FDA puts $7m into L.A. pediatric devices consortium

The FDA awarded a $6.6 million, five-year grant to the West Coast Consortium for Technology and Innovation in Pediatrics to help support the continued development of advanced pediatric medical products, according to a press release from the group.

The consortium, based out of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California, touted that it is one of only five centers in the US to win the FDA’s Pediatric Device Consortium grant which is offered by its Office of Orphan Products Development.

“Our mission is to improve health outcomes for our vulnerable pediatric population. To be recognized by the FDA as a center of excellence for pediatric innovation and to serve as a national resource for pediatric device development is both a great honor and great responsibility. We feel fortunate to be working with some of the finest institutions on the west coast to support and foster collaboration in medical technology development,” CTIP co-director Dr. Juan Espinoza of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles said in a prepared statement.

CTIP was formed in 2011 and won its first funding from the FDA in 2013. The consortium said it features network members including the University of California, Los Angeles; Oregon Health & Science University; University of Southern California; University of California, San Diego; University of California, Berkeley; Seattle Children’s Hospital; Cedars-Sinai Accelerator; LA BioMed; and Project Zygote.

“CTIP has undergone considerable growth, evolving from a Southern California consortium to one that spans the major metropolitan areas on the west coast. We recognize that there are still many unmet needs facing pediatric patients, which motivates us to capitalize on our large network of multi-disciplinary stakeholders to identify and cultivate promising new technologies tailored to the needs of children,” CTIP co-director Dr. Yaniv Bar-Cohen of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles said in a press release.

“Innovation in health care covers so much ground – from finding successful new methods of patient care to developing novel medical devices and digital health technologies – and the industry has yet to scratch the surface. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has the expertise, experience and resources needed to lead the charge, and we are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation to enhance the quality of care and health outcomes for the children we serve,” Children’s Hospital of L.A. chief innovation officer and CTIP leadership team member Omkar Kulkami said in a prepared statement.

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