Scope of FUS Partners Program Expanded

Published: 30 July 2020

handshake In June, the Foundation’s FUS Partners program received approval to expand the scope of the program’s activities. Started in April 2018, the program was initially created to systematize activities related to helping the focused ultrasound industry’s commercial sector become successful.

The first two years of the program were centered largely around assisting companies with seeking financing, strategic partnerships, technology transfer, and connection to academic research partners to grow and accelerate the commercialization of focused ultrasound.

Now, this expanded program will take a more holistic approach toward the ever-adjusting needs of key stakeholders in the focused ultrasound community by identifying key bottlenecks and removing them through coordinated efforts and targeted solutions. The new FUS Partners program aims to support community members through a broad range of focused ultrasound-related activities, including fostering relationships and developing critical resources to aid the focused ultrasound community with regulatory and reimbursement, corporate financing, training and credentialing, employee recruiting, strategic partnerships and technology transfer, industry advocacy, and intellectual property.

“As the focused ultrasound community continues to evolve and gain momentum, we must adapt to the environment and listen to our partners’ needs,” says FUS Partners Managing Director Emily White, MD. “With the addition of Patrick Edelmann to the team, we are expanding the bandwidth of our capabilities and expertise within the team.”

“We believe in a ‘whole of the Foundation’ approach – by bringing together multiple capabilities from within the Foundation – will accelerate the adoption of focused ultrasound as a game-changing technology,” says FUS Partners Managing Director Patrick Edelmann.

Despite the expanded scope, the primary goals of FUS Partners remain in place: producing a quantum change in the rate of focused ultrasound adoption as a mainstream standard of care, and growing and rationalizing the device manufacturer segment of the focused ultrasound community by providing capital and expertise and facilitating the consolidation of the industry.

“FUS Partners’ role is to serve as a galvanizing force in facilitating the rapid success of the commercial stakeholder segment of the focused ultrasound ecosystem,” says Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD. “It is imperative that we do everything in our power to speed the time from laboratory research to widespread utilization of the technology. Saving times equals saving lives.”

FUS Partners does not make investments or provide investment advice and does not serve as a broker or otherwise receive any compensation for services. However, parties to successful transactions will be solicited for donations to the Foundation as a way to grow the field and de-risk investment.