Daniel Boyd and ABK Biomedical yesterday won the $30,000 BioInnovation Challenge presented by BioNova for its development of OccluRad particles in the treatment of fibroid tumors.

BioNova, the umbrella group for the Nova Scotian biotech industry, initiated the BioInnovation Challenge this year in conjunction with the BioPort 2011 conference to encourage commercialization of research at the province’s universities.

ABK Biomedical is commercializing a method to improve recent innovations in the treatment of benign tumors in women by making the process simpler, safer and cheaper.

About 40% of women over 35 worldwide develop these tumors, and many require a hysterectomy. Yet doctors are now tackling this problem by introducing particles through the skin, which attack the tumors and starve them of oxygen so they eventually wither. The problem is the particles are invisible to X-ray, so doctors have to introduce a dye into the patient’s system so the particles can be seen and traced in X-rays to make sure they’re working.

ABK Biomedical’s innovation is the development of new particles that are visible in X-rays, meaning the dye is no longer needed. Not only does this reduce the cost, it also saves 20 minutes in the procedure, meaning doctors can treat about two more patients per day. And the dye can be toxic or lead to an allergic reaction, so the risks of the treatment are reduced with the OccluRad particles.

Boyd estimated the market for his new particles is about $650 million, and that it is growing at about 8-10 percent annually because the particle treatment is so new.

ABK Biomedical has so far spent $150,000 developing the treatment, and estimates it will need another $505,000 to commercialize it. The company is still at an early stage of its development, is now being spun out of Dalhousie University and looking for a CEO. Boyd, the company’s Director of Operations, stressed ABK will put the $30,000 (which comprises seed funding and advisory services) to good use, especially in helping it to navigate the regulatory process.

The other finalists in the BioInnovation Challenge were:

-- Dorothy Easy of Jellett Rapid Testing Ltd., Chester. Jellett has developed the Rapid Rabies Screen, a device to quickly and cheaply identify rabies in animals, addressing an acute problem in the developing world where so many stray dogs suffer from the disease.

 -- Kirk Hillier of Acadia University, Wolfville, who is developing natural pheromones for the management of insect pests. By producing a natural product that discourages insects from mating, Hillier hopes to mitigate the global problem of insects spoiling 1 billion tons of human food each year and consuming forests the size of Alberta.

-- Ed Rushton of Thorasys Thoracic Medical Systems Inc., Halifax. Thorasys is developing a device called TremoFlo to improve the diagnosis of asthma and other respiratory diseases. The device is smaller than and at least half the price of devices now used to diagnose the disease.

-- Florentin Wilfart of DMF Medical Inc., Halifax. DMF is developing a device called ZeroSorb, which removes toxin from anaesthesia systems, thus improving operating room safety.