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NCI SBIR podcast: Entrepreneurs outline practical commercialization plans for cancer technologies
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Summary
Three founders on NCI SBIR’s Innovation Lab share concrete advice for commercialization plans: assign cross‑functional ownership (often the CEO), quantify ROI for the right payer/customer, integrate with clinical workflows (EMR), plan regulatory/reimbursement steps, and use SBIR materials to support fundraising.
Billy Baza, program director at the National Cancer Institute Small Business Innovation Research (NCI SBIR) Development Center, opened an Innovation Lab podcast episode that assembled three entrepreneurs to explain how to build SBIR commercialization plans for cancer-focused technologies.
Madeline Herzfeld, cofounder and vice chairman of CareVibe, said commercialization plans must reflect company strengths and span multiple functions. "Teamworks makes the dream work," she said, arguing that CEOs, clinical leaders, product and sales teams, corporate development and finance all contribute depending on company profile. Herzfeld urged applicants to clearly explain how an SBIR project fits the company vision and accelerates revenue, noting CareVibe used its SBIR award to develop symptom pathways and to upsell existing customers and expand EMR integration.
Herzfeld cautioned that clinical benefits alone do not always translate to financial benefit for clinician-led, fee-for-service care teams. "Reducing hospitalizations created financial benefit to a patient's insurance companies, but not necessarily a benefit to patient care teams who may be in more fee-for-service relationships," she said, advising startups to demonstrate measurable return on investment for the appropriate stakeholder.
Carlos Castro Gonzalez, CEO and cofounder of Luco Labs, emphasized customer discovery and rigorous preparation of commercialization sections: "Make sure to get out, talk to as many customers as possible." He described using I‑Corps and other customer‑discovery resources (I‑Corps can provide up to $50,000) and said investor due diligence often shapes the documentation later submitted to SBIR reviewers.
For devices, Castro Gonzalez recommended sequencing clinical milestones (first‑in‑human proof‑of‑concept, feasibility/usability studies, then pivotal trials) and using FDA pre‑submission meetings to clarify required evidence. He also advised detailed IP strategy (provisionals vs. granted patents) and aligning SBIR work with the clinical evidence needed for reimbursement and market access.
Beatrice Langton Webster, CEO of Cancer Targeted Technology, urged that commercialization plans be product‑specific and recommended serving as an SBIR reviewer to learn grant evaluation standards. She highlighted production issues for imaging agents and radiotherapeutics—particularly isotope half‑life, on‑site vs. centralized production, stability, and distance to clinic—and told listeners to use comparable commercial products and existing CPT/reimbursement codes when justifying pricing and market penetration assumptions.
Webster gave a specific company example: her team used SBIR funds to run a Phase 1 F‑18 imaging‑agent trial, then licensed the product to Novartis; she said Novartis will commercialize the product and licensing revenue will begin in 2026. She recommended CEOs own commercialization plans because that role integrates scientific, financial and IP strategy.
The episode closed with Baza directing listeners to sbir.cancer.gov for funding opportunities and commercialization resources. The discussion emphasizes cross‑functional plans, demonstrable ROI aligned to payers/customers, early customer discovery, explicit regulatory and reimbursement roadmaps, and careful IP documentation as central to strong SBIR commercialization plans.
The podcast is educational in nature and does not announce formal policy changes or funding decisions.
