SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Insera Therapeutics, Inc., has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $221,700 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on its flagship solution for ischemic stroke, which includes the CLEAR® Aspiration System and the thrombectomy-assist device SHELTER® Retriever.
Stroke is a “heart attack of the brain” and is a medical emergency. Stroke causing blood clots can lead to large vessel occlusions in brain blood vessels shutting off vital oxygen and glucose to brain cells. This can result in irreversible brain damage if these clots are not removed quickly. In a variety of pre-clinical tests, Insera’s CLEAR Aspiration System consistently achieved high first-pass revascularization compared to existing products. This is the ability to achieve full vessel re-opening by removing the stroke causing blood clot in a single operative attempt. It is also referred to as the first-pass effect.
“The National Science Foundation supports small businesses with the most innovative, cutting-edge ideas that have the potential to become great commercial successes and make huge societal impacts,” said Barry Johnson, Director of the NSF’s Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. “We hope that this seed funding will spark solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time across all areas of science and technology.”
Insera CEO Vikram Janardhan noted that the CLEAR Aspiration System is designed for use on a stand-alone basis or in conjunction with the SHELTER Retriever thrombectomy-assist device to improve first-pass effect and decrease release of dangerous debris that could cause secondary stroke.
“The CLEAR Aspiration System is the first and only vacuum suction platform currently that is versatile and can provide both uniform as well as cyclical suction, leveraging flow dynamics and the viscoelastic properties of clots to safely remove them,” explained Janardhan.
Once a small business is awarded a Phase I SBIR/STTR grant (up to $225,000), it becomes eligible to apply for a Phase II grant (up to $750,000). Small businesses with Phase II grants are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales.
NSF accepts Phase I proposals from small businesses twice annually in June and December. Small businesses with innovative science and technology solutions, and commercial potential are encouraged to apply. All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program undergo a rigorous merit-based review process.
To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/
About the National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $1.5 million in non-dilutive funds to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $7.8 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
About Insera: Insera Therapeutics, Inc. is an ISO 13485 certified medical device company focused on treatments for vascular diseases including stroke. CLEAR® stands for Customizable, Luminal, Evacuation, Aspiration, and Retrieval. SHELTER® stands for Stroke Help using an Endo-Luminal Trans-catheter Embolus Retriever. CLEAR® Aspiration System and SHELTER® Retriever are currently not cleared to market in the United States. CLEAR®, CLEAR® Aspiration System, and SHELTER® are registered trademarks, and InseraTM is a trademark of Insera Therapeutics, Inc.
