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Home to nearly 18 federal agency headquarters, 36 federal labs, and more than 300 life science companies, it’s no surprise Maryland’s Montgomery County is a leader in the life sciences industry.

The six life sciences companies highlighted here consider Montgomery County critical to their success.

MaxCyte, Inc.

“The Montgomery County community has an expansive amount of experience and a perpetual abundance of innovative ideas based on excellent science,” says Doug Doerfler, CEO of MaxCyte, Inc. MaxCyte provides technologies to advance innovative cell-based research and next-generation cell therapeutics. The company’s Flow Electroporation® platform facilitates complex engineering of a wide variety of cells, currently focusing on immuno-oncology and gene editing.

Image: https://www.bizjournals.com

RIVERDALE, Md., April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Medcura, Inc., a commercial-stage medical device company, today announced the expansion of its senior management team to include Dr. Kenneth Renkens as its Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Renkens is a thought-leading neurosurgeon who co-founded the Indiana Spine Group and has been involved in the development and commercial success of numerous innovative products now widely used in operating rooms around the world.

Chosen for his deep expertise in neurosurgery and past involvement with numerous implantable surgical innovations, Dr. Renkens joins an experienced team with a demonstrated track record of execution in delivering groundbreaking hemostat innovations. The Medcura team is now narrowly focusing its attention on bringing more disruptive technology to the Operating Room (OR).

Thursday, April 28, 2022

The HOPE Initiative will utilize federal funds to create new lab space, technology advancement & new services

(Washington, DC) Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), announced the Helping Our People Endure (HOPE) initiative, which intends to invest $92 million in the life sciences, to catalyze health innovation and address disparities in the District of Columbia. The participants will be part of the District of Columbia's application to the U.S. Department of Treasury's Capital Project Fund.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., May 3, 2022 — AMPEL BioSolutions today announces a breakthrough in precision and personalized medicine that could revolutionize the way doctors treat inflammatory skin diseases, such as Lupus, Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis and Scleroderma. Revealed in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, the paper details AMPEL’s breakthrough machine learning approach to characterize disease activity from gene expression data obtained from patient skin biopsies. The lab test, only a concept for the last few years, is now ready for development for practical use. AMPEL's initial focus was Lupus, but the test can be used for many autoimmune or inflammatory skin diseases that affect more than 35 million Americans.

AMPEL's innovative machine learning approach, which is now ready to be developed as a decision support biomarker test, could greatly impact health care by allowing physicians to identify the cause of patient disease symptoms and select appropriate treatment more precisely.  AMPEL’s approach is sufficiently sensitive to detect changes in clinically uninvolved skin so that early intervention may prevent systemic flares and skin damage apparent in lesions.  The application of AMPEL’s machine learning approach could also assist pharmaceutical companies in drug development and clinical trials.

Patients with chronic skin diseases often suffer from unpredictable disease activity that impacts daily activities like work and family life. Since unpredictable symptoms often result in trips to the Emergency Room, the ability to predict worsening disease and systemic involvement with routine skin biopsies has important health care and health economics implications. 

Biotechnology innovation is a team sport.

While we often credit the discovery of a promising new therapy to a single scientist or research team, turning that discovery into a viable product patients can access requires a vast network of players. There are manufacturing platforms capable of producing new cell and gene therapies, teams to support preclinical and clinical trials, real estate developers that offer cutting-edge laboratory space and experts across a wide range of fields who all contribute to bringing a product to market.

Montgomery County is well known for many transformative firsts in life sciences. First to sequence the human genome; first gene therapy for sickle cell, first cell therapy for COVID-19 — and that’s just the start.* Montgomery County is an epicenter for translating knowledge into life-changing treatment and cures, with gene and cell therapies representing some of the most promising advancements in human health.

Image: Being part of the industry that delivers building solutions to help scientists do their work is what drives Pat Larrabee, CEO of Facility Logix. – https://www.bizjournals.com

In biotechnology, speed matters.

Emerging technology has opened a new world of possibilities for treating — and potentially curing — diseases. Scientists are developing cell and gene therapies designed to help patients with cancer, heart disease, liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and many other conditions. The faster they can get these therapies from the laboratory through clinical trials and into production, the sooner people will be able to benefit.

Top companies in the life sciences industry choose to locate in Virginia – and flourish here – because of the state’s top talent, advanced culture of innovation, outstanding logistical advantages, competitive costs, and top-ranked business climate. Virginia’s life sciences sector has gained significant momentum in recent years, with 20 life sciences industry projects announced in just the past three years, representing over 1,400 jobs and $1.2 billion in investment. Recent announcements include U.S. Pharmacopeia, AMPAC, Civica, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Bausch + Lomb, and Virginia-grown biotech firm Grenova.

Image: https://www.linkedin.com/

The medical science publication Stat just published an article about Congressional interest in the location of ARPA-H headquarters, the new $6 billion effort to fund high, risk-high reward health research and cures. We are about to witness a biotech version of the Amazon HQ2 competition, with states and jurisdictions across the country angling to land this headquarters facility.

It is great to see the national interest in housing ARPA-Headquarters, but this project should not distract jurisdictions from planning for the far more important and
numerous other opportunities emerging as Congress and the White House put the finishing touches on current and new programs and projects to fund applied science and health research programs. Both the science community and commercial real estate (CRE) industry should take notice.

– Company seeks proposals to create and sustain community-focused programs to support underserved populations with these conditions –  

VICTORIA, British Columbia & ROCKVILLE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH) (Aurinia or the Company) today, affirmed its commitment to individuals living with the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN) through the sponsorship of charitable grants to establish or expand community-focused patient navigator programs. This is the second year of this unique program aimed at eliminating barriers to care for individuals living with SLE/LN. LN is a serious manifestation of SLE that can cause irreversible kidney damage and kidney failure and significantly affects more Black, Asian, and Hispanic individuals than non-Hispanic White individuals. Selected applicants may receive up to $50,000 over a one-year period.   

Apr. 22—Construction will start this September on a 500,000-square-foot life science campus in Frederick County's Jefferson Technology Park that the developer says will be a $140 million investment in the community.

The Labs at Jefferson Park will include about 200,000-square-feet of research and development lab space, said Eric Fischer, a managing director with Trammell Crow Co., the project's developer. It is slated to be finished next year.

The medical science publication Stat just published an article about Congressional interest in the location of ARPA-H headquarters, the new $6 billion effort to fund high, risk-high reward health research and cures. We are about to witness a biotech version of the Amazon HQ2 competition, with states and jurisdictions across the country angling to land this headquarters facility.

It is great to see the national interest in housing ARPA-Headquarters, but this project should not distract jurisdictions from planning for the far more important and
numerous other opportunities emerging as Congress and the White House put the finishing touches on current and new programs and projects to fund applied science and health research programs. Both the science community and commercial real estate (CRE) industry should take notice.

Cities and states jockeying for position in the race for biotech dollars and talent have their sights set on a whale that comes along once in a generation.

When President Joe Biden announced last year that the federal government is launching a new outfit, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, dedicated to funding moonshot tech research, he kicked off a new, high-stakes battle among municipalities that are eager to land the headquarters of a federal agency dedicated to advancing and funding cutting-edge research.

Image: Creative Commons The new ARPA-H, an agency designed to fund moonshot health research, will fall under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health.

TUSCON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / April 5, 2022 / AURP, the leading nonprofit representing research parks, innovation districts and regional technology clusters, today announced a realignment of its executive team to optimize AURP’s continued success and global development strategies.

Vickie Palmer, current Director of Operations, has been appointed AURP CEO. Palmer assumes this executive leadership role following her 15 years of experience significantly expanding AURP’s membership and sponsorship community, plus overseeing AURP’s roster of events and programs. During her time with AURP, Palmer has led the organization’s membership, event management and overall operations while working closely with the organization’s CEO, Board of Directors and membership community.

Join ETC and Squadra Ventures on May 18, 2022 from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Monument City Brewing for the second Open Mic Pitch Night!  This is an opportunity for the Baltimore community to embrace new technology and foster connections. This is where entrepreneurs can practice pitching their startup or idea to an audience and receive feedback from a group of like-minded peers, investors, and tech leaders in a safe space.

Pitches will be casual – no presentations – simply get up on stage and spend 2 minutes telling the audience about your company or idea. During the networking hour, audience members will have the opportunity to ask companies questions.

To apply to pitch; please fill out this form by Tuesday, May 17th, 2022 at 11:59 PM. After completing the form you will receive an email with instructions on what to expect, your pitch timeslot, and any other information you may need. If you have any questions, please contact Breonna Massey at bmassey@etcbaltimore.com.

Happy hour drinks and light appetizers will be provided.

Click here to register.

Did you hear? Our second BLUE KNIGHT™ Symposium will take place June 9, 2022, and we’re excited to present your first chance to register! Tune in virtually from wherever you are around the world for a day of live programming. This year’s theme, The Power of Partnering to Accelerate Preparedness, aims to answer the questions startups have around accelerating innovations and earning a seat at the global preparedness table.

We echo that theme in today’s exclusive Q&A with Dr. David Boucher of ASPR and Dr. Karen Martins of BARDA, on the power of collaboration to build global resiliency toward health security threats. These experts share advice for early-stage companies and explore their experiences partnering to move "faster and better". Read more here.

A new 500,000 square-foot life science campus is being planned for Frederick County.

With two 100,000 square-foot research and development labs; two additional 145,000 square-foot production buildings; co-working space; conference rooms; and more, The Labs at Jefferson Tech Park will provide in demand, state-of-the-art space for life science companies looking to locate along the I-270 corridor.

The campus – which aims to be the “premier biodiscovery campus” in the county – is also expected to host numerous fitness and walking trails, outdoor green space, a cafe, and plenty of parking.

Please join the inaugural webcast “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” hosted by Children’s National Hospital (CNH) Innovation Ventures and the National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation (NCC-PDI). In this episode, we learn about the process of selecting novel technologies for implementation at CNH. Jennifer Yin, MSN, RN, CVAHP, hospital’s Value Analysis Clinical Program Manager, will engage in a fireside chat with Francesca Joseph, MD, FAAP, Pediatrician at CNH and co-Investigator of NCC-PDI. Jennifer and Francesca will provide a general understanding of the Value Analysis process and highlight topics most relevant to medical device innovators.

A Brisbane-based company that has targeted the premium end of the COVID home diagnosis boom has officially opened its 20,000-square-metre facility in the US, but its founder is now nervous about a potential flu pandemic as "vaccine weariness" sets in.

Ellume founder and CEO Sean Parsons tells Business News Australia the opening of the facility in Frederick, Maryland moves "moves us into pretty rarefied air" of companies that have massive capability for manufacturing tests for COVID and other viruses, at around 500,000 per day.

One of the most impactful moments I’ve witnessed working in the life sciences sector happened on the campus of Edwards Lifesciences last year.

Just months after having surgery, a patient met face to face with the team behind her heart valve replacement. She got to thank the people who built and inspected the very device now helping her heart function properly. They hugged, they clapped. For many of the Edwards team, it was the first time they were able to meet a patient whose life they changed.

It’s not often we see these moments up close – the ones where it’s so clear why we do what we do in the life sciences. This is what we do—deliver innovative solutions for healthier lives.

Companies developing lab automation, ophthalmological treatments, and novel foods received Europe’s top biotech investments in February 2022.

European and Israeli biotech investments in February 2022 narrowly beat January’s performance. Life sciences companies in these regions bagged 52 private investments and initial public offerings (IPOs), worth €664M in total. Meanwhile, January’s tally was 41 deals totaling €660M. Neither month matched the biotech investment highs of December 2021.

Image: https://www.labiotech.eu

The impacts of various ongoing developments, from the metaverse’s increasing prominence to the forthcoming gubernatorial shift, on Maryland’s tech economy were on the minds of attendees and panelists alike at last Thursday’s Digital Transformation Summit.

The Maryland Tech Council hosted its third iteration of the annual convention, in which the economic development group looks at the Maryland tech economy’s future, at the Maryland Jockey Club in Laurel.

Image: (L to R) Fearless' design director Jordan Watts; Exelon's principal product designer Chris-Anne Correa; Mindgrub's research and experience design director Shannon Hosmer; Christine Jackson, director of digital Strategy for the National Aquarium; and Solomon Scott, engineering lead, for The Washington Post, speak on a panel during the third annual Digital Transformation Summit. – https://technical.ly

Modern Healthcare last week released its annual list of the "Top 25 Innovators," recognizing leaders who initiate and lead change in the health care industry.

Methodology For the list, Modern Healthcare accepted nominations from Nov. 22, 2021 to Jan. 31, 2022.

To be eligible, nominees had to be at the director level or higher within a provider organization—including a hospital, health system, clinic, or physician group—or an insurer. 

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AmerisourceBergen, a global healthcare solutions company, today announced the establishment of AB Health Ventures, a dedicated corporate venture capital fund that will invest in and partner with emerging healthcare startup companies working to transform healthcare for people and animals globally. AB Health Ventures will build on AmerisourceBergen’s ongoing commitment to delivering innovation for its customers.