Biotech company receives follow-on funding to accelerate ongoing clinical development efforts
COLUMBIA, Md. (May 8, 2023) – TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent Seed Funds investment of $200,000 into Rise Therapeutics, a Maryland-based biotechnology company. TEDCO’s Seed Funds invest in early-stage, technology and life sciences companies and provides access to gap financing.
“We are thrilled to receive this follow-on investment from TEDCO,” said Gary Fanger, Ph.D, president and CEO of Rise Therapeutics. “This funding will allow us to accelerate our ongoing clinical development efforts and move closer to bringing our synthetic biology-based immunotherapy drugs to market; we are grateful to TEDCO for their support.”
Walking Fish to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform to engineer novel B-cell based medicines for the treatment of serious diseases
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MaxCyte, Inc., (Nasdaq: MXCT; LSE: MXCT), a leading, cell-engineering focused company providing enabling platform technologies to advance the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation cell-based therapeutics and to support innovative, cell-based research, today announced the signing of a strategic platform license (SPL) with Walking Fish Therapeutics, Inc. a biotechnology company that is rapidly advancing B cell-based therapeutics.
Under the terms of the agreement, Walking Fish obtains non-exclusive clinical and commercial rights to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform. In return, MaxCyte is entitled to receive platform licensing fees, clinical milestone payments and sales-based payments.
- Ground-breaking approval enables adults aged 60 years and older to be protected from RSV disease for the first time
- The approval is based on data from the positive pivotal AReSVi-006 phase III trial that showed exceptional efficacy in older adults, including those with underlying medical conditions, and in those with severe RSV disease
- US launch is planned before the 2023/24 RSV season
GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Arexvy (respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, adjuvanted) for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in individuals 60 years of age and older. This is the first RSV vaccine for older adults to be approved anywhere in the world.
Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK, said: “Today marks a turning point in our effort to reduce the significant burden of RSV. Arexvy is the first approved RSV vaccine for older adults, expanding GSK’s industry-leading vaccine portfolio, which protects millions of people from infectious diseases each year. Our focus now is to ensure eligible older adults in the US can access the vaccine as quickly as possible and to progress regulatory review in other countries.”
BETHESDA, Md., May 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gain Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GANX), a biotechnology company leading the discovery and development of allosteric small molecule therapies, today announced that Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, supports GT Gain Therapeutics SA with the amount of CHF 2.5 million (~$2.8 million) to develop GT-02287, Gain’s lead program for GBA1 Parkinson’s disease.
The Company’s Swiss Accelerator innovation project supported by Innosuisse entitled “Harnessing Structurally Targeted Allosteric Regulators to treat Parkinson’s Disease” includes clinical pharmacology and preclinical studies with the Company’s drug candidate GT-02287, which will be conducted as the lead program progresses through Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies in GBA1 Parkinson’s disease.
GBA1 mutations are the major genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s disease and are associated with earlier onset of the disease, faster disease progression and increased rates of cognitive decline. Mutations of the GBA1 gene cause misfolding and dysfunction of the enzyme beta-glucocerebrosidase (GCase). Preclinical models of GT-02287 have shown the ability of this orally bioavailable and brain-penetrant molecule to target and bind to GCase, prevent its degradation and allow its transport to the lysosomes where the enzyme can carry out its biological function. Furthermore, the data from preclinical models demonstrate that enhancement of lysosomal GCase activity by GT-02287 protects against key pathological features of Parkinson’s disease, including alpha-synuclein related pathology and an increase in the survival of dopaminergic neurons. These findings support the potential of GT-02287 to slow or halt disease progression in GBA1 Parkinson’s disease.
Goal To Improve Patient Outcomes Through Early, Accurate Detection Of Residual Or Recurring Cancer
Haystack’s Highly Sensitive Minimal-Residual Disease Cancer-Detection Technology To Be Combined With Quest’s Oncology, Genomics And Pathology Expertise And Scale, Including Solid Tumor Sequencing, Convenient Specimen Collection And EHR Connectivity
SECAUCUS, N.J. and BALTIMORE, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the nation’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, and Haystack Oncology, an early-stage oncology company focused on minimal residual disease (MRD) testing to aid in the early, accurate detection of residual or recurring cancer and better inform therapy decisions, today announced a definitive agreement for Quest to acquire Haystack in an all-cash equity transaction.
MRD testing is a fast-growing category of liquid biopsy tests that identify circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the bloodstream of patients following surgery and treatment for cancer. Founded in 2021, Haystack has developed a ctDNA-based technology specifically for MRD detection, based on 20 years of research and development by world-renowned luminaries from Johns Hopkins University, including Drs. Bert Vogelstein, Ken Kinzler and Nick Papadopoulos. In a prospective, multi-institution study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in June 2022, an earlier version of the Haystack technology demonstrated the ability to better identify patients with residual disease for adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for stage II colon cancer, thereby reducing chemotherapy use in the overall patient population without compromising recurrence-free survival.
Registration is Open for the 2023 Children’s National Innovation Day & Showcase
Date: May 31, 2023 Time: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm Location: Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus (CNRIC), Washington, DC Registration Link: Click here to register
The organizers of the 2023 Children’s National Innovation Day & Showcase are thrilled to announce that registration is now open for this premier event highlighting innovation in pediatric healthcare. The event will take place on May 31, 2023, at the Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus (CNRIC) in Washington, DC.
Virginians have often sought experimental medical treatments outside the state — traveling to North Carolina, Boston or one of the Mayo Clinic’s locations. However, the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Virginia aims to change that.
“We intend to tackle the biggest challenges in health care and to empower our researchers to make the life-changing breakthroughs that will transform care for people across Virginia and beyond,” says Dr. K. Craig Kent, CEO of UVA Health and executive vice president for health affairs at U.Va. “We’re on a cusp of a revolution in health care.”
Construction of the institute, which will be built in the 54-acre Fontaine Research Park adjacent to U.Va.’s Grounds, is set to be complete in 2026 or 2027. However, the university is forging ahead with hires, including about 100 scientists who will research potential treatments for diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Kent anticipates employing 1,000 to 1,400 people at the institute, which will include 30,000 to 40,000 square feet of lab space and a biomanufacturing facility.
Join us on an informative episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis as we delve into the fascinating realm of computer systems validation (CSV) and its significant impact on quality assurance in the life sciences industry. Our guest, Mr. Gaurav Walia, Senior Global Director of Business Development at PQE Group and Principal SME of Computer Systems Validation, Computer Software Assurance, and Data Integrity and Sr. Associate Partner, brings extensive expertise in CSV and compliance consulting services.
Discover the essential role of CSV in ensuring the integrity, reliability, and compliance of computerized systems used in pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing. Mr. Walia, a recognized authority in the field, will provide insights into CSV’s challenges and best practices, emphasizing the critical importance of regulatory adherence and data integrity.
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NanoFCM Partners with Frederick,MD’s RoosterBio as an Approved Service Provider for Exosome Analysis
In this strategic partnership, RoosterBio becomes the first US-based service provider approved by NanoFCM to perform contract analytical services using the NanoAnalyzer platform.
FREDERICK, Md., April 26, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — NanoFCM Co., Ltd today announced that RoosterBio, Inc. a leading supplier of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSCs), highly engineered media, development services, cell engineering, and advanced therapy bioprocess solutions, is approved to provide analytical services worldwide using NanoFCM’s NanoAnalyzer.
In this strategic partnership, RoosterBio becomes the first US-based service provider approved by NanoFCM to perform contract analytical services using the NanoAnalyzer platform. RoosterBio has leveraged the NanoAnalyzer in its exosome / extracellular vesicle (EV) analytics workflows for over a year and offers this technology as a stand-alone service as well as integrated within broader exosome process development programs.
BioMADE Funding To Accelerate Capra Bioreactor Expansion and Technical Advancement, Aligning with New White House Bioeconomy Goals
MANASSAS, Va., April 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capra Biosciences is scaling up their novel bioreactor technology to produce sustainable chemicals in Northern Virginia. This project was funded through a special BioMADE Project Call focused on advancing bioreactor design and development, thanks to support from Schmidt Futures. The expansion will jump start Virginia’s bioeconomy and place the state on the map for biochemical production.
The Manassas-based company uses a biofilm-forming microbe and its proprietary bioreactors to transform low-cost feedstocks, such as agricultural byproducts or food waste, into a variety of chemicals, including their first product, retinol.
“Our bioreactor platform is meant to handle small- or large-scale production of chemicals efficiently without a negative environmental impact,” said Dr. Andrew Magyar, Capra Biosciences’ chief technology officer. “We’ve already proved its potential on a smaller scale, and we’re excited to scale it for more chemicals and larger volumes. The new contract not only allows us to create a bigger facility, it also funds work with groundbreaking partners who will improve the efficiency and predictability of the bioreactors.”