CLEVELAND, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- A consortium comprising The Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Cincinnati and several medical device firms received $22.8 million from the state of Ohio today to establish an Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Center at the Clinic.
A second consortium received $6 million to fund age-related macular degeneration research based at the Clinic's Cole Eye Institute and a third Clinic-led group was awarded $4 million to establish a Clinical Tissue Engineering Center.
"The centers and research funded today involve the collaboration of some of the top clinicians, laboratory researchers, technology companies and venture capitalists in the nation," said Delos M. Cosgrove, M.D., president and chief executive officer of The Cleveland Clinic. "The joint efforts of these individuals and institutions will result in important new tools for diagnosing and treating disease while creating new medical products and bringing new wealth to Ohio."
The new Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Center will be one of the state's Wright Centers of Innovation, which consist of large-scale, world-class research and technology development platforms designed to accelerate the pace of Ohio commercialization. Supported by large grants, the Wright Centers have been created under Ohio's Third Frontier Project, a 10-year, $1.1 billion initiative to expand high-tech capabilities and innovation within the state.
"The Wright Center grant, recognizing outstanding medical innovation, represents exceptional support for the development of our Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Center, which partners The Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals of Cleveland and the University of Cincinnati with 14 companies working to prevent or better treat atrial fibrillation," said Eric J. Topol, M.D., chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and provost and chief academic officer at the Clinic. "Five of the companies involved in the Wright Center grants are based in Ohio, meaning these projects could promote hundreds of new Ohio jobs over the next five years."
Atrial fibrillation is a common condition that causes rapid, uncontrolled heart rhythms. Approximately 2.2 million Americans have the condition, including nearly 100,000 Ohioans. The condition accounts for more than one in five strokes. Led by the Clinic, the Atrial Fibrillation Center team will implement a five-part program to ensure that new atrial fibrillation research and therapies are developed and commercialized for the benefit of patients.
Companies involved in the Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Center include Atricure Inc., of West Chester, Ohio; Philips Medical Systems of Cleveland, Ohio; Sinus Rhythm Technology, Inc. of Plymouth, Minn.; and Symphony Medical Inc. of Eden Prairie, Minn.
The Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute, with its partners CWRU, Wright State University, Alcon Ltd., PrognostiX Inc. and Frantz Biomarkers Inc., received $6 million for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) research under Ohio's Biomedical Research and Technology Transfer Partnership Program. The program is also a Third Frontier Project to support biomedical and biotechnology research leading to Ohio commercialization and long-term improvements to the health of state residents.
"We are very excited about receiving this grant from the state to research and prevent the leading cause of vision loss in those ages 65 and up," said Hilel Lewis, M.D. chairman of The Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. "We believe the work by the team at the Cole Eye Institute will result in the development of biomarkers to determine which patients will develop age-related macular degeneration. We will then have a target to develop pharmacological agents to treat and prevent the disease."
About 30 percent of people over age 75 suffer from AMD, and another 23 percent will develop the disease within five years.
The $4 million received by the Clinic, CWRU, NASA Glenn Research Center, the Ohio Supercomputer Center, and University Hospitals received for the establishment of a Clinical Tissue Engineering Center (CTEC) was also awarded under Ohio's a Biomedical Research and Technology Transfer Partnership Program (BRTT). The CTEC will focus on the creation and assessment of new therapies for the repair and regeneration of bone, cartilage, tendon and skin under the direction of George F. Muschler, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon at the Clinic.
"Musculoskeletal tissue engineering is the first area we will focus on as it has the most mature technology base," Dr. Muschler said. "We anticipate that over time we will expand this technology to include the development of engineered tissues for the treatment of other solid organ diseases." The Clinical Tissue Engineering Center will coordinate the activities of nearly 50 investigators across the five member institutions.
Ohio Gov. Bob Taft unveiled The Third Frontier Project in February 2002. This project is the state's largest-ever commitment to expanding Ohio's high- tech research capabilities and promoting innovation and company formation that will create high-paying jobs for generations to come.
The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center is the recognized world leader in diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The Cleveland Clinic has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for cardiac care by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1995. The Cleveland Clinic has been ranked among America's Ten Best Hospitals every year since 1990 by U.S. News & World Report.
The Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute, under the leadership of Hilel Lewis, M.D., is ranked one of the top eye care departments in the country, according to a recent survey published by U.S. News & World Report. More than 135,000 patient visits were recorded at the Institute in 2003. The Institute has state-of-the-art eye clinics, operating rooms for eye surgery, and extensive laboratory and clinical space dedicated to research on ophthalmic diseases and development of new treatments.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for- profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. The Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names The Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Approximately 1,200 full-time salaried physicians at The Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2003, patients came for treatment from every state and nearly 90 countries. The Cleveland Clinic website address is http://www.clevelandclinic.org/ .
The Cleveland ClinicCONTACT: Alicia Sokol, +1-216-445-9661, or Natalie Guzzo,+1-216-444-5703, both of The Cleveland Clinic
Web site: http://www.clevelandclinic.org/