FDA and Stanford Tackle Med-Tech Education

Since it was established 11 years ago, the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Program has led to more than 200 patents and 24 start-up companies, including Spiracur, the company behind the SNaP Wound Care System (featured in the January issue of Medical Design Briefs). This intensive one-year program helps educate and guide doctors, engineers, and students to identify a medical need, develop an invention to address that need, navigate the hurdles of the regulatory process, and create a business plan that can be presented to venture capitalists for funding.

Perhaps as a follow-up to its "Blueprint to Drive Biomedical Innovation," released last October, the FDA is now collaborating with the folks behind Stanford's Biodesign Innovation program. According to Stanford School of Medicine's Scope blog, the plan is to "collaborate on a number of initiatives, including educational outreach, cross-training of scientific personnel, and the development of new biostatistical methods for more accurately evaluating the safety of emerging medical technologies." Click here to learn more about this announcement.