HOUSTON — (August 4, 2010) —
The Baylor Licensing Group – the office responsible for transferring research results and discoveries developed by Baylor College of Medicine faculty to the marketplace – is celebrating 25 years at the College.

More than 200 diagnostic, clinical and research products have reached the market based on Baylor technology, according to Lynne Schaefer, director of the Baylor Licensing Group.

New products benefit healthcare

These innovations include the development about 20 years ago of the Baylor BRAT – or Baylor Rapid Autologous System – a device that improved blood processing during surgeries that involve extreme blood loss, like the aortic aneurysm.

More recent Baylor College of Medicine technology includes antimicrobial coating for catheters and other devices developed by Dr. Rabih Darouiche, professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at BCM and his colleague at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Issam Raad. This coating helps reduce hospital acquired infections that can occur with central venous catheters and other implantable devices.

“There has been a benefit to so many patients and to public health in general from the creation of new products, whether in the health care field or research market,” Schaefer said.

Supporting research endeavors

Baylor College of Medicine has also seen a significant benefit from the technologies developed and licensed.

BCM discoveries have generated over $100 million of gross income. Of that, more than $26 million went to inventors, almost $19 million to departments and more than $22 million was retained by the College to support BCM’s research endeavors.

Other milestones

• More than 500 active license agreements
• 1,800 invention disclosures received from BCM faculty
• $15.4 million shared with funding agencies and institutions

A special publication highlighting many of the key innovations developed over the last quarter century is available online.

SOURCE