Boyd Biomedical Releases Study on Translational Development for Medical Devices

Lee, Massachusetts - Boyd Biomedical, a commercialization partner for biomedical innovators, today released Translational Development: Moving Medical Devices from Lab to Patient, a study exploring how basic science becomes a viable medical product—and how clinicians, engineers, and researchers navigate that transition.

The report comes at a critical moment for the medical device industry. The U.S. medical  device market reached $189 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from $199 billion in 2025 to $315 billion by 2032, driven in large part by an aging population and the surge in chronic disease that accompanies it. By 2030, one in five Americans will be over the age of 65—and the demand for cost-effective, patient-centered device solutions will be greater than ever. Translational development sits at the center of that opportunity.

The study examines five dimensions of the translational development journey: the current landscape of translational research in the United States; the transition from academic to entrepreneurial culture; intellectual property strategy; commercialization; and funding strategies. It draws on primary research including in-depth interviews with leaders from Mass General Brigham, Arsenal Medical, AVS, Mintz, Health Advances, and ILG Consulting.

“The path from bench to patient is one of the most important journeys in medicine—and one of the least well-understood from a commercial standpoint. We’re here to change that. We want researchers at the earliest stages of their journey to have access to the same strategic clarity that experienced entrepreneurs take for granted.”

Stephen Boyd
Chief Executive Officer, Boyd Biomedical

What the study makes clear is that scientific excellence alone does not carry a device from bench to patient. The researchers who navigate translational development most successfully are those who recognize early that they are no longer exclusively scientists—they are builders, strategists, and storytellers. Protecting IP before any disclosure is made, understanding the economics of clinical adoption as clearly as the technology, and constructing a funding strategy that matches the pace of development. These are not administrative hurdles, they are the skills necessary to advance innovations into the hands of the patients who need them. 

“When you draw something on the board, conceive a material, and then several years later, it’s in a patient and you’re hearing about the clinical benefits — that’s extremely rewarding.”

Upma Sharma
President & CEO, Arsenal Medical

Expert contributors include Upma Sharma, President & CEO of Arsenal Medical; Robert Chisena, Co-Founder and CTO of AVS; Erin McKenna, Head of Medical Devices and Operating Partner at Mass General Brigham’s Amplify Program; Carolina Säve, Of Counsel at Mintz; Jeffrey Abraham, Partner at Health Advances; and Ilana Lam Gotlib, Founder of ILG Consulting.