Dr. Frazier joined Norman Barnum IV, the President of the New Orleans Business Alliance, and Aimee Quirk, the CEO of Ochsner Ventures, on the Oliver Thomas Show on WBOK 1230AM. Oliver Thomas, currently a New Orleans City Council Member and a long time radio host regularly invites local business leaders on his show to discuss the state of the New Orleans economy. The New Orleans Business Alliance has been a supporter of Obatala Sciences since its founding, and Ochsner Ventures is one of Obatala's investors. The conversation focused on Obatala's recent fundraise and the continued growth of the industry in the Greater New Orleans Area. Listen below.
Obatala CEO Judges StartupUNO Competition
StartupUNO, the first Startup Pitch Competition at the University of New Orleans, was held on November 16 in the Earl K. Long Library. Dr. Trivia Frazier served as a judge at the competition, which was won by Automatic AI, a sports training app company that is building an Apple Watch App designed to improve basketball shooting.
Obatala Sciences Products Featured in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News published an article about Obatala's human-derived hydrogels. Obatala's CEO spoke about the products origins and how they can improve preclinical research outcomes by providing a more physiologically representative environment for cells to grow in and enabling modeling of diverse populations.
Obatala CEO Joins Board of Tulane University
Dr. Trivia Frazier, the Co-Founder, President, & CEO of Obatala Sciences, Inc. has been named a member of the Board of Tulane, the highest governing body of Tulane University. She is a three-time alumna of Tulane, earning her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering as a part of a dual degree program with Dillard University, a historically black college in New Orleans, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics. She then earned a PhD in Biological Sciences from the Tulane School of Medicine and an Executive MBA from the A.B. Freeman School of Business. She is honored to be a part of this important and influential board.
FDi Intelligence Article Features Obatala® CEO
An article by Alex Irwin-Hunt on the growth of the New Orleans Startup Community in the years following Hurricane Katrina featured Obatala's CEO, Dr. Trivia Frazier, as well as many other leaders in the community.
Obatala Sciences' Leaders Support Funding for New Orleans BioDistrict
Obatala's Chief Operations Officer, David Bode, spoke during a New Orleans City Council Meeting on October 19 in favor of providing a permanent funding mechanism for the New Orleans BioDistrict. On October 20, Obatala's CEO, Dr. Trivia Frazier, co-wrote an Op-Ed with the CEO of AxoSim, Dr. Lowry Curley, that supported the signing of the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement that would provide a mechanism for funding and managing the BioDistrict that can further the Biotech industry in New Orleans. The City Council voted to execute the CEA on October 20, paving the way for the diversification of the New Orleans economy and the growth of the Life Sciences community.
Obatala CEO Interviewed on WWL Radio Show
Dr. Trivia Frazier was interviewed on the Newell Normand Show on WWL Radio about Obatala's recent fundraising and how it positions the Company for its next phase growth. She was joined on the show by the CEO of GNO Inc., Michael Hecht, who has been a long time supporter of the Life Sciences Industry in the New Orleans area.
Obatala Sciences Closes $3 Million Series A Funding Round Co-led by être Venture Capital and Ochsner Health
-Funding accelerates commercialization of research-enabling solutions to speed up therapies for obesity, diabetes, and cancer across diverse populations-
-Obatala Sciences’ solutions provide research scientists in pharmaceutical companies, biotech, academia, and government laboratories with models that more accurately mimic human biology and pathology- -Obatala Sciences’ solutions drive improved drug success rates, while significantly decreasing the cost and time to bring therapeutics to market-
-Obatala Sciences’ solutions include human-derived hydrogels for growing cells in 3D, adult human stem cells from a biobank of diverse populations, media for growing and differentiating cells, and complete tissue chip kits, such as fat-on-chip products, that are used as platforms for drug discovery and development -
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 13, 2022 -- Obatala Sciences, a New Orleans biotechnology company recognized for speeding up therapies for obesity, diabetes, and cancer across diverse populations, today announced the closing of a $3 million Series A finance round co-led by être Venture Capital and Ochsner Lafayette General Healthcare Innovation Fund II and joined by Benson Capital Partners, Elevate Capital Fund, and The Hackett-Robertson-Tobe Group.
The funding will be used to further the commercialization of its first-of-kind research-enabling products and platform for drug discovery and development. These solutions, provided to pharmaceutical companies, government labs, and researchers, are designed to accelerate the study and prevention of diseases in the fields of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and regenerative medicines.
“Recently the FDA has signaled the need to improve predictivity by reducing the use of animal-derived tissues, while the NIH has been calling for greater diversity in testing. Obatala Sciences’ diverse human-derived products are the exact solution designed for these market directions,” said Jennifer Kuan, partner at être Venture Capital. “Obatala’s solutions enable their customers to significantly reduce failure rates, reduce the time to market, and thereby reduce costs. Combine that with Obatala’s extensive intellectual property portfolio, manufacturing strength, and rapidly growing customer base, and you can see why Obatala is positioned to be a leader in the 3D culture market.”
“We are thrilled to have the support of our investment partners. Their belief in us, and their commitment to support minority-led companies and communities, like New Orleans, is changing the landscape for biotech companies like Obatala Sciences,” said Obatala Sciences CEO Trivia Frazier, Ph.D., MBA. “This funding will accelerate the commercialization of our pipeline products as we work towards our milestones, which include the build-out of our lab at The Beach at UNO, a Research Park District located near the University of New Orleans campus, obtaining our ISO certifications, expanding our North American and international distribution network, and deepening our sales, marketing, and customer support teams to support our growing global customer base.”
The Market Demand
Today, medical research and new drug development are hindered by the dependence on 2D cell culture and animal-derived data which yield high failure rates. In addition, current pre-clinical and clinical drug testing does not include representation across diverse patient populations. Responding to these short-comings, Obatala Sciences has developed a portfolio of patented and patent-pending solutions, including human-derived hydrogels for growing cells in 3D, adult human stem cells from a biobank of diverse populations, media for growing and differentiating cells, and complete tissue chip kits, such as fat-on-chip systems, which are currently available, and pancreas-on-a-chip, which is under development. These kits provide an essential platform for drug discovery and development, and when these tools are combined, they provide researchers with more accurate human-based data across diverse populations.
About Obatala Sciences
Obatala Sciences, a New Orleans biotechnology company, was founded in 2017 to enable diversity in clinical research and speed up the development of better therapies for diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cancer, and advance research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicines. The company has an established, robust pipeline of human-derived hydrogels for growing cells in 3D, adult human stem cells from a biobank of diverse populations, media for growing and differentiating cells, and complete tissue chip kits, such as fat-on-chip systems, which are currently available, and pancreas-on-a-chip systems, which are under development. These kits provide an essential platform for drug discovery and development. When these tools are combined, Obatala Sciences’ products provide research scientists in pharmaceutical companies, biotech, academia, and government laboratories with more accurate models that mimic the human condition and enable a better understanding of the pathology they are investigating. As a result, Obatala Sciences’ solutions drive improved drug success rates, while significantly decreasing the cost and time to bring therapeutics to market. For more information, visit https://www.obatalasciences.com.
Media Contact:
Chuck Miller media@obatalasciences.com 720-560-5580
About Ochsner Health
Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating 80 years in 2022, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and heart transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including over 700 clinical studies. It has more than 36,000 employees and over 4,600 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 47 hospitals and more than 300 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2021, Ochsner Health treated more than 1 million people from every state and 75 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.
About être Venture Capital
être is a women-owned venture capital firm dedicated to investing for a better world. The firm seeks out mission-led companies, with a particular focus on underserved entrepreneurs or those with limited access geographically to capital sources. être offers equity and debt financing, pre-seed, seed, and series funding, along with supportive advisory services. To learn more, visit: https://www.etrevc.com.
Obatala Selected to Participate in BARDA Innovation Showcase
BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, is organizing an Innovation Showcase Day as a part of its DRIVe initiative, and Obatala Sciences was selected to present. The virtual event is October 18, 2022 from 12pm-5pm EST, and investors and BARDA program officers will have the opportunity to meet with Obatala's team and learn more about the company's adipose MPS.
LED Chooses Obatala for Diversity in Entrepreneurship Initiative
Louisiana Economic Development (LED) chose Obatala Sciences as one of 11 businesses across the state to receive support from the Edward Lowe Foundation as a part of the second annual Diversity in Entrepreneurship Initiative. The program is intended for women- and minority-owned companies that are "second-stage businesses" with 10-99 employees and are poised for further growth. The companies are:
- Brew Agency of Baton Rouge
- CALLS PLUS of Lafayette
- Demo Diva Demolition of New Orleans
- Elated Counseling Services of Shreveport
- Mobile X-Ray Service of Shreveport Bossier
- NRK Construction of Baton Rouge
- Obatala Sciences of New Orleans
- Quality First Marine of Covington
- ShredLink of Metairie
- TDS Trucking, Training, and Technology of Patterson
- White Glove Interior Care of Lafayette
Obatala CEO Speaks on Women of NOLA Health Tech Panel
Dr. Frazier joined the leaders of DOCPACE, Junum, and Performance Health Partners on a virtual panel organized by GNO Inc. to discuss the current state of the Greater New Orleans Health Tech community. Aimee Quirk, the CEO of Ochsner Health Ventures moderated the discussion.
Obatala Staff to Present at IFATS Conference
Obatala's CEO, Dr. Trivia Frazier, Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Cecilia Sanchez, and Chief Medical Officer, will be attending the International Federation of Adipose Therapeutics and Science conference in Fr. Lauderdale, FL November 4-6, 2022. Dr. Frazier and Dr. Sanchez will present recent research, and Dr. Frazier will moderate a panel. This year's conference has a major focus on Microphysiological Systems. More information about the conference can be found here.
GNO Inc. Invites Dr. Frazier to Join Panel During GNOuSummit
Dr. Trivia Frazier joined a diverse a panel that included Diego Pinzon, Caroline Crumley, and Jack Carrere, all founders of startups in New Orleans, to speak about Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Unicorn & Beyond during the GNOuSummit. The summit was organized by GNO Inc. to showcase industry partners from advanced manufacturing, logistics, wind energy, technology, maritime and beyond and inform the public about opportunities in these industries.
Obatala® CEO to Join White House-organized HBCU Week
Dr. Trivia Frazier was invited to join a National Institutes of Health discussion that will take place during the National Historically Black Colleges and Univerities Week Conference, organized by The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Dr. Frazier will speak about Biomedical Research and Business Innovation, and how science can be a tool for economic advancement. Dr. Frazier is a graduate of Dillard University, an HBCU located in New Orleans, LA, and will be joined by other panelists Dr. Willie E. May of Morgan State University, Dr. Jon Lorsch of the National Institute of General Medical Science, Dr. Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young of Texas Southern University.
Dr. Frazier to Speak to Penn State Biomedical Engineering Students
Obatala's CEO will participate in the Penn State University College of Engineering's Department of Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series. She will give a presentation entitled "Human Blood-Derived and Adipose-Derived Products for Metabolic Research: a Tale of Risk and Reward" to students in the department. Contact us at info@obatalasciences.com for registration information.
Obatala CEO Selected as Power Tech Leader
Dr. Trivia Frazier was selected by New Orleans City Business as one of the top 20 leaders in the technology industry in New Orleans.
Obatala® CEO Speaks to Students at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans
Dr. Trivia Frazier was invited by Dr. Fern Tsien to speak to students participating in a summer program at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans. She shared her academic and career journey and spoke about the transition from academia to industry and how she started Obatala Sciences.
Obatala® Research Scientist Speaks during AMRI Summer Program
Dr. Katie Hamel presented to students of the Advanced Materials Research Institute at the University of New Orleans as a part of their summer symposium series. She discussed new research efforts by Obatala and her journey from academia into industry. Obatala has been a tenant of AMRI since 2019, and it is joined by several other STEM-based startups.
Obatala® Participates in MPS World Summit
After several years of planning, the first annual MPS World Summit begins on May 31, 2022, and Obatala's Staff will be deeply involved in the conference:
- Dr. Trivia Frazier will participate in Session 15: Disease Modeling, with a talk entitled "Embracing Diversity in a Microphysiological World". She will join several other panelists to discuss how MPS can be used to better model human disease.
- Dr. Cecilia Sanchez will present Poster on Abstract #133, "White and beige/brown human adipose tissue-on-chips as a platform for disease modeling and drug discovery".
- David Bode served on the Executive, Steering, Local Organizing, and Society Committees, and will be involved in launching the International MPS Society coming out of the convention. The Society will take over planning for future conferences and build a community of researchers in the field.
- Several team members will attend the conference and will be available to speak at Booth #105 during exhibit hours.
Obatala CEO Collaborates on Publication
Dr. Trivia Frazier joined with an international group of researchers to publish a paper, "Decellularized Human Umbilical Tissue-Derived Hydrogels Promote Proliferation and Chondrogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells" in the journal, Bioengineering. The study discussed in the paper established a protocol for the formuatlion of a hydrogel from decellularized human umbilical cord tissue, and assessed its application in the proliferation and differentation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells along the chondrogenic lineage.