AesculaTech

AesculaTech, Inc. is a biomedical materials company founded in 2016 by researchers from the University of Southern California, including CEO Niki Bayat. Bayat, a chemical engineer with a PhD from USC, was personally motivated to enter the field after her father's experience with glaucoma. Her doctoral research on injectable hydrogels for sealing eye injuries and delivering ocular therapies formed the scientific basis for the company. This work, which included developing hydrogels that become highly adhesive at body temperature, was featured on the cover of Science Translational Medicine.

The company operates in the biotechnology and medical device sectors, focusing on developing customized smart materials for biomedical, cosmetic, and industrial applications. Its core business revolves around a proprietary platform of smart hydrogels, branded as AesculaGel, which are engineered to change properties in response to stimuli like temperature. This technology allows for the creation of adaptable materials that can be tailor-made for biocompatibility and strength. AesculaTech's business model involves leveraging this platform to create a pipeline of products and partnering with industry leaders on projects that align with their vision.

AesculaTech's flagship product under development is an investigational device named Humidifeye, a smart gel punctual plug designed to treat Dry Eye Disease (DED). This condition affects over 25 million Americans and represents a global market projected to exceed $6 billion. Humidifeye is a thermally responsive, form-fitting material intended to provide sustained and reversible occlusion of the tear ducts. Unlike existing treatments, the gel is designed to be injected as a liquid, conform to the patient's anatomy, and then solidify. It can later be reverted to a gel state for easy removal. This approach aims to improve patient comfort and eliminate issues like extrusion seen with traditional plugs. Another application in development is a thermally responsive hydrogel for the sustained, 90-day release of medications for glaucoma, addressing poor patient compliance with daily eye drops.

The company has achieved several key milestones, including graduating from the Y Combinator (W18 batch) and TMCx accelerator programs. It has received a National Science Foundation I-Corps grant and was a finalist in the 2019 Octane High Tech Awards. In September 2023, the Humidifeye project was awarded a $1.5 million Fast Track SBIR grant from the National Eye Institute at the NIH. The FDA has also confirmed that Humidifeye is a 510(k) device, establishing a regulatory pathway.

Keywords: smart materials, hydrogels, ophthalmology, drug delivery, medical devices, dry eye disease, glaucoma treatment, punctal plugs, biotechnology, biomaterials