ECI Therapeutics Case Study

ECI Therapeutics is leveraging blood & chitosan to create breakthrough products in opthalmics, wound healing, and burn care. ECI's pipeline includes indications for ophthalmic burns, epithelial defects, endothelial diseases, limb stem cell deficiency, ocular graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), corneal abrasions, and chronic wounds. Guided by research, patient needs, and a commitment to excellence, ECI aims to transform the treatment landscape of neurotrophic keratitis, dry eye disease and beyond.

Challenge

Elan Weiner had already helped bring drugs to market at large biotech companies, but founding ECI Therapeutics presented an entirely different set of challenges. Starting with limited funding and as a small team, ECI faced the classic startup dilemma: how to access sophisticated lab equipment and infrastructure without the massive capital outlay typically required.

For a young company focused on developing breakthrough therapies for ophthalmic conditions and wound healing, every dollar spent on operational overhead meant one less dollar for advancing their science. They needed a solution that would provide access to cutting-edge equipment, handle day-to-day operational tasks like waste management and procurement, and position them within a network that could help accelerate their growth—all while keeping costs manageable for a startup finding its footing.

Solution

LabCentral offered exactly what ECI needed: access to millions of dollars worth of equipment that would have been far out of reach for a small company, combined with operational support that freed the team to focus on their science rather than facility management.

Beyond the physical infrastructure, LabCentral placed ECI at the heart of a vibrant community where connections with fellow CEOs, potential partners, and industry experts happened organically. This positioning—both physical and strategic—within the Cambridge-Boston biotech ecosystem became a catalyst for ECI's development, opening doors to collaborations, funding opportunities, and expert insights that might otherwise have taken years to cultivate.

Results

Science

“LabCentral is a really interesting place to be if you're a small company because it's not only an infrastructure of equipment that you wouldn't have access to if you were working on your own, you know there's millions and millions of dollars of equipment in this facility, that small companies like mine need access to in limited amounts but we could never afford on our own.”

Elan Weiner

CEO & Co-Founder

ECI Therapeutics

Business

“There's an exceptionally good network of other CEOs that you can get advice from, you can get referrals for different service providers and you also just have the opportunity to talk to people about what you're doing, get advice, see how they've gone about fundraising, and make these really important connections, you know.”

Elan Weiner

CEO & Co-Founder

ECI Therapeutics

People

“The expertise available is unparalleled, providing startups like ECI Therapeutics with insights and support that are hard to come by. Being situated – both figuratively and literally – at the heart of the Cambridge-Boston biotech ecosystem, LabCentral has been instrumental in fostering our growth. It has enabled us to forge pivotal connections with collaborators, industry, funders, and key opinion leaders.”

Elan Weiner

CEO & Co-Founder

ECI Therapeutics