The road to taking university research from the lab and translating it into a therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration is long and perilous. Fiscal 2020 marked significant progress for companies that have licensed Pitt technologies in the therapeutics space in advancing from the pre-clinical development stage to FDA approved clinical trials.
Industry partnerships provide an important channel for the translation of research to societal impact. In FY 2020, Pitt faculty partnered with 375 different companies on research projects totaling more than $40 million. From basic research to clinical trials, Pitt innovators are building new partnerships every day that help advance their research goals.
As Autism Awareness Month draws to a close, we check in with Pitt spinout Diamond Kinetics, which struck up a serendipitous relationship with Progress City Autism Employment Network to offer employment opportunities at the company.
Today is World IP Day, celebrating the innovation made possible by the protection of intellectual property that allows for the investment that fuels the commercial dissemination of new discoveries and creative works. Last week, the Innovation Institute held its Celebration of Innovation, recognizing the accomplishments of Pitt innovators, who are translating their discoveries from the lab to the market at a feverish pace.
Two innovation teams from the School of Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) were awarded $10,000 each to advance their projects towards the market and the clinic in the second annual SHRS Innovation Challenge.