OBIO Announces Early Adopter Health Network Call for Applications to Address COVID-19

TORONTO, ON — May 14, 2020 – The Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, announced today a Canada-wide call for applications from companies for its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to address COVID-19.

OBIO’s EAHN is a network of health organizations that get leading-edge technologies into the health system. EAHN partners Canadian companies developing health technologies that are ready for adoption with health organizations (e.g., acute, primary care, long-term care, home and community care). Through this network, novel technologies that have been vetted and assessed for their readiness to be adopted and scaled will be evaluated, disseminated and procured.

“With EAHN, we want to implement COVID-19-related technologies into the health care system to help address COVID-19 and get innovations to patients faster,” said Dr. Dave Williams, an Honourary Director of OBIO and former CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre. “Canada has a reputation for breakthroughs in medical technology and has the opportunity to realize both the health and economic benefits that health science innovators within our own country can offer.”

OBIO will select companies whose technologies will aid in the management or treatment of COVID-19 and are ready to have their technology evaluated in a healthcare setting. Companies developing health technologies that are ready for adoption and whose application is outside COVID-19 are also encouraged to submit an application.

OBIO will work with successful applicants to partner them with a health organization in the EAHN to evaluate their technology over a period of up to 12-months. Financial support up to a maximum of $50,000 is available for successful companies and their health network partners.

Healthcare organizations interested in joining the EAHN are also encouraged to submit an expression of interest.

“OBIO’s EAHN gives Canadian health technology companies a reason to anchor themselves in Canada and an opportunity to access local markets before expanding globally,” said Gail Garland, President and CEO of OBIO. “It gives companies a way to attract global investment by showing a strong connection to local markets.”

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Companies with fast commercialization and clinical evaluation paths are highly encouraged to submit an expression of interest as soon as possible at obio.ca/eahn. The deadline for submissions is May 31st, 2020 at 11:59pm EDT.