MediBeacon’s story started with a bold idea: that a team in St. Louis could change the way the world fights kidney disease. Thanks to early support from the region’s innovation ecosystem, that idea has now leapt from vision to reality — and it’s about to make a global impact.
MediBeacon’s pioneering kidney function monitoring technology has officially received FDA approval. The innovation provides something the world’s doctors have long needed: a way to test kidney function without an invasive and slow blood test. MediBeacon’s solution measures the function of kidneys using light on the patient’s skin. The results are delivered at the bedside or point of care and are highly accurate. Standard methods, like estimating function through serum creatinine blood tests, often miss early deterioration. MediBeacon’s technology is a breakthrough for the 850 million people worldwide living with chronic kidney disease.
“If you can catch kidney issues early and manage the disease proactively, you can dramatically change the outcome," says Steve Hanley, MediBeacon co-founder and CEO. "Avoiding end-stage kidney disease and dialysis doesn’t just improve the quality of life — it saves lives.”
MediBeacon’s core fluorescent technology has other potential applications, such as enhanced visualization in surgery, imaging of eye disease, and non-invasive measurement of gastrointestinal permeability.
Born from a research project inside the imaging division of Covidien, a global health care products company, MediBeacon’s technology was spun out, built up, and scaled right here in St. Louis. Steve Hanley, Covidien’s past Global President of the Imaging Solutions business unit, and Richard Dorshow, PhD, are the co-founders, with Dorshow the lead scientist and inventor on nearly 400 of MediBeacon’s global patents. “The invention, the intellectual property, the full development cycle — it all happened locally,” said Hanley.
MediBeacon’s breakthrough didn’t happen alone. BioGenerator and BioSTL were critical partners, providing early funding, strategic advice, lab space, and high-touch mentorship that helped the company navigate its riskiest phases. “They weren’t just investors," Steve said. "They were true partners, consultants, connectors, and champions.”
Hanley, who now serves on BioGenerator’s Investment Advisory Committee, knows firsthand how vital early belief can be. He’s now in a position to help other early-stage companies. “The current advisory board plays a huge role in company screening and, when appropriate, backing the highest-risk, highest-potential ideas," he said.
“Prior to my joining the advisory committee, BioGenerator’s team played an equally vital role in challenging MediBeacon’s business plan and readiness to raise capital.”
Jim McCarter, MD, PhD, Senior Managing Director at BioGenerator and Senior Vice President at BioSTL, called the FDA approval a major win. "We believed in this technology early," Jim said. "Now it’s FDA approved and ready to launch. It’s a completely new way to monitor kidney function — and a huge win for patients everywhere.”
Even as MediBeacon celebrates, its focus is forward. The team is already pursuing numerous opportunities to expand globally, bringing this St. Louis-born technology to clinics and hospitals around the world.
“We’re proud — very proud — but this isn’t the finish line,” said Hanley. “It’s just the beginning.”
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