Potential investors in companies working on new medical advancements usually aren’t doctors themselves. But without that base of knowledge, it can be tough to determine which projects are the real deal or not when it comes to developing ideas that could have a serious impact on patient care
With such nuanced expertise needed to make those calls, it’s helpful when a respected body shines a spotlight on a company that’s doing something truly innovative. That’s why it’s worth taking notice of a firm like Covira Surgical, a Chicago-based biotech company that was recently included as one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies to Watch for 2021 by Business Worldwide Magazine.
Its place on the list of potential business game-changers is just another accolade for the upstart firm, which has developed a solution that could prove critical in combating the rapidly rising rate of post-operative surgery infections.
Right now, anywhere from 2 to 4 percent of all surgeries done in the U.S. result in a surgical site infection (SSI). No matter the skill or pedigree of a hospital or surgeon, post-op infections are a growing concern for facilities and doctors everywhere. They result in patients spending extra days in the hospital, up to 5 times the rate of readmission for those patients afterward, and nearly $34 billion in added costs each year across the entire U.S. healthcare system.
While antibiotics are the most common treatment for eradicating those infections, Covira Surgical has taken a different approach. Rather than charging in with drugs that attack the pathogens, but potentially leaving collateral damage in a still-recovering body, Covira Surgical’s solution Pi-PEG instead bolsters the gut microbiome, enhancing the body’s overall health while it slows down the virility of the bacteria.
The colorless, tasteless drink coats the patient’s intestinal tract and encourages the production of phosphate, a key natural inhibitor of bacterial growth. The process renders that bacteria mostly harmless as gut health improves, drastically lowering the spread of an infection as well as dangerous inflammation that can lead to sepsis and death.
Pi-PEG was conceived by one of America’s foremost experts in the field of postoperative infection treatment, Dr. John Alverdy. A University of Chicago Medical Center surgeon, Alverdy spent three decades investigating the surgical infection issue, leading to the formulation of Pi-PEG as a pre and post-surgical tactic to help quell dangerous pathogens that cause infections before they can become a problem.
After positive peer reviews and small animal testing results, Covira is ready to launch into a year-long process of earning U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a treatment forecasted to generate earnings of $2.2 billion by 2037.
Covira Surgical is also looking to further its messaging with its current crowdfunding campaign. As of late November, the drive spurred over 230 new investors to come aboard to the tune of over $320,000 in new backing to continue the company’s work.
Those interested in reading up on Covira Surgical and deciding on its investment potential can find all the information through the company’s StartEngine campaign page.
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