October 2021, A 2020 survey conducted by BIO found that in the 100 biotech companies surveyed, women made up nearly half of total employees, but accounted for only 31% of executives and 23% of CEOs. Women’s representation suffers a steep decline in leadership positions across the life sciences, and the gap only widens for women of color.

When Lynn Johnson Langer and Debra Bowes, started their careers in the life sciences they both knew that gender diversity was rare, and even scarcer as women entrepreneurs. “Networking events I attended were mainly comprised of men. There were no opportunities to talk with women about their experiences and career opportunities,” said Johnson Langer.

We thought 2021 would bring a stronger path forward for Greater Washington — and the world — after a debilitating, unpredictable, unprecedented 2020.

And yet, we remain steeped in uncertainty and adversity after a Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus deepened the death toll and put thousands more at risk on a daily basis, physically and mentally, while businesses and employers continue to navigate through reopening delays and staff departures. 

OCT 06, 2025 08:30 EST

PediaMetrix received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for SoftSpot^TM, a cross platform software solution for infant cranial evaluation at the point of care. The FDA clearance demonstrates SoftSpot’s safety and efficacy for infant cranial measurements using a smartphone.

“This is an important milestone for PediaMetrix and we see great potential in now bringing this innovative technology to pediatricians in the US and around the world”, said Fereshteh Aalamifar, PhD, President & CEO of PediaMetrix. Currently, pediatricians are not equipped with any tool for quantitative measurement of cranial shape and only perform visual assessment. They refer parents of children at risk to specialists for quantitative measurements, which can cause delays in the early detection and intervention. SoftSpot brings the power of a specialist to a pediatric office using a smartphone.

Andrea Alms, Co-Fund Manager & Partner, BioHealth Capital Fund, recently joined a panel on “Impact Firms Take the Lead: Private Equity & Private Credit” with Emerge Capital Management on October 11th. Emerge’s EMPWR Program has a talented roster of sub-advisors that features a special focus on women private fund leaders. During this special webinar panel, we will be focusing on EMPWR’s private equity and private debt sleeve. We will have three private fund managers join us and present how their private, impact funds can improve the quality of life around the world.

Click here to watch the recording.

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandria Venture Investments, the strategic venture capital platform of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE), an urban office REIT and the first, longest-tenured and pioneering owner, operator and developer uniquely focused on collaborative life science, agtech and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, was recognized by Silicon Valley Bank in its Healthcare Investments and Exits: Mid-Year 2021 Report as the #1 most active biopharma corporate investor by new deal volume from 2020 to 1H21 for the fourth consecutive year and the #1 most active new Series A investor in biopharma by new deal volume from 2020 to 1H21. These most recent leadership rankings are a testament to Alexandria's position at the vanguard and heart of the life science ecosystem. In addition to its leadership in early-stage life science venture capital investing, Alexandria Venture Investments was listed as one of the five most active U.S. investors in agrifoodtech in the 2021 AgFunder AgriFoodTech Investment Report earlier this year. Alexandria Venture Investments has for more than 25 years strategically invested in some of the most disruptive life science, agrifoodtech and technology companies advancing transformative new modalities and platforms to meaningfully improve human health. Fully integrated into Alexandria's differentiated and multifaceted business, the highly successful mission-critical Alexandria Venture Investments platform provides the company with strategic insight into these industries, strengthens relationships with key entrepreneurs and investors and enables the curation of the highest-quality tenant base.

October 19, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

GYEONGGI-DO, Korea & GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--D&D Pharmatech Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on development and commercialization of revolutionary medicines, and parent company of U.S.-based Neuraly Inc., Precision Molecular, Inc., Theraly Fibrosis Inc., P4Microbiome and Valted Seq, today announced that it has completed a $51 million Series C round of financing led by Praxis Capital Partners, a private equity firm that focuses on growth acquisitions and investments in Asia; other investors included DS Asset Management, Kudos Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities. The new round of financing builds upon the $137.1 million the company secured in Series B financing in August 2019. The company is planning an initial public offering in Korea in 2022.

BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gain Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GANX) (“Gain”, or the “Company”), a biotechnology company focused on identifying and optimizing allosteric binding sites never before targeted in neurodegenerative diseases and lysosomal storage disorders, today announced the appointment of Matthias Alder as Chief Operating Officer to advance the Company’s strategic and operational objectives, including the establishment of additional industry partnerships and the transition of the Company’s lead program in Gaucher and Parkinson’s Disease into clinical trials, which is expected to occur in 2022.

“I am delighted to welcome Matthias to Gain’s growing team as we methodically scale our platform and build our internal clinical trial capabilities and operations,” said Eric Richman, Chief Executive Officer of Gain. “He brings extensive experience in the pharma and biotech industries and is a seasoned executive who will complement our current executive team at a pivotal time for Gain as we grow the organization and prepare to advance our lead program into clinical trials.”

Home to an array of renowned universities, federal labs, and government resources, it’s no surprise that the globally renowned Milken Institute found that Maryland “has one of the nation’s strongest life sciences industries,” according to its recent report.

It’s clear that Maryland’s efforts to grow its recognition as a life sciences/biotech hub have paid off. However, there is still more work to be done in order for Maryland’s R&D growth trajectory to keep up with other leading hubs such as Massachusetts and North Carolina.

Image: https://biobuzz.io

Scientists temporarily attached a pig’s kidney to a human body and watched it begin to work, a small step in the decades-long quest to one day use animal organs for life-saving transplants.

Pigs have been the most recent research focus to address the organ shortage, but among the hurdles: A sugar in pig cells, foreign to the human body, causes immediate organ rejection. The kidney for this experiment came from a gene-edited animal, engineered to eliminate that sugar and avoid an immune system attack.

Image: Photo: Joe Carrotta/NYU Langone Health via AP. In this September 2021 photo provided by NYU Langone Health, a surgical team at the hospital in New York examines a pig kidney attached to the body of a deceased recipient for any signs of rejection. From left are Drs. Zoe A. Stewart-Lewis, Robert A. Montgomery, Bonnie E. Lonze and Jeffrey Stern. The test was a step in the decades-long quest to one day use animal organs for life-saving transplants.

Phlow is strategically working with the U.S. government to ensure preparedness for future national health crises  

October 20, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Phlow Corp., a U.S.-based essential medicines impact company, today announced that it has been approved for inclusion in the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) network. The network is part of a comprehensive effort by the U.S. government to provide a domestically integrated, systematic approach to the development of the necessary vaccines, drugs, therapies, and diagnostic tools to address public health emergencies.  

935 Prose is a 10-story trophy-class, state-of-the-art research/lab building that marries iconic design, and superior lab functionality. It is positioned to recruit and retain the best-and-brightest scientific talent and will set a new standard for life science facilities.

This Forbes special section showcases how the state continues to step up its game to keep businesses thriving. Maryland's dynamic and ever-growing aerospace, cybersecurity, energy, financial services, life sciences, manufacturing, and real estate industries are all showcased throughout the publication.

Each year BioProcess International publishes over 150 articles focusing on the latest science, technologies, and techniques supporting biopharmaceutical research, development, and manufacturing. As publishers, we work closely with industry authors and our editorial advisory board members to select, edit, and review every article before publication to ensure that it meets the high standard you have come to expect from BPI.

The United States is on edge in ways the nation has rarely experienced throughout its young history. The country’s global leadership is being challenged in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive world. Meanwhile, the nation’s sustained complacency in dealing with long-festering domestic needs has weakened our institutions from within and placed in grave danger our leadership in the critical fields of science and technology—on which so much of our economy and security is based. America is at a tipping point, in short, and Americans are justifiably unsettled.

Mr. Hakdo Kim, President, Korea SMEs & Startups Agency KOSME), joins Rich Bendis from the BHI Offices to discuss their biotech mission, their relationship with Maryland, and opportunities to expand in the United States

Listen now on Apple https://apple.co/2XGxg7i, Google https://bit.ly/3bbuDxz, Spotify https://spoti.fi/2XI5h7n, and TuneIn https://bit.ly/2XGwYNJ.

October 20, 2021    |   By Deborah Kotz

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that UMSOM has been awarded $1.25 million in matching funds from the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce. The funds, totaling $2.5 million when combined with private philanthropy, will enable the establishment of a new Center for Pathogen Research. They will also enable UMSOM to support research professorships in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Department of Neurology.

The Alicia and Yaya Foundation made a $750,000 philanthropic commitment to establish the Alicia and Yaya Foundation Professorship in Pathogen Research in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Matching state funds bring the total to $1.5 million, which will establish an endowed professorship for Matthew Frieman, PhD, associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology at UMSOM. He will also serve as the director of a new Center for Pathogen Research.

Danae expands its 3-D Print manufacturing capacity, adds access to unique 3D printing technologies from Materic

October 21, 2021, Baltimore, MD – Danae, Inc., a Baltimore-based 3-D Printing design and manufacturing company, today announced it has partnered with Materic, LLC and received investment from Conscious Venture Partners through their Conscious Venture Fund II.

Located at Baltimore’s 1100 Wicomico, Danae has used this investment to install eight new printers to meet its rapidly growing customer demand. The new machines extend Danae’s capabilities allowing them to manufacture parts using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) or Stereolithography (SLA) technologies. SLS uses a laser to transform powder into a 3D model whereas SLA uses a laser to cure liquid resin into hardened plastic.

GYEONGGI-DO, Korea & GAITHERSBURG, Md., October 19, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--D&D Pharmatech Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on development and commercialization of revolutionary medicines, and parent company of U.S.-based Neuraly Inc., Precision Molecular, Inc., Theraly Fibrosis Inc., P4Microbiome and Valted Seq, today announced that it has completed a $51 million Series C round of financing led by Praxis Capital Partners, a private equity firm that focuses on growth acquisitions and investments in Asia; other investors included DS Asset Management, Kudos Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities. The new round of financing builds upon the $137.1 million the company secured in Series B financing in August 2019. The company is planning an initial public offering in Korea in 2022.

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, Oct 18, 2020 – The Board of Directors of BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) unanimously approved the appointment of Aubrey Watkins III, Ph.D., M.S. as a new board member. Aubrey Watkins III is a Senior Director, Corporate Development, Scientific Affairs, with Emergent BioSolutions Inc. in Gaithersburg, Maryland; where he leads due diligence and technical evaluations to facilitate mergers and acquisitions that supports the company’s growth strategy. BHI would also like to congratulate Board of Directors members Jarrod Borkat as he takes a new role at CareDx as Vice President Corporate Development, and Bob Silverman in his new role as Chief Business Officer with Rejuveron Life Sciences.

 “I am delighted to welcome Aubrey to our Board of Directors,” said Richard Bendis, BHI President, and CEO. “BioHealth Innovation and Emergent BioSolutions have had a long and productive relationship. We look forward to having Aubrey as a part of this Board to share his experience and perspective.”

Leaders from the BioHealth Capital Region welcome the over 1,000 registrants to the 7^th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum.

Please visit this link.

Listen now via Apple https://apple.co/3BSIFjn, Google https://bit.ly/3j7YyLt, Spotify https://spoti.fi/2Z474Ec, and TuneIn https://bit.ly/3DUweUz.

Divya Chadha Manek was appointed as the NIHR CRN’s Head of Commercial Business Development in 2015 then in 2020, Divya was seconded to the UK Vaccines Taskforce (VTF) which was set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to lead the UK’s search for a safe and effective vaccine. Divya was responsible for supporting global pharmaceutical companies to rapidly generate the evidence required for marketing authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines. Divya also played a pivotal role in conceptualising and developing the NHS Vaccine Research Registry.

BioHealth Innovation (BHI) is an innovation intermediary that facilitates the commercialization of emerging technologies in the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, DC and Virginia).

BHI is seeking a Life Sciences Business Strategist to join its team in Rockville, Maryland. This position provides the opportunity to leverage scientific knowledge to evaluate the commercial potential of emerging technologies and provide recommendations on go-to-market strategies.

This is a customer facing role with a focus on supporting clients in the development of commercial analyses and federal grant proposals.

Click here for more details.

Medical devices are ubiquitous in US healthcare— everything from the delivery room’s sterile gloves and umbilical cord clamps to the breathtakingly sophisticated neurosurgical operating room’s stereotactic navigation systems. More than ever medical devices are a fusion of hardware, software, and even synthetic living material. These are the physical tools through which new life science discoveries improve our lives.

TYSONS CORNER, Va., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As of late September, 77% of the total adult population of the U.S. had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Black and Hispanic people, however, remain less likely than whites to have received a vaccine, leaving them at increased risk of infection, particularly as the novel variant spreads.(1) Some of this hesitance to vaccination, notes Dr. Harsha Rajasimha, founder and CEO of Jeeva Informatics, is rooted in long-lost trust. "We see it in clinical trials as well," he says. "Black and brown people need the medicines and therapies being developed but are less inclined to trust the professionals who develop them." This is unfortunate.

Baltimore, Md. (Oct. 12, 2021) – State of Maryland leaders will join University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Jay A. Perman at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15 to celebrate the unveiling of the Academic & Innovation Center for the University System of Maryland (USM) at Southern Maryland (USMSM) in California, MD.  

The new Southern Maryland Autonomous Research and Technology (SMART) building is an $86 million, 84,000-square foot academic and research facility that will nearly double the educational footprint of USMSM, create autonomous systems research space, and spur economic activity and job growth.

Image: https://www.usmd.edu

Benjamin Glenn of A Matter of Innovation sits down with Jennifer McCaney PhD, (Co-Executive Director UCLA Biodesign) and Kwame Ulmer, MD (Venture Partner Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health and BHI/NIH Entrepreneur in Residence) to discuss the new UCLA Biodesign curriculum and their landmark study which asks the question:

“What does it take to bring a novel medical technology to market in the year 2021”?

Topics include how companies large and small are currently dealing with regulatory and reimbursement, the current palette of investment strategies and the possible trend towards a US first launch strategy as the norm. The study so far has produced insightful data on medtech companies owned and operated by people of color and the detailed novel solutions borne out of experiences unique to these communities - as well as the benefits of a fresh focus on addressing unmet clinical needs as a wellspring for powerful new innovations, essential data and a better future for all.

Click here to watch the video.

John Mumm, the chief executive officer of Germantown’s Deka Biosciences, describes the body’s immune system as a ballet. While the dancers take the stage and command attention, Mumm notes that it’s the symphony that guides the performance and dictates where the dancers need to be.

What Does a Successful Submission Look Like?

• Offers Innovative solutions to a significant unmet clinical need 
• Provides solutions that have significant commercial potential 
• Corresponds to one of NIA’s research priorities 
• Leverages the expertise of the company/founder 
• Seeks funding to produce feasibility data (Phase I) or conduct product-focused development activities (Phase II)

BALTIMORE, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wrightguard Innovations Corporation (TWGIC), a University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) startup company developing smart mouthguard technology designed to protect athletes, announced today that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the company an SBIR grant totaling more than $250K.

Developed by the University of Maryland's School of Dentistry (UMSOD) faculty member Radi Masri, DDS, MS, PhD, and Michael Wright, DDS, MS, CEO and founder of TWGIC, the technology is a smart mouthguard with physiological tracking capabilities that provides real-time monitoring for a variety of biometrics, such as force of impact, pH and hydration levels, as well as body temperature. Currently in the prototyping and beta testing phase, the technology can be used to collect multi-sensor data in real time, enabling more advanced physiological analysis and a new level of safety and performance for athletes.

Exits top $582 billion as US VC continues its extraordinary year

In nine months, the US venture capital industry turned 2021 into a year for the record books, leaving 2020's eye-popping numbers far behind.

The Q3 2021 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor depicts how the frenetic pace of dealmaking, exits, and fundraising has easily toppled last year's records, as venture capital's strength continues to support the country's economic recovery.

For our Dutch-speaking following, there is a podcast available with our CEO Paul Vulto. In this podcast series “Pioneren in de polder”, different entrepreneurs talk about starting and growing their company in the Leiden Bio Science Park. Listen to the podcast to hear about the origin story of MIMETAS, our launching customer, and of course Paul’s musical talents! e

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) today announced the first participant dosed in its pivotal phase 3 study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of the company’s investigational chikungunya virus (CHIKV) virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate, CHIKV VLP, in a single dose. CHIKV VLP is the only VLP-based vaccine currently in clinical development for active immunization against chikungunya disease.

Are you a biohealth start-up in Maryland, DC or Virginia seeking feedback on your biohealth business idea, pitch deck, or commercialization plan? Schedule your feedback session with BHI EIRs on one of the following dates. Pre-registration is required; Sign up here tinyurl.com/EIRfeedback

For questions/more information, contact BHI.

ROCKVILLE, Md. and EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUPN) and Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADMS), today announced a definitive agreement for Supernus to acquire Adamas through a tender offer for $8.10 per share in cash (or an aggregate of approximately $400 million), payable at closing plus two non-tradable contingent value rights (CVR) collectively worth up to $1.00 per share in cash (or an aggregate of approximately $50 million), for a total consideration of $9.10 per share in cash (or an aggregate of approximately $450 million). The first CVR, worth $0.50 per share, is payable upon achieving net sales of GOCOVRI® of $150 million in any four consecutive quarters between closing and the end of 2024. The second CVR, worth $0.50 per share, is payable upon achieving net sales of GOCOVRI of $225 million in any four consecutive quarters between closing and the end of 2025. The transaction is expected to close in late fourth quarter 2021 or in early first quarter 2022.

The transaction will provide Supernus with two marketed products: GOCOVRI (amantadine) extended release capsules, the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medicine indicated for the treatment of both OFF and dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson’s disease receiving levodopa-based therapy; and Osmolex ER® (amantadine) extended release tablets, approved for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and drug-induced extrapyramidal reactions in adult patients.

When Christine Dingivan took her first job in biotech, she assumed she would stay a couple years and go back to clinical medicine as a practicing surgeon. But when she discovered how much she loved research, that plan changed permanently.

“It all just came together for me, but it was not the career that I set out for when I went to medical school,” Dingivan says. “When you develop a new drug and it becomes available, whether it’s for cancer or an influenza vaccine or a pandemic — like the Covid-19 vaccines — you see the millions of people that have the opportunity to benefit from that work. You can only treat so many patients in one career, and I really felt like I was making a bigger impact in a way.”