For entrepreneurs and small business owners, innovation is essential. It differentiates them from their similar-sized competitors, and it’s what allows them to compete with much larger organizations and still thrive.

In just a week’s time, Life Science Nation will be bringing the Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) Conference back to the Marriott Copley Place in downtown Boston. Over 700 attendees from the early stage life science world will be at RESI, including startups at the earliest stages of development representing tech hubs from all around the US Northeast in the new RESI Innovator’s Gathering, plus over 300 investors. You can read the program guide below to plan out your day at RESI and see who else will be there. We look forward to seeing you next week.

When: Thursday, September 13, 2018 from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT

Where: Bar Louie 150 Gibbs St Rockville, MD 20850

Please join us next month at BioBuzz and meet this year's 'Buzz of BIO' winner and Annual BioBuzz Sponsor, Immunomic Therapeutics (ITI), at Bar Louie in Rockville on September 13th. 
Get to know the team behind the company that is receivivng such widespread industry attention for the recent evolution of their innovative technology platform, UNITE, which has the potential to alter how we use immunotherapy for cancer, allergies and animal health.

At each stage of growth for a life sciences firm, the funding needs change. Learn about the different types of capital investors and which ones might work best for your firm as a funding source.

emocha Mobile Health, a Baltimore-based company whose video-based technology helps people take their medications as directed, has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the National Institute On Minority Health And Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award gives emocha an additional $1 million over two years to evaluate its medication adherence platform for patients with tuberculosis (TB) in several sites throughout the United States. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will conduct the evaluation.

The 2019 FLC awards are now open for nominations.  One of the most coveted honors in the technology transfer field, the FLC awards have been presented to over 200 federal laboratories since their inception in 1984. Many winning technology transfer efforts have gone on to become products and devices that are indispensable in our daily lives.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has granted 24 awards for $125,000 in FY 2018 under the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program. Recipients include state and local economic development entities, Small Business Technology Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, incubators, accelerators, colleges, and universities that provide support to small businesses developing and commercializing high risk technologies.  

Massachusetts' renowned biotech cluster has relinquished its top spot on the ranking of states with the highest research and development employment to its longtime West Coast rival.

The state of Maryland has matched a donation from the family of Google co-founder Sergey Brin to endow two professorships in computer science at the University of Maryland, College Park, the university announced Wednesday. The $1 million from the state will match a private donation to endow the Brin Family Endowed Professorships in Theoretical Computer Science.

As part of its 30+ year commitment to foster the growth of exceptional and promising market-leading companies from founding to exit, the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA) is proud to announce that 16 companies will take the stage at TechBUZZ Fall 2018 on Thursday, September 20, 2018 in College Park, Maryland from 10:00am – 7:00pm at The Hotel at the University of Maryland. TechBUZZ, a ticketed business program hosted three times annually, is MAVA’s flagship seed and early-stage program dedicated to the support of the earliest of market-ready tech and tech-enabled companies across industry sector.

Baltimore biotech company PathSensors is looking to enter the Chinese market.

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (EBS) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Adapt Pharma and its flagship product NARCAN® (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray, the first and only needle-free formulation of naloxone approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada, for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression. Total consideration for the transaction is up to $735 million consisting of an upfront payment of $635 million and up to $100 million in cash for potential sales-based milestones through 2022. The upfront payment of $635 million consists of $575 million in cash and $60 million in Emergent common stock, all of which are subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the agreement.

Inova Fall Entrepreneur Program  FREE 3-month series designed to provide entrepreneurs a comprehensive set of skills required to execute the commercialization and growth of healthtech companies

Network & learn from industry leaders - speakers from NEA, Merritt Group, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, MPR Associates, Center for Innovative Technology, and more!

More than 20 companies in Montgomery County made this year’s list of Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies. The report, published, earlier this week, ranked the fastest-growing private companies across the nation.

Mindoula Health in Silver Spring was ranked the highest in the county coming in at No. 36. According to the report, Mindoula grew by 7,310 percent in the last three years.

Baltimore health technology startup b.well Connected Health has raised millions of dollars in funding to support big growth plans.

According to four separate documents recently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, b.well has raised a total of $8.2 million in convertible debt funding from more than 60 investors.

MedImmune has been named one of The Washington Post’s 2018 Top Workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area. Selection is based solely on employee feedback, which measured several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine leaders plan to invest $100 million over the next five years to hire new faculty and support programs aimed at unraveling the mysteries of biology. Such “basic” science discoveries underpin virtually every major medical breakthrough, say the leaders, and they have appointed structural biologist James Berger, Ph.D., to direct the Johns Hopkins institute dedicated to this effort.

State Profiles is an interactive website providing access to state-level data on science and engineering (S&E) personnel and finances and state rankings. State Profiles displays up to 7 state profiles of the user’s choice. Data are available from surveys sponsored by the National Science Foundation on employed science, engineering, or health (SEH) doctorate holders; S&E doctorates awarded, including by major S&E fields; SEH graduate students and postdoctorates; federal research and development obligations by agency and performer; total and business R&D expenditures; and higher education R&D performance, including by major S&E fields. Data available from other sources include population, civilian labor force, per capita personal income, federal expenditures, patents, small business innovation research awards, and gross domestic product. All data are available for download. Data cover 2003 to present.

Scientists have developed a way to grow miniature versions of human organs; some of the weirdest organoids are the mini brains.

The majority of healthcare organizations — 63 percent — say they are planning to invest more than $1 million into blockchain in 2019, according to a Deloitte report.

Deloitte conducted an online survey of 1,053 senior executives from companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue from seven countries — Canada, China, France, Germany, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States — between March 26 and April 5 for its global blockchain report.

Francis Collins did not take off his pants.

To the contrary, he could sense something wasn’t quite right — perhaps immediately, when his heavyset and dubiously bearded interviewer, sitting in a motorized scooter, began by asking: “Why are big agriculture putting chemicals into our food to make people transgender?”

In 2019, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) will present the seventh annual Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences, a $100,000 award recognizing outstanding achievement by a promising young scientist in biomedical research. The Prize is made possible by a generous gift from philanthropist Ann Lurie.

The awardee will be selected by a jury of six distinguished biomedical researchers, chaired by Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., Distinguished Service Professor of Neuroscience, Pharmacology & Psychiatry, The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The Award will be presented at the FNIH Award Ceremony on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 in Washington, D.C.

One of Maryland’s best-funded biotech companies took a milestone first step Monday, announcing it has begun clinical trials of a medication it is developing. Gaithersburg-based Viela Bio was spun out of MedImmune, a subsidiary of AstraZeneca, last month with $250 million in financing and a promise of creating 100 jobs within five years.

AAVogen Inc., a biotech company that is developing gene therapeutics for muscle wasting disease, welcomes Lawson Macartney, DVM/PhD as the newest member of its Science Advisory Board.

Dr. Macartney is a 25-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry and currently chairs the Board of Directors for Viking Therapeutics. He has also held senior leadership positions at Ambrx, ScoutBio, Shire, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraMerck.

MedImmune is one of the 300+ BioHealth success stories in Montgomery County. Meet JoAnn Suzich, Ph.D., VP of Research and Microbial Sciences, who shares the incredible health innovation happening on MedImmune’s campus in Montgomery County.

Are you seeking funding or about to launch a fundraising campaign? Sign up today to attend Life Science Nation’s Fundraising Bootcamp.  Pre-registration is required but there is no charge to attend (lunch for RESI attendees only).  Your choice of two locations:

Monday, 8/27 - Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc.

4539 Metropolitan Court, Frederick, MD 21704

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

OR

Tuesday, 8/28 at bwtech@UMBC – Tech South

1450 South Rolling Road

Halethorpe, MD 21227

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

BOTH WORKSHOPS HAVE THE SAME CONTENT – Register for the one that is most convenient for you. Workshop: Fundraising Boot Camp for Life Science Startups – 10-11:30 a.m.

Presenter: Dennis Ford, Founder and CEO, Life Science Nation; Creator of the RESI Conference Series; Author of The Life Science Executive's Fundraising Manifesto

• About Life Science Nation (LSN)
• Raising Capital: The 3 Most Important Questions
• The Changing Investor Landscape
• Debunking the Top 10 Old Myths in Fundraising
• Planning & Infrastructure for an Outbound Fundraising Campaign
• Building Your Brand Through Consistent Messaging
• Key Components of Fundraising Marketing Collateral

Networking:  11:30am - 12pm

Interactive Lunch: Upcoming RESI Prep (RESI registrants only) 12-2 p.m.

When:Thursday, December 13, 20187:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST

Where:VisArts Rockville155 Gibbs StreetRockville, MD  20850United States

The HERstory Gala is the premier event for our chapter and supporters. This elegant event attracts men and women from industry, government, non-profits, and academia from across the Capital Region Metro Area and provides unique opportunities to meet with some of the region’s most successful women. This event is focused on highlighting women trailblazers in the life sciences who have made a significant impact in the region during the year. Ticket price includes open bar, cocktail reception, seated 3-course dinner, and access to biotech industry leaders in the Capital Region.

Only 7 percent of patients live five years after diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, the lowest rate for any cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Elliot K. Fishman, MD, a researcher and radiologist at Johns Hopkins, is on the forefront of trying to change this statistic, and he's using artificial intelligence to do it.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever generic version of EpiPen Thursday — a move the agency says could help lower costs for the drug, which can carry a price tag of more than $600.

Does your small business need assistance in commercializing its HHS SBIR/STTR-funded technology? Was that technology developed with a Phase II HHS SBIR/STTR award that was active at any time between August 2013 and August 2018? (Your company does not need to have a currently active award as any HHS Phase II SBIR/STTR award active in the last 5 years would qualify.)

If your answers to both these questions is “Yes,” then your company should consider applying to the NIH Commercialization Accelerator Program (CAP).

Companies are invited to apply online exit disclaimer icon . Due to popular demand, the deadline for submissions has now been extended to August 23, 2018 11:59pm (PDT). Selected companies will be notified in early September 2018.

Maryland biotechnology firms Profectus BioSciences Inc. and Emergent BioSolutions Inc. will receive up to $36 million to develop and manufacture a new vaccine against a type of virus that causes hemorrhagic fever.

This networking event is for BioTech Professionals in the BioHealth Capital Region. We encourage all professionals, post-docs and scientist to attend - it is a great opportunity to get to know others who are working in science in our region.

This free industry wide event will include music, games, hors d'oeuvres, drinks.

Listen to, network with the hottest startup CXOs in the biohealth capital region at our first in a series of four annual meetups around the Capital Beltway on “OMICS, Digital Health and Precision Medicine Data Science” Panel discussion with refreshments, drinks and networking

Meetup #1: Digital OMICS Innovators Meetup. September 20, 2018, Thursday; 5:00-8:00PM

Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus 9605 Medical Center Dr, Rm 121, Rockville, MD 20850

A Harvard scientist thinks he's reached a new milestone: a genetic test that helps identify people who are at high risk of having a heart attack. Can he convince doctors to use it?

PROGRAMS AND INCENTIVES TO SPUR BUSINESS GROWTH

We help you navigate available programs, grants and incentives to identify immediate opportunities and plan for long-term success. Check out the very successful MOVE program, small business programs and incentives geared to specific industries.