Mount Sinai launches the i3 Asset Accelerator to advance the development of life-saving discoveries
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Innovation Partners today announced the launch of the i3 Asset Accelerator, a new fund that fast-tracks select research discoveries to reach patients sooner, and has selected its first two projects to receive funding in 2018.
"This initiative will foster great discoveries, bringing them to life and to patients in great speed," said Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Health System. The i3 Asset Accelerator is very important to us; it's what we're all about, taking great science and helping our patients."
i3 was established with an initial investment of $10 million to advance innovative health care discoveries from Mount Sinai researchers, and philanthropic efforts began to increase its size even prior to its launch. With an advisory team of more than 40 scientists, business professionals, and commercialization experts, i3 provides nascent Mount Sinai technologies with the funding necessary to propel their development jointly with contract research organizations, rapidly develop commercially relevant data, and quickly partner with existing companies, startups, or professional investors through a milestone-based development strategy.
"i3 provides funding to accelerate commercially relevant research," said Erik Lium, PhD, Senior Vice President of Mount Sinai Innovation Partners. "It allows us to de-risk technology, helps us find more partners, and at the same time generates rewards in terms of patient benefits for the future."
The two initial projects chosen by i3 represent diverse areas of health care technology:
- A new treatment for cancer using a novel platform technology to develop new drugs by Ross Cagan, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for the Icahn School of Medicine's Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professor of Ophthalmology, Oncological Sciences, and Cell, Development and Regenerative Biology, in collaboration with Arvin Dar, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences.
- The development of new therapies for influenza B viral infections by Florian Krammer, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology.
"i3 offers the opportunity for advancing commercially relevant solutions to patients on a global scale," Dr. Lium said. "i3 is the next step in engaging with our community, building upon our translational competencies, and evolving our commercial ecosystem to create major breakthroughs in health care."
Provided by The Mount Sinai Hospital
