Innovative concepts in animal health are

inching closer to reaching the market, thanks

to support from the Center for Animal Health

Innovation, located inside Kansas State

University’s Olathe satellite campus. The

Center, created by the Kansas Bioscience

Authority and a key player in the Kansas

City region’s Animal Health Corridor, is

supporting the growth of several projects

represented by its first proof-of-concept grant

winners. The grant is designed to assist the

academic community and entrepreneurs in

moving breakthrough animal health-related

products, services and technology toward a

bright commercial future.

Winners will share the $300,000 grant,

though not evenly, says the Center’s CEO,

Jeff Boily. Funding amounts depend on the

project’s stage of development at the time

of submission and on what it will take to

garner attention for additional investment

and commercial promise.

“When we fund a project, it’s still too early

to say whether it will go the distance,” Boily

says. “Yet, by investing in it, we’re attempting

to ‘de-risk’ it as much as possible so that it

can move forward in development. Being

awarded the Center’s proof-of-funding

grant is a little like receiving the Good

Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”

According to Boily, when the Center

announced the grant last October, it received

28 applications from across the U.S. and

abroad, 19 of which came from the academic

community and nine from small companies.

Boily says the grant is appealing because it

reduces an innovator’s financial risk of

converting an idea from lab to market. Grant

submissions were vetted by outside advisers

to determine “the scientific robustness of the

product and its commercial success down the

road,” he says.

The Center’s work further raises awareness

of Kansas City’s role in the animal health

industry, according to KC Animal Health

Corridor CEO and Ceva Animal Health CEO/

North America Zone Director Craig Wallace.

“Innovation is critically important to the

animal health industry,” Wallace says. “The

Center for Animal Health Innovation will

Moving Concepts to MarketCenter for Animal Health Innovation guides new ideas

Story by SuSan Fotovich Mccabe | Photo by Gary rohMan

strengthen the region by finding new products

and services for commercialization, which

will further strengthen the research base

in the Corridor. This fits perfectly with the

Corridor’s strategic priorities and fills a gap

in services to academics and entrepreneurs

in the animal health industry.”

Beyond receiving a share of the grant money,

the Center’s proof-of-concept grant recipients

will be paired with members of its board, who

will serve as mentors, provide guidance to

accelerate the process of the various projects

and establish key relationships to catalyze

successful commercialization outcomes.

“The funding and the guidance these

recipients get from senior R&D and C-level

executives from leading animal health

companies that make up our board is

invaluable,” Boily says. “Recipients would

not be able to go to the bank for an unsecured

loan for these projects in their early stages

of development.”

Boily, who brings 30 years of global life

sciences experience in clinical research

informatics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology

and drug delivery, says the Center is unique in

that it pairs financial support with mentoring

from some of the industry’s leading companies.

And he adds that innovation in animal health

might one day translate to breakthrough

products for human health as well.

“The attention the Center has garnered so far

is amazing,” says Boily. “In just the short period

of time we’ve been here, I have had significant

inquiries from life science companies that didn’t

realize what was going on in Kansas.”

that extra Spark4

bio corner

The word is out among members of the academic, research and entrepreneurial community concerning

the vast resources the Center for Animal Health Innovation has to offer. Its unique ability to fast-track a

concept to the marketplace gives innovators access to leading animal health CEOs and top-level executives

from companies like Bayer Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., Centaur Inc., CEVA

Biomune Company, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Merck Animal Health and senior executives of the Kansas

Bioscience Authority and the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute Inc.

This collection of business, technical and scientific guidance includes project management assistance

to deliver successful results and support to connect with investors and businesses that can help innovators

identify and secure commercial partners.

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