TranS1, CU Innovations Partner for Surgical Innovation

TranS1, a Denver-based spine innovation company, has announced a partnership with CU (Colorado University) Innovations and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to develop innovative spinal implant products.

“It’s a remarkable demonstration of forward thinking and adaptability by CU Innovations to leverage the strengths and resources of local industry partners, and we hope it will spur academic medical centers around the country to adopt a similar innovative approach,” said TranS1 CEO Jeff Schell in the company’s September 28, 2017 news release.

“One of the most important aspects of the partnership we are forging with TranS1 is the company’s ability to apply its deep expertise in product development and its commercial infrastructure to our concepts and our innovations here on campus. These capabilities can’t be created overnight and we are fortunate to have Trans1 right here in Denver, to bring new surgical technologies to the operating room, and improve outcomes for patients” said Brian Bellesheim, Business Development at CU Innovations.

“The relationship with TranS1 has given us the ability to find a marketable pathway to progress with an idea in a way that was not possible before,” said Vikas Patel, M.D., M.A., chief of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at CU Anschutz.

“As we began talking to Dr. Patel, it became very clear that he had several ideas for how he thought spine surgery could be made better, and that fits directly with the TranS1 mission,” said Schell.

Jeff Schell, who began his career as a patent attorney, told OTW, “The collaboration between TranS1 and the University of Colorado blends the complementary resources of each organization. TranS1 will leverage the knowledge and institutional strengths of CU to advance a completely new cervical fusion concept. CU will access the sales, engineering, regulatory and spine-specific patent prosecution resources of TranS1. Together, the efficiency gains achieved through this relationship means that the sum of our output will be greater than our individual capacities.”

“The experienced TranS1 engineering, sales and patent teams will execute a detailed work plan with the clinical and academic leaders at CU. The initial steps include expanding an excellent patent portfolio surrounding the novel concepts, leveraging the resources of CU to perform biomechanical and clinical studies, and advancing a go-to-market strategy to more efficiently bring a solution to a previously unmet problem in cervical spine surgery.”