In this episode of BioTalk, CEO Gerard Eldering explains how Perfusion Medical is addressing a problem that trauma physicians and military medics have been struggling with for decades: capillary compression. Perfusion Medical is developing a drug aimed at treating hemorrhagic shock and other ischemic conditions. PM‑208 is a novel IV therapeutic designed to restore capillary blood flow, resolve ischemia, and protect vital organs. The team has advanced this work with $19 million in Department of Defense funding. He describes the scale of the unmet need, why PM‑208 is both organ- and disease‑agnostic, and how its simple formulation and strong safety profile position it for broad medical use.
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Eldering also reflects on the company’s path through the BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition. After a second‑place finish a few years earlier, Perfusion Medical returned to the stage and won the 2025 competition. He shares what that experience has meant for the team and why building the company in the BioHealth Capital Region—particularly from a Virginia base—has been a strategic advantage.
The conversation moves through the role of early federal funding and programs like SBIR/STTR in de‑risking breakthrough therapies, and how university research partnerships have strengthened PM‑208’s development. Eldering highlights how public‑private collaboration has shaped the company’s progress and made it possible to push a complex medical solution toward patients more quickly.
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
About Gerard Eldering Gerard Eldering is the CEO of Perfusion Medical and a nationally recognized expert in technology transfer and venture formation. Since becoming an entrepreneur in 2007, he has helped launch more than a dozen startups, raised more than $15 million in seed funding, and led the turnaround and sale of a technology consulting firm. Before founding Perfusion Medical, he built and led The MITRE Corporation’s Technology Transfer Office. Eldering is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served as a helicopter pilot and instructor. He holds a B.A. in Physics, an M.B.A., and is a registered patent agent.
In this episode of BioTalk, Rich Bendis sits down with Councilman Brian Knudsen, Jamie Schwartz of UNLV, and Vance Farrow from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development to spotlight the rapid emergence of Southern Nevada as a rising force in the biohealth landscape. The conversation covers the launch of the $10 million BioHealth Innovation Challenge, the Desert Forge Venture Fund, and the revitalization of BioTech Vegas, all designed to attract industry anchors, fuel early-stage startups, and cultivate a thriving innovation ecosystem. They also explore how strong collaboration between local and state government, academic institutions, and entrepreneurs is propelling Las Vegas into a new era of health innovation, with a focus on brain health, sports science, and workforce development.
Getting a biotech company off the ground takes more than science; it takes strategy, funding, and the right network. 
In this episode of BioTalk, Rich Bendis welcomes Dr. Helen Sabzevari, President and CEO of Precigen, to discuss the company’s cutting-edge science in gene and cell therapy. Dr. Sabzevari shares how Precigen’s unique AdenoVerse® platform has powered the development of PRGN-2012, a potential first-in-class therapeutic currently under FDA priority review for the treatment of adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare and devastating disease. She also highlights advances across Precigen’s broader pipeline in immuno-oncology and autoimmune disease and reflects on how Maryland’s BioHealth Capital Region has supported the company’s innovation and growth.
