Boston Children's Hospital and Boston Pediatric Device Consortium Launch Pediatric Medical Device Challenge

BOSTON, Sept. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Innovation and Digital Health Accelerator (IDHA) at Boston Children's Hospital and the Boston Pediatric Device Consortium (BPDC) today announced a call for applications for the Boston Pediatric Device Strategic Partner Challenge to advance the development of novel pediatric medical device innovations. This national Challenge seeks entrepreneurs and innovators with ideas and inventions that address the need for advances in pediatric medical device development. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. ET on October 13, 2017.

Challenge winners will receive a combination of up to $50,000 in funding per grant award and/or mentorship opportunities. Challenge co-hosts BPDC and IDHA have joined with strategic partners – Boston Scientific, CryoLife, Edwards Lifesciences, Health Advances, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Smithwise and Ximedica – to provide strategic support for challenge winners focused on accelerating their paths to commercialization. Mentorship may include product manufacturing support, business plan development and partnerships with industry leaders.

"Innovation in medical devices with the potential to improve the health of children and adolescents continues to lag in comparison to those for adults," said Pedro del Nido, MD, leader of the Boston Pediatric Device Consortium and Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital. "With our partners in the Boston Pediatric Device Strategic Partner Challenge and our ongoing efforts, we are committed to finding new ways to provide the resources, mentorship and strategic advising to innovators that can advance technology development and bridge gaps in pediatric care."

Applications are sought for medical devices that serve the pediatric population. Technologies are accepted at any stage of development, with specific interest in five focus areas: cardiovascular/endovascular, asthma, obesity, sepsis and general pediatrics. Up to $250,000 will be awarded. The Challenge is funded in part by the FDA Office of Orphan Products Development through a grant to the Boston Pediatric Device Consortium.

Applicants will be reviewed and vetted by the BPDC and strategic partners. Finalists will be selected and invited to Boston in early December to pitch their device to a panel of Challenge co-hosts and strategic partner representatives, including leading clinical, business, and technical experts, and Challenge winners will be announced in January 2018. Submissions must be classified as pediatric medical devices in accordance with section 201(h) of the Federal Food Drug & Cosmetic Act.

Those interested in participating in the Challenge who are located in the greater Boston metropolitan area are invited to attend an in-person Challenge kickoff event on Tuesday, September 19 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET at Hatch Fenway at Pulse@MassChallenge HQ, 401 Park Drive, 8^th Floor, Boston, MA 02215. Registration is requested by Friday, September 15 at https://goo.gl/forms/YWKfL2ODIEENH8LW2. Challenge co-hosts and partners will provide brief overviews of their focus areas.

More information, including the application and detailed review criteria for the Challenge, can be found at www.bostonpdc.org.

The Boston Pediatric Device Consortium (BPDC) provides expertise and resources to device developers and manufacturers at each of the steps necessary for novel pediatric device development, in order to accelerate the pace of innovation. The BPDC is a collaborative of experts in engineering, clinical sciences, clinical trials design and performance, device development specialists, and industry partners whose primary goal is to develop and evaluate novel therapies for children. Leading the BPDC is Pedro del Nido, MD, Chief of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital, William E. Ladd Professor of Child Surgery at Harvard Medical School, and medical device entrepreneur.

Boston Children's Hospital, the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is home to the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center. Its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. Today, more than 2,630 scientists, including nine members of the National Academy of Sciences, 14 members of the National Academy of Medicine and 11 Howard Hughes Medical Investigators comprise Boston Children's research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children's is now a 415-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care. For more, visit our Vector and Thriving blogs and follow us on social media @BostonChildrens, @BCH_Innovation, Facebook and YouTube.

CONTACT:
Keri Stedman
617-919-3110
[email protected] 

SOURCE Boston Children's Hospital

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