A recent study published in the May issue of Medical Care found that medical device startup companies founded by physicians developed roughly the same number of patents as non-physician founded startups. The study, conducted by Drs. Sheryl Winston Smith, PhD and Andrew Sfekas, PhD of the Fox School of Business at Temple University, focused on high-risk, class III medical devices which require substantial testing to prove safety and effectiveness. The study used an algorithm to examine the overlap between premarket approval applications and patents, which is important for identifying which patents are more important for developing new ideas. However, the researchers indicated that conflict of interest policies may result in fewer startups, if regulations are too tight. To read the full article on EurekAlert.org, click here.
