The Center for Entrepreneurship is excited to announce that Intero Biosystems, led by the brilliant PhD student Madeline Eiken, has been named our September Fuel Award winner. This dynamic team is shaking up the world of drug development with their game-changing innovation, GastroScreen, and made history by becoming the first-ever recipient of the maximum Fuel grant—$25,000! Their trailblazing vision and stellar pitch wowed our panel of judges, who unanimously agreed that InteroBiosystems deserved the top award.
Here’s something shocking: 90% of new drugs fail clinical trials. That’s right—decades of work and billions of dollars go to waste, while patients are left waiting for better treatments. This massive gap in the drug development process is exactly what InteroBiosystems is out to change with GastroScreen.
GastroScreen is no ordinary tool—it’s the world’s first stem cell-derived Human Intestinal Organoid. This revolutionary technology closely mimics the human intestine, right down to key cell types, functional smooth muscle, blood vessels, and responsive neurons. It’s basically a mini gut in a dish! And it’s not just for show—GastroScreen offers a highly accurate model for testing drugs, predicting toxicity, and determining efficacy long before human trials. Imagine how much time, money, and effort this breakthrough could save—getting better drugs to patients faster and more reliably!
Intero Biosystems has set a whole new standard for what it takes to win the Fuel Award. Their innovative product and stellar presentation have raised the bar for future teams aiming for that $25,000 prize. We couldn’t be prouder to support their groundbreaking work and can’t wait to see how GastroScreen transforms the future of medicine.
Let’s give a huge congratulations to Madeline Eiken and the InteroBiosystems team! They’re leading the way in revolutionizing drug development, and we’re beyond excited to see where this journey takes them. Stay tuned—the future of medicine is about to change!