PHILADELPHIA, PA & BOSTON, MA — A new partnership between Thomas Jefferson University and Sempresto, Inc. is positioning a next-generation epinephrine autoinjector to reshape how millions of severe allergy patients carry and administer life-saving treatment. The organizations announced an exclusive licensing agreement that grants Sempresto the rights to advance and commercialize a smartphone-integrated autoinjector originally developed at Jefferson.
Sempresto, co-founded by Executive Chairman Shawn Marcell and Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Reczek, will lead the device’s development and market launch. The company’s leadership team brings deep experience in biotechnology, medical devices, and venture growth, with Marcell having raised more than $400 million across previous ventures.
The technology at the center of the agreement was created by Edmund Pribitkin, MD, MBA, FACS, Chief Physician Executive and Executive Vice President at Jefferson Health. Pribitkin will chair Sempresto’s Scientific Advisory Board as the device advances toward commercialization.
The new autoinjector directly targets one of the most persistent challenges in emergency allergy care: lack of access at the moment it is needed. Although early epinephrine administration is linked with lower hospitalization rates and improved survival, studies show that nearly two-thirds of severe allergy patients arriving in emergency departments have not used an autoinjector beforehand. Traditional devices can be bulky, inconvenient, or easily forgotten.
Sempresto’s solution attaches securely to a smartphone case, creating a slim, pocket-ready autoinjector designed to stay with users throughout the day. The goal is to eliminate the most common reasons people fail to carry epinephrine and make the device a natural extension of the everyday technology patients already rely on.
“Our goal is to ensure that no patient ever finds themselves without access to epinephrine in a moment of need,” Pribitkin said. “This sleek and convenient design has the potential to redefine emergency preparedness for severe allergy sufferers.”
With the licensing agreement in place, Sempresto plans to accelerate development as it moves toward regulatory pathways and commercial scale. The company expects strong interest from both clinicians and patients seeking more accessible alternatives to existing autoinjectors.
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