Don't Obsess About the Solution, Obsess About the Problem

Sometimes, it takes direct experience to understand the value of innovation. Born out of personal crisis, Luminoah is developing a solution to enteral nutrition, or tube feeding, that will dramatically improve patient quality of life.In Episode #27 of the MedTech Speed to Data podcast, Key Tech’s Andy Rogers talks with Luminoah CEO Neal Piper about bringing much-needed innovation to in-home care.
Need to knowTube feeding is extremely common — Every year, half a million new patients, from infants to geriatric patients, can’t swallow solids or liquids and require an alternate means of nutrient supply.Enteral nutrition lets patients live at home — A patient with long-term needs has a gastric feeding tube inserted through their abdomen into their stomach so they can leave the hospital.Yet the current standard of care is bulky — Patients must manage an IV pole, peristaltic pump, replaceable nutrient bags, and two meters of tubing.Slow pumps limit freedom further — Patients become defined by their illness, unable to go to work or school.Current products do not track data — Because tracking nutrient consumption is difficult, many patients are readmitted to the hospital for malnutrition.
The nitty-grittyNeal’s decision to enter the enteral nutrition sector was not the result of market analysis or laboratory research. “It came out of a personal need for my wife and I when my son, Noah, turned three years old. He started choking on his saliva and food.” Doctors at the UVA Children’s Hospital discovered a tumor in the base of Noah’s skull that prevented him from eating or drinking. Noah rang the bell and ended his therapy after 18 months of chemotherapy.“Fortunately for us, we had a really positive outcome,” Neal said, but the experience opened his eyes to the challenges kids and adults face in similar situations. “Everyone says, don’t obsess about the solution, obsess about the problem, and that’s what we did.”After interviewing GI surgeons, nutritionists, distributors of feeding solutions, and many patients, Neal confirmed that Noah’s experience was not unique. “The major challenge that patients are dealing with is a lack of portability, an unintuitive approach, and not being able to track and be empowered with data.”
Data that made the difference:Understanding the problem can justify a research program, but it does not explain how Luminoah could raise $1 million seed and $6 million Series A rounds in a tough investment climate. Noah explained how his team pressure-tested what he calls the 5 P’s of business development:Product Validation: Can you design a manufacturable product that solves the problem?Plan: What’s your go-to-market strategy? What does the financial model look like? Patent strategy: Can you protect the technology?People: Can you find experienced people to drive the project forward?Pathway: Can you get from development through 510(k) approval?“Three and a half years in, we’re about a month away from design three,” Noah explained. “We’ve got a working device we’re submitting to the FDA for 510(k) approval with clearance anticipated in 2024.”Learn how the Charlottesville, Virginia, biotech ecosystem and a community of enteral feeding patients supported Luminoah’s journey in the full video here: