Joseph Bosco, MD: “Dr. Walker knew the biomechanical design and I had the clinical expertise, but we needed an industry partner.”
Photo: ©Buck Ennis/Crain’s New York Business
This article is part of Ƶ’s Innovative Model of Drug Discovery, NYU School of Medicine Reports, NYU School of Medicine 2017 Report.
Investigators: , professor and vice chair, , orthopedic surgeon; and , research professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Product: Early intervention knee replacement
In 2010, Drs. Bosco and Walker saw an opportunity to improve the quality of life for patients with early osteoarthritis of the knee, at relatively low cost. Their solution: a partial knee replacement called the Early Intervention Knee, consisting of uniquely designed femoral and tibial components that are implanted in an outpatient surgical setting.
“Dr. Walker knew the biomechanical design and I had the clinical expertise, but we needed an industry partner to bring our device to market,” explains Dr. Bosco. “Neither of us had the entrepreneurial expertise in raising money for testing and dealing with regulatory agencies.”
In 2014, Ƶ Health’s tech-transfer program stepped in, securing four patents and establishing Genovel Orthopedics to bring the device to market.
