QIAGEN (Suzhou) Translational Medicine, a China precision medicine company, raised $25 million in a Series A funding led by Qiming Venture Partners. QIAGEN (Suzhou) was founded in 2013 by QIAGEN, a global molecular diagnostics company headquartered in Germany, and BioBay, the Suzhou life science technology park. It specializes in developing biomarkers and stratifying patients in clinical trials. QIAGEN (Suzhou) said it plans to use the new capital to build a factory and expand its scientific team.

Baltimore, Maryland-based Protenus, the company famously behind monthly Breach Barometers, is expanding its capabilities.

As part of a new effort, the organization will use its analytics platform to shed light on other problems in the world of healthcare. One example includes detecting suspected employee theft of prescription opiates.

The world's top medical technology companies are turning to robots to help with complex knee surgery, promising quicker procedures and better results in operations that often leave patients dissatisfied. Demand for artificial replacement joints is growing fast, as baby boomers' knees and hips wear out, but for the past 15 years rival firms have failed to deliver a technological advance to gain them significant market share.

The 17th annual New York Venture Summit, presented by youngStartup Ventures, is the premier industry gathering connecting venture capitalists, corporate VCs, angel investors, technology transfer professionals, senior executives of early stage and emerging growth companies, university researchers, incubators and premier service providers.

Whether you are an investor seeking access to new early stage deals, or a CEO or Founder of a new venture looking for funding, visibility and growth, New York Venture Summit is one event you won’t want to miss.

This isn’t your ordinary health care discussion. Quality Talks is a series of stirring, succinct talks by current and emerging health care leaders with ideas about how we can collaboratively improve American health care. In addition to the dynamic and thought-provoking speakers, the event features interactive dialogue among all attendees about advancing the health care system and improving patient care.

Quality Talks began in 2015 as part of NCQA’s 25th Anniversary and grew so successfully that NCQA made it an annual event. In 2016, this sold-out event was held at a larger venue which enabled us to reach an even wider audience. We hope to continue in 2017 with thought-provoking speakers and continuing the Quality Talks health care discussion.

FDA and AACR have successfully held Oncology Dose Finding Workshops in 2015 and 2016. Patient and dose selection of oncology drugs will be of critical importance, as recent approvals of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and early, promising readouts from studies combining ICIs with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and other immuno-oncology agents will put enormous pressures on the current clinical trial infrastructure of the U.S. and the international community. A recent article in The Cancer Letter reported that 803 clinical trials currently testing PD-1 and PD-L1 drugs had over 160,000 slots for adult patients. As more ICIs enter the market, additional trials will seek to combine these products with standard of care therapies, novel small molecules, targeted antibodies, and other biologic therapies such as vaccines and engineered T-cells. This year’s workshop will focus on approaches to combination therapy and best practices regarding patient and dose selection, biomarkers to aid in selection, and novel endpoints that can define patient benefit.

Yesterday, the White House announced it was delaying and likely eliminating the International Entrepreneur Rule. This rule is the closest we’ve come to a Startup Visa, something I’ve been working on with numerous other people since 2009. Several failed bills in Congress, a failed bipartisan Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill, and an Executive Order later, and we still have nothing.

Business leaders, entrepreneurs, residents, students — share your success! We’re collecting stories of the remarkable people, places, ideas and innovations that define the county in our video series, We Are Montgomery County.

Patient outcomes are taking over from products and services as the focus of healthcare. But reorienting away from product development toward a holistic approach to patients demands the convergence of data from every part of the healthcare system. In this interview, part of our Biopharma Frontiers series on how the pharmaceutical industry is evolving, Jared Josleyn, global head of corporate development at Alphabet-owned Verily Life Sciences, talks with McKinsey’s Michele Raviscioni about the need to integrate health data and apply it to patients’ lives in ways that achieve enduring impact.

FEFA is a government contracting corporation and we have a current opening for a Technology Transfer Support Specialist with CRADA experience. The position is located in Silver Spring, MD. The candidate shall utilize knowledge of technology transfer law and regulatory requirements related to managing life science/medical research to provide advice, guidance, and assistance to Institute staff on issues relating to collaborative and other agreements, inventions, patents, licenses and other technology transfer matters.

The candidate shall also use excellent interpersonal skills in a team environment to prepare, review, and provide assistance with development of intergovernmental and technology transfer agreements to include interagency agreements (IAA), cooperative research and development agreements (CRADA), material transfer agreements (MTA), and nondisclosure agreements (NDA).

Defining a great entrepreneurship scene requires a delicate balance. Sure, there has to be a healthy atmosphere of investment and innovation to get people in, but to get them to stay is a whole ‘nother story. Great startup cities need to have a culture, voice and mission. It’s what defines them as unique, a place to go because it’s not only where your skill sets lie, but where you feel like you can help change the world.

Making the cut for a booming community is a culmination of the underdogs, the cities that others overlooked for safe bets. However, when there’s risk, there’s also reward, which is why these cities, in my estimation, are all about to break the mold.

The Fellowship in Government provides a unique public policy learning experience, demonstrates the value of science-government interaction and enhances public health science and practical knowledge in government. APHA is looking for candidates with strong public health credentials and an interest in serving as a staff person in the U.S. Congress. The fellowship is based in Washington, D.C. The fellow will have the option of working in the House or Senate on legislative and policy issues such as creating healthy communities, improving health equity, addressing environmental health concerns, population health or the social determinants of health. Much of the work developing public policy happens at the staff level, where these critical issues are not well understood or incorporated into the discussion. The fellow will have the opportunity to make an impact and improve the health of the public. 

The company plans to use the investment to complete clinical trials for their gene therapy products aimed at choroideremia, retinitis pigmentosa, and macular dystrophy.

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab’s latest space mission: Flying a satellite into an asteroid.

Scientists from the Laurel-based lab recently got the go-ahead from NASA to move forward on design of a spacecraft that could land on an asteroid, and deflect it from a collision course with Earth. The refrigerator-sized spacecraft would be the centerpiece of a mission called Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART.

PCI is pleased to announce the publication of the first-ever guide to commercialization at Penn. We created the Commercialization Guide so that faculty and external partners would have an easy and accessible reference to guide them in pursuing commercial partnerships and entrepreneurial activities at Penn. The guide provides both comprehensive and detailed information around working with PCI on all kinds of commercialization activities and it also covers key topics such as: Penn’s Patent Policy, creating a startup at Penn, the process for patenting intellectual property, disclosing conflicts of interest and other important topics for engaging in commercialization.

Rockville, MD-based Sucampo Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharmaceutical company which currently has one marketed product, Amitiza, in its portfolio.  Amitiza is approved for chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) in adults, irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) among adult women and opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with chronic non-cancer pain.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, is creating the Alexandria Center® for AgTech – RTP — the initial phase of a premier multi-tenant mega campus in Research Triangle Park (RTP) — and is leading the cluster's evolution into a first-in-class AgTech ecosystem at the forefront of newly emerging innovations that address global hunger as it impacts human health. Located at 3054 East Cornwallis Road, which Alexandria recently acquired through an affiliate, the Alexandria Center for AgTech – RTP is adjacent to Alexandria's 6 Davis Drive, and the collective development of the two campuses will form a 1 million square foot-plus mega campus that will support the AgTech sector in its continued, dramatic growth. The first phase of the project is the strategic redevelopment of the Cornwallis site into 175,000 rentable square feet (RSF) of best-in-class office/laboratory and greenhouse facilities and a highly curated amenities center designed to foster innovation, drive productivity and enhance collaboration.

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) recently released a report on Bioscience Innovation in the States: Legislation and Job Creation through Public-Private Partnerships. This biennial report provides a good summary of state initiatives serving the industry plus a discussion of new developments and trends by state.

Join BioBuzz and sponsor Immunomic Therapeutics to celebrate the move from allergy to oncology application of their proprietary LAMP-Vax™ technology platform. The celebration will be at Bar Louie in the Rockville Town Center on July 27, 2017 from 5 - 7pm. Only a 5 minute walk from the Rockville Metro, please join us for this exciting event.

The Company:

Noble Life Sciences (Sykesville, MD) is a rapidly growing contract research organization (CRO) that provides preclinical drug, vaccine and medical device development services, from discovery to GLP-compliant studies for regulatory submissions. The company offers in vitro and in vivo services, including cellular and animal disease model development and experimental design, non-GLP and GLP animal efficacy, toxicity, biodistribution and product release studies in both small and large animals. The company also offers custom antibody production services, research animal and tissue products, and vivarium services.

The Position:

The representative will be responsible for selling preclinical services to new accounts in order to achieve sales targets, developing new sales in these accounts by monitoring customer's existing projects for successful completion to stated goals, and proposing related and new services as they monitor accounts needs for future CRO services.

The representative is expected to use his/her knowledge of the market and external contacts in companies developing drugs, vaccines, and medical devices to increase sales. The representative will implement sales and marketing strategy and tactics to gain new customers and achieve sales and profit goals in designated geographic territory.

Leslie Ford Weber, director of the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus, has been elected chair-elect of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.

Weber, who is also director of campus, government and community affairs in Montgomery County for the university and Suburban Hospital, previously served the Chamber as vice chair of the legislative affairs committee and will continue in that role as chair-elect.  Before that, she was vice chair of the economic development committee.

FULL-TIME POSITION:  

Job Summary: BioFactura is seeking highly motivated applicants with an entrepreneurial spirit for an open position in our biosimilar development programs.  We are looking for qualified candidates with a masters or doctoral degree in the life sciences with highly relevant skills and bench experience.  The selected candidate will participate in the development and validation of various biosimilar product assays. In this position, the candidate will be responsible for planning, conducting, execution and analysis of experiments using various techniques in protein analysis. Relevant skills include HPLC/U-HPLC (HILIC, RP, SEC, CEX, AEX, affinity), capillary electrophoresis (CE), mass spec, SDS-PAGE, IEF, ELISA, qPCR.  Knowledge of protein purification methods and process development/scale-up is a plus.  Knowledge of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) including analytical method qualification/validation and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) are desired.  Experience in the preparation and delivery of oral and written presentations as well as participation in the preparation and submission of grants and/or manuscripts for publication are a plus. Excellent communication skills and the ability to analyze and interpret data, design appropriately controlled experiments independently, and maintain up-to-date laboratory notebooks are a must. This is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience with an innovative, small, young Biotech company and build a career in the biopharmaceutical industry.  Candidates should feel comfortable working in a high risk/potential high reward environment and able to work overtime and weekends as project needs are determined.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Masters/Doctoral degree in life sciences
• Hands on experience in protein analytics (3-5 years)•  Excellent time management and proven ability to complete projects on time
• Excellent level of initiative and quest for knowledge
• Must be organized and self motivated
• Must have excellent communication and writing skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Powerpoint etc.)
• Must love to learn! 

Benefits: BioFactura offers a competitive salary and benefit plan including health insurance (medical, dental & prescription) and a retirement plan with employer match.

Contact: Darryl Sampey, Ph.D.President and CEOBioFactura, Inc.8435 Progress Drive, Suite ZFrederick, MD 21701Cell:  240-620-3566Office:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

What if you could really understand what someone wanted? What if by asking the right questions and listening to the words another person uses, you could better understand what they wanted – even before they did? What if you could improve all your relationships?

Improved communication and a deeper understanding of motivation is possible. By learning a repeatable framework, based on language choices that expose unconscious motivation, you can experience being 'heard' and better understand others. Dr. Kristin Backstrom, from the Centers for Motivation, will share insights on how language choices express what drives and motivates individuals, helping you learn how to improve teamwork, reduce conflict, and achieve goals.

Y Combinator, Silicon Valley's best known start-up accelerator, thinks it has found a new type of biotechnology start-up.

Life-sciences companies come with a high risk of failure—often, the science behind a proposed invention isn't entirely proven, and turns out not to work. Because of this risk, the traditional way to fund early-stage life sciences companies is for a landmark East Coast investor, such as Third Rock or Flagship, to take a huge equity stake in the business and replace the founder with a seasoned executive. In exchange, it pumps tens of millions of dollars into the company over many years. It often takes more than a decade to generate a return.

The next NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Omnibus funding opportunity deadline is September 5, 2017. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) welcomes all investigator-initiated projects within their mission through these funding opportunities:

Along with training artists, MICA is showing more desire to educate students in creating business opportunities with their work.

That’s evident in community facing events, as the Station North arts college now runs a startup competition, and is helping students get space at OpenWorks makerspace.

Roche has bought Vienna-based diabetes management platform mySugr for an undisclosed price, the Swiss drugmaker said on Friday, joining a crowd of companies expanding app-based digital health services.

Privately held mySugr offers a logbook for mobile devices to help people track their blood sugar, medications and activity levels. It has been working with Roche since 2014 and previously got funding from Roche's Venture Fund.

The University of Maryland seeks a dynamic, forward-thinking individual to lead the newly-renamed Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC). The OIC is charged with cultivation, assessment, protection, and commercialization of intellectual property and other transferrable knowledge (frameworks, methods, copyrights, etc.) generated at the University. The OIC is an integral component of UM Ventures – College Park which has a mission to help drive economic and social impact from University research and discoveries through corporate partnering and entrepreneurial activities.

The Director leads and manages the OIC, overseeing personnel, budgets, and all aspects of intellectual property cultivation, assessment, protection, and commercialization. The Director establishes and implements strategies to maximize the social and economic impact of University research and discoveries through OIC’s commercialization efforts and its support of related entrepreneurial endeavors. The Director is responsible for developing and meeting annual OIC licensing goals and acts as primary point of contact and steward to resolve problems and issues affecting intellectual property and licensing at all levels within the University.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced a legislative proposal that would provide $500 million over five years for the life sciences sector, extending the state’s commitment to the biotech and medical technology industry. The money would be used for strategic investments in public infrastructure, research and development, workforce training and education. The proposal includes a $295 million bond authorization to provide capital funding,  up to $150 million in job-creating tax incentives, and $55 million for the Investment Fund, which would be provided through the annual consolidated net surplus, the same funding mechanism as the current initiative. The funding will continue to be managed by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) and build on earlier investments. MLSC was charged with implementing the $1 billion, 10-year state-funded initiative that was signed into law by former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in 2008 and expires next year.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett will be joined by County Council President Roger Berliner, members of the County Executive’s Economic Advisory Group and representatives from local chambers of commerce and business organizations to announce the launch of the County’s new Business Portal.

The business portal is a gateway to County-government services and information related to doing business in Montgomery County. It is modeled after national, best practices and based on input from an extensive survey in 2016 on improving government services for businesses. Integrating information from multiple County departments, the business portal is a single point of entry that aims to further streamline County services and operations to make it easier to start and grow a business in the County.

I founded my healthcare technology company, ClickMedix, while I was a graduate student at MIT's Development Ventures class. Our mission is to improve the health of over one billion people. We currently have deployments in 18 countries, and serve more than a quarter million patients - all without investor money. I have been funding my startup by winning business plan competitions and through paying customers. Here are three steps to winning business plan competitions:

The Secretary of Health in Pennsylvania will leave the state to join the executive team at Geisinger Health System.

Karen Murphy, R.N., Ph.D., has been named executive vice president, chief innovation officer and founding director of Geisinger’s Steele Institute for Healthcare Innovation. Her last day with the state is Friday but she won’t start her new job at Geisinger until September.

On March 7- 8, 2017, Defined Health convened the 28th annual Cancer Progress meeting in New York City. Since 1985, Cancer Progress has served as a unique forum for an insightful and frank discussion about the scientific progress being made in oncology from the perspectives of clinical, regulatory, commercial, payer, patient advocacy, and investor stakeholders. As a companion piece to the meeting (or a primer for those who were unable to attend), the following summarizes some key takeaways and their implications for those looking to establish or maintain relevance in this fast-paced competitive landscape. Key issues addressed herein include the emerging roles of immuno-oncology (IO) vs. non-IO therapies, collaboration vs. competition, and value vs. unmitigated pricing within the evolving oncology landscape. The report closes with some thoughts about where cancer management may be going based on an assessment of present trends.

emocha Mobile Health, a Baltimore-based startup company focused on medication adherence, today announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research award by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Through the NIH Fast-Track mechanism, the Phase 1 award will total $225,000, with an additional $1.5 million for Phase 2 granted upon achieving milestones. The project will demonstrate the feasibility of video directly observed therapy for patients undergoing the initiation phase of buprenorphine treatment through office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs. Outcomes of interest will include adherence, retention in care, measures of illicit opioid use and abstinence, and medication diversi

The National Institutes of Health has named two biological engineering researchers as winners in Phase 2 of its Follow that Cell Challenge. The winners will share $400,000 in prizes awarded for development of new tools and methods for predicting the behavior and function of a single cell in complex tissue over time – and how that reflects the health of the tissue. They were chosen from among several Phase 1 finalists.