AdvaMed 2015: Thermatome Wins Entrepreneurial Award at Conference

Thermatome Corporation has been awarded the Virginia Shimer Rybski Memorial Award, given by AdvaMed Accel, the division within the advocacy organization dedicated to the needs of smaller medical technology manufacturers. The award recognizes the potential of a promising entrepreneur or entrepreneurial company.

Thermatome is a Propel company. Propel is a group of programs aimed at increasing the number and success rate of early-stage life sciences companies in Illinois, where Thermagtome is based. The program helps guide the development of formation-stage and early-stage life sciences companies by providing entrepreneurs with access to specialized resources and expertise to prepare them for early-stage funding. Propel is a Center of the iBIO (Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization) Institute.

Founded in 2013, Thermatome’s patented balloon-catheter technology uses heat to ablate tissue surrounding a surgical cavity, destroying residual cancer cells. The award was announced at the AdvaMed 2015 conference. Competing companies presented to AdvaMed attendees and a panel of judges.

“We are very honored to receive the AdvaMed 2015 Virginia Shimer Rybski Memorial Award and are grateful to AdvaMed for this recognition,” said Thermatome CEO Tom Ryan. “Thermatome is working to provide breast cancer patients with alternatives for treatment following lumpectomy surgery, and we are thrilled that this award will increase awareness of Thermatome and allow us to continue to advance the development of our products. We also want to thank Propel
for their support of Thermatome, including our grant from Propel to attend AdvaMed 2015.”

“Thermatome’s business proposition presents the kind of medical technology that has great potential for success in today’s competitive industry environment,” said Ashley Wittorf, executive director of AdvaMed Accel.

“EnterpriseWorks Chicago of the University of Illinois is delighted that Thermatome, as our very first resident at HTI in December of 2013, has come so far to be on such a prestigious national stage. The team has remained committed in translating a medical device, invented by a renowned Rush University Medical Center clinician,” said Kapila Viges, EnterpriseWorks Chicago Director. “Thermatome has strategically engaged commercialization support from a robust Chicagoland ecosystem; setting it on a solid path towards commercialization. We offer our congratulations and continued support to the Thermatome team.”

The Virginia Shimer Rybski Memorial Award was created to encourage the enthusiastic pursuit of business excellence in the medical technology industry in memory of the late entrepreneur and patient care advocate Virginia Rybski, president and CEO of Regenesis Biomedical and a member of AdvaMed’s board of directors and the Executive Committee of the Association’s former Emerging Growth Company Council (now AdvaMed Accel), who passed away in 2013.
The award is presented each year to a single presenting company or entrepreneur. This year’s award includes a $10,000 grant to be applied towards expenses required for commercializing an innovative medical technology and complimentary AdvaMed membership for two years.