Diarmuid Cahalane

European Device Solutions

Diarmuid Cahalane is an internationally recognised expert in the successful deployment of novel healthcare technologies in a fully compliant manner. He is a member of the advisory board of CODEX4SMEs, a European Union programme to which he was appointed by “Curam,” the Irish National Medical Technology Centre. He is also an Enterprise Ireland (Irish Government Development Body) Mentor to early stage companies, with a particular focus on life science companies. His expertise is regularly called on by third-level institutions including Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and University College Cork where he has frequently participated in guest lectures around regulatory compliance and digital health.

In 1996, he and a colleague established a regulatory compliance consulting firm which specialised in Computer Systems Validation and also Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Certification, initially to CPA standards, but subsequently to ISO:15189.

Having grown this company to a workforce of 17 people, he was then approached with a view to establishing a spin out company from University College Cork, which had developed a novel risk stratification predictive screening test for Preeclampsia. The inventor of this test was Professor Louise Kenny, who is now the Executive Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool.

He, along with two colleagues, established Metabolomic Diagnostics which began the process of commercialising Professor Kenny’s test. This involved raising significant investment of over €8 Million to date in both non dilutable and investment funding and involved the recruitment of PhD., and MSC level personnel from across Europe to build a scientific team and establish a biorepository in Hoffmann Park, Little Island, Cork, in a former Pfizer production facility. Diarmuid’s passion towards alleviating the impact of Preeclampsia was recognised by the Preeclampsia Foundation in the United States, who invited him to participate in a biomarker consortium which included the US Food and Drug Administration, Quest Diagnostics, and Key Opinion Leaders including the then director of the office of Invitro Diagnostics And Radiological Health, Alberto Gutierrez PhD.

Having worked with his co founders to raise significant funding, and completed the recruitment of a science team along with the implementation of a recognised, certified, quality management system, (ISO:13485), Diarmuid stepped back from the day to day running of the company to focus on a growing demand for his skills in the area of e-health, mobile health, digital pathology, and laboratory compliance. He is still a significant shareholder and continues as a director and board member of the company.

As part of his support of early stage companies especially in his area of expertise, digital health, IVDs, and medical device compliance, he has been frequently asked by Venture Capital companies, the Irish Government, and the European Union to assist in linking early stage companies with large multi-national organisations to ensure success. This has involved him visiting the UK, mainland Europe, the gulf region and the United States to meet with regulatory authorities, funders, patient advocacy groups to assess and evaluate novel technologies and contribute towards the creation of new standards which will allow doctors and healthcare providers to deploy the next generation of technologies for the benefit of patients globally. He most recently visited the United Arab Emirates where he visited the Dubai Future Accelerator with the Irish Ambassador, H.E. Aidan Cronin. He also participated in the launch event for the Office of the National Co-Ordinator For Healthcare Information Technology (ONC) in the United States which was chaired by Bill Gates and Ted Turner.

Diarmuid is now making his experience and extensive network available to IVD and Medical Device companies, and medical diagnostic laboratories throughout Europe via European Device Solutions.