Southern Research Institute and UAB Partner to Develop Medical Devices

The Southern Research Institute, developer of seven U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cancer drugs, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), are teaming up to develop new medical devices.

The strategic partnership, called the Alliance for Innovative Medical Technology (AIMTech), combines the research and discovery expertise of Southern Research Institute scientists and engineers and UAB biomedical engineers and clinicians. The two entities will take a patient-centric approach to medical technology development in five key areas: cardiology, orthopedics, ophthalmology,
rehabilitation engineering, and trauma.

Southern Research Institute and UAB researchers will work together to create medical devices across all five specializations. The goal is for the first group of AIMTech-created medical devices to hit the market by 2020.

The idea for the new alliance arose from discussions between Art Tipton, Ph.D., president and CEO of Southern Research Institute, and Timothy Wick, Ph.D., chair of the UAB Department of Biomedical Engineering. Tipton holds 34 U.S. patents, helped lead the growth of three pharmaceutical/biotech companies, and launched four commercial products.

“Partnering with UAB on this initiative allows us to accelerate commercialization of medical technologies, improve healthcare delivery and outcomes, and generate economic development and growth,” said Tipton. “This is also an opportunity to develop a lucrative business unit that will potentially create a number of new companies and jobs within the rapidly-growing biomedical engineering industry.”

“Our partnership with Southern Research Institute in the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance has already been a tremendous success,” said UAB President Ray L. Watts, M.D. “We envision a similar impact with the AIMTech collaboration.”

Watts, who is both a physician and an engineer, understands the importance of design in the development of new medical devices.

Tipton hired Robert Hergenrother, Ph.D., to lead the new alliance. Hergenrother has led the creation of 15 neurovascular, diagnostic, wound care, and orthopedic medical devices during his career. He ran research and development for the medical device business unit of Eden Prairie, Minn.-based SurModics Inc. and led a team of engineers at California-based Target Therapeutics, now Stryker Neurovascular. Eighteen of his inventions have been patented in the United States. Hergenrother also has been appointed professor in UAB’s biomedical engineering department.

How It Will Work

AIMTech will invent the new medical devices, help raise venture capital, establish small medical device companies, and manage the clinical trial and FDA approval processes. Major medical device companies will manufacture and sell the devices.

AIMTech will gain a return on investment through research grants, licensing, royalty fees and equity arrangements.

“We have all the ingredients here to create a powerhouse in the medical device industry,” said Hergenrother. “But what’s more exciting than that, is knowing that we’ll be creating the technology that will help patents live longer and more active lives.” 

“The regional investment community is excited to see these two Birmingham entities coming together to develop medical devices,” said Robert L. Crutchfield, general partner, Harbert Venture Partners. “Combining the research and innovation development resources at UAB with the commercialization expertise, experience, and capabilities at Southern Research Institute should create value by increasing the number of UAB commercial spin outs.”

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization, founded in 1941, that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. Approximately 500 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental, and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, Ala.; Frederick, Md.; Durham, N.C.; Houston, Texas; and Cartersville, Ga.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a research university and academic medical center and the state of Alabama’s largest employer, with roughly 23,000 employees and an economic impact exceeding $5 billion annually in the state.