Citizens across Virginia need health solutions and affordable health care to live full, healthy and productive lives. Lawmakers in the General Assembly are examining a broad range of policies in an attempt to relieve the burden of rising health care costs. But some of the proposals under consideration might have unintended consequences for both patients and Virginia’s innovation economy. As our elected officials consider how to address health care costs, they should ensure that any measure provides meaningful financial relief to patients and preserves the environment for medical innovation in Virginia that delivers groundbreaking treatments and creates thousands of high-paying jobs in the commonwealth.

Image: Kelli Price Photography 

I made illustration of Corona virus today. 😍 I hope scientists and doctors can find a cure soon and I wish everyone who was affected to get well and recover soon! hashtag#sciart

New Members to Add Experience to Board of Directors

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, February 12, 2020 – BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) announced that its Board of Directors unanimously has approved the appointments of six new board members:

• Sean Augerson, Vice President, Head of Operations Americas and APAC, QIAGEN
• Peter Briskman, Executive Managing Director, JLL
• Juergen Klenk, Ph.D., Principal, Deloitte
• Dr. Jay Perman, MD, Chancellor, University System of Maryland
• Aaron Ren, Head of Business Development and Operations, Viela Bio
• Tracey Vetterick, Vice President and COO, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca

“I am privileged to welcome these new members to our board,” said Richard Bendis, BHI President and CEO. “The addition of their leadership experience in the BioHealth Capital Region and beyond ensures in BHI’s ability to have our finger on the pulse of innovation and fresh viewpoints. I also would like to thank Rip Ballou of GSK, Robert Caret of the University System of Maryland, Doug Liu of QIAGEN, Ashish Kulkarni, of Avantor, and Beth Meagher of Deloitte Consulting LLP for their many years of service on our Board of Directors.

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.

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

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Gain Visibility for Your BioHealth Company – and $10,000.

Prior winners:  Sonavex, LifeSprout, Galen Robotics, Floreo 

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is the largest and most informative healthcare investment symposium in the industry, bringing together industry leaders, emerging fast-growth companies, innovative technology creators, and members of the investment community.

"The Best Networking Event in the MidAtlantic." This will be our 43rd consecutive Sold Out event over the last 9 years! Over 70% of previous attendees surveyed say that CONNECTpreneur is the "Number One" tech and investor event in the Mid-Atlantic region! This unique event is like none other in the Mid-Atlantic, because of the high quality of our attendees, speakers and presenters. And YES, the networking is unprecedented!

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.

Around the world, populations are getting older, and their health needs are becoming more complex. At the same time, technological advances are changing healthcare delivery. In this edition, The Next Normal explores how hospitals will innovate in the coming decade—and what it will mean for both patients and healthcare professionals.

February is Rare Disease Awareness Month, a month-long celebration focused on the suffering and triumphs of patients and their families stricken by rare diseases culminating on February 29th – International Rare Disease Day. The rapidly developing cell and gene therapy fields in recent years have led to a rare disease R&D boom of sorts, with an estimated 800 rare disease-focused clinical development projects currently in process. The biotech industry sees a new window for improving rare disease patient’s lives and potentially curing rare diseases that impact one in ten American and an estimated 400 million people globally.  

Image: https://biobuzz.ios

GlaxoSmithKline has licensed a tuberculosis vaccine to the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (MRI). The deal sets the stage for a push to build on recent phase 2b data and make the vaccine available in low-income countries where TB is prevalent.

The vaccine, M72/AS01E, is made up of an immunogenic fusion protein based on two TB antigens. GSK combined that protein with the adjuvant found in its shingles prophylactic Shingrix to create a subunit vaccine. Last year, a phase 2b trial linked the vaccine to 50% protection against progression to active pulmonary tuberculosis for three years in adults infected with the mycobacterium.

Image: Bill Gates (CC BY 2.0/Ben Fisher/GAVI Alliance)

The Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering has built and is regularly updating an online dashboard for tracking the worldwide spread of the coronavirus outbreak that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Lauren Gardner, a civil engineering professor and CSSE's co-director, spearheaded the effort to launch the mapping website on Wednesday. The site displays statistics about deaths and confirmed cases of coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, across a worldwide map. It also allows visitors to download the data for free.

Image: https://hub.jhu.edu

Boston Properties has entered into a joint venture with Alexandria Real Estate Equities to build a 1.7M SF life science campus in South San Francisco.

Boston Properties confirmed the deal in its Q4 2019 earnings call this week.

The project will involve about 640K SF of ground-up development, and the potential repositioning of about 1M SF of office space into new life science buildings, according to Boston Properties.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/Coolcaesar at the English language Wikipedia

What Nobel Laureate Dr. Jim Allison’s Story Can Teach Entrepreneurs and Innovators

Jim Allison shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2018, along with Tasuku Hanjo, for pioneering the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to develop cancer therapies. 

Allison’s remarkable and groundbreaking research into T-Cell activation, and his subsequent work developing his discoveries into viable cancer treatment, has extended the lives of thousands of cancer patients. Allison’s work is more than remarkable: It represents an earth-shaking paradigm shift in scientific thought about how cancer works and could be defeated.

Benjamin Wu, the new CEO and president of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corp., is quickly building out his staff.

The former top adviser to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has brought on five new hires since stepping in to lead Montgomery’s economic development efforts on Dec. 18, including a new senior vice president for business development and an opportunity zones project leader.

Theraly Fibrosis, a preclinical-stage biotechnology company focused on development and commercialization of drugs for various fibrotic diseases today announced the company has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the amount of $3.9 million to support development of TLY012 for treatment of chronic pancreatitis.

Vigene Biosciences Inc.’s has opened its new research facility in Rockville.

The opening of a new laboratory at 5 Research Court — near Interstate-270’s Shady Grove Road exit — significantly increases the biotech’s Rockville footprint, adding 51,000 square feet to its existing 20,000 square feet at a separate facility nearby. The project cost more than $20 million, according to Vigene.

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

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