Inside Tucson Business

Arizona’s top innovator startup company for the year 2006 was Tucson’s Medipacs

The company was named Innovator of the Year Award last month at the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards Gala in Phoenix.

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Southern Arizonans Bob Hagen, ceo of the Southern Arizona Technology Council, and Doug Goodman, founder and president of Ridgetop Group, also received awards at the event recognizing the technological and business achievements of Arizona’s top companies, organizations and individuals. It was sponsored by Gov. Janet Napolitano and hosted by the Arizona Technology Council and the Arizona Department of Commerce.

Medipacs, which is part of the Arizona Center for Innovation in the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park, 9040 S. Rita Road, opened in June 2004. The company has designed and has patents pending for a programmable, electronically controlled disposable infusion pump intended for use at the bedside or by individuals in their homes. Major applications of disposable pumps are drug delivery for pain control, intravenous infusion and diabetic care. Medipacs products can be programmed to deliver drugs at a controlled rate and dosage for as long as two weeks on a single 9-volt battery.

Mark Banister, president of Medipacs, says the cost of manufacturing the disposable pump is expected to be less than $10, which significantly will reduce the cost to patients. Although licensees of Medipacs product ultimately will determine pricing, current disposable infusion pumps cost patients an average of $200.

In addition to the disposable infusion pump, Medipacs is developing a liquid drug-delivery patch that automatically will pump fluid into the body. Manufacturing costs of the patch are less than $1.

“There is a technology gap today due to the growth in sophisticated liquid drugs,” says Banister. “The more sophisticated these liquid pharmaceuticals are, the more important it is to administer the right amount of medication at the right time. This is often difficult when the patient is at home. The physician is most concerned about medication compliance and safety for the home patient, while the patient is concerned with safety, affordability and a method that is easy to administer. Medipacs’ technology addresses all of these concerns.”

Medipacs hopes to have its products on the market in two years. “Our next step is focusing on investors and raising the money,” says Banister. “From investment to getting the product through 510(k) is a two-year process. After that, we can hit the market.”

E-mail comments for publication to editor@azbiz.com. This report includes information from the Business Journal in Phoenix.

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