New collaboration strengthens Lifecare’s development

Lifecare recently entered into a partnership with Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.

– Complementary expertise, further strengthening of our product development as well as strengthening our potential recruitment base were decisive for the new agreement with a professionally strong research environment, says CEO Joacim Holter.

CEO Joacim Holter and CSO Prof. Andreas Pfützner at Lifecare, Managing Director of Innovectis Dr. Kristin Schilling and Vice-dean at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Prof. Dr. Michael Huth.  

Holter believes that there are several interesting factors with the collaboration and elaborates. – Firstly, we continuously want to develop and improve our already cutting-edge technology. For that reason, we have linked up with Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, where we will finance two new doctoral positions. For us, it means that we can further develop what we have and, alternatively, add efforts for research in other directions. In addition, this collaboration is about contributing to ensuring that we have a strong professional recruitment base. This is also part of a slightly more long-term approach towards co-locating our German units in the Mainz area, he says.

– During past year, we have already had a close and very important collaboration with Professor Michael Huth at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. He is one of the original inventors of the technology that we have licensed enabling us to produce sensor-elements in the nanoscale as basis for the grain-of-rice sized continuous monitoring device our sensor represents. The fact that we now strengthen our cooperation is important to us, as academic collaboration processes generally seem to be far more effective by bringing the university into an official collaboration as well. Prof. Huth is also deputy dean, it is clear that he is an important provider of premises for both the strategic and political work that the university carry out, Holter concludes.

Lifecare recently acquired a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) from our close partner NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute. As part of the collaboration with the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Lifecare has relocated the SEM to Frankfurt and Prof. Huth’s Institute of Physics. SEM is a central piece for the development of Sencell.

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) NMI inspected by Lifecare’s Dr. Boris Stamm and CEO Joacim Holter before relocating to Goethe University.

Holter expresses that Lifecare is really looking forward to the collaboration with the university and believes it will be fruitful right from the start. University and industry cooperations ensures effective developments. This is to the benefit for the involved parties, as well as the general community getting the advantage of new and often important innovations.

– I am proud to lead a company with a history of strong academic cooperations. Currently we have important collaborations with Goethe University, NMI and University of Bath. I am happy to share that we will further enhance these relationships with additional projects in the near future, states CEO Joacim Holter.

Presentation at ATTD 2023 in Berlin 

Lifecare’s CSO, Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Pfützner, is invited as a speaker to present Sencell at the 16th International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD 2023) in Berlin. – This is undeniably a very attractive arena to present our innovative diabetes technology, says the CSO at Lifecare.

CSO Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Pfützner at Lifecare. (Photo: Cecilie Bannow)

ATTD is a leading international diabetes technology forum where clinicians, diabetes care providers, researchers, industries, start-up, investors, reimbursement authorities, regulators and people with diabetes, assemble with the goal to ameliorate the care of people with diabetes at the fastest possible pace.

In addition to the presentation about Sencell, Prof. Dr. Dr. Pfützner will present Lifecare’s “Dynamic CGM interference testing method” as an E-poster at the conference in  22-25 February 2023.

– Naturally, there is recognition for being on stage in such a forum, but it also comes as a result of growing interests around our sensor technology. We pursue a groundbreaking product development and we are involved in the prestigious EU-funded FORGETDIABETES project related to the development of an artificial pancreas device. This obviously creates a certain curiosity, says Pfützner

– At the conference in Berlin, we have the opportunity to meet an audience that includes diabetes technology experts and other leading scientists such as clinicians active in the field of endocrinology and metabolism, pediatrics and family medicine, as well as scientists working in pharmaceutical and medicinal product companies. They come from all over the world, from the industry, academia and primary care institutions, states Pfützner.

The purpose of the ATTD meeting is to highlight innovative technologies and treatments in diabetes management. It assembles developers of new technologies with diabetes care professionals and caretakers, researchers, industries, startup companies, investors, reimbursement authorities and regulators, as well as people with diabetes. Distinguished international professionals discuss and disseminate information on the latest technologies and treatments in our field

New public grant

The Norwegian Catapult Centre awarded another grant to Lifecare in connection with a project relating to Sencell-sensor. – We applied for financial support for our development of encapsulation membrane and got 50 per cent covered. This amounts to 250.000 NOK, states CEO Joacim Holter.

In Q2 2022 Lifecare initiated a project to develop protective encapsulation to ensue longer functional time for the sensor.

Lifecare has continued its collaboration with Norner in this new phase of the study. Norner is a leading industrial polymer Research & Development center for the polymer and plastics industry with over 40 years of experience. Norner is also a part of Norwegian Catapult Centre assisting companies developing ideas from concept to market launch.

– In this second phase of the study we will focus on assesment of material selection and suppliers against regulations and requirements for the product/medical use and assessment of the materials’ properties itself, says Dr. Barbora Tencer. She is Senior QMS Manager at Lifecare and has overall responsibility for the progress and coordination of the project, which takes place in collaboration with Norner.

Senior QMS Manager Barbora Tencer and CEO Joacim Holter

Tencer elaborates that this phase will also entail the selection of candidates for membranes and benchmarking study on two or three grades for selected polymer family.

– Based on material selection we will find the best and most optimal processing techniques. There are many important decisions in such a project, so we have regular meetings and workshops with our skilled partners, says Tencer.

Holter elaborates that the project and collaboration with Norner is an important part of Lifecares initial product development, ongoing alongside our first clinical development study. Our preparations on the regulatory pathway depends on several parallel processes with numerous details and decisions on the way. We have prepared our organization for this phase and the overall project coordination handled by Barbora  from our   Bergen main office is a solid proof that we are well prepared.     

Lifecare in media 

DAGENS INDUSTRI PODCAST:

Sensor as big as a grain of rice – a revolution for people with diabetes The really big innovations don’t have to be big. The Norwegian medical technology company Lifecare AS has taken note of this. The company wants to make life easier for all people in the world who live with diabetes. With nanotechnology and the microscopic Sencell sensor – a sensor no bigger than a grain of rice – the block sugar level of the user can be read. In the extension, the patient should be able to read the levels via their own smart watch. Listen to this podcast episode

Listen to this podcast episode where Lifecare’s Joacim Holter is interviewed by InvestTalks in Dagens Industri (Swedish and Norwegian)

DAGENS INDUSTRI NEWS ARTICLE:

MEDWATCH:

– Increased employer’s tax affects innovation, slows down the pace and creates uncertainty, says CEO Joacim Holter.

In this interview in MedWatch, Holter describes how new government taxes affect innovative companies such as Lifecare.

The CEO in Lifecare says that it is necessary to bring in talent from abroad, as they are fighting for in-demand labor in a Norwegian labor market with low unemployment, where there are already few to choose from.

– In order to get hold of the right expertise, we have to import talent from abroad, he says.

– We want to bring expertise to Norway, not the other way around, and therefore we found it difficult when the government does not support it.

– Our desire is to be a company that produces and is on the market in Norway, says Holter.

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