NEWS

SimplyBreathe Nasal Implant, a concept from Louisiana Tech Biology Professor Dr. David Mills and his partner Dr. Grayson Gremillion, will be presented in the final round of competition in the BioChallenge Pitch Competition at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center conference.

The Center supports Louisiana life sciences entrepreneurs through its annual BioChallenge competition that has awarded startups over $175,000 in prizes since 2012. The four finalists will pitch for cash and investment prizes Nov. 14. The prizes include a grand prize of $25,000 cash, the Biofund Investment Prize of $25,000, and the audience favorite prize of $2,500 cash.

Over 60 million Americans suffer from allergic rhinitis and nasal congestion. Gremillion and Mills’ idea Technologies is decreasing patients’ daily treatment burden and increasing quality of life with SimplyBreathe, a small intranasal implant designed to slowly release medicine over four months to keep the symptoms of allergic rhinitis at bay.

The conference annually brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and technology scouts in the life science, green energy, and STEM communities.

Louisiana Tech research will also be presented in the event’s Technology Showcase, along with that of 13 other universities and research centers across the state. The event brings together the area’s regional STEM community to promote idea exchange, build new partnerships, and spur the commercialization of new technologies.

“The Technology Showcase will highlight a vast range of technologies coming out of research institutions throughout Louisiana,” said BioInnovation Center President Aaron Miscenich. “Attendees will see a glimpse of the great work being done by Louisiana’s researchers and get a good understanding of the impact our state’s research can have on our communities.”