The Institute for Pediatric Innovation (IPI) announced the formation of a partnership with Children's National Medical Center to develop medical products aimed at addressing the health care needs of children and infants.

"IPI works with a consortium that has now grown to seven pediatric hospitals across the country," Ross Trimby, COO of IPI, told DOTmed News. "With that consortium, we are working to develop both new medical devices specifically for pediatrics and new reformulated drugs specifically reformulated for pediatric application. We have a series of programs associated with device development and drug development that Children's National will be involved with," he said.

Children's National Medical Center, located in Washington, DC, is a leader in the development of cutting edge treatments for childhood illness and injury.
"This partnership represents the opportunity for Children's National
along with other renowned pediatric medical institutions to work
together with IPI to solve pediatric medical problems," Dr. Edward Connor, the director of the Office of Innovation and Investigational Therapeutics at Children's National Medical Center, wrote in an e-mail to DOTmed News. "Through the partnership we will characterize critical needs; assess the scientific, regulatory, and economic feasibility of potential solutions; and then facilitate the development of innovative products," he said.

The facility will be joining six other prominent institutions working on pediatric innovations, including Phoenix Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, the Children's Hospital of Denver, Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics in Kansas, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in California and Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Ohio.

"We have been in contact with various pediatric hospitals around the country," said Trimby. "We are looking for geographic dispersion; we are looking for institutions that are on the leading edge of innovation in the medical drugs and devices, and that is different from a fundamental research institution or an institution which is primarily clinical."

Cambridge, Mass.-based IPI is currently working on developing devices for the neonatal intensive-care unit. The nonprofit just completed a needs analysis with Children's National Medical Center, which will be a part of a yearlong program at the institution, explained Trimby.

"There will be a device that will be proposed to solve these indicated needs and Children's National will be the lead institution to help us define and bring that device to commercialization," he said.

The Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation is a part of the Children's National Medical Center. Through the collaboration of surgeons and researchers, the institute works on improving numerous aspects of pediatric surgery.

"We're very happy to be establishing this program and the new surgical innovation program that is coming out of the Zayed Institute at Children's National will be an important part of how we move forward with Children's National," Trimby said.

Children's National Medical Center is also excited to be a part of the newly formed partnership.

"The needs of children often take a backseat when it comes to innovation
development. Addressing this issue is multifaceted," said Connor. "This collaboration focuses on practical needs and feasible solutions for children. We hope to see a number of these solutions turned into real products in the short term that will improve the way we care for children," he said.

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