Elevator Pitch: Good Vibrations

22 Feb 2022

Elevator Pitch: Good Vibrations

Re: Laura Yecies (MBA 1988)

Topics: Entrepreneurship-General Health-Health Care and Treatment Health-Health Testing and Trials Business Ventures-Business Startups

Illustration by Drue Wagner

Bone Health Technologies

Laura Yecies (MBA 1988), CEO

Concept: OsteoBoost, a wearable vibration belt that is designed to treat osteopenia and prevent osteoporosis by reducing bone loss and encouraging bone growth. Based on NASA research showing that vibration at a precise frequency stimulates bone growth and improves bone density, OsteoBoost will be coupled with an app to track daily use and encourage good nutritional habits.

The Why: One in four American men and half of American women will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis. Hip fractures and subsequent complications kill 20 percent of their victims, and debilitating spine fractures represent a health care cost of $19 billion annually. “There are a number of medications to treat osteoporosis, but they’re generally prescribed only when someone already has it, and many people won’t take those medications due to side effects. There’s a real gap for a simple treatment you can use earlier in the disease trajectory.”

Status Update: The grand prize winner in the Alumni New Venture Competition, Bone Health Technologies has been awarded $4.7 million in funding from the NIH and breakthrough-device designation from the FDA. This puts OsteoBoost on a fast track for approval following analysis of two clinical trials currently in progress, with a target launch date of early 2023.

Heard: “I wanted to work on a big problem where, if we achieved efficacy, it could impact a lot of people. This is something I can identify with, since the average American woman gets osteopenia in her late 50s.”