Partner News: Artyc Launches Medstow Mini for Temperature Stable Blood Sample Collection and Delivery
Artyc PBC, a California-based cold chain startup, announced today the launch of Artyc’s Medstow Mini, a small battery-powered cooling container designed to transport medical goods through the supply chain.
SAN FRANCISCO, September 12th, 2023 – Artyc PBC, a California-based cold chain startup, announced today the launch of Artyc’s Medstow Mini, a small battery-powered cooling container designed to transport medical goods through the supply chain.
The Medstow Mini is a reusable active temperature stabilization and cooling container for shipping blood samples, blood vials, and cells collected within the home or clinical settings. The Medstow Mini can withstand varying ambient temperatures, prevent temperature excursions, and provide live data insights on location and temperature of samples via a user-friendly app.
Artyc entered a joint development program for the Medstow Mini with Tasso Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric clinical-grade blood collection solutions, to develop a logistics solution that supports the temperature-controlled delivery of high-quality decentralized blood testing solutions for the pharmaceutical industry. Leveraging Tasso’s end-to-end integrated logistics platform to support shipping, participant engagement and more, the Medstow Mini is designed to meet the needs of next-generation at-home sample collection and remote diagnostics to ensure both accuracy and regulatory compliance for customers.
“With the launch of the Medstow Mini, Artyc is taking a first step towards building a sustainable cold chain,” said Hannah Sieber, co-founder and CEO of Artyc. “The Medstow Mini allows our customers to increase healthcare access, reduce packaging waste, and slash cold chain emissions. In partnership with Tasso, we’re excited to offer a novel solution for shipments of at-home diagnostics.”
Historically, global supply chains have relied on cold chain infrastructure such as refrigerated trucks, cold rooms, and cold packs to keep products at stable temperatures. Yet, these transport systems and cooling technologies are energy, capital and labor intensive, often leading to a lack of tight temperature regulation and visibility and resulting in sample spoilage and excessive cold chain waste
“We are excited to see new technologies such as those from Artyc being developed to provide the highest level of control over blood sample logistics,” said Erwin Berthier, co-founder and CTO of Tasso. “Bringing diagnostics to the home will provide access to an essential component of healthcare to many underserved patients but will require new solutions that ensure the integrity of samples and an efficient, safe and seamless shipping process. Through our collaboration, Artyc is in a position to be a leader in this space.”
At every stage of transport, from source to destination, Artyc’s Medstow Mini ensures product integrity by controlling, monitoring and reporting temperatures. This feature set is crucial for medical logistics; when transporting blood, for example, specimens must be stored at refrigerated temperatures between +2 and +8 degrees Celsius at all times. Prolonged excursion outside of this temperature range will spoil the sample. By electrifying the cold chain, Artyc provides precision temperature control for days rather than hours and offers a solution that is both reusable and rechargeable for sustainable logistics.
The Artyc Medstow Mini is the first of a suite of products to be launched by Artyc that are purpose-built for the medical industry. The company is developing additional products for other industries which require a cold supply chain, such as food and agriculture.
Tasso and UBC Partner to Advance Decentralized Sample Collection and Analysis Solutions for Post-Approval Research
Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric clinical-grade blood collection solutions, and United BioSource LLC (UBC), a leading provider of evidence development solutions for the biopharmaceutical industry, today announced a partnership to provide more efficient, streamlined, and convenient sample collection and analysis options for post-approval research to improve study design and enable a better patient experience.
Seattle and Blue Bell, P.A., June 27, 2023 – Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric clinical-grade blood collection solutions, and United BioSource LLC (UBC), a leading provider of evidence development solutions for the biopharmaceutical industry, today announced a partnership to provide more efficient, streamlined, and convenient sample collection and analysis options for post-approval research to improve study design and enable a better patient experience.
The new partnership will bring together Tasso’s devices for at-home, virtually painless clinical-grade blood sample collection and end-to-end collection and analysis solutions with UBC’s late-stage research expertise in evidence development and participant support services, including digital recruitment and engagement strategies, powerful real-world data infrastructure and rapid analytics software. Together, the two companies will offer a complete solution for biopharmaceutical companies seeking to improve participant retention and compliance, boost patient engagement, and enroll more diverse patient populations in decentralized post-approval studies.
Tasso and UBC have recently been awarded a late-stage biomarker monitoring study, with additional projects expected to follow.
“This collaboration combines UBC’s expertise in modernized study design and execution with our innovative offerings to create an unprecedented new solution for patient-centric, decentralized research,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Tasso, Inc. “Importantly, the collaboration will not only provide sponsors with the high-quality data they require but will also drive much-needed improvement in the patient experience and trial participant diversity.”
Research utilizing the joint offering will be powered by Tasso’s integrated solutions to streamline blood sample collection and analysis. After sponsors provide a list of samples needed, Tasso will handle shipping at-home blood collection kits directly to research participants, manage transport of samples to an analytical laboratory that has validated the specific test(s) needed, and communicate lab results back to the sponsor. The fully integrated Tasso Connect portal will ensure samples can be tracked with out-of-the-box functionality, and for seamless connectivity, partners can link with their own systems through Tasso’s API integration.
“With today’s rapidly evolving post-approval drug development requirements, there’s a real need to help sponsors efficiently, effectively, and safely execute and manage late-stage and real-world evidence generation research programs that meet regulatory and payer requirements and support their product commercialization objectives,” said Aaron Berger, Head of Evidence Development, UBC. “Our partnership with Tasso allows us to collectively provide flexible, integrated and innovative offerings that improve the patient experience and advance decentralized research methods.”
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
About UBC
United BioSource LLC (UBC) is the leading provider of evidence development solutions with an expertise in unifying evidence and access. UBC helps biopharma mitigate risk, address product hurdles, and demonstrate safety, efficacy, and value under real-world conditions. Underpinned by our scientific expertise, data and analytics, and innovative technologies, we offer our customers flexible solutions generating the relevant real-world data necessary to make more informed decisions earlier, meet stakeholder requirements, and, ultimately, drive better patient outcomes. For additional information, visit www.ubc.com.
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Media Contact:
Dina Schneider
Tasso, Inc.
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Amber Frasketi
UBC
(215) 588-8423
Partner News: Aptar Digital Health and Tasso Combine Capabilities to Facilitate Blood Sample Collection for Multiple Indications Including Chronic Conditions and Oncology
Aptar Digital Health, a global expert in Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), digital Patient Support Programs (PSPs) and disease management solutions, and Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today entered into a collaboration to offer Aptar Digital Health end-users access to Tasso’s devices for blood collection. The collaboration will focus on improving patient care through a simplified and integrated experience, delivering clinical value to patients through a real-world deployment and increasing adoption of new technologies by patients, providers and pharmaceutical companies.
Crystal Lake, Illinois, June 13, 2023 – Aptar Digital Health, a global expert in Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), digital Patient Support Programs (PSPs) and disease management solutions, and Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today entered into a collaboration to offer Aptar Digital Health end-users access to Tasso’s devices for blood collection. The collaboration will focus on improving patient care through a simplified and integrated experience, delivering clinical value to patients through a real-world deployment and increasing adoption of new technologies by patients, providers and pharmaceutical companies.
“At Aptar Digital Health, we are committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance the patient experience,” said Sai Shankar, President of Aptar Digital Health. “The collaboration with Tasso to offer their technologies is a further step towards simplifying the patient journey.”
The Tasso blood collection devices will be available to patients included in Aptar Digital Health randomized-clinical trials and real-world studies, as well as to life science companies with whom Aptar Digital Health collaborates to develop digital health solutions, such as digital therapeutics, disease management platforms and digital PSPs.
Patients will have access to the Tasso+ and Tasso-M20 devices. The Tasso+ is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Class II 510(k)-cleared blood lancet that collects liquid whole blood samples, and the Tasso-M20, which is CE-marked, collects volumetrically-controlled dried whole blood samples from the patient for delivery to the lab. Onboarded patients will monitor their disease and symptoms through the digital health app provided by Aptar Digital Health and, when a blood test is required by the healthcare provider, samples will be collected with Tasso’s devices and sent for analysis.
The devices developed by Tasso collect clinical grade blood that can contain a large range of blood markers, from lipid and liver analytes, to antibodies to detect serostatus, and from specific select enzymes and proteins to certain cancer-specific antigens. This initiative will accelerate the use of a decentralized approach to blood collection and reduce the burden on patients related to laboratory testing.
“Our proprietary technology allows for easy, virtually-painless remote sample blood collection, creating an easier and more pleasant experience for patients and shifting how clinical research can be executed,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Tasso. “We are dedicated to expanding access to patient-centric care, reducing barriers and supporting greater adoption of decentralized clinical trials. As part of that mission, we are pleased to collaborate with Aptar Digital Health, another leader working to transform healthcare, to offer a powerful combined solution for improving the clinical trial patient experience.”
About Aptar Digital Health
Aptar Pharma's Digital Health division is part of AptarGroup, Inc., a global leader in the design and manufacturing of a broad range of drug delivery, consumer product dispensing and active material science solutions and services. Aptar Digital Health creates end-to-end solutions to enhance patient experiences every day, leveraging a holistic ecosystem of digital interventions. Amplified by an industry-leading portfolio of products and solutions, Aptar Digital Health’s offering combines mobile and web apps, connected drug delivery systems, onboarding, training and advanced data analytics services to actively empower patients and create a positive treatment journey. Aptar is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois and has 13,500 dedicated employees in 20 countries. For more information, visit www.aptar.com.
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
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Media Contact:
Carolyn Penot
Aptar Pharma
+33 6 3736 7684
carolyn.penot@aptar.com
Partner News: CardioRenal receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for TENOR
CardioRenal, a pioneer in the remote treatment of patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announces that its TENOR device has obtained Breakthrough Device Designation from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Breakthrough Device status will help advance the world’s first connected device to remotely monitor blood potassium levels in patients with severe chronic kidney disease
Grenoble, France, May 31, 2023 – CardioRenal, a pioneer in the remote treatment of patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announces that its TENOR device has obtained Breakthrough Device Designation from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
CardioRenal developed TENOR, a connected medical device that combines multiple innovative technologies to assist patients with chronic illnesses, including CKD, in measuring their blood potassium levels at home. Patients will collect blood for testing at home using Tasso+TM, a convenient, easy-to-use, virtually pain-free blood collection device with FDA 510(k) Class II medical device clearance. Doctors can then remotely access the measured data, enabling them to effectively control and normalize patient potassium levels.
“This designation is a tremendous recognition by the FDA of our R&D excellence. It will boost our efforts in bringing the TENOR device to the millions of patients who need it,” said Maurice Bérenger, CEO of CardioRenal. “We look forward to working closely with the FDA to start our clinical trials later this year.”
To qualify for this status, the equipment must feature breakthrough technologies, there must be no FDA-approved or cleared alternatives to the device, it must have significant advantages over existing approved or cleared alternatives, or its application must serve the best interests of patients.
“People are increasingly calling for at-home health solutions, and the partnership with CardioRenal is an exciting opportunity to again demonstrate the benefits to patient care,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Tasso, Inc., which makes the Tasso+ device. “We look forward to demonstrating that our blood collection device can be used in combination with the TENOR system to obtain a blood sample in a way that is convenient, addresses patient needs and meets FDA standards for potassium analysis. This fits perfectly in our mission to combine clinical excellence and patient-centric solutions.”
The FDA Breakthrough Devices Program helps patients receive timely access to innovative technologies that have the potential to provide more effective diagnosis or treatment for life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases and conditions. As part of this program, the FDA will provide CardioRenal with priority review and interactive communication from its experts and senior managers, to assist the company on its path to commercialization in the US.
Globally, around 843 million people live with CKD. These patients frequently have fluctuating blood potassium levels, which exposes them to possible cardiac complications. These associated cardiovascular events account for up to 30% of deaths in patients with CKD.
About the FDA Breakthrough Devices Program
The goal of the Breakthrough Devices Program is to provide patients and health care providers with timely access to certain medical devices by speeding up their development, assessment and review, while preserving the statutory standards for premarket approval, 510(k) clearance and De Novo marketing authorization, consistent with the FDA’s mission to protect and promote public health.
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders.
For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com
About CardioRenal
CardioRenal’s mission is to save CKD patient lives. The company’s solution, TENOR, is designed to allow patients to regain ownership of their health and improve their chronic disease management. Its breakthrough hardware technology and its AI based software platform enable doctors to optimize patient treatment through remote monitoring of key blood biomarkers.
www.cardio-renal.com
Tasso Recommended for Certification from Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP)
Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced that it has been recommended for certification from the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP), under which a single regulatory audit of a medical device manufacturer may satisfy the requirements of multiple regulatory jurisdictions participating in the program. The certification confirms Tasso’s compliance with the standards and regulatory requirements of Australia, Canada and the United States, opening potential new global markets for Tasso.
Certification provides a pathway for Tasso to offer its patient-centric blood collection solutions in additional markets including Australia and Canada
SEATTLE – May 18, 2023 – Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced that it has been recommended for certification from the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP), under which a single regulatory audit of a medical device manufacturer may satisfy the requirements of multiple regulatory jurisdictions participating in the program. The certification confirms Tasso’s compliance with the standards and regulatory requirements of Australia, Canada and the United States, opening potential new global markets for Tasso.
“We’ve continued to expand both our offerings and the markets we serve to meet increasing demand for simple, convenient, patient-centered care worldwide,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Tasso. “This certification is a critical step forward in offering our blood collection solutions for decentralized clinical trials and home diagnostic testing to additional markets and reinforces our commitment to quality and safety.”
Tasso completed its audit on February 16, 2023. Once received, the certification also can streamline the process of reaching additional markets covered under the MDSAP, including Brazil and Japan. The company previously received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) Class II medical device clearance for its Tasso+™ lancet, as well as CE Mark certifications for its TassoOne™ Plus and Tasso-M20 devices.
The MDSAP program is part of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum. Members include the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia; Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária; Health Canada; Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency; and the FDA. Audits are conducted by auditing organizations authorized by the participating regulatory authorities to audit under MDSAP requirements.
For more information on Tasso’s blood collection solutions currently available in global markets, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Media Contact
Dina Schneider
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Commercial Contact
RJ Asplund
(818) 434-5004
Tasso, Inc. Announces Duncan Porter as Senior Vice President of Growth
Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric, clinical grade blood collection technology, today announced the appointment of Duncan Porter as Senior Vice President of Growth, reporting to Tasso’s CEO Ben Casavant. Porter will lead Tasso's international expansion, building upon the recent CE regulatory approval of their TassoOneTM Plus and Tasso-M20 devices.
Industry veteran brings decades of healthcare technology leadership to the company
SEATTLE – April 6, 2023 – Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric, clinical grade blood collection solutions, today announced the appointment of Duncan Porter as Senior Vice President of Growth, reporting to Tasso’s CEO Ben Casavant. Porter will lead Tasso's international expansion, building upon the recent CE regulatory approval of their TassoOne™ Plus and Tasso-M20 devices.
Tasso’s signature line of virtually painless, remote blood collection devices and integrated logistics platform empower pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, governmental organizations, and more to expand patient access. With demand for convenient, patient-centric care continuing to grow worldwide, Tasso is well positioned to expand into new global markets under Porter’s lead.
Duncan Porter, Senior Vice President of Growth
"Duncan is an exceptional leader who brings a wealth of experience in growth strategy and international expansion," said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Tasso. "We are thrilled to have him join our team to drive our mission of reaching patients worldwide."
Porter brings to Tasso more than 20 years of experience in strategic marketing, business development, and general management within the healthcare technology space. Most recently, he served as the General Manager for the Global Sample Collection and Transport business unit at Thermo Fisher, leading transformation programs during the pandemic. Prior to Thermo Fisher he held various senior leadership positions at Philips and holds an MBA from Warwick University.
"I am excited to join Tasso at this pivotal moment in the company's growth," said Porter. "Tasso’s unique portfolio is already powering the transition to decentralisation of clinical trials. There is great potential to transform clinical diagnostics by providing a patient-centric, remote sampling solution that enables greater access to critical diagnostic tests. I look forward to working with the team to drive growth and expand the reach of this ground-breaking technology."
Tasso products are now available in select European regions. For more information on Tasso, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Media Contact
Dina Schneider
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Commercial Contact
RJ Asplund
(818) 434-5004
Tasso High-Volume Liquid Blood Collection Device Earns CE Mark Certification
Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced that the TassoOne Plus, a new high-volume liquid blood collection device, has received CE Mark certification and successfully fulfilled all of the performance, safety, and relevant product requirements under the new European Union Medical Device Regulation.
TassoOne™ Plus expands signature line of patient-centric healthcare solutions for decentralized clinical trials and home diagnostic testing initiatives throughout Europe
SEATTLE – February 14, 2023 – Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of patient-centric, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced that the TassoOne™ Plus, a new high-volume liquid blood collection device, has received CE Mark certification and successfully fulfilled all of the performance, safety, and relevant product requirements under the new European Union Medical Device Regulation. With this CE Mark, Tasso now expands its capabilities to offer patient-centric, high-volume blood collection solutions for the European market.
The TassoOne Plus is the latest addition to Tasso’s signature line of CE Marked blood collection solutions for dried and liquid samples. Users collect their own blood through an easy, virtually painless process that can be completed at home. The process generates higher volumes and superior sample quality compared to traditional remote blood sampling techniques. The clinical-grade samples fit seamlessly into existing downstream analysis workflows, empowering pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and academic institutions across the European Economic Area.
“The demand for convenient, patient-centric care is exploding, and Tasso is on a mission to bring high-quality healthcare into homes worldwide,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Tasso. “This CE Mark unlocks clinical-grade liquid blood collection for decentralized clinical trials and home healthcare within the European Union, accelerating and expanding access to care. Regulatory clearances like this one are a testament to the quality and safety of our products.”
For more information about Tasso’s high-volume liquid blood collection devices, please visit www.tassoinc.com/high-volume.
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Commercial Contact
RJ Asplund
(818) 434-5004
rasplund@tassoinc.com
Media Contact
Dina Schneider
(206) 822-4186 x1016
media@tassoinc.com
Q² Solutions Launches Innovative Self-Collection Safety Lab Panel in Collaboration With Tasso
Q² Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of IQVIA and a leading global clinical trial laboratory services organization, today announced the launch of the first self-collection safety lab panel for U.S. clinical trial participants by a leading global clinical trial laboratory.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.– October 6, 2022 – Q² Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of IQVIA and a leading global clinical trial laboratory services organization, today announced the launch of the first self-collection safety lab panel for U.S. clinical trial participants by a leading global clinical trial laboratory.
Developed in collaboration with Tasso, Inc., a leader in clinical-grade blood collection solutions, this unique offering combines industry leading laboratory services, patient focused logistics and cutting-edge, self-collection technology.
Participants in clinical trials can now provide a blood specimen for lab testing in the comfort of their own home, without the need to visit an investigator site or have a healthcare professional visit them. The first test panel available through this collaboration is designed to help monitor liver function by measuring the levels of select enzymes and proteins in the blood. The panel includes tests for ALT (alanine transaminase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, total protein, and albumin.
“The global pandemic has accelerated the use of decentralized approaches in clinical trials,” said Brian O’Dwyer, CEO of Q² Solutions. “We at Q² Solutions are highly motivated to find ways to reduce patient burden related to laboratory testing, and I’m delighted that, through our collaboration with Tasso, we could make the self-collection liver panel a reality. Soon we will launch more than a dozen safety tests, and we are determined to continue to expand our catalog of tests available via the self-collection of blood.”
“We are thrilled to be working with a leader like Q² Solutions on this important initiative to make laboratory testing truly patient-centric,” said Erwin Berthier, PhD, CTO and Co-Founder of Tasso. “Our clinical-grade remote sampling technology enables decentralized laboratory testing without sacrificing sample quality, a key hurdle that home testing has faced in the past. Together, Q² Solutions and Tasso are developing important solutions that make clinical trials better for both patients and sponsors.”
This self-collection liver panel was developed with trial participants at the heart of the design. The offering includes easy to use at-home self-collection kits with instructions and videos, a methodology for direct-to-patient delivery, as well as simplified specimen processing and shipping requirements.
About Q² Solutions
Q² Solutions is a leading global clinical trial laboratory services organization that provides comprehensive testing, project management, supply chain, biorepository, biospecimen, and consent tracking solutions. Leveraging our next generation technologies, we deliver agile and precise services designed to meet the diverse needs of our clients. We provide scientific expertise and innovative solutions for ADME, bioanalytical, genomics, vaccines, and central laboratory services, including flow cytometry, anatomic pathology, immunoassay, molecular, companion diagnostics and translational science, with meticulous regional and global clinical trial implementation support and high-quality data delivery. At Q² Solutions, our work is rooted in research, grounded in collaboration, and guided by our passion to turn the hope of patients and caregivers around the world into the help they need. To learn more, visit www.Q²labsolutions.com.
About IQVIA
IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) is a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry. IQVIA creates intelligent connections across all aspects of healthcare through its analytics, transformative technology, big data resources and extensive domain expertise. IQVIA Connected Intelligence™ delivers powerful insights with speed and agility — enabling customers to accelerate the clinical development and commercialization of innovative medical treatments that improve healthcare outcomes for patients. With approximately 82,000 employees, IQVIA conducts operations in more than 100 countries.
IQVIA is a global leader in protecting individual patient privacy. The company uses a wide variety of privacy-enhancing technologies and safeguards to protect individual privacy while generating and analyzing information on a scale that helps healthcare stakeholders identify disease patterns and correlate with the precise treatment path and therapy needed for better outcomes. IQVIA’s insights and execution capabilities help biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, medical researchers, government agencies, payers and other healthcare stakeholders tap into a deeper understanding of diseases, human behaviors and scientific advances, in an effort to advance their path toward cures. To learn more, visit www.iqvia.com.
About Tasso
Trusted diagnostics made easy. Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Contacts
Nick Childs, IQVIA Investor Relations
Nchilds@us.imshealth.com
+1.973.316.3828
Trent Brown, IQVIA Media Relations
trent.brown@iqvia.com
+1.919.780.3221
Catapult Health and Tasso Join Forces to Create Convenient, Patient-Centric Preventive Care Solution for Fortune 500 Employers and National Health Plans
Catapult Health, a virtual preventive care provider serving 3,500 employers with over 2 million covered lives, and Tasso Inc., the leading provider of convenient, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced a collaboration that will simplify home-based preventive care for employees and their families. Effective October 5th, Catapult will start offering the Tasso+™ device as part of its VirtualCheckup, an innovative at-home annual wellness checkup that combines simple and virtually painless testing with face-to-face clinical video consultations.
At-home VirtualCheckup wellness exam to feature Tasso’s clinical-grade, self-sampling blood collection device
DALLAS and SEATTLE – Sept. 28, 2022 – Catapult Health, a virtual preventive care provider serving 3,500 employers with over 2 million covered lives, and Tasso Inc., the leading provider of convenient, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced a collaboration that will simplify home-based preventive care for employees and their families. Effective October 5th, Catapult will start offering the Tasso+™ device as part of its VirtualCheckup, an innovative at-home annual wellness checkup that combines simple and virtually painless testing with face-to-face clinical video consultations. VirtualCheckup is already a covered benefit for hundreds of America’s largest corporations and major national health plans, including BlueCross and BlueShield.
“Tasso’s innovative blood collection device is a perfect addition to our VirtualCheckup kit because it allows individuals to easily collect their own blood sample at home, virtually pain-free and without the traditional finger stick,” said David Michel, CEO of Catapult Health. “Together, we will transform the annual wellness exam by driving mass adoption of our VirtualCheckup, a solution designed to identify and address health risks for costly chronic conditions including depression, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, all before they turn into adverse health events.”
Each VirtualCheckup home kit will include the Tasso+ device, a blood pressure monitor, and a measuring tape. Following simple step-by-step instructions, the recipient sends a small blood sample, two blood pressure readings, and a few physical measurements to Catapult’s laboratory in Dallas. A few days later, the participant meets via secure video with a board-certified Catapult nurse practitioner who assesses personal and family health history, reviews medication compliance, screens for depression, discusses test results, creates a personal action plan, and refers the individual into health improvement programs offered by their employer or health plan.
Earlier this month, Tasso announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its Tasso+ lancet as a Class II medical device. The clearance allows the company to market and sell the device to more pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and academic institutions across the country, expanding access to a simple and virtually painless blood collection experience. For more information on the Tasso+ device-based solutions with Class II clearance, please visit www.tassoinc.com/contact.
“Today’s surging demand for virtual patient care further highlights the shortcomings of the painful, inconvenient, and inconsistent in-person blood draw procedure, which has been the standard of care for more than 60 years,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and cofounder of Tasso. “We are proud to partner with Catapult Health to improve preventive care by making the annual wellness exam a faster, easier, and more convenient experience for individuals across the country.”
Catapult Health is hosting a live-stream launch event featuring its new VirtualCheckup solution, the Tasso+ device, and the CEOs of each company at 1pm CST on Wednesday, October 5th. To register, visit www.CatapultHealth.com/live.
About Catapult Health
Catapult Health is the leading provider of virtual preventive care in America. With 3,500 employer customers and over 2 million covered lives, Catapult has revolutionized the annual preventive exam with its VirtualCheckup. Catapult’s solution targets health risks that lead to depression, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, and a recent third-party actuarial analysis of 416,000 patient records over 3 years revealed potential savings of $2.19 for every $1 invested. For more information, please visit www.catapulthealth.com.
VirtualCheckup is a registered trademark of Catapult Health.
About Tasso
Trusted diagnostics made easy. Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Tasso, the Tasso logo, and Tasso+ are trademarks of Tasso, Inc.
Media Contacts
Tasso
Dina Schneider
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Catapult Health
Lee Dukes
(214) 906-7035
Tasso+™ Device Earns FDA 510(k) Class II Medical Device Clearance
Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of convenient, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its Tasso+™ lancet as a Class II medical device. The clearance allows the company to market and sell the device to more pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and academic institutions across the country, expanding access to a simple and virtually painless blood collection experience.
Signature patient-centric device is first in class to meet new FDA reclassification requirements for blood sampling devices
SEATTLE – Sept. 14, 2022 – Tasso, Inc., the leading provider of convenient, clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its Tasso+™ lancet as a Class II medical device. The clearance allows the company to market and sell the device to more pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and academic institutions across the country, expanding access to a simple and virtually painless blood collection experience.
The Tasso+ device is the first single-use, patient-centric blood collection product to receive Class II clearance from the FDA as part of the new reclassification process for lancets, which are intended to puncture the skin to obtain drops of capillary blood samples. This action is part of the FDA’s ongoing effort to ensure the safe and effective use of blood lancets in the home and health care settings. With this clearance, more pharmaceutical companies will be able to accelerate their decentralized clinical trials, especially for pharmacokinetic and biomarker research endpoints. Healthcare systems and physicians will also be able to use the Tasso+ device with compatible collection tubes to make determinations on blood chemistries for their patients and expand care access. Tasso+ device-based solutions with Class II clearance will be widely available to customers across the country in Q4 2022.
“With continued industry interest in decentralized clinical trials and diverse testing applications, demand for our high-quality, virtually painless, convenient blood collection solutions is at an all-time high,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Tasso. “This FDA Class II medical device clearance will help improve patient care by relieving traditional phlebotomy-related bottlenecks and enabling more individuals to get the tests they need at the time they are needed. We are excited to unlock a new wave of large commercial opportunities for the company and to lead the industry into the future of remote testing.”
For more information on the Tasso+ device-based solutions with Class II clearance, please visit www.tassoinc.com/contact.
About Tasso
Trusted diagnostics made easy. Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by federal grants, venture investments, and co-development agreements with industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Tasso, the Tasso logo, and Tasso+ are trademarks of Tasso, Inc.
Media Contact
Dina Schneider
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Tasso Launches Integrated Population Pharmacokinetic Solutions to Optimize, Scale, and Accelerate Decentralized Clinical Trials
Tasso, Inc., a leader in clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced the launch of Tasso PopPK Solutions, an integrated patient-centric offering for Population Pharmacokinetics (“PopPK”). With the launch of Tasso PopPK Solutions, Tasso now enables pharmaceutical companies to operationalize pharmacokinetic studies as part of their decentralized clinical trial efforts. Tasso's remote, patient-centric solution supports the acquisition of scalable and convenient pharmacokinetic data, improving modeling accuracy and accelerating clinical trials.
New integrated Tasso PopPK Solutions provide pharmaceutical companies with a seamless workflow for accurate acquisition of PopPK data
SEATTLE, WA – May 5, 2022 – Tasso, Inc., a leader in clinical-grade blood collection solutions, today announced the launch of Tasso PopPK Solutions, an integrated patient-centric offering for Population Pharmacokinetics (“PopPK”). With the launch of Tasso PopPK Solutions, Tasso now enables pharmaceutical companies to operationalize pharmacokinetic studies as part of their decentralized clinical trial efforts. Tasso's remote solution supports the scalable and convenient acquisition of pharmacokinetic data, improving modeling accuracy and accelerating clinical trials.
PopPK is a well-established mathematical modeling methodology for understanding the observed variability in circulating drug concentrations among individuals. Tasso’s PopPK Solutions combine the company’s signature blood collection devices with the data monitoring solutions required for accurate pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling, including timestamping, customizable patient engagement tools, and chain-of-custody monitoring. The patient-centric, virtually painless sample collection process can help to improve recruitment and retention by enhancing user experience, which leads to increased data density and fidelity.
“Our pharma partners have been seeking decentralized solutions to enhance their study adherence and to facilitate inclusion of more diverse populations,” said Erwin Berthier, PhD, CTO and co-founder of Tasso. “Tasso is uniquely positioned to deliver accurate, patient-centric sampling for PopPK studies, at home or in the research clinic. With the launch of our dedicated PopPK Solutions, programs can efficiently operationalize remote sampling.”
Through the turnkey Tasso PopPK Solution, clients can access Tasso-compatible supporting services for PopPK including remote dosing, bioanalysis, and modeling. Tasso’s solutions are designed as a modular architecture that can also incorporate components and vendors preferred by pharma partners, enabling flexible integration. For more information on Tasso PopPK solutions, please visit www.tassoinc.com/PopPK.
About Tasso
Trusted diagnostics made easy. Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Media Contact
Dina Schneider
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Fierce Medtech names Tasso as one of its “Fierce 15” Med Tech Companies of 2021
Tasso, Inc., a leader in clinical-grade blood collection technology, today announced that it has been named by Fierce Medtech as one of 2021’s Fierce 15 med tech companies, designating it as one of the most promising private med tech companies in the industry.
SEATTLE – March 7, 2022 – Tasso, Inc., a leader in clinical-grade blood collection technology, today announced that it has been named by Fierce Medtech as one of 2021’s Fierce 15 med tech companies, designating it as one of the most promising private med tech companies in the industry.
Tasso’s signature blood collection products and services are currently in use worldwide for a variety of healthcare, pharma, and research applications. The simple, patient-centric technology enables convenient remote collection of clinical grade blood, eliminating clinic access challenges. The combination of Tasso’s innovative, virtually painless blood collection technology with an integrated logistics platform empowers pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and payers to expand their home health operations.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a fundamental shift in how we think about healthcare, and demand for patient-centric, in-home solutions is greater than ever,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Tasso. “To be recognized as one of the 2021 Fierce 15 Med Tech Companies is a tremendous honor and another strong validation of our team and technology. We will continue to build on this momentum and enable more people worldwide to benefit from streamlined access to clinical diagnostics.”
The Fierce 15 celebrates the spirit of being “fierce” – championing innovation and creativity, even in the face of intense competition. This is Fierce Medtech’s 10th annual Fierce 15 selection. This year’s full list of winners can be viewed online at www.fiercebiotech.com/special-reports/fierce-medtechs-2021-fierce-15 .
“While we’re not fully out of the woods yet when it comes to COVID-19, the innovations pursued by this year’s class of 15 companies will help the industry evolve, either in step with the pandemic or in spite of it,” said Conor Hale, senior editor of Fierce Medtech.
An internationally recognized daily report reaching a network of over 90,000 med tech industry professionals, Fierce Medtech provides subscribers with an authoritative analysis of the day's top stories. Every year Fierce Medtech evaluates hundreds of private companies from around the world for its annual Fierce 15 list, which is based on a variety of factors such as the strength of its technology, partnerships, venture backers and a competitive market position.
About Fierce Medtech
Fierce Medtech keeps biopharma executives, device developers, engineers, and researchers updated on the must-know news, trends and developments in medical technology. More than 90,000 top industry professionals rely on Fierce Medtech for an insider briefing on the day's top stories.
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com .
CONTACTS:
Rebecca Willumson
Fierce Medtech
(202) 824-5050
Dina Schneider
Tasso, Inc.
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Vault Health and Tasso Partner for Expansion of Patient-Centric At-Home Diagnostics
Vault Health, an innovative healthcare company bringing virtual care to millions, today announced a partnership with Tasso, Inc., a leader in simple clinical grade blood collection technology, to integrate Tasso products and logistics into Vault’s turnkey service offering. The new partnership will enable an improved, virtually painless sample collection experience for Vault customers.
Partnership pairs Tasso’s signature blood collection devices with Vault’s turnkey, modular service offering for clinical development and home health
NEW YORK – February 1, 2022 – Vault Health, an innovative healthcare company bringing virtual care to millions, today announced a partnership with Tasso, Inc., a leader in simple clinical grade blood collection technology, to integrate Tasso products and logistics into Vault’s turnkey service offering. The new partnership will enable an improved, virtually painless sample collection experience for Vault customers.
Vault offers a range of services, including remote diagnostics, where samples can be collected without visiting a clinic. Through a partnership with Tasso, the company will make blood draws easier and more efficient by enabling patients to quickly and easily collect their own blood at home. In addition to remote diagnostics, Vault also provides telehealth and at-home based care and manages decentralized clinical trials, which are facilitated through high quality remote sample collection, such as that which Tasso provides.
“We’re obsessed with the experience of our patients and customers,” said Jason Feldman, CEO and Co-Founder of Vault Health. “That means making clinical research and clinical care more accessible to more people. Our medical staff and the technology platform they use relies on innovative medical devices like those developed by Tasso, in order to bring more care directly to people’s homes. We’re thrilled this partnership accelerates our ability to break down barriers to patient care, recruitment, participation, and retention of clinical research participants.”
Tasso’s signature blood collection products and logistics are currently in use worldwide for a variety of healthcare, pharma, and research applications. The devices enable virtually painless collection of clinical grade blood at a convenient time and location, elevating the traditional home testing experience.
“More than ever, there is a need to bring convenient health monitoring and care into the home,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Tasso. “Tasso’s simple, virtually painless blood collection devices bridge the gap between patient convenience and high-quality care. We are excited to partner with an industry leader like Vault Health to expand access to patient-centric clinical diagnostics.”
About Vault
Vault accelerates better health outcomes through faster diagnosis, innovative clinical research, and digital-first care delivery. Vault delivers care to patients on their terms, virtually or physically, by leveraging its national clinician network and data-driven tech platform to power its offerings. Vault has been a trusted leader in the fight against COVID-19, bringing the first FDA-authorized at-home PCR test to market. Since the start of the pandemic, Vault has delivered more than 12 million COVID-19 tests to consumers, employers, public health agencies, and school systems.
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants, investments, and co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Media Contacts
Vault:
Kate Brickman
(815) 343-9299
Tasso:
Dina Schneider
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Tasso secures $100M in Series B financing
Tasso, Inc., a leader in clinical-grade blood collection technology, today announced that it has completed an oversubscribed $100 million Series B financing round, bringing the total funding to date to $131 million. The financing round was led by RA Capital Management and included participation from new investors the D.E. Shaw group, Senvest, InCube, and SVB Innovation Fund, as well as existing investors Foresite Capital, Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures, J2V, Cedars-Sinai, and Merck GHIF.
Proceeds will be used to scale manufacturing for patient-centric blood collection systems and streamline remote health diagnostic services
SEATTLE – December 16, 2021 – Tasso, Inc., a leader in clinical-grade blood collection technology, today announced that it has completed an oversubscribed $100 million Series B financing round, bringing the total funding to date to $131 million. The financing round was led by RA Capital Management and included participation from new investors the D.E. Shaw group, Senvest, InCube, and SVB Innovation Fund, as well as existing investors Foresite Capital, Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures, J2V, Cedars-Sinai, and Merck GHIF.
Tasso will use the proceeds from the latest funding round to scale manufacturing and operations to meet the increased demand for its signature line of blood collection devices and high-quality, reliable decentralized health testing services. As the industry leader, Tasso is well positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for remote testing services driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tasso products are currently being used for a variety of pharma, research, and healthcare applications around the world. The devices enable users with a simple method for collection of clinical quality blood at any convenient time or location, eliminating the burden of clinic appointments while increasing access to remote populations. The combination of Tasso’s innovative, virtually painless blood collection technology with an integrated logistics platform provides leading pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and payers with unprecedented access to actionable health data.
"Tasso is poised to transform the traditional blood collection process and quickly modernize the standard of care for at-home diagnostic services. We are thrilled to partner with Tasso’s talented team of entrepreneurs to help expand access to this essential technology,” said Anurag Kondapalli, Principal at RA Capital. As part of the investment round, Tasso announced that Anurag Kondapalli will join the company’s Board of Directors.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a fundamental shift in how we think about healthcare, and demand for patient-centric, in-home solutions is greater than ever,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Tasso. “Today, Tasso devices are successfully supporting decentralized clinical trials, clinical research, and remote patient health monitoring. This funding round validates the success of our efforts to date and will increase streamlined access to home diagnostics for everyone in the future.”
Image: Tasso's signature line of simple blood collection devices are used for a variety of research and healthcare applications worldwide
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable simple, convenient, and virtually painless blood collection for users. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the National Institutes of Health, by investments from RA Capital, the D.E. Shaw group, Senvest, InCube, SVB Innovation Fund, Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures, J2V, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Foresite Capital, Vertical Venture Partners, Techstars, and Cedars Sinai, and by co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
Media Contact
Dina Schneider
(206) 822-4186 x1016
InnoVero and Tasso Partner to Provide Non-Invasive, Athlete-Centric Solutions for Anti-Doping Testing
InnoVero LLC, maker of the innovative SAFESystem™ sample collection kit currently revolutionizing global anti-doping practices, today announced a partnership with Tasso, Inc. to become the exclusive worldwide distributor for Tasso blood collection devices for the anti-doping marketplace. The partnership will accelerate global efforts to expand consistent non-invasive anti-doping testing.
Security Kit will ensure WADA compliance for Dried Blood Spot Testing for Doping Control and improve the athlete testing experience
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – October 19, 2021 : InnoVero LLC, maker of the innovative SAFESystem™ sample collection kit currently revolutionizing global anti-doping practices, today announced a partnership with Tasso, Inc. to become the exclusive worldwide distributor for Tasso blood collection devices for the anti-doping marketplace. The partnership will accelerate global efforts to expand consistent non-invasive anti-doping testing.
In May 2021, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) approved its first technical document on dried blood spot (DBS) testing for doping control, designed to harmonize testing requirements and procedures. The InnoVero-Tasso partnership will ensure that all collection protocols are followed accurately and consistently, through the development of a unique security kit that utilizes non-invasive DBS sample collection, in making these testing assets available to global anti-doping stakeholders.
“This partnership signals a pivotal moment in reducing the invasive blood collection procedures athletes often associate with sample collection, another prime example of the innovation InnoVero is bringing to global anti-doping stakeholders,” said Gabe Baida, Executive Director for InnoVero. “Athletes have asked for alternatives to blood draws, while anti-doping organizations have struggled with alternative options that promote security and efficiency along with athlete safety. The InnoVero-Tasso partnership signals a breakthrough opportunity in sample collection procedures, while keeping athlete needs at the forefront in minimizing the invasiveness.”
Tasso enables on-demand at-home blood collection for patients and athletes with an easy and virtually painless remote sample collection technology. The current portfolio of Tasso devices includes the Tasso-M20 for DBS testing, as well as the Tasso+ and Tasso-SST for liquid blood sample collection. Tasso devices are an alternative to traditional invasive and painful venipuncture blood draws, improving the athlete testing experience while still delivering clinical grade blood for analysis.
“Our partnership with InnoVero is an exciting step toward industry-wide acceptance of athlete-centric testing methods,” said Ben Casavant, CEO & Co-Founder of Tasso. “The combination of a virtually painless experience that can be done anywhere simplifies testing for athletes, no matter where their training regimens and competitions take them. We are pleased to be partnering with InnoVero to improve anti-doping testing for athletes worldwide.”
About InnoVero
InnoVero provides innovation and integrity to the global anti-doping community, through solutions designed to secure global athlete trust. InnoVero’s SAFESystem™ sample collection kit serves clients globally, with more than 50,000 kits produced and used by anti-doping organizations, located in Africa, Asia, Europe and Russia, as well by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, UFC and MLB. The SAFESystem™ features revolutionary security mechanisms that ensure its sample collection bottles are secure, athlete-friendly and tamper-evident, among a suite of features designed to provide seamless and efficient use by athletes, doping control officers and laboratories. For more information about InnoVero, please visit www.innoveroglobal.com
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare technology company that is transforming the traditional blood collection paradigm with a patient-centric approach. The company’s devices enable users to self-collect blood at home with a virtually painless, no-training-required process. Tasso technology has the power to bring healthcare anywhere, any time. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the National Institutes of Health, by investments from Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Foresite Capital, Vertical Venture Partners, Techstars, and Cedars Sinai, and by co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com.
CONTACTS:
InnoVero
Brad Horn
InnoVero
bhorn@innoveroglobal.com
(512) 636-3831
Tasso
Dina Schneider
Tasso, Inc.
media@tassoinc.com
(206) 822-4186 x1016
Tasso-M20 Device Earns CE Mark Certification for At-Home, Self-Sampling Blood Collection
Tasso Inc., a pioneer in clinical-grade, at-home, self-sampling blood collection, today announced that its Tasso-M20 device has received a CE (Conformité Européene) Mark certification and has successfully fulfilled all of the European Union’s performance, safety, and relevant product requirements. With this marking, Tasso is now able to provide pharmaceutical companies, leading medical institutions, and government health centers across the European Union and other CE Mark geographies with a best-in-class diagnostic experience for their patients.
Leading European pharmaceutical companies are using the device across multiple virtual clinical trials to gather unprecedented amounts of pharmacokinetic data
SEATTLE – May 19, 2021 – Tasso Inc., a pioneer in clinical-grade, at-home, self-sampling blood collection, today announced that its Tasso-M20 device has received a CE (Conformité Européene) Mark certification and has successfully fulfilled all of the European Union’s performance, safety, and relevant product requirements. With this marking, Tasso is now able to provide pharmaceutical companies, leading medical institutions, and government health centers across the European Union and other CE Mark geographies with a best-in-class diagnostic experience for their patients.
The Tasso-M20 device enables pharmaceutical companies to offer a convenient, engaging, and friendly decentralized blood testing solution that ultimately results in faster and simpler clinical trials. The Tasso-M20 was designed to collect, store, and transport samples for analysis related to drug level or biomarker monitoring that include small molecules, proteins, antibodies, or nucleic acids. Four dried samples with a controlled volume of 20μL (roughly equivalent to two 6 mm traditional DBS spots), can be collected by patients at home, stably shipped, and processed at qualified laboratories. Tasso also provides companies with easy shipping and logistics support to further simplify the entire workflow.
“We are now witnessing a complete paradigm shift toward convenient patient care, with telemedicine appointments, virtual clinical trials, and remote patient monitoring applications all rising in prevalence. These decentralized health applications will persist beyond the COVID-19 pandemic because they empower more actionable clinical data and better outcomes for patients,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of Tasso. “The Tasso-M20 device is the first product of its kind to offer a convenient, clinical-grade, and virtually painless blood collection experience. We are excited to now make it broadly available across the European Union and enable more customers to benefit from faster, simpler, decentralized clinical trials.”
The Tasso-M20 whole dried blood sample device complements the Tasso-SST device for liquid blood diagnostics. Leading global academic medical institutions, government agencies, and pharmaceutical organizations are adopting Tasso products for a wide variety of applications, including chronic disease monitoring, infectious disease surveillance, athletic and sports testing, virtual clinical trials, and global health. The company announced an oversubscribed $17 million Series A financing round and has been using the proceeds to scale manufacturing and operations to meet increased demand for its portfolio of Tasso products.
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare company that is transforming the traditional blood collection process with a more convenient and virtually painless approach that focuses on the patient. The company’s devices allow people to collect blood with the push of a button from the comfort and privacy of their home, and then mail the samples back to a qualified laboratory for analysis. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the National Institutes of Health, by investments from Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Foresite Capital, Vertical Venture Partners, Techstars, and Cedars Sinai, and by co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com and follow @tassoinc.
Tasso, the Tasso logo, and Tasso OnDemand are trademarks of Tasso Inc. All other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.
Media Contact
Andrew Noble
(415) 722-2129
Tasso Secures $17 Million Series A Financing to Scale Production of At-Home Blood Collection Systems and Capitalize on Growing Demand for Remote Diagnostic Testing
Tasso Inc., a pioneer in clinical-grade, at-home, self-sampling blood collection, today announced it has completed an oversubscribed $17 million Series A financing round. The company will use the proceeds to scale manufacturing and operations to meet the increased demand for its line of innovative Tasso OnDemand devices, which enable people to collect their own blood using a virtually painless process from anywhere at any time. These fast and easy-to-use products are being adopted by leading academic medical institutions, government agencies, comprehensive cancer centers, and pharmaceutical organizations around the world.
Funding round led by Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures and included Foresite Capital, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Vertical Venture Partners, Techstars, and Cedars-Sinai
SEATTLE – July 22, 2020 – Tasso Inc., a pioneer in clinical-grade, at-home, self-sampling blood collection, today announced it has completed an oversubscribed $17 million Series A financing round. The company will use the proceeds to scale manufacturing and operations to meet the increased demand for its line of innovative Tasso OnDemand devices, which enable people to collect their own blood using a virtually painless process from anywhere at any time. These fast and easy-to-use products are being adopted by leading academic medical institutions, government agencies, comprehensive cancer centers, and pharmaceutical organizations around the world.
The Series A financing round was led by Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures and included participation from Foresite Capital, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Vertical Venture Partners, Techstars, and Cedars-Sinai. As part of the investment, Elizabeth Hambrecht, Partner at Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures, has joined Tasso’s Board of Directors. To date, Tasso has now raised a total of $38.6 million from grants, private investments, and co-development collaborations.
“With its talented team and proven technology platform, Tasso is poised to transform the traditional, painful, in-person blood draw process, which has been the standard of care for the past six decades,” said Ms. Hambrecht. “Tasso continues to consistently exceed our expectations with all of its co-development collaborations, even amid these unprecedented market challenges. We look forward to supporting the Tasso team on its journey to realizing the full potential of its platform.”
“The Merck Global Health Innovation Fund was established to enable companies like Tasso, to scale proven technology platforms that can become integral parts of our global healthcare ecosystem in support of enhancing patient health outcomes,” said Muna Bhanji, Senior Vice President of Global Market Access at Merck. “The Tasso OnDemand products will lead to a more patient-centric healthcare and clinical trial experience that will enable the collection of more reliable and actionable clinical data.”
The US telemedicine market was valued at $6.61 billion in 2019* and is expected to grow exponentially due to the coronavirus pandemic and rising needs for more efficient, patient-friendly, and remote solutions. Tasso’s OnDemand devices enable people to collect their own blood without any training, all from the comfort and privacy of their home. The samples are then mailed to a CLIA-certified, high-complexity clinical laboratory for analysis. The products are currently being validated for a wide variety of applications, including routine diagnostics, chronic disease monitoring, infectious disease surveillance, athletic and sports testing, virtual clinical trials, global health, and healthcare for under-served populations.
“The coronavirus pandemic has underscored the surging demand for more diagnostic solutions that are patient-friendly and can be deployed easily at home,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of Tasso. “The Tasso OnDemand devices are enabling people to be tested for COVID-19 and many other routine diagnostic applications, from anywhere at any time. This funding round is a strong validation of our approach and will allow us to build on our recent successes and enhance the platform with new value-added services in the future.”
About Tasso
Tasso is an emerging healthcare company that is transforming the traditional blood collection process with a more convenient and virtually painless approach that focuses on the patient. The company’s OnDemand devices allow people to collect blood with the push of a button from the comfort and privacy of their home, and then mail the samples back to a qualified laboratory for analysis. Headquartered in Seattle, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the National Institutes of Health, by investments from Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Foresite Capital, Vertical Venture Partners, Techstars, and Cedars Sinai, and by co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.tassoinc.com and follow @tassoinc.
Tasso, the Tasso logo, and Tasso OnDemand are trademarks of Tasso Inc. All other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.
*https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/us-telemedicine-market/request-for-sample.
Media Contact
Andrew Noble
(415) 722-2129
andrew@bioscribe.com
Tasso Raises $6.1M to Bring Effortless Blood Collection into the Home
Tasso, Inc. has completed a $6.1 million round of financing led by Vertical Venture Partners (“VVP”), with participation from Techstars and Cedars-Sinai. This new funding will help Tasso scale its first product Tasso OnDemand, which enables at-home self-collection of blood samples, and grow the team to support significant commercial interest.
SEATTLE, WA – March 5, 2019 – Tasso, Inc. has completed a $6.1 million financing round led by Vertical Venture Partners (“VVP”), with participation from Techstars and Cedars-Sinai. This funding will help Tasso scale its first product Tasso OnDemand, which enables self-collection of blood samples, and grow the team to support significant commercial interest.
Tasso OnDemand will transform how patients engage with blood testing, optimizing drug efficacy, safety, and adherence. By enabling frequent data on vital blood markers, researchers will obtain unique insight during drug development and healthcare practitioners will better manage care, selecting the best drug for each patient, minimizing side effects, and ensuring high adherence to treatment. Tasso OnDemand is anticipated to be available for purchase in Q2 2019.
“We are excited to work with VVP on furthering our mission of patient-centric blood collection,” said Ben Casavant, co-founder and CEO of Tasso. “With the additional support of Techstars and Cedars-Sinai, we are well positioned to transform clinical blood testing by making it painless and convenient. We also provide additional value beyond the blood draw with accurate and timely results that engage everyone involved.”
“We are excited to back the exceptional team at Tasso. The company is exciting because it has visibility on near-term commercial opportunities with pharmaceutical and lab partners, as well as long-term potential to change the front-end collection for virtually all diagnostics,” said Brad Corona, Partner at VVP. “Blood collection hasn’t changed in decades, and judging from the strong early interest from commercial partners, it’s time.”
This funding builds upon $13.1 million of grant funding received from DARPA, DTRA, and NIH, which enabled Tasso to develop the core technology that powers Tasso’s platform and ensure high-quality high-volume blood draws.
About Tasso Inc.
Tasso’s lead product, Tasso OnDemand allows people to collect blood from the comfort and privacy of their home and mail the samples back to the lab for analysis. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and funded by grants from DARPA, DTRA and the NIH, by investments from Vertical Venture Partners, Techstars, and Cedars Sinai, and by co-development deals with various industry leaders. For more information please visit tassoinc.com and follow @tassoinc.
Press Contact
Ben Casavant
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
608-618-0815
press@tassoinc.com
Tasso and partners receive $4.25M to develop a universal surveillance platform for infectious disease outbreaks
Tasso, Inc. (Tasso), Ceres Nanosciences (Ceres), George Mason University (Mason), and the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) today announced the commencement of an $11.7 million program, funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), to develop a reliable, safe, and simple universal surveillance platform for infectious disease outbreaks.
MANASSAS, Va. — September 28, 2017 — Tasso, Inc. (Tasso), Ceres Nanosciences (Ceres), George Mason University (Mason), and the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) today announced the commencement of an $11.7 million program, funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), to develop a reliable, safe, and simple universal surveillance platform for infectious disease outbreaks. During this multi-year program, which will be initiated with $4.25 million in funding from DTRA, Ceres will integrate its Nanotrap® particle technology, which can capture, concentrate, and preserve pathogens and other biomolecules, into Tasso’s HemoLink™ device for simple and painless collection of large-volume capillary blood samples in remote environments.
Tasso and Ceres will work in close collaboration with infectious disease experts and advanced biodefense laboratories at Mason and USAMRIID to develop an effective disease surveillance platform that can be rapidly deployed in the field, operated by untrained users, and improve early response. The platform will combine the Nanotrap® and HemoLink™ technologies to safely and reproducibly collect, preserve, and transport blood-borne pathogens.
“Infectious diseases remain one of the main causes of death worldwide and a significant threat to national security,” said Dr. Kylene Kehn-Hall of Mason. “In just the last five years, for example, epidemics of Ebola, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses, usually restricted to tropical climates, have reached the United States.”
“When a new outbreak occurs, public health officials quickly need as much information as possible about the pathogen(s) causing the outbreak to determine how to control it,” said Dr. Louis Altamura of USAMRIID. “Analyzing clinical samples from infected patients is one of the best ways to get that information, but existing blood sample collection and screening methods can expose healthcare workers and laboratory technicians to pathogens, presenting safety concerns for these workers and potentially contributing to the spread of the epidemic.”
“We have demonstrated already that Nanotrap® particles can be used to enrich pathogens like influenza from biological samples and stabilize them for improved downstream analysis,” said Ben Lepene, CTO of Ceres Nanosciences. “We’re very excited to work with Tasso, Mason, and USAMRIID to apply that same approach to enrich and stabilize from blood a wide range of host biomarkers along with viral and bacterial pathogens that represent a risk to the U.S. Department of Defense.”
“There is an urgent need for an easier way to reach people in rural or hard-to-reach environments to provide health experts with the information they need to make effective decisions in a timely manner. Integrating the Nanotrap® particle technology and the simple HemoLink™ blood collection technology will enable acquiring samples from populations in outbreak regions without putting phlebotomists or patients at risk or requiring burdensome logistical networks,” said Dr. Erwin Berthier, VP of R&D at Tasso. “The integrated device will be rapidly and safely deployable in any environment and will collect a large volume of capillary blood that can be shipped over long distances while retaining its clinical relevance.”
About Tasso, Inc.
Tasso is a Seattle, WA, based startup focusing on improving healthcare and the diagnostics process by developing more accessible and convenient blood collection and shipping methods that can reach people in any location or environment. Tasso originated from technology developed in the University of Wisconsin-Madison and assembles a highly qualified team of biomedical engineers, hematology researchers, human-factor designers, and clinical experts that have successfully developed the HemoLink. The HemoLink was developed with funding from the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Tasso is an open and collaborative company that focuses on working with leading technological and clinical partners to deliver reliable and disruptive diagnostic innovations. Learn more at www.tassoinc.com
Press Contact:
Ben Casavant
Tasso, Inc.
262-323-1415
ben@tassoinc.com
About Ceres Nanosciences, Inc.
Ceres Nanosciences is a privately held company, located in Prince William County, Virginia, focused on the development of research and diagnostic products using its unique and proprietary Nanotrap® particle technology. The Nanotrap® particle technology provides powerful biomarker capture and biofluid sample processing capabilities for a wide array of diagnostic applications and sample handling needs. The Nanotrap® particle technology was invented at George Mason University and developed under funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). With support from the NIH, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, Ceres is focused on incorporating this technology into a range of innovative diagnostic products.
Press Contact:
Ross M. Dunlap
Ceres Nanosciences, Inc.
1.800.615.0418 ext. 202
rdunlap@ceresnano.com
About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 36,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. Mason is also one of the best values in higher education, producing graduates who lead all Virginia schools with the highest annual salaries. George Mason University's National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases is a $50 million, 52,000-square-foot, stand-alone, high-security facility located adjacent to GMU’s Prince William Campus in Manassas, Virginia. The facility features more than 18,500 square feet of lab space comprising BSL-2 open-design laboratories with cell culture suites, preparation areas, and a microscopy room; ABSL-2 rooms, a surgery suite; BSL-3 laboratories; and ABSL-3 suites and a necropsy suite. The facility is fully approved and licensed for select agent work by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Press Contact:
Michele McDonald
George Mason University
703-993-3779
mmcdon15@gmu.edu
About USAMRIID
USAMRIID’s mission is to provide leading edge medical capabilities to deter and defend against current and emerging biological threat agents. Research conducted at USAMRIID leads to medical solutions—vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and information—that benefit both military personnel and civilians. The Institute plays a key role as the lead military medical research laboratory for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. USAMRIID is a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. For more information, visit www.usamriid.army.mil. [The information contained in this press release does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.]
Press Contact:
Caree Vander Linden
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
301.619.2285
teresa.l.vanderlinden.civ@mail.mil
Tasso simplifies blood draws, awarded $3M expansion
Tasso, Inc., a medtech start-up developing the HemoLink™, a small disposable device to simplify blood sampling, has secured an additional $2.9M in grant funding to advance its HemoLink technology with its development partner GenTegra LLC.
ADISON, Wis., April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Tasso, Inc., a medtech start-up developing the HemoLink™, a small disposable device to simplify blood sampling, has secured an additional $2.9M in grant funding to advance its HemoLink technology with its development partner GenTegra LLC.
Based on progress made in developing the HemoLink, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has expanded Tasso's ongoing Phase II SBIR contract. Tasso and GenTegra are developing an integrated device that is able to collect blood from patients and stabilize biomarkers at ambient temperatures without requiring cold chain transportation. The stabilization component of the grant is a $1.3M allocation to GenTegra LLC, whose Matrix Chaperone™ technology is redefining the boundaries of ambient sample stabilization.
Dr. Erwin Berthier, VP of Tasso and principal investigator on the contract, emphasized, "This is a disruptive technology that will enable connecting anyone in the world - from home, rural areas, low resource locations, or war zones - to a centralized blood analysis laboratory, providing affordable cutting edge diagnostics to everyone."
The HemoLink device safely collects blood from the surface of the skin, effectively replacing the need for venipuncture across a broad number of diagnostic tests. The Matrix Chaperone stabilizes biospecimens at a broad range of ambient temperatures in order to preserve the vast diagnostic data offered by a blood sample. This combination of disruptive technologies fundamentally changes the way blood testing is done, replacing hospital-centric testing with testing focused on the user. Tasso President, Ben Moga states, "Together, this powerful HemoLink-Matrix Chaperone combination will modernize the diagnostic process by providing superior and affordable 'in home' and 'point of care' access to healthcare."
Bruce Jamieson, CEO of GenTegra, offers, "GenTegra is pleased to be working with the innovative HemoLink device that Tasso is developing as an alternative to venipuncture blood collection. As a part of the HemoLink device our stabilization chemistry, Matrix Chaperone, stabilizes the blood in dry form for convenient shipping and any queue time at the clinical lab while waiting for diagnostic testing. The temperature range that is protected coincides with commercial carriers' specifications, enabling the shipment of specimens in a simple mailer - free from cold chain requirements. The combination of a simple blood collection device and stabilization of the specimen at ambient temperatures will open many possibilities for new innovative 'in home' and 'point-of-care' sample collection scenarios."
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