Los Angeles, CA — March 17, 2026 — The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) is proud to announce that Principal Investigator Dr. Aliesha O’Raw, Co-Founder of OnVagus, has been selected for the 2026 American Cancer Society (ACS) BrightEdge Entrepreneurs (BEE) Program cohort. The BrightEdge Entrepreneurs Program is a competitive program for startups in the cancer diagnostic and therapeutic space, providing mentorship and entrepreneur training alongside early-stage investment support, including a $100,000 SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) backed by ACS’ BrightEdge Investment Fund.
Dr. O’Raw’s selection also highlights her work translating research into real-world solutions through new venture creation. Through OnVagus, Dr. O’Raw is helping advance a non-invasive therapy approach for cancer-associated cachexia, a severe and currently incurable wasting condition that affects ~80% of cancer patients and causes over 1/3 of cancer deaths.
“Being selected for the ACS BrightEdge Entrepreneurs Program is an exciting milestone for OnVagus,” said Dr. O’Raw. “I’m looking forward to learning from experienced mentors, strengthening our commercialization strategy, and building the relationships needed to move cancer innovation forward.”
“Dr. O’Raw’s selection reflects the kind of translational, patient-focused innovation we aim to advance at Terasaki,” said Stewart Han, President of the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation. “The ACS BrightEdge Entrepreneurs Program provides valuable mentorship and resources for founders as they move promising ideas toward real-world impact.”
Participation in the ACS BrightEdge Entrepreneurs Program will provide founders with mentorship and training designed to strengthen commercialization readiness and support real-world patient impact. The program concludes in October with a closed pitch day to ACS BrightEdge’s investor network.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Aliesha O’Raw
Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Email: aoraw@terasaki.org
About the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation is a non-profit research organization that invents and fosters practical solutions that restore or enhance the health of individuals. The Institute aims to enhance the quality of human life through translational research and the acceleration of biomedical innovation. TIBI's research focuses on the development of biomaterials, cellular and tissue engineering, medical devices, and microfluidic systems.
About OnVagus
OnVagus, Inc. is a biotechnology startup founded with the goal of improving the quality of life and survival of cancer patients who develop cachexia. Our novel, non-invasive approach is expected to keep patients fighting longer and harder while feeling better. At OnVagus, we harness the power of the gut-brain axis to prevent and reverse cachexia, all with no pills, no needles, and no surgery. This novel device reverses key clinical features of cachexia in preclinical models, including weight loss, muscle atrophy, anorexia, and inflammation, to give patients their best shot at beating cancer and a more comfortable experience during the process. OnVagus is expected to enter clinical trials in Q2 of 2026.
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