Johns Hopkins University is teaming with two D.C.-area institutions, Howard University and the National Institutes of Health, to create a new accelerator to help companies and research scientists focused on treating neurological conditions.

The nonprofit biotechnology accelerator, NeuroTech Harbor, is funded by an NIH investment of $5 million a year over five years, which could go up to $20 million annually. The NeuroTech Harbor plans to launch 45 new neurological companies over the next five years.

Image: NeuroTech Harbor Executive Director Sri Sarma views the project as a catalyst to turn Baltimore into a the Silicon Valley of neurological technology. COURTESY OF SRI SARMA

The BioHealth Capital Region has made a name for itself in the last few years, currently holding tight to its #4 ranking on the Genetic & Engineering News (GEN) Top 10 Biopharma Clusters list. As more life science companies flock to the region, though, a new challenge arises – how do we create a strong pipeline of local talent to support their needs? This pipeline not only includes the high concentration of experienced talent the BHCR is known for but entry-level employees and people without four-year degrees who can be trained on-the-job.

Did you miss the 8^th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum? Below we are sharing many of the panels, fireside chats, and keynotes from this event hosted on September 20^th, 2022, from USP in Rockville, Maryland.

The year’s theme was “Imagine the Future Together,” with discussions on Healthcare Innovation, Change, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Thank you to all the Sponsors and Partners of the event and region this year.

Quantum World Congress is where global trailblazers, game-changers, innovators, and visionaries come together to accelerate a quantum-ready future

Quantum World Congress is the first-of-its-kind global conference, exposition, and networking event that brings a quantum-ready future into focus. Cross-sector, multi-disciplinary leaders and participants from around the world will gather for three days—November 29-December 1—in Washington, D.C. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center to explore this groundbreaking field. This event welcomes quantum technology visionaries, policymakers, researchers, business and investment leaders, educators, and students to discuss and showcase major developments in quantum solutions, research, education, workforce, thought leadership, policy, business, and investment. Technology builders and buyers will also discuss national and global progress as well as challenges and opportunities in the development of quantum computing, sensing, communications, and materials.

We are pleased to share an exciting new funding opportunity from the NIH Blueprint Innovation Hubs that you or your colleagues may be interested in.

NeuroTech Harbor and CIMIT’s CINTA program, through the NIH Blueprint MedTech Incubator hubs program, are currently seeking proposals from academic and industry applicants who have emerging technologies that aim to improve the diagnosis and/or treatment of disorders of the nervous system. Awards up to $500K per year (up to 4 years) to the most promising and innovative neurotechnologies to help support their development journey toward commercialization.

#KeiretsuBacked Sisu Global named in the list of the 100 Most Influential Medtech Companies! They were awarded in the latest issue of Medical Design & Outsourcing, read here: https://bit.ly/3LRI0EI

NEWARK, Del., Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) announces a Biomanufacturing Readiness Levels (BRLs) framework to lay the groundwork for a universal assessment of technology maturity and readiness level for commercial biomanufacturing technology adoption.

The BRL framework, described in the Biotechnology and Bioengineering journal, will benefit technology innovators, developers, and adopters with the ability to assess the maturity level of technology implementation during the clinical trials and commercial scale manufacturing processes that will allow them to overcome technology adoption hurdles from inception to commercialization. Modeled after the successful Manufacturing Readiness Levels developed by the Department of Defense, BRLs provide a tailored approach to the technology adoption journey that is specific to the biopharmaceutical industry.

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland and VANCOUVER, British Columbia – September 29, 2022 – miRecule, Inc., an innovator of next-generation RNA therapeutics, and SOLVE FSHD, a venture-philanthropy organization catalyzing the pace of innovation to accelerate a cure for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), today announced that SOLVE FSHD has invested US$1 million in miRecule to support the discovery of the company’s anticipated best-in-class antibody-RNA conjugate (ARC) designed to be a disease-modifying treatment for the underserved FSHD patient population.

Click here to read/download the PDF

WASHINGTON – Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration and voice for America's 33 million small businesses in President Biden's Cabinet, released the following statement today after the House voted to reauthorize funding for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program:

"Today's Congressional vote demonstrates overwhelming bipartisan support for the Small Business Innovation Research program which is vital to our nation's capacity to innovate and improve the lives of all Americans.  When President Biden signs this bill, America's innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs will have another three years of certainty as they continue to create opportunities which lead to jobs and equity in our nation's innovation economy.  If past performance of the SBIR program is any guide, new generations of entrepreneurs will be breaking barriers in science, medicine, and technology, while ensuring that the United States maintains its position as an innovation leader at the forefront of science and technology in a rapidly evolving global market.  A new three-year reauthorization for SBIR is a significant win for our nation's small businesses and the American jobs it supports."

Some economists say yes — and predict it's going to be bad — while others say the United States will avoid one altogether. Still others forecast that one will linger for a while, but be relatively shallow.

But even if the country can't dodge what many fear will follow record levels of inflation, a panel of experts in the life sciences field said on Tuesday they're optimistic that the Frederick County biohealth sector may be spared from the worst effects of an economic downturn.

Newswise — The National Institutes of Health, through its Blueprint MedTech program, has established two incubator hubs and launched a funding solicitation in support of commercially viable, clinically focused neurotechnology solutions to diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system. Blueprint MedTech relies on the collaborative framework of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, which includes the NIH Office of the Director and 12 NIH institutes and centers that support research on the nervous system.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals will continue to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform to support gene-edited cell therapy exa-cel, formerly known as CTX001™ for hemoglobinopathies

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MaxCyte, Inc., (Nasdaq: MXCT; LSE: MXCT), a leading commercial cell-engineering company focused on providing enabling platform technologies to advance innovative cell-based research as well as next-generation cell therapeutic discovery, development and commercialization, today announces the signing of a strategic platform license (SPL) with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases.

Twenty-four week interim analysis on approximately 160 subjects planned for Q1 2023 September 28, 2022 07:30 ET | Source: Altimmune, Inc

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Altimmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the completion of first dosing of all subjects in its Phase 2 MOMENTUM trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of pemvidutide1 in subjects with obesity or overweight. Pemvidutide is a novel, investigational GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist under development for the treatment of obesity and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

MOMENTUM is a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that is ongoing at approximately 30 sites in the United States, with Dr. Louis J. Aronne, Founder and Director of the Center for Weight Management at Weill-Cornell Medical Center, and a leading authority in obesity and obesity clinical trials, serving as the Principal Investigator. Approximately 320 subjects with obesity or overweight and without diabetes are being randomized 1:1:1:1 to either 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg pemvidutide or placebo administered weekly for 48 weeks in conjunction with diet and exercise. The primary endpoint of the trial is the relative (percent) change in body weight at 48-weeks compared to baseline, with additional readouts including metabolic and lipid profiles, cardiovascular measures and glucose homeostasis.

The Company's Fifth Acquisition Deepens Ophthalmology Credentials and Enhances Global Reach

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmes, a global, full-service Clinical Research Organization (CRO) dedicated to supporting the advancement of public health and biopharmaceutical innovation, today announced that it has acquired Clinical Edge. Clinical Edge trains and certifies visual function examiners at investigator sites conducting Phase I to IV ophthalmic clinical trials.

The combination of Optym, Emmes' ophthalmology certification unit, and Clinical Edge will make the organization a leader in ophthalmic certification and training services.

Emmes officially rolled out the new name – OptymEdge – and branding ahead of the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, which takes place in Chicago from September 30 to October 3.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) announced today that it has completed its acquisition of exclusive worldwide rights to TEMBEXA® (brincidofovir), the first oral antiviral approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for all age groups for the treatment of smallpox, from Chimerix. TEMBEXA was approved in June 2021 and is indicated for the treatment of human smallpox disease in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates.

The completion of the acquisition follows the satisfaction or waiver by the parties, as applicable, of all closing conditions, including expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act), as amended, and receipt of consent from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for a sub-contract agreement between Chimerix and Emergent.

Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint Dr. Renee Wegrzyn as the first director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a new agency established to drive biomedical innovation that supports the health of all Americans.  On the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot speech, Dr. Wegrzyn will join President Biden today at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston as he discusses his bold vision for another American Moonshot: ending cancer as we know it.

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, September 26, 2022 – When it was announced that the winner of the 7^th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap would be the recipients of a larger than ever prize pool, organizers didn't expect that two companies would benefit thanks to unique circumstances. The main winner, Neuroene Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel therapeutics for difficult-to-treat neurological disorders, was selected from five finalists as the company with the most commercial potential at the 7^th Annual Crab Trap Competition.

Gaithersburg-based Neuroene Therapeutics and its approach to treating a rare form of epilepsy were crowned the winner of the seventh annual Crab Trap Competition, which highlights the commercialization potential of biohealth technologies throughout the BioHealth Capital Region.

The company was largely recognized for its lead asset, NT102, a Vitamin K analog demonstrating broad seizure protection in preclinical animal models. In particular, the asset showed protection against seizures in Dravet syndrome, a rare genetic disease marked by severe encephalopathy and epilepsy that doesn’t respond well to current medications.

BaneBio is proud to be a sponsor of this invite-only VIP panel event I-270 Innovation Labs.

Startups. Capital. Entrepreneurship. These weren’t always terms in Amy White’s daily lexicon.

A trained scientist, White dedicated 15 years to teaching microbiology, focusing on the world that happens within the laboratory.

“I really never thought beyond the pipette, right,” she recalled at a recent biotech event, Game Changer Week, that was organized in Roanoke.

Emergent BioSolutions, already flush with products against public health threats like anthrax attacks and opioid overdoses, is expanding its arsenal of medical countermeasures by scooping up global rights to smallpox newcomer Tembexa.

Emergent will furnish developer Chimerix with $225 million in upfront cash plus upward of $100 million in milestone payments for worldwide rights to the med, also known as brincidofovir. The drug last summer snagged FDA approval as the first antiviral cleared to treat smallpox regardless of a patient's age.

The Small Business Innovation Research program is a big step further away from ending.

The Senate passed a three-year authorization of SBIR and the Small Business Technology Transfer Research program by unanimous consent on Sept. 20.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chairman of Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced and the full body passed the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022 on Wednesday after several months of delay because of concerns from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) about companies abusing the program.

Image: Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) is the chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. - https://federalnewsnetwork.com

Fifth Milestone Achieved by HemoShear with Novel Compounds for Second Target

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HemoShear Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held clinical stage biotechnology company, has earned a milestone payment for the advancement of potential lead product candidates against a second target for the treatment of gout under its collaboration with Horizon Therapeutics plc ( Nasdaq: HZNP). This milestone marks the fifth payment that HemoShear has earned in accordance with the Horizon exclusive drug discovery agreement established in January 2019.

Doubling the University of Maryland BioPark's lab space, the two-phase 4MLK development project will represent more than $320 million in total capital investment

BALTIMORE, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and Wexford Science & Technology, LLC, announced today that 4MLK, the newest development project in the University of Maryland BioPark, is slated to move forward, with groundbreaking this fall (2022) and delivering in summer 2024. The 8-story, 250,000-square-foot building, Phase I of a two-phase project representing a $320 million total capital investment, will provide critical wet laboratory space in downtown Baltimore for researchers and companies, flexible lab and office/support space for start-ups, and Class A office space, along with areas for convening and a conference center.

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MaxCyte, Inc., (Nasdaq: MXCT; LSE: MXCT), a leading commercial cell-engineering company focused on providing enabling platform technologies to advance innovative cell-based research, as well as next-generation cell therapeutic discovery, development and commercialization, today announced that it has relocated its headquarters to 9713 Key West Avenue in Rockville, Maryland, 20850, within Maryland’s I-270 Biotech Corridor. The Company’s new 67,000 square-foot facility significantly increases its in-house manufacturing capacity, as well as research and process development lab space. This investment represents a major milestone in MaxCyte’s growth and its ability to support customers and partners in their journey through therapeutic development to commercialization.

The U.S. bioeconomy is booming. Valued at nearly one trillion dollars and predicted to grow globally to over $30 trillion over the next two decades, bioproducts now include everything from the food that we eat to the vaccines we put in our arms. Plant-based burgers, recyclable bioplastics, concrete, clothing, and microbes for mining minerals are just a few of the latest bio-based products coming to market.

Image: White House Inks Strategy to Grow Trillion Dollar[+] DALL-E X JOHN CUMBERS

OAKLAND, Calif. - President Biden revived his call for a nationwide cancer moonshot effort on Monday, as he marked the 60th anniversary of President Kennedy's famous pledge to get a man on the moon.

"The goal is to cut cancer death rates by at least 50%, at least 50% in the next 25 years," said President Biden, "To turn more cancers from death sentences into chronic diseases people can live with."

Image: https://www.ktvu.com

Startup companies have traditionally looked for the most experienced venture capitalists they could find to get their businesses off the ground and support their growth. That’s not always the case anymore, according to a study by University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School Associate Professor Rich Mathews and his co-author Naveen Khanna of Michigan State University. They argue that startups straight out of the gate are often deciding to work with new venture capitalists rather than established ones.

One of Maryland’s premiere medical networks just announced an eight-figure investment into the economic development of local and marginalized communities by way of notable funding entities.

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) said in a Thursday statement that it will commit  $14 million to  11 community development financial institutions and privity equity firms throughout the state. The investment is intended to address racial, economic and environmental disparities in the communities the system serves.

Image: The University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. (Photo by Flickr user Baltimore Heritage, used via a Creative Commons license)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AMPEL BioSolutions today announced a breakthrough in precision and personalized medicine that can detect and predict the severity of COVID-19 in patients while also determining the best treatment options for each specific case. The company's new approach, through a simple blood test, will ultimately accelerate the means of providing effective treatments to the right people at the right time and potentially stem the serious illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection that can lead to lung damage or death.

AMPEL's new genomic test, known as CovGENE®, has been validated by a longitudinal study in partnership with physicians in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of the University of Virginia Medical Center. With careful analysis of patients admitted to the UVA Intensive Care Unit, CovGENE® demonstrated remarkable precision with a greater than 90-percent rate of accuracy. CovGENE®, can be administered by drawing a patient's blood to quickly ascertain whether a Covid-19 patient will have a mild, moderate, or severe outcome. The findings are detailed in a paper published today by Frontiers in Immunology.

Waltham, Mass. and Dublin – August 15, 2022 — Q32 Bio, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing biologic therapeutics to restore immune homeostasis, and Horizon Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: HZNP), today announced that they have entered into a collaboration and option agreement to develop ADX-914 for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

ADX-914 is a fully human anti-IL-7Rα antibody that re-regulates adaptive immune function by blocking signaling mediated by both IL-7 and TSLP. Q32 has recently completed a biomarker-enabled Phase 1 study characterizing pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of ADX-914 that demonstrated pharmacological effect on T cells in healthy volunteers. Q32 expects to initiate a Phase 2 trial in atopic dermatitis later this year and is planning to initiate a Phase 2 trial in a second autoimmune disease next year.

La Vista, Nebraska — September 14, 2022 – Streck announced today a Series B investment in Ceres Nanosciences (Ceres). The funds from this investment will be used to accelerate the development and commercialization of both diagnostic and research use products utilizing Ceres' Nanotrap® technology platform.

"Streck has a deep presence in and knowledge of the diagnostics industry and shares our commitment to building long-term relationships with partners and customers," said Ceres CEO Ross Dunlap. "We are thrilled to have Streck's support and guidance in this next, exciting phase of our growth."

Swimming with Sharks pairs aspiring healthcare entrepreneurs with successful innovators and investors. The startups selected will pitch at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting, ANESTHESIOLOGY®, in October 2022.

There will be two Swimming with Sharks sessions at the event: one for very early-stage startups (back of the napkin ideas/conceptual/pre-seed stage) and one for startups that are seed stage and beyond (ie series A).

September 13, 2022—The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission announced it will grant $4,165,325 in award funding to innovative research that will strengthen and advance stem cell treatments and technologies in Maryland. Awardees submitted proposals to the Commission in response to its Request for Applications (RFAs) for its first round of funding cycle in fiscal year 2023.

Recipients include 12 scientists accelerating research at Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Their research addresses an array of medical conditions, such as cancer, eye, heart, bone, blood, digestive, and immune system diseases.

- The Company plans to work with the FDA to design a Phase 3 program in moderate-to-high systemic disease activity patients to begin in 2023, ahead of expectations –

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 12, 2022-- Horizon Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: HZNP) today announced that its Phase 2 trial evaluating dazodalibep for the treatment of Sjögren's syndrome met the primary endpoint in patients with moderate-to-high systemic disease activity as defined by the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) score of ≥ 5. At Week 24, patients treated with dazodalibep achieved a 6.3-point reduction in their ESSDAI score and patients treated with placebo achieved a 4.1-point reduction, resulting in a statistically significant least squares mean difference of 2.2 points (p=0.017).