Matthew Rondina

Acticor Biotech is a spin-off from Inserm (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) dedicated to the development of an innovative therapeutic strategy for a safe and effective emergency treatment of ischemic strokes which account for 80% of all strokes. Acticor Biotech’s project stems from the sheer need for new therapeutic options to manage stroke. According to the World Health Organization, 15 million people suffer stroke worldwide each year. Of these, 5 million die and another 5 million are permanently disabled. Stroke is the third cause of death in the world and the leading cause of death among women. It is also the first cause of adult acquired disabilities resulting from the neurological damages sustained by 75% of the survivors. However only one treatment is presently recommended by health authorities and is it estimated that only 15% of ischemic stroke patients are treated with it, with less that 40% efficacy. So while this treatment is very useful for ischemic stroke, a major need for a new treatment capable of effectively treating a majority of ischemic stroke patients remains. This project is based on the academic research from Acticor Biotech founders Dr. M. Jandrot-Perrus and Prof. P. Billiald. It was supported by top institutions including the ANR (The French National Research Agency), the Fondation de France. The project also won the 2012 national prize for innovation in creation & development category from the BPI (French Public Investment Bank, formerly Oseo).

Acticor Biotech is a spin-off from Inserm (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) dedicated to the development of an innovative therapeutic strategy for a safe and effective emergency treatment of ischemic strokes which account for 80% of all strokes. Acticor Biotech’s project stems from the sheer need for new therapeutic options to manage stroke. According to the World Health Organization, 15 million people suffer stroke worldwide each year. Of these, 5 million die and another 5 million are permanently disabled. Stroke is the third cause of death in the world and the leading cause of death among women. It is also the first cause of adult acquired disabilities resulting from the neurological damages sustained by 75% of the survivors. However only one treatment is presently recommended by health authorities and is it estimated that only 15% of ischemic stroke patients are treated with it, with less that 40% efficacy. So while this treatment is very useful for ischemic stroke, a major need for a new treatment capable of effectively treating a majority of ischemic stroke patients remains. This project is based on the academic research from Acticor Biotech founders Dr. M. Jandrot-Perrus and Prof. P. Billiald. It was supported by top institutions including the ANR (The French National Research Agency), the Fondation de France. The project also won the 2012 national prize for innovation in creation & development category from the BPI (French Public Investment Bank, formerly Oseo).

The University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, is the flagship institution of higher learning in Utah. Founded in 1850, it serves over 31,000 students from across the U.S. and the world. With over 72 major subjects at the undergraduate level and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level, including law and medicine, the university prepares students to live and compete in the global workplace. Known for its proximity to seven world-class ski resorts within 40 minutes of campus, the U encourages an active, holistic lifestyle, innovation and collaborative thinking to engage students, faculty and business leaders. The University of Utah became a member of the PAC-12 conference in July 2011. Technology and Commercialization The University of Utah is tops in the country for creating start-up companies from university research, according to a ranking by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM). See http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/u-of-utah-no-1-for-startups for more information. Forbes magazine’s recent ranking of the “Best States for Business” pointed to “an educated labor force” as a big reason Utah came in at number one. The U supplies many of the employees for companies that keep expanding their operations in Utah, such as Goldman Sachs, Adobe, Omniture, Oracle, Ebay and many others. http://pac12info.utah.edu/commercialization-of-innovation/ Healthcare University of Utah Health Care recently ranked first in the nation in a prestigious national study. The University Health System Consortium’s 2010 Quality and Accountability Study compared 98 of the nation’s top academic medical centers and ranked them based on core quality measures, patient safety indicators, mortality rates, re-admission rates, and patient satisfaction scores. See more about University of Utah Health Care at http://healthcare.utah.edu/index.php