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Executive Summary
You don’t have to look any further than Honolulu-based Cellular Bioengineering (CBI) to identify one of the world’s leading technological pioneers. A biotech startup, CBI is revolutionizing the way human organs and tissues are replaced for the aging and injured. Led by its founder and CEO Hank Wuh, the company is currently focusing its development efforts on six new regenerative medicines: corneal cells, ophthalmology, urology, dermatology, nanopolymers and nerve growth.

While each area is equally important, it is the company’s Neural Matrix Chip (the only state-of-the-art technology for patterning and monitoring networks of growing neurons) that has garnered the most attention, recently earning them the highly coveted “R&D 100 Award.” Nicknamed the “The Oscars of Invention,” the award goes to the nation’s top innovative companies in research and development recognized for the most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace. Former award winners consist of companies like Lockhead Martin, General Electric, Hitachi and NASA, so for a small startup like CBI to receive the award is astonishing. Considering that CBI is a two-year old company with only 15 employees, these accomplishments are even more amazing.

According Dr. Kevin Chinn, CBI Senior Researcher, “The advancements the company has already made with its Neural Matrix Chip is the first step in creating combined biological and electronic chip implants that can provide neural networks of living, interconnected nerve cells for testing drugs and sensing toxins for homeland security — and, someday, restoring the use of limbs and eyesight and improved mental functions in patients.”

Major Challenge
In order for CBI to make strategic go-forward decisions on its Neural Matrix Chip technology, Dr. Chinn and his colleagues required critical research relating to its intellectual property development, competitors and possible future uses for the technology itself. Make the wrong decision, and the company ran the risk of patent infringement and the end of its pursuit for the ultimate medical breakthrough – restoring a person’s ability to walk, see and function normally.

To meet these challenges, CBI turned to Nerac Analyst Richard Hendriks, Ph.D. An author of dozens of published articles related to neurotransmitters, neural networks and neuroanatomy, Dr. Hendriks has a thorough background and knowledge of the exact areas of research CBI required. Working directly with CBI’s Dr. Chinn, Dr. Hendriks was instrumental in mapping CBI’s patent landscape to identify competitive solutions, work-arounds and potential blocking patents. Moreover, his analytical approach to finding the right research proved instrumental in helping Dr. Chinn and his team continue its Neural Chip Matrix development work.

“The research performed by Dr. Hendriks has allowed us to determine what competition we have, the alternate paths that others have taken in this area (if any), as well as possible future applications of our device,” explained Dr. Chinn. “The information was also very important in addressing issues that might be brought up in reports to our current funding agencies and has also helped us in our present grant submissions.”

The Nerac Factor
Dr. Chinn and his colleagues realized three indispensable benefits from working with Nerac and Dr. Hendriks:

Entrusted Direction on Intellectual Property Matters
Dr. Hendriks’ research regarding possible patent infringement scenarios as well as his customized assessment of CBI’s IP landscape has helped the company’s executives make safer, more reliable decisions regarding possible future applications for its Neural Network Chip device.

Informed Commercialization Decisions and Go-forward Plans
The research reports and direction provided by Dr. Hendriks was vital in providing CBI the confidence they needed to continue moving forward with the development of its regenerative medicines, particularly the Neural Network Chip.

Significant Time and Money Savings
By turning to Nerac, CBI found an authoritative partner they could trust with vital research and IP-related topics without having to bring in a full-time researcher or hire multiple consulting firms to do the work Nerac provided. Ultimately, this has saved the company a great deal of time, effort and money, allowing them to go on researching what could well be the next great medical breakthrough.