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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on January 31, 2020.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services followed by issuing waivers covering certain requirements that directly impact nurse aide training.  Legislators and regulators reacted by approving individual state waivers aligned with CMS’ guidance that aimed to ease the challenges of increasing the number of certified nurse aide caregivers. Some of the most significant challenges include the closure of or limited access to nurse aide testing facilities, a shortage of qualified nurse instructors and mandated quarantine protocols.   

November 2, 2021, Baltimore, MD – In a move to accommodate its continued fast growth, Early Charm – a company that creates, owns and operates ventures that convert science to revenue – announced today it is more than doubling its production and lab space at Baltimore’s 1100 Wicomico building.

This significant expansion will occur adjacent to Early Charm’s 3,200 square feet of current production and development space, bringing total production and development space to just under 7,000 square feet.

Image: https://www.earlycharm.com/

Among the world’s largest nations, the U.S. has by far the highest rate of startup investment relative to population. Over the past year, venture investors put nearly $270 billion to work—averaging out to around $800 for every person in the country. 

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But among all countries, the U.S. ranks fourth in per capita startup investment. The No. 1 and No. 2 slots go to Singapore and Israel, two smaller countries that punch well above their weight class for tech-driven entrepreneurship.

Image: https://news.crunchbase.com

Rockville, Md. — Thus far in 2021, a record pace for initial public offerings (IPO), private investment and venture capital deals has been set in Montgomery County. Over $18 billion of investment across 76 companies and 87 separate transactions have been made in the first three quarters of the year from January 1 through September 30. The companies receiving funding span major industries from life sciences and health tech to quantum and media.

Image: https://thinkmoco.com

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the response from public health agencies, regulators, researchers, and industry has been dominated by the development of vaccines. As of October 14, McGill University’s McGill COVID19 Vaccine Tracker listed 153 vaccines in clinical development, of which 23 had been approved or authorized for emergency use in at least one country.

In the United States, the FDA has approved one COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty) and authorized for emergency use two others (Moderna’s Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine). Beyond the United States, most approvals and authorizations have been granted to those vaccines and others developed by AstraZeneca/University of Oxford (122 countries), Sinopharm (65), Sinovac Biotech (40), Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute (16), and CanSino Biologics (9).

GAITHERSBURG, MD, November 2, 2021 – Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Inc. (APT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to providing therapies to treat infectious diseases, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) to support a multi-center Phase 1b/2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the safety and microbiological activity of a single dose of bacteriophage therapy in cystic fibrosis subjects colonized with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 

ARLG consists of more than 100 leading experts, working together to combat the ongoing antibacterial resistance crisis and improve patient care. Created in 2013, ARLG is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number UM1AI104681. It is facilitated by the Duke Clinical Research Institute and works under the leadership of an executive committee, four component centers, and two Principal Investigators: Vance Fowler, MD, of Duke University, and Henry “Chip” Chambers, MD, of University of California, San Francisco. The NIAID is the Sponsor of this study.

BALTIMORE, MD, OCT. 29, 2021 – The University of Maryland BioPark (UM BioPark) today announced that JuneBrain Inc., a telehealth device company that empowers ophthalmology and neurology communities, joined the UM BioPark as its newest tenant. JuneBrain, a Maryland-based company, is located in the BioPark’s innovation space in the Lion Brothers Building on Hollins Street.

“We are delighted to welcome JuneBrain to our tenant community,” said Jane Shaab, executive director of the UM BioPark. “The BioPark is an ideal fit for emerging technology companies seeking pre-built space to grow. By fostering unique opportunities and connections, we provide a supportive environment that helps companies thrive at any stage in their development.”