EnClear Therapies’ system designed to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases was one of five first-place winners of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (M2D2) $200K Challenge.
Cambridge, Mass.-based EnClear Therapies’ device-based system was designed to halt the progression of neurodegenerative diseases by removing toxic proteins that build up in the brain and are known to drive pathology. The system continuously recirculates cerebrospinal fluids, targets and removes those proteins.
More than 150 companies entered the 2019 competition. Entries were analyzed based on value, strength and execution plan. Winners were selected from 21 finalists who each gave a live, four-minute pitch with one minute to answer questions from the expert judges. Kevin Kalish, EnClear Therapies’ vice president of research and development, gave the winning pitch.
“We are tremendously honored to be selected from over 150 entrants as the winner of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Award in the M2D2 $200K Challenge,” said EnClear Therapies’ co-founder and CEO Anthony DePasqua in a prepared statement. “Kevin’s presentation captured the potential of our unique device in treating a variety of neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and progressive supranuclear palsy, for which there are currently no effective treatment options. This award will support and hopefully accelerate our development program with the goal of treating patients living with these devastating conditions.”
Based at the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus, M2D2 offers inventors and executives of small medtech companies access to world-class researchers and resources at UMass Lowell and the UMass Medical School campus.
“The M2D2 $200K Challenge has become emblematic of the rich culture of medical device innovation in the Massachusetts biotech cluster and in the UMass system,” said Mary Ann Picard, M2D2’s director of operations. “EnClear’s novel approach to treating neurological diseases highlights the high level of scientific and medical creativity we saw in this year’s competition and the tremendous potential for improving the lives of patients we see in each year’s submissions.”
