BioHealth Innovation Weekly for January 30, 2024

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January 30, 2024

Technical.ly: ETC, One of Baltimore’s Oldest Entrepreneurship Incubators, Names Arti Santhanam as New Executive Director

After a period of leadership transition and strategic planning, the organizations behind one of Baltimore’s longest-standing entrepreneurial communities have appointed a new executive director to take it to the next level.

On Tuesday, the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) and Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) jointly announced the appointment of Arti Santhanam as the new executive director of the Emerging Technology Centers (ETC Baltimore).

Santhanam most recently served as executive director of TEDCO’s Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII), a public-private effort to promote academic research commercialization across the state.

First Patient Enrolled in Rockville's Rise Therapeutics' Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trial

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rise Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel oral immunotherapeutic medicines, today announced that it has enrolled its first patient in its R-2487 Phase 1 rheumatoid arthritis clinical trial.

"This is an important milestone for the company and patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis" states Gary Fanger President and Chief Executive Officer of Rise Therapeutics. "This achievement reinforces our commitment to deliver innovative new medicines to the clinical community."

BioHealth Innovation, Inc.’s Rich Bendis Named Finalist for the Community Builder Award in the 2023 BioHealth Capital Region Annual Awards

Rockville, MD – BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) is proud to announce that our Founder, President & CEO, Rich Bendis, has been named a finalist for the Community Builder Award in the 2023 BioHealth Capital Region Annual Awards, hosted by BioBuzz.

Rich Bendis’ dedication to fostering innovation and supporting the biohealth ecosystem has been instrumental in driving growth and collaboration within the industry. His visionary leadership at BHI has created a platform for emerging companies, researchers, and entrepreneurs to connect with resources, expertise, and opportunities, significantly contributing to the region’s economic development and public health advancements.

BioBuzz’s recognition of Rich Bendis as a finalist for the Community Builder Award is a testament to his unwavering commitment and impactful work in the BioHealth Capital Region, encompassing Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia.

MaxCyte Signs Strategic Platform License with Imugene to Advance their Cancer Immunotherapy Programs

ROCKVILLE, Md., and SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MaxCyte, Inc., (Nasdaq: MXCT; LSE: MXCT), a leading, cell-engineering focused company providing enabling platform technologies to advance the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation cell-based therapeutics and innovative bioprocessing applications, and Imugene, (ASX: IMU), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology and cell therapy company developing a range of new treatments that seek to activate the immune system of cancer patients to identify and eradicate tumors, today announced the signing of a strategic platform license (SPL).

Under the terms of the agreement, Imugene obtains non-exclusive clinical and commercial rights to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform. In return, MaxCyte is entitled to receive platform licensing fees and program-related revenue.

QIAGEN announces partnership with Penn State University to advance microbiome sciences

Germantown, Maryland, and State College, Pennsylvania, Jan. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced a first-in-kind collaboration with Penn State University in the United States to create a shared research and education facility for the fast-developing microbiome sciences.

The university-industry partnership will serve as a beacon for this field by investigating research opportunities that address challenges and research gaps facing the microbiome, which involves the research into a community of microorganisms that can be found living together in any given environment, including the human body.

Calling all MedTech innovators: Up to $100,000 in federal grants to be awarded

Application deadline is Feb. 15 for the pandemic network edition of “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!™

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation (APDI) and Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN) have teamed up to provide a unique opportunity for innovators of pediatric medical devices, diagnostics and digital health solutions. The organizations are inviting submissions for a pitch competition that emphasizes the development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) – innovations designed to address the unique healthcare needs of children during pandemics and other disasters. MCMs play a pivotal role in bolstering readiness and response capabilities to disasters arising from a broad spectrum of threats.

PQE Group: 100+M€ In Revenues, Expansion In Emerging Markets and Business Lines

Florence, Jan. 26, 2024 – PQE Group , the renowned Life Science consulting powerhouse, concludes the fiscal year 2023 with a 10% growth and an upwardly revised income exceeding 100 million euros in revenues. The Italian headquartered global firm, celebrated as a preferred advisor to pharma manufacturing and medical device corporations and SMEs globally, marks this success as a testament to its resilience, adaptability, and strategic vision amid the complex global landscape.

"At a time when many companies grapple with geopolitical challenges, crises, and inflation rates, PQE Group stands out not only for its resilience but for its ability to thrive in uncertain times, showcasing positive growth across all financial indicators," stated Gilda D'Incerti , CEO & Founder of PQE Group. "This success is rooted in meticulous planning, strategic investments in cutting-edge technologies, and a corporate culture that values agility and innovation."

Haystack Oncology and TriSalus Life Sciences Enter Research Collaboration

BALTIMORE, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Haystack Oncology, a Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) company and developer of best-in-class personalized MRD technology (Haystack MRD™), has entered a research collaboration with TriSalus Life Sciences to evaluate therapeutic response and provide molecular insights in connection with the clinical development of TriSalus' SD-101, an investigational class C toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9) agonist. SD-101 is delivered via hepatic arterial infusion or pancreatic retrograde venous infusion in their phase 1 and 1b clinical trials using their proprietary Pressure-Enabled Drug Delivery™ (PEDD™) to overcome the challenges associated with intratumoral pressure for patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

The Daily Record: New Johns Hopkins institute aims to make Baltimore an AI hub

Johns Hopkins University has launched an ambitious endeavor that the school’s leaders say will make Baltimore a hub of the booming artificial intelligence industry.

The new Data Science and Translation Institute, announced several months ago and planned for the western edge of the Homewood Campus, is expected to be “the leading academic hub for data science and artificial intelligence – a resource that will bring world-class experts to the Baltimore region and drive game-changing innovations,” said Rama Chellappa, interim co-director of the planned institute and a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the school.

REGENXBIO Announces Positive Interim Data from Phase II AAVIATE® Trial of ABBV-RGX-314 for the Treatment of Wet AMD Using Suprachoroidal Delivery

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- REGENXBIO Inc. (Nasdaq: RGNX) today announced positive interim data from the Phase II AAVIATE^® trial of ABBV-RGX-314 for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) using suprachoroidal delivery. Wet AMD is a chronic, life-long disease with available anti-VEGF treatment options that may reduce the risk of blindness, but require frequent injections. Investigational ABBV-RGX-314 using suprachoroidal delivery is designed to be a one-time, in office treatment that has the potential to sustain constant anti-VEGF therapy and stabilize or improve vision long-term for wet AMD patients. The new data presented at the Hawaiian Eye and Retina meeting in Maui, HI by John Pitcher, M.D., Eye Associates of New Mexico, includes 6-month results from two additional dose level 3 cohorts (Cohorts 5 and 6). ABBV-RGX-314, being developed in collaboration with AbbVie, is also being investigated as a potential one-time gene therapy for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and other chronic retinal conditions.