BioHealth Innovation Weekly for April 15, 2025

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April 15, 2025

BHI EIRs Engage at the 2025 Maryland MedTech Summit: A Full-Day Showcase of Innovation and Opportunity

On April 8, 2025, the Maryland MedTech Summit convened nearly 370 leaders from across the medical technology ecosystem at the University of Maryland, College Park, spotlighting the depth and diversity of the region’s growing MedTech community. Held at the Stamp Student Union as the flagship event of the inaugural Maryland MedTech Week, the summit offered a full day of programming, networking, and insights into the future of device innovation. This was the 2nd Annual Maryland MedTech Summit, and the Inaugural Maryland MedTech Week, which also featured investor-focused events hosted by Ecphora Capital, The LaunchPort, and the two-day MedTech Innovator East Coast Road Tour.

BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) was proud to serve as a sponsor of this year’s summit and sent a strong delegation of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), including Luis Gutiérrez, Albine Martin, Jon Kay, Ray Blanchard, and John Sullivan, all of whom provide strategic commercialization support to MedTech startups and early-stage companies across the BioHealth Capital Region and beyond.

BHI Joins Regional Leaders at the Inaugural BioConnect Event in North Bethesda

BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) was proud to join innovators, resource partners, and public officials at the first-ever BioConnect event—a new platform designed to foster collaboration across Montgomery County’s life sciences community. Held at the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) in North Bethesda, the event was co-hosted by Montgomery County, MCEDC, and UM-IHC, and marks the start of a recurring series aimed at deepening connections between startups, investors, and regional stakeholders.

BHI’s Executives-in-Residence Luis Gutiérrez, and Jennifer Butler attended the event alongside Montgomery County Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Natali Fani-Gonzalez, offering an opportunity to express appreciation for the County’s continued support of the BHI EIR program and broader innovation infrastructure.

Now Pre-Leasing: HJF Innovation Labs Set to Launch Fall 2025 in Montgomery County

A new hub for biotech and medical device startups is on the horizon. The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) is preparing to open the doors to HJF Innovation Labs in North Bethesda, Maryland, with occupancy beginning Fall 2025.

This first-of-its-kind incubator is tailored to support the development of dual-use medical technologies—those that serve both military and civilian needs. From navigating the complexities of military medical product development to accessing HJF’s expansive research infrastructure and stakeholder network, startups will gain the tools they need to scale innovation and bring critical solutions to market.

U.Va. hires AstraZeneca exec to lead Manning biotech institute

by Kate Andrews - Mark T. Esser, vice president for vaccines and immune therapies at pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, will be the inaugural chief scientific officer and leader of the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Virginia, U.Va. announced Thursday.

Esser, who will join U.Va. May 1, earned a Ph.D. in microbiology in 1998 from U.Va.’s medical school, and has worked in translational medicine at AstraZeneca, MedImmune (which was acquired by AstraZeneca) and Merck. He was involved with development of Evusheld, a medicine that helped prevent and treat COVID-19; infection and cancer vaccine programs; human papillomavirus vaccines; and a monoclonal antibody that helps prevent RSV in infants.

The $350 million Manning Institute, launched in 2023 with a $100 million donation from Albemarle County investors Paul and Diane Manning, is a hub for biotech research, development and manufacturing at U.Va., which is building a 350,000-square-foot structure in Fontaine Research Park in Charlottesville that’s expected to open by late 2026 or early 2027, according to Paul Manning. A member of the university’s board of visitors, Manning founded PBM Products, an infant formula and baby food business, which he sold to Perrigo for an estimated $808 million in 2010. He then started PBM Capital, a private equity firm that invests in pharmaceutical and life sciences startups.

Save the Date & Sponsor the Future: BioHealth Capital Region Week Returns September 23–25, 2025

Mark your calendars! The 11th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum will return September 23rd–24th, 2025, once again hosted at US Pharmacopeia (USP) in Rockville, Maryland. This year’s theme, “The BioHealth Capital Region: Where Human and Artificial Intelligence Converge in the BioHealth Industry,” sets the tone for a timely and necessary conversation. As our sector faces new challenges and opportunities, 2025 is a critical year to align on strategy, innovation, and regional collaboration.

In addition to the Forum, we are excited to bring back the 8th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference on September 25th, also at USP. Designed to foster meaningful connections between startups and investors, this conference continues to be a key driver of funding and momentum across our ecosystem.

A Call for Sponsors

We invite returning and new sponsors to help make this year’s event possible. Your support not only fuels the success of the Forum and Investment Conference but also ensures these events remain free to attend for all participants across the region. With your help, we’ll once again bring together over 1,000 leaders from government, industry, and academia to chart the course for the future of biohealth.

TEDCO Invests in Neuros Biotechnology

COLUMBIA, Md., (April 14, 2025) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $25,000 Pre-Seed Rural Business Innovation Initiative (RBII) investment in Neuros Biotechnology, Inc. TEDCO’s RBII was designed to enhance technology commercialization and provide technical and business assistance to small and early-stage companies based in rural Maryland.

AI for Smart Manufacturing: University of Maryland to Host High-Impact Forum on Industrial Productivity

The Maryland Department of Commerce, in collaboration with the University of Maryland, College Park, is hosting the AI for Smart Manufacturing Productivity Forum on Tuesday, May 13, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM at A. James Clark Hall.

This half-day event brings together experts, industry leaders, and policymakers to explore how artificial intelligence can transform manufacturing productivity, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Highlights include a keynote from Dr. Jay Lee, Director of the Industrial AI Center, and panel discussions featuring leaders from IBM, Hardwire, Fraunhofer USA, and more.

Sixty Degrees Pharma Licenses Yale Patents to Develop Tafenoquine for Babesiosis

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SXTP; SXTPW) (“60 Degrees” or the “Company”), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing new medicines for infectious diseases, today announced the signing of a Patent License Agreement with Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Public Health to jointly advance the development and commercialization of tafenoquine for the treatment and prevention of babesiosis.

I95 Business: Tammi Thomas: A Driving Force for Growth in Maryland

By Alex Keown - Tammi Thomas is a proponent of agape love, a selfless form of unconditional love that puts the needs of others first. Agape love is not static; it requires demonstrative action, something that drives Thomas in both her personal and professional lives.

“This is the kind of love where you see humanity before you see their differences,” she says.

This mindset is critically important for Thomas, who serves as Chief Development and Marketing Officer at TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation) headquartered in Columbia. TEDCO supports early-stage technology and life sciences companies in Maryland through resources, connections, and funding opportunities that allow businesses to grow.

In her role, Thomas leads the overall strategic direction, execution, and management of the organization’s marketing and fundraising strategies. Through careful crafting and shaping of TEDCO’s strong brand identity, Thomas says entrepreneurs across the state have learned that the organization is a reliable source for venture capital investments – within the top 20 investors in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to Pitchbook. The constant stitching and storytelling Thomas directs continues to promote scaling and stickiness that brings diverse stakeholders together in a collaborative way.