Biohealth Innovation - 392nd Edition

BioHealth Innovation

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February 11, 2020

FOUNDING MEMBER OF

Andrea Alms, MS, MBA, Co-Fund Manager of BioHealth Capital Fund, joins Rich Bendis on BioTalk

The first BioTalk of 2020 kicks off with Andrea Alms, MS, MBA, Co-Fund Manager of BioHealth Capital Fund as she discusses her background, the world of Angel Investment, and her vision for the Fund

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Andrea Alms is the co-fund manager of BioHealth Capital Fund. The BioHealth Capital Fund is a venture capital early stage investment fund created by the BioHealth Innovation (“BHI”), located in Rockville, MD, the center of the BioHealth Capital Region. BHI manages a for profit subsidiary BioHealth Innovation Management (BHIM) which owns equity in 27 of the 108 client companies of BHI and has had 3 exits. Our lead investor is Alexandria Real Estate Equities; and, our reference is Joel Marcus. Andrea is recognized for her abilities in guiding venture capital, private equity, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and other transactions involving early stage companies. Andrea assists limited partners, general partners, investors, and entrepreneurs as they create, build, and buy or sell businesses, primarily in BioHealth, healthcare, technology, and digital health products industries.

BHCR - Save the dates!

Here’s a list of our upcoming events. Get them on your calendar so you don’t miss anything.

Click here for the full list

Catalent To Acquire Leading Cell Therapy Company MaSTherCell Global for $315 Million from Germantown, Maryland's Orgenesis Inc. · BioBuzz

SOMERSET, N.J. & GOSSELIES, Belgium–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Catalent, Inc. (NYSE: CTLT), the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, gene therapies, and consumer health products, and MaSTherCell Global, Inc., a technology-focused cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization to leading cell therapy innovators, today announced that Catalent has agreed to acquire MaSTherCell Global, a company backed by Great Point Partners, SFPI-FPIM, and Orgenesis Inc. (NASDAQ:ORGS), for an aggregate of $315 million in cash, subject to a customary adjustments.

Following new health systems partnership, Avhana Health plans hiring in 2020 - Technical.ly Baltimore

As it gears up for expansion in 2020, Baltimore-based Avhana Health is kicking off a partnership with one of Florida’s largest health system, cofounder Noah Weiner said.

The downtown Baltimore-based company is working with AdventHealth to launch its platform that improves electronic health records throughout the system’s network of doctor’s offices.

Image: Avhana Health cofounders and brothers Noah and Nate Weiner. (Courtesy photo)

Medimaps needs people!

BHI is assisting one of its client companies, Medimaps) seeking US sales, customer and marketing support (see position descriptions). Medimaps is an exciting start-up company that is prepared to grow exponentially in the next phase and is looking for dynamic, experienced, and flexible people interested in being a part of this journey. The company is seeking someone who would like to be a critical player to the success of this exciting medtech company. Medimaps Group (MG) is the leader in bone and tissue microarchitecture software analytics. Its proven technology helps doctors make improved clinical decisions for the patients. Over the past several years, Medimaps has developed innovative technology, demonstrated and published clinical efficacy, received regulatory approval, built its network of distributors and partners around the world, and gained worldwide acceptance as standards of care for osteoporosis fracture risk assessment. Medimaps’ premier product, Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) is sold in more than 60 countries. MG currently has 20+ employees between our Headquarters in Geneva Switzerland, our R&D in Bordeaux, France, and our General Office in the US which is expanding. To apply for either position, please send your resume, cover letter, and three professional references to BHI@BIoHealthInnovation.org

Montgomery College Launches Community Start-up Business Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurs – MC News

Montgomery College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education (WDCE) Program will offer a program for budding entrepreneurs in Montgomery County to gain start-up business resources and get newly created businesses registered. The program, named LaunchCamp, starts April 7 and is a 12-week sprint for entrepreneurial-minded students to turn their ideas into registered businesses with identified customers.

Funded through the Montgomery College Foundation Innovation Fund, this start-up business accelerator is an easy-to-apply program that requires just a 1-page business plan, called the Lean Canvas.

10 medical research trends we’ll be watching in 2020 and beyond | LinkedIn

Now that we have stepped over the threshold into 2020, what has the research community learned that will propel progress and how can we enable changes that can move health and science forward?

Here’s a look a 10 trends and big ideas we are watching as this new decade unfolds:

1. Making patients the priority: Retail, banking, and other consumer-focused industries have placed the consumer in the center.

George Mason University starts the search for developers for its Amazon-inspired Arlington campus expansion - Washington Business Journal

George Mason University is now looking for private partners to help it build its Amazon-inspired expansion of its Arlington campus, outlining preliminary plans for a building with 225,000 square feet of academic space and 135,000 square feet of private office and retail.

University officials released a request for proposals Tuesday, looking for developers interested in teaming up with Mason to build a new home for the Institute of Digital Innovation on its Virginia Square property. The building is set to include a mix of uses across its 460,000 square feet, with room for classes and research labs alongside space for companies big and small looking to partner with the university.

Image: https://www.bizjournals.com

Now your own blood can save you: autotransfusion device Hemafuse will revolutionize blood access across Africa, now available in Ghana and Kenya - APO Group - Africa Newsroom / Press release

BALTIMORE, United States of America, February 6, 2020/APO Group/ -- Hemafuse, a surgical autotransfusion device, will revolutionize blood access across Africa. Hemafuse is designed to salvage and recycle whole blood from cases of internal bleeding. The device can be used in both emergencies and scheduled procedures to recover blood from where it pools inside of a patient, into a blood bag, where it is immediately available to be re-transfused back to that same patient.

Coronavirus testing efforts in the US

CNBC’s Meg Tirrell reports on testing efforts here in the U.S. to detect the coronavirus. With Qiagen’s interim CEO, Thierry Bernard, in Boston.

Baby Steps: Med Device Innovation For Children

Developing medication, devices, and products for children is not a matter of “shrinking” down the adult version. Delivering solutions to our littlest patients requires a long-term approach that deliberately centers children in all stages of innovation – from ideation to incubation, from clinical trials to market.

Join Chief Innovation Officer of Children’s National Health System Kolaleh Eskandanian and experts in pediatric medical device innovation for a candid discussion on the challenges and opportunities upon designing innovation with children in mind.

CIT Engages Venture Partner to Expand Outreach for CIT GAP Funds and Virginia Founders Fund

Herndon, VA, Feb. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced the appointment of Greg Feldmann, President of Skyline Capital Strategies, an affiliate of Woods Rogers, PLC, as CIT GAP Funds Venture Partner. CIT GAP Funds and affiliated Virginia Founder’s Fund (VFF) are committed to identifying viable start-up investment opportunities in all parts of the Commonwealth. As a Venture Partner, Feldmann will provide outreach services to cultivate new and existing sources of deal flow and early-stage investment capital in the Roanoke-Blacksburg corridor, Southside Virginia, Lynchburg and Far Southwest Virginia.“CIT recognizes the wealth of technology and strong entrepreneurial spirit of the Roanoke-Blacksburg corridor and adjacent geographies,” said Tom Weithman, Managing Director of CIT GAP Funds. “A critical part of harnessing those assets to create economic development benefit for the Commonwealth turns on mobilizing capital to drive development of emerging companies.

Image: https://www.streetinsider.com

Former GSK Site in Pennsylvania Gets Revamped into Life Sciences Hub | BioSpace

In June 2019, MLP Ventures’ The Discovery Labs announced renovation plans for GlaxoSmithKline’s R&D space in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania it acquired the previous year for about $50 million with the goal of turning the space into "co-working" ecosystem for healthcare, life sciences and technology-enabled companies.

Merck to streamline business; separate into two companies - Philadelphia Business Journal

Merck & Co. Inc. unveiled plans Wednesday to spin off products from its women’s health and biosimilars businesses, along with certain legacy brands, into a new independent and publicly traded company.

Going forward, Merck (NYSE: MRK) will focus on its oncology, vaccines, hospital medicine and animal health segments.

Merck expects the spinoff to be completed by the first half of 2021. The pharmaceutical giant anticipates cost savings of more than $1.5 billion — primarily in areas such as manufacturing and sales staff costs — by 2024. In addition, Merck said by continuing to increase investments in its key growth drivers and pipeline assets, it is targeting operating margins to grow to more than 40% in 2024.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Boston Properties quest for megacampuses - San Francisco Business Times

Its potential 1.7 million-square-foot campus in South San Francisco matches the biotech industry's growth.

Startup Maryland posts 2019 video business pitches | Spotlight | somdnews.com

Startup Maryland recently unveiled video pitches from the participants in the 2019 STRT1UP Roadshow. Entrants are now in the running for the Pitch Across Maryland competition. Categories this year for the Pitch Across Maryland include: Fan Favorite, Champions’ Choice, Industries and Overall Winner.

The STRT1UP Roadshow, which is the year-long tour around the state, involves the video bus into which entrepreneurs climb to deliver a two to four minute video pitch summarizing their venture and opportunity, according to a Startup Maryland press release.

New life-sciences venture contest to award top grant of $20K | WilmingtonBiz

Life sciences and biotechnology business ventures in Southeastern North Carolina could get a boost through a new competition launched Tuesday by the N.C. Biotechnology Center Southeastern Office, in partnership with UNCW's CIE.

Entrepreneurs and companies can now apply for the NC BIONEER Venture Challenge, which aims to "raise the profile, increase the volume, and enhance the success of life science commercialization, entrepreneurs, and companies in the region,” according to the venture challenge website.

Register now for the eighth annual Public Health Research at Maryland day on Tuesday April 7. We'll delve into the latest research focused on improving the health and well-being of diverse communities across Maryland, the nation and the world. This year's theme, Our 2020 Vision for Healthy People 2030, highlights the release of the new Healthy People Objectives for 2030 on March 31.