DaveandRich

Dave Saunders, CTO & Co-Founder of Galen Robotics, joins Rich Bendis before their 5/6/2022 Open House in Baltimore. (RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to attend) Also, view a demo of their technology at https://bit.ly/GalenRobotics. Rich and Dave and I discuss Digital Surgery, Choosing Baltimore, and their Design Philosophy.

Listen now via Google https://bit.ly/3w7lIr7, Apple https://apple.co/3MQRj6S, Spotify https://spoti.fi/3MNYfBH, Amazon https://amzn.to/3s7PTgj, and TuneIn https://bit.ly/3823iQo.

Ampel logo

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. 

DCflag

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.

Vita Therapeutics Logo

From its new headquarters and lab space, the biotech company aims to generate state-of-the-art cellular therapeutics for the treatment of debilitating neuromuscular diseases and cancers

BALTIMORE, May 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland (UM) BioPark announced today that Vita Therapeutics, a cell engineering company harnessing the power of genetics to develop cellular therapies to treat muscular dystrophies and solid tumors, has established offices and laboratory space within approximately 10,000 square feet of leased space in the BioPark. Vita Therapeutics will leverage the new space to bring together its 25+-person team under one roof for the first time with the goal of progressing its co-lead programs, VTA-100 and VTA-300. The company uses induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology to engineer specific cell types designed to replace those that are defective in patients.

NewImage

These free 1:1 virtual sessions are an opportunity to discuss your company with experts in diagnostics, therapeutics, digital health and medical devices. If you’re a growth-stage biohealth company looking for unbiased advice on your pitch deck, commercialization strategy, evidence development or entrepreneurial challenges, our EIRs can help.

 

To sign-up for any of the EIR dates in 2022, please follow this link.

Supernus pharmaceuticals
  • First novel, nonstimulant option for adults with ADHD in 20 years
  • ADHD affects an estimated 10 million adults in the U.S.

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUPN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an expanded indication for Qelbree (viloxazine extended-release capsules) for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adult patients aged 18 and older. The FDA has now approved Qelbree for the treatment of ADHD in children (starting at age 6), adolescents and adults.

Approximately 16 million children, adolescents, and adults have ADHD in the U.S. While many children with ADHD outgrow it, up to 90% of those diagnosed with ADHD in childhood continue to have ADHD as adults.

MikeAndRich

Mike Gill, Maryland Commerce Secretary, visits BioTalk to discuss Life Sciences in the State, growing the economy, and how we can continue building on our successes.

#Apple https://apple.co/3y8gVbA, #Google https://bit.ly/3vWZo3g, #Spotify https://spoti.fi/3w4uoP0, #Amazon https://amzn.to/3kz1uBc, #TuneIn https://bit.ly/3kxWZa0, or #YouTube https://bit.ly/39pFfLv.

Secretary Mike Gill is a business leader with four decades of experience as an entrepreneur, technology executive, investment banker, and public servant. He was tapped by Governor Larry Hogan in 2014 to lead the Maryland Department of Commerce as its first-ever Secretary and was asked by the Governor to again lead the Department in December 2021.

High school students looking through microscope in 2021 08 26 16 15 02 utc

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.

 

Being part of the industry that delivers building solutions to help scientists do their work is what drives Pat Larrabee, CEO of Facility Logix.

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

Biology class at high school lab 2021 08 29 11 16 08 utc

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.

 

Cursor and 6 life sciences leaders see Montgomery County as partner in success Washington Business Journal

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

Bisnow/Jacob Wallace
Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio speaks during a panel at Bisnow's The Future of Downtown D.C. & The Golden Triangle event on March 31, 2022.

The D.C. government is hoping to receive significant federal funding to bring more of the region's booming life sciences industry within District borders.

The District plans to apply for $92M to add research and innovation facilities to four major health institutions, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced Thursday

Image: Bisnow/Jacob Wallace Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio speaks during a panel at Bisnow's The Future of Downtown D.C. & The Golden Triangle event on March 31, 2022.

Medcura Logo

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).

 

1651082521718

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/

1650996903020

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).

Image: https://biobuzz.io

Emmes-Logo

Emmes, a global, full-service Clinical Research Organization (CRO) dedicated to supporting the advancement of public health and biopharmaceutical innovation, today announced that Casimir’s research on the development of the Duchenne Video Assessment (DVA) scorecards was published in PLOS ONE.  Emmes acquired Casimir in March 2022, and the group is now part of Emmes’ Rare Disease Center, Orphan Reach™.

The DVA is a novel, home-based clinical outcome assessment that measures ease of movement among those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) through identification of compensatory movement patterns.  Caregivers video record patients performing specific movement tasks at home using a secure mobile application.  The paper describes the development of the scorecards that DVA-trained physical therapists use to score the videos.

 

Picture1

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.

BioTalk Rich and Ray

QIAGEN Associate Director of IP & Licensing, Raymond Blanchard, chats with Rich Bendis on BioTalk to discuss innovation, intellectual property and having a large footprint in the BioHealth Capital Region.=

Listen now via #applepodcast https://apple.co/38nyPw4, #googlepodcast https://bit.ly/37Bb83q, #spotifypodcasts https://spoti.fi/3Mx7Ahp, #amazonpodcast https://amzn.to/3OzKN6j, #TuneIn https://bit.ly/3Mspodh, or #YouTube https://bit.ly/38mJB5t. #podcast

Qualified construction supervisor checking buildin 2021 09 03 21 03 18 utc

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.

 

AURP Logo

TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2022 / AURP, the leading non-profit representing research parks, innovation districts and regional technology clusters, today announced its BIO Health Caucus will take place in-person, June 12-13, before the start of the 2022 Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) International Convention in San Diego, CA.

AURP’s BIO Health Caucus, with its theme “Designing, Building And Financing Research Space For Growing Bio Companies And Bio Clusters,” will include discussion of BIO’s new report on bioscience economic development: “Driving the Bioscience Economy Forward During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Best Practices in State and Regional Economic Development Initiatives.”

 

Novavax-Logo
  • Phase 1/2 clinical trial of COVID-19-Influenza combination vaccine candidate indicates vaccine is well-tolerated and immunogenic
  • Data from this combination trial will inform planned Phase 2 dose confirmation trial, scheduled to begin by the end of 2022
  • Immune response confirmed in stand-alone influenza vaccine and combination vaccine with potential path forward for both

GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced initial results from the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its COVID-Influenza Combination Vaccine (CIC). The CIC combines Novavax' COVID-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, and its quadrivalent influenza vaccine candidate. The CIC trial demonstrated that formulating the combination vaccine is feasible, well-tolerated and immunogenic.

"We continue to evaluate the dynamic public health landscape and believe there may be a need for recurrent boosters to fight both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza," said Gregory M. Glenn, M.D., President of Research and Development, Novavax. "We're encouraged by these data and the potential path forward for a combination COVID-19-influenza vaccine as well as stand-alone vaccines for influenza and COVID-19."

The safety and tolerability profile of the combination vaccine was consistent with the stand-alone NVX-CoV2373 and quadrivalent nanoparticle influenza vaccine reference formulations in the trial. The combination vaccine was found to be generally well tolerated. Serious adverse were rare and none were assessed as being related to the vaccine.

Open Mic Pitch Night  Event Cover  Final 2  2

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Happy hour drinks and light appetizers will be provided.

Click here to register.

NewImage

The Life Sciences Advisory Board added three new members, Ellington West of Sonavi Labs, Michael Weingarten of the National Cancer Institute, and GlaxoSmithKline’s KaShauna G. Rohlehr.

Ellington West West was tapped to serve as chief executive officer of Sonavi Labs in 2018. Along with Ian McLane, she is the co-founder of the Johns Hopkins startup digital stethoscope technology company. West was the founder of West Labs Research Group at Johns Hopkins where the company’s core Feelix technology was developed.

Image: https://biobuzz.io

Aurinia Pharma New

– 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.  

Kite Logo

April 19, 2022 12:00 UTC   -- Kite’s Global CAR T-Cell Therapy Manufacturing Network Increasing Capacity by 50% to Meet Patient Demand for New Cancer Therapies -- Scalable and Adaptable Facility Provides Flexibility for Current and Future Cell Therapy Innovation   SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kite Pharma, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved commercial production at the company's new CAR T-cell therapy manufacturing facility in Frederick, Maryland. The site will produce Kite’s FDA approved CAR T-cell therapy used to treat blood cancer.  

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.

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.

 

Join BLUE KNIGHT™ this June Accelerating preparedness together

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.

 

Mimetas Logo

LEIDEN, The Netherlands, April 14, 2022 - MIMETAS, a global leader in organ-on-chip-based disease models, is a partner in the Oncode-PACT initiative that has been granted today an amount of €325 million by the Dutch National Growth Fund.

Oncode Institute will lead the Oncode-PACT consortium and its operations. With this investment, the consortium will develop cancer drug candidates faster and bring them to patients sooner. As a partner in Oncode-PACT, MIMETAS will develop the next generation of patient-specific cancer organoid models that include immune cells, blood vessels, and other essential cell types to drive novel cancer drug discovery and developm ent. Using these models, MIMETAS will screen compounds and targets using fully integrated, automatic phenotypic screening lines with AI data interpretation, bringing early validation and de-risking to the cancer drug development pipeline.

Image: https://www.mimetas.com

Image001

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.

 

Maryland is Open for Business Make Your Move

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.

 

NewImage

Individuals from diverse backgrounds can provide unique and valuable contributions in the research and development of life science innovations that prevent disease, prolong life, and promote health. However, certain groups, such as women and individuals from racial/ethnic minoritized groups, remain underrepresented in the U.S. biomedical sciences and in life science entrepreneurship.

 

Health care researchers working in life science la 2021 08 31 23 47 40 utc

Today, I am pleased to introduce the inaugural cohort of the NIH 21st Century Scholars Program—a new COSWD-sponsored initiative to promote awareness of the science of scientific workforce diversity. Six mentors and 13 cohort engagement participants from the NIH extramural scientific workforce were selected; together, they will build a vibrant, self-reinforcing culture of mentoring and support with a focus on diversity at the NIH.

 

Cursor and Home Office of Governor Larry Hogan

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced a new Maryland Cancer Moonshot Initiative to expand and accelerate cancer detection, screening, prevention, treatment, and research in the state. The state is committing $216 million in investments as a down payment to jumpstart this far-reaching initiative to save lives, including the first ever comprehensive cancer center in Prince George’s County.

Image: https://governor.maryland.gov/