Mark and Becky DeLegge attended the American Gastroenterological Association Conference on New Technology and Innovation. The conference was in Palo Alto, California and included physicians, entrepreneurs, venture funding specialists, regulatory authorities, payors and corporations. Dr. DeLegge opened the conference with a review of “Where We Are in 2011” in GI technology development, regulatory approval, reimbursement approval and commercialization. He used the company, Satiety, as an example of the current state of affairs. He also gave a presentation on the American Gastroenterological Association’s Payor Policy Group; a group that advocates for new medical technology reimbursement for the gastroenterologist from the payors. Dr. DeLegge moderated two exciting sessions, one in the area of obesity treatments and a second on how to get your new medical technology funded. Becky DeLegge met with a number of entrepreneurs and design colleagues and was a very sought after bioengineer and medical device development company CEO.
The conference presented many stimulating lectures. There was a tremendous amount of debate surrounding working with the FDA, creating the right business model, evaluating the clinical value of a medical technology and the value of partnerships in moving new medical technology forward. Next year’s conference promises to build on the success of this year’s conference. One area to be expanded is the presentation of new medical devices by physicians and entrepreneurs for feedback from this knowledgeable crowd.
