Development of the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center (GCIC) was made possible by a $60 million grant from the State of Ohio’s Third Frontier Project. This funding is now being awarded to companies mostly in Northeast Ohio to develop cardiovascular devices, drugs, therapies, and products. Of the $60 million in GCIC funding, the Cleveland Clinic will use $2.9 million to help companies develop heart-related products and services.
Several companies slated to get part of the funding include CardioInsight to develop a device to map the electrical activity of the heart, Cleveland Heart to develop a left ventricular assist system, and VitalStream Health, to develop remote monitoring and care practices for patients with chronic diseases.
The Cleveland Clinic will collaborate with some of Ohio’s leading medical and research institutions such as Case Western Reserve University, Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, University of Toledo, and University Hospitals of Cleveland along with industry and economic development partners.
As part of the next round of funding to be made available from the Ohio Commercialization Funding Program, GCIC will release an RFP on October 1, 2008 seeking proposals from companies and institutions that wish to commercialize innovative cardiovascular technologies and solutions. The GCIC will provide development assistance and financial support.
Another Ohio program, the Ohio Third Frontier Research Commercialization Program (RCP) was put in place to work with organizations to apply research and develop new products with the goal to commercialize those products.
In June 2008, the Ohio Biomedical Research Commercialization Program (BRCP) within RCP looked for organizations to do research to improve prosthetic limbs, provide better treatments for asthma, cystic fibrosis, and burn and nerve care that would eventually to lead to commercialization. Six organizations have been awarded $128,420,643 through the program.
The BRCP program has released an RFP for FY 2009. The program is looking for proposals from well established research and development programs that have the capability to go on to the next level and focus on commercialization opportunities. Proposals need to provide for collaborations between two or more institutions or organizations.
The biomedical proposals need to specifically address biomedical research in terms of genetics and genomics, structural biology, biomedical engineering, and computational and environmental biology. Proposals solely on information technology are only eligible if they provide a supportive component to biomedical research. Other opportunity areas can address engineering and physical sciences.
The Letter of Intent is due October 1, 2008, with full proposals due November 7, 2008. There will be 4 to 6 grants from $2 to $5 million for BRCP.
