This Miami Healthcare Company is Changing Lives and SBDC at FIU Helped it Get Funding to Grow

By Nancy Dahlberg

Gilad and Anabelle Savion founded Lavior Pharma in 2010 to treat severe skincare issues. Their mission was to create a natural product without side effects, one that would address the root cause of skincare issues and change people's lives, while also being accessible and affordable for their customers who suffer from chronic skin diseases, including people with diabetes and elderly populations.

"For me, as a scientist, I see the immune system as a perfect machine designed to combat any disease, virus, or bacteria. However, due to factors like nutrition and climate, the immune system often faces challenges, leading to diseases like diabetes," said Gilad, Lavior's CEO. The Miami-based company focuses on diabetes because high glucose levels in the blood impair circulation, causing small scratches to turn into ulcers and eventually amputations.

Yet, despite many companies serving this $50 billion industry, there is a lack of effective solutions. "That's why Lavior was founded: to provide a solution for chronic and infected skincare issues like eczema, psoriasis, bed sores, venous ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers and post-surgery complications," says Gilad, a serial entrepreneur and executive with vast experience in the pharmaceutical, construction, cybersecurity and software industries.

The Lavior team spent seven years breeding a plant, Inula viscosa, which has historical significance for its healing properties. They developed their own species for their line of creams and gels that supports the immune system and addresses inflammation, proliferation and remodeling stages of healing. It is the only natural pharmaceutical product in the world clinically proven in FDA trials to move chronic wounds from the inflammatory stage to healing in just three weeks, Gilad says.

Early on, the product helped a 7-year-old boy with Type 1 diabetes and an ulcer on his foot so large he was heading to amputation. "I remember the first time I saw him I was so skeptical because I didn't really know that I could help him," Gilad said. "Long story short, this child returned to my home six weeks later running and jumping… That gave me so much happiness and gave me the passion to keep doing what I'm doing."

"At Lavior, we aim to make a positive impact, prevent amputations and improve the quality of life for our patients," added Anabelle, his wife and Lavior's managing director. She has an extensive background in marketing and international business and previously helped build a medical device company.

When they were ready for growth funding, the Savions sought assistance from the team at the Florida SBDC at FIU, the small business development center within the university's College of Business that offers no-cost consulting to small businesses in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. They were paired with Ray Juncosa, an SBDC at FIU business consultant and former banking executive who specializes in finance and access to capital.

"Ray conducted a thorough risk analysis and helped us navigate financial decisions, ultimately boosting our confidence and helping us find the right path for growth. His involvement has been pivotal in our process," said Gilad. "We were surprised by the level of professionalism and care from the SBDC team," added Anabelle. "Use the best tools available," including resources like SBDC at FIU. "Success is not easy — it's the result of learning from failures and continuously improving."