostics company located in Bridgewater, New Jersey. PCAsso is committed to the identification and development of novel medical diagnostic technologies. We are currently developing Poly-Chromatic Angiography (PCA), a new diagnostic tool for diseases of the retina. PCA can be used, with modifications, to diagnose diseases in other organ systems, including the kidney, the brain, and different kinds of cancer.
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