Case Western spin-off gets licensing options

CWRU has given the green light to its spin-off, biotech firm ConservoCare, to obtain licensing options to develop a medical device for bladder control.

The Atlanta-based firm focuses on restoring bladder function lost through injury or illness. ConservoCare’s device, developed at CWRU, can allow the user to control their bladder through electrical nerve stimulation.

Funded CWRU’s Translational Research Partnership and by $125k from the National Institutes of Health’s Small Business Technology Transfer program, the company is in the process of taking the device forward into a clinical setting, and hopes to receive approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to commercialise the device within five years.

ConservoCare president Adam Boger said: “At the push of a button, our patients will be able to empty the bladder. The ConservoCare bladder implant promotes patient independence and improves quality of life by restoring bladder control while preserving reflexes and sexual function. The ConservoCare implant will provide doctors a safe, reversible alternative to destructive and ineffective treatments.”