BioHealth Innovation Weekly for September 26, 2023

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September 26, 2023

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The BioHealth Capital Region Successfully Hosted Its Annual Forum, Crab Trap, and Investment Conference

The BioHealth Capital Region continued its tradition of fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth in the life sciences sector with its series of events in 2023. The highlights included the 9th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum, the 8th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap, and the 6th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference, bringing together industry, academic, government, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Luminoah Wins 8th Annual Crab Trap Competition at BioHealth Capital Region Forum

Luminoah Wins 8th Annual Crab Trap Competition at BioHealth Capital Region Forum

Rockville, MD, September 22, 2023 — Luminoah, a MedTech startup located in Charlottesville, VA, dedicated to improving the lives of people requiring enteral feeding, emerged as the top company at the 8^th Annual Crab Trap Competition, held as part of this year’s BioHealth Capital Region Forum. The event, which took place on September 20th, showcased Luminoah's innovative wearable system, designed to optimize compliance and clinical outcomes through the integration of durable medical equipment, consumable nutrition pouches, and remote patient monitoring.

Neal Piper, Founder & CEO of Luminoah, delivered an outstanding presentation highlighting the company's groundbreaking technology. Luminoah's wearable system represents a significant advancement in the field of enteral feeding, offering an innovative solution to enhance patient care.

Immediate Opening for a Technical Grant Writer and Project Manager with BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

Opening – Technical Writer and Project Manager

BioHealth Innovation (BHI) is an innovation intermediary that facilitates commercialization of emerging technologies in the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, DC and Virginia).

BHI is seeking a Technical Writer and Project Manager to join its team remotely. This position provides the opportunity to leverage scientific knowledge to evaluate the commercial potential of emerging technologies and provide recommendations on go-to-market strategies. This is a customer facing role with a focus on supporting clients in the development of commercial analyses and federal grant proposals. This position is geared toward an early-career scientist with extensive writing experience and a history of funded grant proposals.

This position could be either employee or part time contractor depending on applicants experience and availability. Compensation will be competitive but dependent based on experience.

FDA awards nearly $7.5 million to pediatric device consortium led by Children’s National Hospital

Federal funding fosters development and commercialization of medical devices designed for children

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To foster the development and commercialization of medical devices designed for children, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded a nearly $7.5 million grant to the Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation (APDI), a consortium led by Children’s National Hospital. The nonprofit group, which is one of five in the FDA’s Pediatric Device Consortia (PDC) program, will utilize the five-year grant to provide a platform of services, expertise and funding that supports pediatric innovators in bringing medical devices to the market that specifically address the needs of children. New in this cycle, APDI will provide expertise on evidence generation, including the use of real-world evidence (RWE), for pediatric device development.

BizJournals - D.C. startup Nanochon raising money to fund trials of 3D-printed knee cartilage implant

D.C.’s Nanochon LLC is raising $3.5 million to make it through the final leg of its journey to bring a 3D-printed knee cartilage implant to market.

The company has already raised $1.8 million toward the round, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The company said it plans to use the funds to begin human trials and ultimately get Food and Drug Administration approval for its 3D-printed implant.

Nanochon has raised $5 million since its founding in 2016 to fund the clinical trials needed to bring its medical device to market.

Emmes Appoints Peter Ronco as Chief Executive Officer

Ronco’s Global Pharmaceutical Experience Will Support the Next Chapter of Emmes’ Growth and Technology Enablement

Rockville, MD, September 20, 2023 – Emmes, a global, full-service Clinical Research Organization (CRO) dedicated to supporting the advancement of public health and biopharmaceutical innovation, today announced that Peter Ronco has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Mr. Ronco succeeds Dr. Christine Dingivan, who will serve as a senior advisor to Executive Chairman Sastry Chilukuri, and Emmes’ Board of Directors.

United Therapeutics Announces Recent Milestones for its Heart and Kidney Xenotransplantation Programs

SILVER SPRING, Md. & RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- United Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: UTHR), a public benefit corporation, today announced the achievement of two milestones for its xenotransplantation programs in September: the second transplant of a UHeart™ xenoheart into a living person, and a 61-day study of the UThymoKidney™ xenokidney and thymus in a human pre-clinical model.

United Therapeutics’ organ manufacturing efforts consist of seven investigational programs: xenoheart, xenokidney, xenothymokidney, regenerative lungs, 3D-printed lungs, 3D-printed livers, and 3D-printed kidneys. These groundbreaking programs are intended to address the ongoing shortage of transplantable organs for patients with end stage organ disease.

TEDCO Invests in Natáur

COLUMBIA, Md. (September 25, 2023) – TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $200,000 investment into Natáur. This recent investment came from TEDCO’s Social Impact Funds.

“Natáur is creating bio-based taurine—an essential nutrient for brain development, healthy aging, heart health, and microbiome balance,” said Kathleen Turano, Natáur CEO. "Taurine occurs naturally in animal products but it is missing in plants. With shifts towards more plant-based diets, taurine will need to be added as an ingredient or taken as a supplement to maintain healthy taurine levels. With TEDCO’s investment, we move closer to launching our bio-based taurine."

Seraxis Announces Closing of Second VC Tranche and Successful Completion of Preclinical Studies of Pancreatic Organoids From Seraxis’ Novel Pancreas-Derived Stem Cells

Leadership team expanded with addition of Chief Corporate Development Officer, Ted Hibben, a 25-year venture-stage business development biotherapeutic industry veteran Total venture funding tops $50M to date

GERMANTOWN, MD / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2023 / Seraxis Inc., a cell therapy company developing a pancreatic organoid cure to transform the lives of patients with Type 1 and insulin-requiring Type 2 diabetes, today announced the closing of the second tranche of its inaugural VC round to bring total equity investment in the company to over $50 million. Frazier Life Sciences, Polaris Partners, Eli Lilly and the JDRF T1D Fund participated in the step-up triggered by Seraxis' achieving the completion of preclinical milestones of Seraxis' novel pancreatic organoids, SR-02.

Washington DC's VerImmune Announces Over $3M Additional Funding

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VerImmune Inc. ("VerImmune"), an early-stage biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative products based on a novel Virus-inspired Particle (ViP™) technology platform, announced today the securing of an additional $3.125 million from follow-on Seed financing and a partnership milestone payment.

The follow-on financing was led by previous investor, Proxima VC, a specialist seed-to-growth healthcare venture capital firm with participation from other previous investors such as Gaingels, Mana Ventures and others. In addition to this financing, a milestone payment from Fosun Pharma USA was triggered by the successful completion of a process development milestone.

Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund's Ruchika Nijhara, PhD, selected as one of The Daily Record’s 2023 Influential Marylanders

Impactful leader of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund recognized

COLUMBIA, Md. (September 21, 2023) – TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced that Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) executive director, Ruchika Nijhara, PhD, was named one of The Daily Record’s 2023 Influential Marylanders.

“Although a new addition to 1TEDCO, it’s already evident why Ruchika was chosen to be an Influential Marylander,” said Troy LeMaile-Stovall, TEDCO CEO. “Her dedication to supporting researchers is unwavering; she actively works to improve processes, support others and so much more. We are proud to be working with someone as talented and influential as Ruchika.”

Women Building Bio 2023

Virginia Bio’s Women Building Bio Conference celebrates the contribution of women to the life sciences in the Commonwealth and beyond. The 8th annual conference theme, Building Better, will prompt us to explore how life sciences contribute to building a better future and highlight the increasingly significant role of women in it.