BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives Archives - Page 36 of 65

Jun 19 2018

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308th Edition – June 19, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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June 19, 2018

BIO 2018 Recap

Business partnering, education and networking was the focus of 3500 biohealth industry leaders who attended the BIO International Convention (BIO) Conference earlier this month in Boston. At the event, BIO set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest Business Partnering Event with 41,400 partnering meetings. Many of these meetings took place in the pavilion hosted by the Maryland Department of Commerce which included space for meetings BioHealth Innovation, Montgomery County Economic Development Corp (MCEDC), Rockville Economic Development (REDI), the City of Gaithersburg, Viva White Oak, PIC-MC (Montgomery College), University of Maryland Ventures, Johns Hopkins University, Fina BioSolutions, Integrated Pharma Services, Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Emergent BioSolutions, AsclepiX, and US FDA’s Tech Transfer Office. Others from the BioHealth Capital Region who attended included: ABL, American Gene Technologies, AstraZeneca / MedImmune, Altimmune, BioMarker Strategies, Bytegrid, Children’s National Health, CRBE, Creatv Microtech, GlycoMimetics, IDT Biologica, Immunomics, Intrexon, Leidos Health, MacroGenics, Maryland Tech Council, MaxCyte, Newport Board Group, Novodux Paragon Bioservices, REGENXBIO, MacroGenics, Neuronascent, Scheer Partners, Smithers Avanza, TEDCO, the University of Maryland Baltimore, and the University of Maryland’s Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology Research.

Gaithersburg Ranks Among Top 10 Best Cities For STEM Workers | Gaithersburg, MD Patch

Based on data collected by Livability.com, a website that explores what makes small-to-medium sized cities ideal places to live, the City of Gaithersburg ranked in the top 10 of a 2018 listing of Best Cities for STEM Workers, coming in at #6. The site analyzed data from 2,000 cities and towns across the country, looking at such factors as share of total jobs that fall into the STEM category, the median income for those jobs, and the median income for STEM jobs in relation to overall median income within each city. Number one on the list was Huntsville, Alabama.

Neuralstem Awarded Phase I SBIR Contract to Support Research into Neural Stem Cell Therapy for Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Nasdaq:CUR

Neuralstem, Inc. (Nasdaq:CUR), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for nervous system diseases, today announced that it has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the Department of Defense (DoD). The award of $150,000 will support the Company’s ongoing efforts to develop its NSI-566 human neural stem cell line as a candidate therapeutic for severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Johns Hopkins spinout LifeSprout raises $6.5 million – Technical.ly Baltimore

Johns Hopkins spinout LifeSprout recently closed on $6.5 million in funding as it looks to bring soft tissue replacement technology to market, according to CEO Sashank Reddy.

How Adaptive Phage Therapeutics Inc. is saving lives with bacteria-killing viruses – Washington Business Journal

The Gaithersburg-based company is raising $5 million, ahead of a planned Series A round of at least $30 million in the first quarter of 2019, to bring a therapy for drug-resistant bacteria to market as soon as possible.

Insilico Medicine receives strategic investment from Chinese biotech firm – Technical.ly Baltimore

Baltimore-based Insilico Medicine landed a new strategic investment from Chinese biotech company WuXi AppTec.

The amount of the funding was not disclosed, but the investment also includes a strategic partnership between Insilico and WuXi, which specializes in contract research for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

United Therapeutics (UTHR) Announces Collaboration with XVIVO Perfusion to Reduce Organ Shortage

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) and XVIVO Perfusion, Inc., a subsidiary of XVIVO Perfusion AB (STO: XVIVO), today announced that the use of XVIVO’s ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) technology will be incorporated into the Silver Spring, Maryland laboratory of Lung Bioengineering Inc., a subsidiary of United Therapeutics’ public benefit corporation subsidiary Lung Biotechnology PBC.

TEDCO launching fund to serve the young startups venture capitalists often overlook – Baltimore Business Journal

Maryland Technology Development Corp. is launching a new fund that will offer early stage investments of $50,000 to startups that may be overlooked by other funding organizations.

Baltimore biotech WindMIL Therapeutics raises $32.5 million – Baltimore Business Journal

Baltimore biotechnology firm WindMIL Therapeutics has raised a $32.5 million to support clinical trials and further development for new cancer therapies.

Lockheed Martin Doubles Venture Capital Fund To $200 Million – Defense Daily Network

Lockheed Martin [LMT] on Wednesday said it has added another $100 million to its venture capital fund, doubling the firepower of Lockheed Martin Ventures for investments in early-stage companies that are developing advanced technologies.

Eight startups join Maryland duo-backed accelerator · Articles · Global University Venturing

Eight US-based startups have been accepted onto the 2018 cohort of Trajectory Next, a second-stage accelerator run by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and incubator Betamore.

July 12th Deadline to Apply – StartRight Business Plan Competition

The StartRight! Women’s Business Plan Competition was founded in 2004 by Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) to encourage and support women’s entrepreneurship. Now run by the Maryland Women’s Business Center, an initiative of REDI, StartRight! awards prizes for winning business plans each year. The women who enter our competition receive more than the opportunity to win a top prize of $5,000; they also receive valuable coaching and feedback on their business plan!

Complete plans are due electronically by July 12th. For more information, click here.

REGENXBIO Receives FDA Fast Track Designation for RGX-111 Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I | REGENXBIO Inc.

REGENXBIO Inc. (Nasdaq: RGNX), a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company seeking to improve lives through the curative potential of gene therapy based on its proprietary NAV® Technology Platform, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for RGX-111. RGX-111 is a novel, one-time investigational treatment for Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I), that is designed to deliver the human iduronidase (IDUA) gene directly to the central nervous system (CNS) using the NAV AAV9 vector.

RoosterBio Inc. Becomes Industry Partner in NSF-Funded Public-Private Cell Manufacturing Technologies Initiative

RoosterBio Inc. has joined the new NSF Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies, known as CMaT. The center, launched in 2017 with a $20 million investment from the National Science Foundation, aims to revolutionize the treatment of cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and other disorders by enabling scalable manufacturing and broad use of potentially curative therapies that utilize living cells – such as immune cells and stem cells – as “drugs.”

REGENXBIO Receives $100 Million Accelerated License Payment Due to Acquisition of AveXis by Novartis | REGENXBIO Inc.

REGENXBIO Inc. (Nasdaq: RGNX), a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company seeking to improve lives through the curative potential of gene therapy based on its proprietary NAV® Technology Platform, today announced that it has received an accelerated license payment of $100 million under its license agreement (the License Agreement) with AveXis, Inc. (AveXis) for the development and commercialization of products to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), due to the acquisition of AveXis by Novartis AG (Novartis).

Pigs into people: UW joins renewed effort to use animals as organ donors | Local News | host.madison.com

For half a century, doctors have said human organ transplants will someday be replaced by xenotransplantation, or putting animal organs into people.

Alexandria LaunchLabs, the Premier Life Science Startup Platform, Strategically Located at the Alexandria Center for Life Science – NYC, Celebrates First Anniversary and Announces First Investments through the Alexandria Seed Capital Platform – GuruFocus.

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, celebrated the first anniversary of Alexandria LaunchLabs®, which opened at the Alexandria Center® for Life Science – New York City in June 2017.

NYC Better Brace Itself for Wave of Life Science Companies – Commercial Observer

The life science industry is growing rapidly around the country and New York City is poised for an explosion of new companies—but there isn’t enough real estate to accommodate them in Gotham, according to industry experts at the first-ever Life Sciences 2018 Real Estate Development Symposium on June 12.

Biotech Task Force offers suggestions to reinvigorate life science industry, but warns, ‘there is no magic bullet’ – ROI-NJ

The state’s Biotechnology Task Force released a 44-page report of recommendations to the state that could help New Jersey reinvigorate its life sciences sector.

Many of the themes from the report echo comments from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s annual conference in Boston recently.

Smart City Works DEMO DAY S18

Wed, Jun 20, 2018 at 1:00 PM

Come meet our Spring Cohort of next generation technology ventures in: AR/ VR, Smart Parking, Intelligent Buildings, Mobile Wallet, Multi-modal Transport, Cyber Security, that are changing the way we design, build, and operate cities!

Paid Public Parking is available in the garage beneath the Virginia Tech Research Centre. Garage entrance is off 9th Street at the corner of Glebe Road.

Rare Genomics Institute Announces Winners of BeHEARD (Helping Empower and Accelerate Research Discoveries) Rare Disease Challenge — Rare Genomics Institute

The Rare Genomics (RG) Institute is delighted to announce the winners of the 2017 BeHEARD (Helping Empower and Accelerate Research Discoveries) science challenge, a global competition that offers rare disease researchers, who traditionally have difficulty attracting funding, grants of the latest life science innovations and technologies. This unique crowdsourced biotechnology competition allows companies to contribute their technology to make a difference for the rare disease community.

Top 10 Under 40 – The Lists – GEN

If indeed “innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower,” as Steve Jobs wrote in 2001, then this year’s Top 10 Under 40 are well on the way to becoming leaders in biopharma research and business.

CRISPR Could Help Us Cure Diseases. It Could Also Cause Cancer.

You know already about the promise for CRISPR-Cas9 — it might revolutionize fields from medicine to agriculture.

It might also eventually cause tumors.

Next Chapter For Biotech? Many Say ‘Convergence’ With Data Science | CommonHealth

So far, the digital revolution has mostly been a disappointment in health care. Doctors stare at their screens instead of us. Specialists and emergency rooms still don’t have all our records.

Gates Foundation debuts nonprofit biotech firm at BIO – MedCity News

Biotechnology is one of the hottest areas in business and investing, so it might seem a bit counterintuitive that a new biotechnology firm just launched that won’t seek to make any profit. But the new nonprofit drugmaker seeks to do precisely that, in order to tackle some of the worst health crises in the developing world.

Gottlieb at BIO: FDA developing processes around right-to-try law – MedCity News

Perhaps it was inevitable that with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb speaking before an auditorium full of biotechnology executives, a particularly contentious topic would come up: the new right-to-try law.

Jun 19 2018

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307th Edition – June 8, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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June 8, 2018

BioHealth in MoCo: Strength in Numbers (PDF)

Biotechnology and life sciences discoveries are deeply embedded in our DNA. MoCo is home to a thriving global hub, where life-saving innovations emerge every day. Our BioHealth clusters have more than 10,000 employees working in the private sector and an estimated 49,000 in federal government agencies along Montgomery County’s I-270 corridor, a lively and growing biohealth hotbed.

Top 50 NIH-Funded Institutions of 2018 | The Lists | GEN

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invests nearly $37.3 billion annually in medical research. More than 80% of the funding is awarded through nearly 50,000 competitive grants to more than 300,000 researchers at more than 2500 universities, medical schools, and other research institutions in every U.S. state and around the world.

Investment, Innovation and Job Creation in a Growing U.S. Bioscience Industry

The bioscience industry represents the unique confluence of key characteristics for societal and economic progress—extremely high levels of innovation that are saving and improving lives through advancements in biomedical, energy and advanced food and industrial technologies; and expanding a wide mix of employment opportunities with wages and incomes that support a high standard of living. The industry thinks big and is addressing a host of global grand challenges related to diagnosing, treating and curing disease; ensuring a safe, affordable and more sustainable food supply; and leveraging biotechnologies and sustainable approaches to develop biobased fuels, chemicals and other industrial products.

Useful Stats: SBIR/STTR awards by Metro (2013-2017) – Maryland Ranked #3

Last week, SSTI examined the geography of “America’s Seed Fund,” the SBIR/STTR awards, on a state-by-state basis. A look at how the more than 25,500 awards were distributed at the regional level over the five-year period from 2013 to 2017 yields additional insight. The metropolitan areas with the largest concentrations of SBIR/STTR awards include knowledge hubs with large universities and access to federal R&D, such as Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. Smaller regions with a large federal R&D presence, like Huntsville, Alabama, Santa Maria, California and Dayton, Ohio also rank highly.

BHI Job Opportunity: Executive Administrator

This position reports to and works directly with the President & CEO and in close collaboration with the Director of Finance and Managing Director, Economic Development. The Executive Administrator also works closely with other staff members to ensure smooth operations and effective collaboration. As the representative of BioHealth Innovation, the Executive Administrator will provide administrative work in coordination with external leaders, constituents and board members.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to jobs@biohealthinnovation.org.

GlycoMimetics prices $119m public offering – MassDevice

GlycoMimetics (NSDQ:GLYC) priced an underwritten public offering of 7,000,000 shares of common stock at $17.00 apiece today, reporting that it expects to bring in $119 million from the offering.

Emergent BioSolutions Announces $50 Million Expansion of Baltimore Fill/Finish Facility NYSE:EBS

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) today announced the beginning of a $50 million expansion to the company’s Camden fill/finish facility located in Baltimore, Md. The multi-year expansion is expected to be completed in 2021, and will significantly increase the company’s contract development and manufacturing capacity, redundancy, and flexibility. This expansion is also anticipated to create up to 60 new jobs in the next three years.

Noble Life Sciences Selects Comprehensive Suite of Preclinical Software Solutions from Instem | Business Wire

Instem, a leading provider of IT solutions to the global life sciences market, is pleased to announce that Noble Life Sciences, Inc. (Noble) has purchased a comprehensive package of preclinical software solutions, including Provantis®, the market leading preclinical data management system.

Sonavex Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for EchoMark & EchoMark LP Tissue Markers – Sonavex

Sonavex, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on improving surgical patient outcomes with point-of-care imaging technologies, announced today that it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its EchoMark and EchoMark LP soft tissue markers.

Emerging Therapeutic Company Investment and Deal Trends

With more than 90% of the biopharmaceutical industry made up of small, emerging companies, it is important for BIO to better understand early-stage investor and deal-making trends in order to determine where scientific or policy issues may be impacting the industry’s ability to maintain a robust pipeline of innovative medicines. The ability to access capital and form strategic alliances is vital for small therapeutic-focused companies to succeed in translating novel drug candidates into approved medical products for patients.

VLP Therapeutics is Recognized by the Government of Japan (Cabinet Office) “Comprehensive Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation for 2017” – VLP Therapeutics

VLP Therapeutics is Recognized by the Government of Japan (Cabinet Office) “Comprehensive Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation for 2017” VLP Therapeutics was recently recognized as one of eleven companies that exemplify Japan’s commitment to Innovation as outlined in the 2017 Comprehensive Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation.

Ceres Nanosciences reaches product development milestone for point-of-care Lyme disease test and closes on an additional $5.5M of Series A funding.

Ceres Nanosciences (Ceres) is announcing today that it has reached a key product development milestone for its Nanotrap® Lyme Antigen Test System. The Nanotrap® Lyme Antigen Test System will proceed into manufacturing and analytical performance testing this year and is on track for clinical study and FDA submission in 2019.

You’re Invited! 2018 Inova Discovery Series: Early Stage Investing in Health Technology

We invite you to join us for the first event of the 2018 Inova Discovery Series: Early Stage Investing in Health Technology on Thursday, June 21, 2018, at the Inova Center for Personalized Health located at 3225 Gallows Road Fairfax, VA 22031.

Information Session for the Master of Professional Studies in Technology Entrepreneurship

Are you interested in leading innovation within an established company or creating your own startup company?

Explore the online Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Technology Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland. Applications for the fall 2018 entering class are due by June 15, 2018.

Partnership Between Maryland Stem Cell Program and Bio-Trac Continues to Grow Through Sponsorship of Upcoming Workshops | Tedco

Bio-Trac, biotechnology training solutions company, announced the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund at TEDCO will partner on three stem cell related training programs: Gene Editing iPSCs and NSCs with CRISPR, Hepatocytes Derived from Human iPSCs, and Generating The Neural Lineage From iPSCs.

GSK to host the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership conference – EPM Magazine

The conference is aimed at bringing together global companies to showcase the successes and future innovation of the innovative medicines manufacturing sector, which is already worth £30 billion to the economy.

Johns Hopkins, Betamore, UMB select a cohort of startups for Baltimore’s newest accelerator program Trajectory Next – Baltimore Business Journal

Betamore, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures and the University of Maryland, Baltimore have launched the first cohort of a new collaborative accelerator program, called Trajectory Next.

Kinometrix lands Inova Personalized Health Accelerator’s second investment – Washington Business Journal

The company will receive $75,000 in exchange for up to 10 percent equity, plus incubation space and a customized growth strategy.

Pfizer commits $600 mln to VC unit – PE Hub

New York City-based pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc is planning on investing $600 million in biotechnology and other emerging growth companies through Pfizer Ventures. About 25 percent of the funding will focus on neuroscience.

How NIH is Organizing Its Enormous Troves of Data – Nextgov

The National Institutes of Health on Monday announced a sweeping initiative to revamp the way it manages data in an effort to foster the adoption of artificial intelligence, supercomputing and other technologies poised to transform medical research.

How Israel Became a World Leader in Biotechnology – The Times of Israel

Renowned worldwide for its technological prowess in fields like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, IT, and smart mobility, Israel is also continuing to gain recognition for its invaluable contributions to the worlds of biotechnology and the life sciences – technologies which help improve healthcare and quality of life for millions worldwide.

WIB-Capital Region Hosts Baltimore Mixer

Tuesday, June 19, 2018 – 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. EST

It’s been a wonderful spring for Women In Bio in Baltimore. Local organizers have put on amazing morning meet-ups featuring outstanding women scientists-entrepreneurs and business leaders. Let’s cap off this “season” with a Capital Region chapter-wide event. At this evening mixer, we’ll get to know each other more and meet new people in the bio scene in Baltimore and beyond.

How to find biotech startup cash, with or without traditional VCs

Skim the headlines, and you might get the impression that the biotech startup world revolves around an insider’s club of Midas-listed venture capitalists.

Not true.

CMS, HHS and FDA to tech innovators: Here’s how to win federal agencies as customers | Healthcare IT News

Healthcare focused startups and government agencies got together in the same room here for HHS Startup Day and each group brought some hard-earned advice for the other.

Mary Meeker’s 2018 Internet Trends report: Key takeaways | ZDNet

Mary Meeker, leading technology analyst and partner at venture firm KIeiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), released her annual internet trends report on Wednesday. As usual, the lengthy compilation of Internet prognostications offers a comprehensive look at the current digital technology landscape and what tech trends to expect next. Here are a few highlights.

Rent hikes could force out UCity labs – Philadelphia Inquirer – Philly Edition, 2018-05-31

Philadelphia’s old brick residential neighborhoods aren’t the only part of the city that’s being gentrified.

The same thing is happening to University City’s rental lab space, where some rents are quadrupling. It’s a sign of success and the flood of investment boosting biotech firms. But it’s also a threat to startups that could force brainy startup leaders to flee to cheap space in the suburbs or go out of state, some university officials, start-up founders and young scientists say.

Chinese sister state promoting more trade with Maryland | MarylandReporter.com

When Gov. Harry Hughes went to Anhui Province in China in 1980, it became Maryland’s first foreign sister state, and China’s first province to connect with an American state, the beginning of many steps in its engagement with the United States.

Life sciences companies could see changes in collaborations with new accounting standard – Boston Business Journal

Regulatory and competitive uncertainties in the marketplace lead many life sciences companies to enter into collaborative arrangements with other companies to develop new drugs or medical devices. These arrangements allow for the leverage of expertise that may not have been available in-house – such as a pharmaceutical company that sees promising new science from a biotech startup – while also sharing in the costs and risks of new product development.

Gene therapy is saving children’s lives—but screening to discover who needs it is lagging behind – MIT Technology Review

Fifteen children born with a rare muscle-wasting disease would probably not be alive today if not for an experimental treatment that tweaked their genes shortly after they were born.

Servier Announces Launch of Servier BioInnovation in the U.S. | Business Wire

Servier, an independent international pharmaceutical company, today announced the appointments of Christian Schubert, Ph.D. and Rekha Paleyanda, Ph.D., as Directors of Servier BioInnovation along with the opening of the Servier BioInnovation office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The appointments of Dr. Schubert and Dr. Paleyanda, who will head Servier’s U.S. R&D and external innovation, and business development and licensing (BD&L) activities respectively, will operationalize the launch of Servier BioInnovation in the U.S. Located in the heart of one of the world’s leading biotechnology hubs in the Cambridge Innovation Center at Kendall Square, Servier BioInnovation will lead Servier’s expansion efforts into the U.S. innovation ecosystem.

The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Launches Foundation to Promote Understanding and Acceptance of Potentially Curative Cell and Gene Therapies

As part of its ongoing efforts to accelerate patient access to safe, effective, and potentially curative gene therapies, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) today announced the launch of the ARM Foundation for Cell and Gene Medicine. This independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is dedicated to increasing public awareness and understanding of the clinical and societal benefits of cell and gene medicine — including gene therapy, gene editing, cell therapy, tissue-engineering, and organ regeneration — and supporting its development through education and research projects.

Expanding horizons for risk management in pharma – McKinsey & Company

Risk management has become a top-of-mind issue for C-suites and boards around the world—nowhere more than in pharmaceutical companies. In a politically and economically turbulent environment, the risks pharma companies face, especially in clinical-trial design and execution, drug approval, product quality, and global commercial practices, are increasing in both frequency and magnitude.

Paying tribute to the failures, as we search for new brain cancer therapies – LinkedIn

Today – May 31 – marks the end of Brain Tumor Awareness month. It’s a special time each year to educate the public and to reflect on the impact the disease has on patients, their families and friends.

May 30 2018

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306th Edition – May 30, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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May 30, 2018

Montgomery County Council provides $425,000 for fiscal year 2019 operating budget to fund Small Business Innovation Research Matching Grant Program – First County in the US to offer a SBIR matching grant program

The Montgomery County Council approved the fiscal year (FY) 2019 operating budget on Thursday, May 24, 2018. Included in the budget is a total of $425,000 for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Matching Grant Program. The program provides matching fund for businesses that receive federal SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.

Bill 41-17, Economic Development Fund – Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Matching Grant Program established a County matching fund for businesses that receive federal SBIR and STTR grants. Councilmember George Leventhal, who serves as chair of the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee and is a member of the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, was the lead sponsor of Bill 41-17. All other Councilmembers were cosponsors.

Matt Brady, Vice President at Scheer Partners, chats with host Rich Bendis on BioTalk

In this new episode of BioTalk, Matt Brady and BHI President & CEO Rich Bendis discuss topics around lab spaces in the area including, availability, shortages, and solutions to create more in the BioHealth Capital Region.In this new episode of BioTalk, Matt Brady and BHI President & CEO Rich Bendis discuss topics around lab spaces in the area including, availability, shortages, and solutions to create more in the BioHealth Capital Region.

Since joining Scheer Partners in 2003, Matt Brady has successfully completed commercial real estate transactions for more than 500,000 square feet of office, R&D and industrial space totaling close to $100 million in transaction value.

Listen now on iTunes , Google Play , and TuneIn.

BHI Portfolio Company Perceptive Navigation Awarded $3 Million SBIR Grant to Commercialize the Vu-Path™ Ultrasound System

Perceptive Navigation, LLC, a medical device company developing minimally-invasive, image-guidance solutions for the areas of cardiology, emergency medicine, and interventional radiology, announced today that it has been awarded a Phase IIB Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award provides up to $3 million in funding to complete the product development and clinical work required to commercialize Perceptive’s first product, the Vu-PathTM Ultrasound System. This award comes as Perceptive completes work on a $1.4 million Phase II award from the NHLBI.

BHI Portfolio Company VLP Therapeutics announces the Issuance of US Patent #9,969,986 – VLP Therapeutics

VLP Therapeutics, LLC. (“VLP”), a biotechnology company focusing on the research and development of therapeutic and preventative vaccines and new cancer therapies, announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent #9,969,986 covering a virus like particle comprising modified envelope protein E3. The patent protects key composition of matter of VLP’s proprietary i-αVLP virus-like particle platform technology and the pharmaceutical composition for use in preventing infectious disease and the treatment of cancer. VLP Therapeutics is currently focused on developing preventative infectious disease vaccines and therapeutic cancer vaccines utilizing the platform technology covered by patent #9,969,986 and other issued US patents,

Inova Personalized Health Accelerator Announces BioHealth Innovation, Inc. President & CEO Richard Bendis as Featured Speaker

We’re pleased to announce that Richard Bendis, President & CEO BioHealth Innovation, Inc., will be a featured speaker at the 2018 Inova Discovery Series: Early Stage Investing in Health Technology!

We have over 300+ registered for our inaugural event. We hope you’ll join us on June 21st at the Inova Center for Personalized Health.

Iowa AgriTech Accelerator announces 2018 class, including BHI Portfolio Company VakSea

The Iowa AgriTech Accelerator has announced the five AgTech startups selected for the program’s class of 2018. The Accelerator, based in Des Moines, Iowa, is a mentor-led program focused on ag technology innovations.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities: Is This Stock a Buy? – The Motley Fool

It’s not just tech companies that can trace their roots back to a garage. According to co-founder Joel Marcus, Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE) — a real estate investment trust specializing in life sciences laboratory and office space — got its start in a garage, too. Since its founding in 1994, Alexandria Real Estate has grown into an $18 billion commercial real estate Goliath with $1.1 billion in annual revenue. Can this company’s success continue? I recently spoke with Marcus to learn more about the company and its opportunities.

8 Young Entrepreneurs Inspiring Frederick — City of Frederick Economic Development Blog

In the City of Clustered Spires, the steeples aren’t alone in their impressive trajectories. This month, we recognize eight of Frederick’s most successful young entrepreneurs who have also risen above the ordinary, and continue to reach higher.

AstraZeneca opens South San Francisco facility housing 400 R&D staff – FierceBiotech

AstraZeneca has officially opened its new research facility in South San Francisco, bundling five of its Bay Area sites into a single unit at the heart of California’s biotech cluster.

UMD Researchers Point to Future of Engineered Immune Tissues – Fischell Department of Bioengineering

Researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park and Baltimore campuses are working to shed new light on how, one day, immune tissues could be designed and implanted to create next-generation vaccines or immunotherapies for a range of diseases, or serve as cutting-edge tools for the early diagnosis of cancers or other illnesses.

Maryland technology development agency awards grant to study stem cells for improving flu vaccine – Baltimore Sun

The Maryland Technology Development Corp. has awarded a $750,000 grant to Longeveron LLC, a Miami-based biopharmaceutical company, to study whether stem cells can make a better flu vaccine for seniors with a researcher from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Marketing Communications Internship Opening at BHI

BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting BioHealth entrepreneurs and related industry growth in Montgomery County and the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, D.C. and Virginia). BHI is seeking an energetic and motivated Marketing Intern to assist with communications and marketing-related projects. This position is estimated to be 15-25 hours per week, would start immediately, and continue for 12 weeks. In addition to the responsibilities listed below, the intern may attend meetings and programs to understand the full work of BHI and how the organization accomplishes its mission through constituent outreach and support, commercialization and partnership activity.

CARB-X 2018 Round 2 Funding Application Open thru June 8, 2018

Applications CARB-X welcomes applications from around the world for funding and support for the early development of antibiotics, diagnostics, vaccines, devices and other products to combat the most serious drug-resistant bacteria. Please read the sections below carefully to find out what CARB-X funds and how to apply for funding and support.

Angel investments rise in valuation in 2017 – New Hampshire Business Review – June 8 2018

While the number of active investors and funded ventures continued to shrink in 2017, an increase in dollars invested and deal sizes shows angel investors are bullish about their prospects, indicates an annual report by the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Venture Research.

Increasing the ROI from the Federal Labs – IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Patent Law

The Administration is kicking off a series of public meetings as part of its “Return on Investment” initiative to increase the benefits that American taxpayers receive from funding $150 B annually in government supported R&D. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is heading the project and issued a request for information (Request for Information (RFI)) seeking ideas on how to improve the commercialization of resulting technologies.

Biotech Leader Testifies before House Capital Markets Subcommittee | Business Wire

Brian Hahn, Chief Financial Officer of GlycoMimetics, Inc., provided testimony today on behalf of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) before the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment. Hahn serves as the Co-Chair of BIO’s Finance & Tax Committee.

Understanding the High-Tech Ecosystem – Maryland Daily Record

Understanding the far- and wide-ranging Maryland technology ‘household’ or ecosystem is essential to success, according to Glenna E. Cush, director of marketing with the state’s Small Business Development Center.

Useful Stats: SBIR/STTR awards by state, 2013-2017 – SSTI

The SBIR/STTR program, which dubs itself as “America’s Seed Fund,” is one of the broadest forms of early-stage capital available to small technology companies. During the five-year period from 2013 to 2017, the 11 federal agencies participating in the SBIR/STTR program distributed 25,524 awards. Using charts, maps, and a downloadable spreadsheet, this Digest article looks at trends in SBIR/STTR awards by state over the period, including the companies with the most awards and states where SBIR/STTR awards outnumber VC deals. A future article will look at awards by metropolitan area.

9th Call of the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund-Introduction – Application

The United States–India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) was created for the promotion of joint activities that would lead to innovation and entrepreneurship through the application of science and technology. US-India research partners working on tangible innovations are suitable for this funding.

9th Call of the United States-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) Program is now open with a deadline of 15 June 2018. While the detailed information about the program can be accessed through the websites www.usistef.org and www.iusstf.org

Combating the Opioid Epidemic Affecting Children – 2018 BIO International Convention – Session/Event Details

Opioids: Changing the Paradigm on Treating Pain and Addiction

4:15 PM–5:15 PM Jun 5, 2018

Room 256, Level 2

The opioid epidemic knows no age limits. Newborns and young children are the most vulnerable victims of the opioid epidemic. An American Academy of Pediatrics research suggests more than 100 children test positive for opioid addiction or dependency each day in US emergency departments. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) births in the US occur at the rate of ~6 for every 1,000 and 15 per 1,000 in some rural areas. Studies suggest there will be over 50,000 NAS infant births in 2017.

Is the gold rush in immunotherapy trials good? – MedCity News

Although the concept of immunotherapy has been around for more than a century, it only gained prominence as a method of targeted cancer therapy in the early 2000s. In 2015, Merck’s Keytruda® (pembrolizumab), a checkpoint inhibitor drug, made headlines as a breakthrough therapy for melanoma after former U.S. president Jimmy Carter was treated with it. Keytruda had just received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first anti-PD-1 therapy, and its highly-publicized success created a frenzy in the media; followed by the initiation of scores of immuno-oncology (I-O) clinical trials.

Why the evolving healthcare services and technology market matters – McKinsey & Company

The healthcare services and technology market is growing rapidly, which creates opportunities, risks, and structural questions for companies in the sector and those in the broader healthcare value chain.

Where College Grads Are Moving – Newgeography.com

The Wall Street Journal just ran an interesting interactive feature looking at where college grads move after graduation. They looked at 445 schools, and tracked destinations by metro area. They discovered that graduates, particularly from stronger schools, are flocking to major metro areas. The Big East, Ivy League, Pac-12, Big-12, ACC, and Big Ten are all over 70% in sending college grads to major metro areas (but see below for caveats).

UK Government and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation join CARB-X partnership in fight against superbugs – Carb-X

Research to develop life-saving products, including new vaccines and other products to protect against deadly drug-resistant bacterial infections, got a significant boost today.

The UK Government’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have joined the CARB-X partnership to support scientific research around the world to develop new vaccines, preventatives, and other products against drug-resistant bacterial infections, particularly among vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries.

State To Invest $30M Into Center For Bioelectronic Medicine – Port Washington, NY Patch

New York State will invest $30 million into the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset as part of the state’s $72 million investment to support three transformative, economic developments on Long Island, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.

DOD-Sponsored Study Tests Hyperbaric Oxygen as TBI Treatment – Physical Therapy Products

Results from a multi-year clinical trial testing hyperbaric oxygen as an intervention for US military service members who have experience mild traumatic brain injuries with persistent symptoms were published recently in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Journal.

Neuroscience-Based Product Innovation: Hype or Hope? | INSEAD Knowledge

AI and Big Data allow innovators to leverage neuroscientific knowledge at scale to untapped markets.

We would all like our brains to be more powerful – especially those of us with reason to fear the effects of advancing age or a degenerative illness. For the entrepreneurs behind widely promoted “brain-training” apps like Lumosity, the universal desire for cognitive improvement translates to lucrative opportunities. Some scientists and clinicians, too, have hopped on the bandwagon, seeking avenues to lend their expertise to the business world while theoretically bringing cognitive enhancement to the masses.

May 30 2018

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305th Edition – May 23, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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May 30, 2018

BioHealth Innovation Appoints Jarrod Borkat as new Vice Chairman of the Board

MedImmune Sr. Director, Partnering & Strategy filling role previously held by Emergent BioSolutions CEO, Daniel J. Abdun-Nabi

BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved the appointment of MedImmune Sr. Director, Partnering & Strategy, Jarrod Borkat as new Vice Chairman. MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, is a Founding Partner of BHI and continues to be a leader in building the BioHealth Capital Region. BHI would like to thank Emergent BioSolutions CEO, Daniel J. Abdun-Nabi, for his service as Vice Chairman. He will remain as a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Abdun-Nabi also previously served as chairman of the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board (LSAB) and currently serves on Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s Excel Board.

Margaret Anderson, Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, sits down with host Rich Bendis for this episode of BioTalk. They discuss her career path, putting patients at the center of biomedical and public health, and engaging with all sectors. Margaret Anderson is a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP focused on using strategy to make organizations, agencies, and programs stronger and more laser focused on outcomes for patients. Her career has traversed biomedical and public health policy and she’s motivated by the change she’s seen in bringing treatments and solutions for patients forward.

As used in this podcast, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

Listen now on iTunes , Google Play , and TuneIn.

Kite Pharma Announces New Worldwide Facilities Including Expanded Collaboration with National Cancer Institute to Support Cell Therapy Pipeline in new 26K sf facility in Gaithersburg, MD

Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), today announced it has leased a new facility in the Netherlands to engineer cell therapies in Europe. The 117,000 square-foot site in Hoofddorp (SEGRO Park Amsterdam Airport) will enable Kite to efficiently manufacture and deliver its cell therapies to people living with cancer in Europe and will provide more than 300 new jobs when fully operational in 2020.

175,000 sq. ft. Development in Bethesda Will Focus on Creating “Bethesda Bio” — MCEDC

StonebridgeCarras and The Donohoe Companies announced plans today for their project at 8280 Wisconsin Avenue which will focus its 175,000 square feet of commercial space on bringing life sciences to the Bethesda Central Business District (CBD). StonebridgeCarras and Donohoe’s vision for the project is to capitalize on two converging trends: employers locating their offices in live, work and play environments with access to mass transportation; and life sciences companies co-locating near thought leaders and institutions driving research and advancement.

Marketing Communications Internship Opening at BHI

Iowa AgriTech Accelerator announces startups for program’s 2018 cohort – VakSea accepted to participate

The Iowa AgriTech Accelerator is a mentor-led accelerator focused on AgTech innovations. The Accelerator is led by innovators and leaders in several areas of agriculture, and seeks startups ready to change the status quo.

MockV Solutions Announces Collaboration with NIH for Predicting Viral Clearance During Small Scale Bioprocess Development – MockV Solutions

MockV Solutions, Inc. (MockV or the Company), a company developing innovative products to analyze virus clearance during process development, announced today that it will be collaborating with the Vaccine Production Program of the Vaccine Research Center/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/National Institutes of Health (VRC, NIAID, NIH) to evaluate its lead product candidate, the MVM-MVP Kit. The MVM-MVP Kit contains a non-infectious “Mock Virus Particle” (MVP) spiking surrogate that mimics the physicochemical characteristics of Minute Virus of Mice (MVM), a small and physiochemically resistant parvovirus, used as a universal standard for assessing viral clearance during process validation studies. The intention of this collaboration is to determine if the non-infectious MVP could be used as an accurate and economic indicator of MVM clearance during small scale bioprocess development studies.

Maryland Tech Council Announces Winners of 30th Annual Industry Awards | Business Wire

The Maryland Tech Council (MTC), Maryland’s largest technology trade association, announced the winners of its 30th Annual Industry Awards during a celebration and ceremony at The Hotel at the University of Maryland attended by more than 550 business leaders from around the state.

Johns Hopkins startup gets funding from company turning research into businesses – Technical.ly Baltimore

A company that works to turn intellectual property into businesses is backing a new Johns Hopkins startup developing therapeutics to treat cancer.

Rexahn Phase 2a Combination Study of RX-3117 and Abraxane® in First-line Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Patients Advances to Second Stage (NYSE:RNN)

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American:RNN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative, targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, advances its ongoing Phase 2a study of RX-3117 in combination with Abraxane® in first-line patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer following a recently completed routine Safety Monitoring Committee (SMC) review.

MdBio Foundation Names Laurel 12th Grader Katy Wnuk-Fink as Maryland BioGENEius Finalist – Business Wire

The MdBio Foundation, a non-profit that provides STEM education and workforce development to underserved communities, today announced that Katy Wnuk-Fink – a senior from Laurel who attends Reservoir High School – was named winner of the 2018 Maryland BioGENEius Challenge, the premier competition for high school students that recognizes outstanding original research in biotechnology for healthcare, sustainability, and the environment. As the Maryland BioGENEius finalist, Wnuk-Fink will represent the state in the International BioGENEius Challenge at the BIO International Convention in Boston in June.

TEDCO awards $7.1 million to 25 stem cell projects in Maryland – Baltimore Business Journal

Maryland Technology Development Corp. has doled out $7.1 million to 25 companies and researchers working on stem cell products and medical therapies.

Protenus Recognized as One of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare in 2018 – Protenus

Protenus has been selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the 2018 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. The complete list of this year’s winners, in alphabetical order, is available here. Modern Healthcare will publish a special supplement featuring ranked lists of all the winners along with the October 1 issue.

Paragon Bioservices Recognized as Life Science Company of the Year by Maryland Tech Council – Paragon Bioservices, Inc.

Paragon Bioservices, Inc. (Paragon), the leading private equity-backed biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with proven expertise in gene therapy and next-generation vaccines, was named the 2018 Life Science Company of the Year by the Maryland Tech Council (MTC). The announcement came at MTC’s 30th Annual Industry Awards held last night in the Hotel at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Grand Prize Winner for the Innovation for Impact Prize Announced by SoBran and the Maryland Tech Council

SoBran BioScience, a division of SoBran Inc, and a leading provider of pre-clinical GLP contract research announced the grand prize winner of the Innovation for Impact Prize sponsored in partnership with the Maryland Tech Council (MTC). This Grand Prize was awarded last night at the MTC 30th Anniversary Industry Awards Celebration.

KEI Sues NIH Over Gilead CAR-T Patents – PharmaLive

A nonprofit organization, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), recently filed a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over Gilead Sciences’ patents for a new chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy.

KEI calls itself a “not for profit non government organization that searches for better outcomes, including new solutions, to the management of knowledge resources. KEI is focused on social justice, particularly for the most vulnerable populations, including low-income persons and marginalized groups.”

SBA Seeks Grant Applications from Organizations – Hudson Valley News Network

The U.S. Small Business Administration, under its Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program, is soliciting grant applications from New York organizations to help boost the development of technology from small businesses.

Nostopharma LLC is working on a cure for a common surgery complication – Washington Business Journal

A complication from surgery can cost tens of thousands of dollars and require more surgery to correct — but a young Maryland startup is cooking up a more affordable and less invasive solution.

NIST Revises Intellectual Property Rights – Federal Labs

Join the FLC on Tuesday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m. EDT for an inside look into these new regulations with NIST’s Courtney Silverthorn. To register for this webinar, visit http://connect.federallabs.org/new-t2-regulations-what-you-need-to-know.

RFA-HL-19-018: NHLBI SBIR Phase IIB Small Market Awards to Accelerate the Commercialization of Technologies for Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Disorders and Diseases (R44 Clinical Trial Optional)

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is an important National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding mechanism used to develop innovative solutions that address public health challenges. A major objective of the SBIR Program is to facilitate the commercialization of technologies developed by small business concerns (SBCs). Yet, the development of biomedical products is often impeded by a significant funding gap between the end of the SBIR Phase II award and the commercialization stage. This gap is increased by the barriers associated with technologies under development for small commercial markets, such as those focused on rare diseases or young pediatric populations. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites small businesses to submit SBIR grant applications to support later stage research and development (referred to as Phase IIB) for promising projects that were previously funded by SBIR or STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) Phase II awards that address rare diseases or young pediatric populations (aged 0-12 years and defined in Section IV, part 7), and will require eventual Federal regulatory approval/clearance. The goal of this FOA and the resulting Phase IIB awards is to assist applicants in pursuing the next appropriate milestone(s) necessary to advance a product to regulatory approval and commercialization by promoting partnerships between small business awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners, including patient advocacy organizations.

RFA-HL-19-017: NHLBI SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Awards to Accelerate the Commercialization of Technologies for Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Disorders and Diseases (R44 – Clinical Trial Optional)

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is an important funding mechanism that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) uses to develop innovative solutions that address public health challenges. A major objective of the SBIR Program is to facilitate the commercialization of technologies developed by small business concerns (SBCs). Yet, the development of biomedical products is often impeded by a significant funding gap between the end of the SBIR Phase II award and the commercialization stage. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites SBIR grant applications from SBCs to support later stage research and development (referred to as Phase IIB) for promising projects that were previously funded by SBIR or STTR Phase II awards and will require eventual Federal regulatory approval/clearance. The goal of this FOA and the resulting Phase IIB awards is to assist applicants in pursuing the milestone(s) necessary to advance a product to regulatory approval and commercialization by promoting partnerships between SBIR Phase II awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners.

Top 5 Trends in the Pharmaceutical Industry in 2018

This white paper takes an in depth look at trends in the pharmaceutical industry that are anticipated to make a significant impact on the sector in 2018. Industry professionals can leverage this information to make the course adjustments that will give their companies a competitive edge in the market.

Medical Fish Skin Company Kerecis Receives the Industry Award for Entrepreneurship from the President of Iceland

Today the President of Iceland awarded Kerecis the Industry Award for Entrepreneurship. Kerecis is the creator, manufacturer and patent holder of revolutionary, fish-skin-based therapeutic products that speed up the healing process of human wounds and repair tissue damage.

Pace of exits picks up for venture development organizations in Q1 – SSTI

Venture development organizations (VDO), nonprofit organizations across the country investing in innovation startups to help grow their regional economies as well as earn a respectable return, saw at least 20 exits in the first quarter of 2018, based on data entered on Pitchbook.com. Here are some examples from the quarter:

Mount Sinai’s Icahn medical school launches $10 million investment fund | Crain’s New York Business

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has created a $10 million accelerator fund to speed up the commercialization of research at the school. It’s starting with two investments in drug-development ventures.

Raising your next round? Six qualities that define top healthcare VCs – MedCity News

Founders can become myopic during the long, stressful process of fundraising. Many focus solely on the amount of money they’re going to raise, their valuation, and the brand name of the investors they are pitching.

A look inside Tufts, Biolabs new biotech incubator Launchpad in downtown Boston – Boston Business Journal

Tufts University has joined the biotech incubator craze, launching a coworking space in Boston earlier this year that organizers hope will foster another life sciences cluster in the heart of the city.

Boston Children’s, Red Hat develop cloud platform for images | Health Data Management

Boston Children’s Hospital has teamed up with open-source solution provider Red Hat to create a web-based medical image platform that will speed the time it takes to share and analyze life-saving images.

AZBio initiative aims to cure funding gap that ails Arizona

Trying to build on Arizona’s significant investments in the life science discovery and healthcare delivery infrastructure, the state’s leaders are focused on bridging the funding gap that slows the growth of Arizona-based life science companies. Leaders of Arizona’s life science sector share a drive to accomplish a common goal: accelerate the growth of local companies that are developing and delivering innovative treatments that truly change lives.

IPO Slowdown Leads Silicon Valley Venture Giant NEA to Sell $1 Billion Worth of Startup Stakes – WSJ

New Enterprise Associates, one of Silicon Valley’s largest venture-capital firms, plans to sell off a big chunk of its startup investments in response to a dearth of initial public offerings, according to people familiar with the discussions.

May 15 2018

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304th Edition – May 15, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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May 15, 2018

Live from the BioHealth Capital Region Forum – Part 1: Jim Jackson, SVP, CSO at Emergent BioSolutions and Jim Hughes, Vice President at University of Maryland, Baltimore

In this first part of two episodes, Rich sits down with leaders from different parts of the BHCR to talk about what they are working on, and their thoughts on the event. His guests are Jim Jackson, SVP, CSO at Emergent BioSolutions and Jim Hughes, Vice President at University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Listen now on iTunes , Google Play , and TuneIn.

Live from the BioHealth Capital Region Forum – Part 2: Todd Haim, SBIR Director, NCI SBIR Development Center at NIH, and Matthew McMahon, Director, Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at NIH

In this second part of two episodes, Rich sits down with leaders from different parts of the BHCR to talk about what they are working on, and their thoughts on the event. His guests are Todd Haim, SBIR Director, NCI SBIR Development Center at NIH, and Matthew McMahon, Director, Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at NIH

Listen now on iTunes , Google Play , and TuneIn.

4 States Control 80 Percent of Venture Capital Dollars – MARYLAND climbs to number 6

More than half of all venture capital dollars invested in small businesses and startups during the first three months of 2018 went straight into the state of California, according to a recent investment report from PwC and CB Insights suggesting the vast majority of business investment in the U.S. is concentrated in only a few states.

BeneVir Biopharm Inc. to be acquired by Janssen Biotech Inc. for up to $1.04B – Washington Business Journal

Rockville-based BeneVir Biopharm Inc., a biotech specializing in immunotherapy treatments for cancer, has reached a deal to sell to pharmaceutical goliath Janssen Biotech Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, in a deal worth up to $1.04 billion.

Emergent BioSolutions Moves Things Around — The Motley Fool

The first-quarter numbers for Emergent BioSolutions (NYSE:EBS) didn’t look too great. In fact, they were arguably ugly.

Traumatic Brain Injury Research by Emmes Corporation, LDS Hospital, Lovelace Biomedical

The Emmes Corporation today announced that scientists and health professionals from the company, LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, Lovelace Biomedical Environmental Research Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the U.S. Army Medical and Materiel Development Activity at Fort Detrick, Maryland, have completed a multi-year clinical trial testing hyperbaric oxygen as an intervention for U.S. military service members who have suffered mild traumatic brain injuries with persistent symptoms.

Johns Hopkins effort to promote economic growth in Baltimore exceeds expectations – Hub

It pays to be a business in Baltimore. That’s the message that Johns Hopkins wants proprietors and their patrons to know as part of the institution’s HopkinsLocal initiative to support and invest in local enterprises.

Medical device inventor Robert E. Fischell gives University of Maryland School of Medicine $20 million to establish center for biomedical innovation – Baltimore Business Journal

Famous local inventor Robert E. Fischell is gifting $20 million to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in support of biomedical research.

The gift will be used to establish the Robert E. Fischell Center for Biomedical Innovation at the medical school, and provide funding for a planned new 450,000 square foot research building on the school’s Baltimore campus. It will also support research funds and endowed professorships for the new Fischell Center.

Intralytix Acquires Site for New Headquarters

Intralytix, Inc., announced today that it has closed on the acquisition of a 33,000 sq. ft. building in Columbia, Maryland. The facility, located in the Columbia Gateway Community, will serve as the Company’s new headquarters. Plans are underway to house expanded research and laboratory space, executive offices, and substantially increased manufacturing capacity.

UMD announces $1.5 billion fundraising campaign that’s halfway complete – The Diamondback

The University of Maryland announced its goal Friday to fundraise $1.5 billion by the end of 2021 for numerous construction projects, scholarship funds and program upgrades, according to a news release.

Seoul to spend massive money in biohealth sector – Korea Biomedical Review

The government said Friday it would spend 7.5 trillion won ($7 billion) to support the biohealth sector by 2022 aggressively.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy launched “Industrial Innovation 2020 Platform” with private companies and experts to discuss cooperative measures to accelerate private sector-driven industrial innovation and growth.

Japan’s Takeda clinches $62 billion Shire deal as pharma M&A rolls on – Reuters

Takeda Pharmaceutical agreed to buy London-listed Shire for 45.3 billion pounds ($62 billion) on Tuesday, the biggest yet in a wave of deals sweeping the drugs industry.

The Collective Seattle Is A Clubhouse For Big Kids – Commercial Real Estate

Think of The Collective as a 15K SF clubhouse for big kids. Grownups are welcome, but leave your electronic devices in your pockets, please. This is about face-to-face fun.

Army Doctors Grew a Soldier a New Ear — On Her Forearm – Time

You’ve heard the cliché about wearing your heart on your sleeve. But a group of Army doctors did one better: They grew a new ear on a soldier’s forearm, using cartilage harvested from her ribs.

May 08 2018

Love0

303rd Edition – May 8, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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May 8, 2018

Montgomery County, Maryland-based BeneVir Biopharm, Inc. to be acquired by Janssen Biotech, Inc. for up to $1.04B

Company’s announcement latest in recent trend of significant investment in Montgomery County biohealth companies.

BeneVir Biopharm, Inc. (BeneVir), a privately-held Montgomery County biotech company, has entered into an agreement under which it will be acquired by Janssen Biotech, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company for up to $1.04 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Janssen will make an upfront cash payment of $140 million at closing of the transaction, plus additional contingent payments of up to $900 million based on achievement of certain predetermined milestones. BeneVir was a client of BioHealth Innovation (BHI) from 2013 until its Series A investment in 2014.

2018 BioHealth Capital Region Forum Survey…Please complete

As we wrap up this year’s Forum and begin planning for 2019, we would like to hear from you! Tell us what you loved, what we can improve, and what you are most interested in seeing from the BioHealth Capital Region in the coming year.

Click here to complete the 2018 BHCR Forum Attendee Survey. We thank you in advance for your time in providing your feedback.

Save the Date for 2019! The 2019 BioHealth Capital Region Forum will take place on April 8-9, 2019.

These Are the 25 Public Colleges With the Biggest Payback – University of Maryland College Park Made the List

How much is an undergraduate degree really worth? The average 20-year payoff for a bachelor’s degree—even after factoring in tuition and other college costs—is roughly $225,000, according to salary data released Tuesday from PayScale.

HC2 Announces Pansend Life Sciences Portfolio Company BeneVir Biopharm to be Acquired by Janssen Biotech, Inc. for up to $1.04 Billion NYSE:HCHC

HC2 Holdings, Inc. (“HC2”) (NYSE:HCHC), a diversified holding company, announced today that BeneVir Biopharm, Inc. (“BeneVir”), a privately-held biotechnology company developing oncolytic immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Janssen Biotech, Inc. (“Janssen”).

Mechanistic and Human Translational Results for BT-11 in Models of IBD – Landos Biopharma

Landos Biopharma, Inc., an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on developing improved treatments for autoimmune diseases, announced the publication of findings on the mechanisms of action for its top lead candidate, BT-11, in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, the Official Journal of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. The study concludes that through the activation of the Lanthionine Synthetase C-Like 2 (LANCL2) pathway, BT-11 induces changes in the interface of inflammation and metabolism within immune cells in the gut that are critical to provide lasting therapeutic efficacy against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These changes in metabolism enhance regulatory CD4+ T helper cell responses and promote lasting therapeutic actions locally within the gut. The mechanistic findings demonstrate the translatability of the therapeutic efficacy of BT-11 to the clinic.

Horsham-based Janssen Biotech, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, to buy Benvir BioPharm – Baltimore Business Journal

Janssen Biotech has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the red-hot field of cancer immunology.

Financial terms of the deal for BeneVir BioPharm are being kept confidential.

MoCo Supports Businesses

MCEDC SUPPORTS BUSINESS

FY 18 HIGHLIGHTS

Highmark Health’s VITAL Innovation Program to evaluate WellDoc’s® BlueStar® mobile app for

Highmark Health announced today that through its VITAL Innovation Program, a test-and-learn platform, it will be evaluating WellDoc’s® BlueStar® mobile app, an FDA-cleared, proven digital therapeutic for individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Can the U.S. Get 1 Million People to Volunteer Their Genomes? – Scientific American

One of the enduring mysteries of medicine is how individual genes, environment and lifestyle may combine to spark sickness or protect us from it. Unraveling this puzzle remains essential for scientists hoping to achieve the elusive goal of offering tailored treatments or personalized prevention plans.

FDA Unveils Health Data Science Projects Under Incubator Program

Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, has introduced information technology initiatives under the agency’s data science incubator program during the Health Datapalooza conference in Washington, D.C., MedCityNews reported Thursday.

WHO WILL LEAD BALTIMORE’S TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES? A DISCUSSION ABOUT TALENT DEVELOPMENT – attracting it, acquiring it, managing and developing it

When: Thursday, May 17, 20184:00 – 7:00 PM EST Where: University of Maryland BioPark, 801 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

Join the fourth in the TEDCO funded Anchor Ventures events series for an important discussion about Talent. Our expert panel will discuss how to draw the right candidates to your company, the role personnel plays in the investment process, opportunities for enhancing your existing team, and the regional supply of entrepreneurial talent.

BioBuzz with UMBC Shady Grove

When: Wednesday, May 16, 2018 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT

Where: UMBC Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Drive ,Rockville, MD 20850

Join BioBuzz and sponsor UMBC Shady Grove in Rockville on May 16th for our next great networking event. UMBC at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) has a 17+ year history of providing high caliber and industry desired academic programs in Rockville, MD. This Fall, UMBC is launching its first Bachelors of Science degree at USG in Translational Life Science Technology. This degree, designed in partnership with Montgomery College, combines the theory of a traditional life science degree with real-world applications used by scientists in academic and industry research.

VA BEACH BIO INNOVATION CHALLENGE Letter of Intent Form

This is the Letter of Intent Form (LOI) for Phase 0 of the VA BEACH BIO INNOVATION Startup Challenge. The Team Leader of each team should fill out and submit one form for this challenge. The last date to submit an LOI is May 31st.

Page 1: Basic information and Confidentiality Page 2: Additional Team information (can be completed during Phase 1)

Anyone can Enter!

No minimum team size – you can enter individually Your Background: Anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit! No Geography Restrictions: This challenge welcomes international participants

Inova 2018 Discovery Series: Early Stage Investing in Health Technology

Come join us on June 21, 2018 for our first event of the INOVA 2018 Discovery Series.

Inova Center for Personalized Health Conference Center – 3225 Gallows Road, Fairfax, VA 22031

6:00pm – Reception

7:00pm – Presentation: State of Healthcare Investing; Analysis: Investor Panel Discussion/Q&A

1.13M Patient Records Breached from January to March 2018 – Protenus

1,129,744 patient records were breached between January and March 2018, according to new data released today in the Protenus Breach Barometer. Published by Protenus, an artificial intelligence platform used by top health systems to analyze every access to patient data inside the electronic health record (EHR), the Breach Barometer is the industry’s definitive source for health data breach reporting.

Baltimore tech company leaders appointed to TEDCO board – Technical.ly Baltimore

A pair of Baltimore-based tech leaders are joining the board of directors for TEDCO.

With the appointment by Gov. Larry Hogan, each will serve a four-year term on the board that oversees the state’s quasi-public agency backing early-stage tech companies.

Cambridge life sciences cluster set to deliver additional £1billion to the UK economy by 2032 – Cambridge Network

The Cambridge life sciences cluster has the potential to contribute an additional £1bn to the UK economy by 2032, according to independent research commissioned by AstraZeneca.

NIST wants public insight on how to streamline R&D collaboration

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is looking for the public’s help in refreshing how it uses research and development funds to help bring new products to market.

These 6 UMB student teams have big ideas for new companies – Technical.ly Baltimore

Students at UMB are looking to form new startups that will bring change to a range of different areas in healthcare and beyond, from the pockets where nurses keep supplies to the ways that drugs are delivered.

What Is Blockchain? Three Videos Explain the New Technology That Promises to Change Our World | Open Culture

You’ve heard the word “blockchain” many times now, but probably not quite as many as you’ve heard the word “bitcoin.” Yet you surely have a sense that the referents of those two words have a connection, and even if you haven’t yet been interested in either, you may well know that blockchain, a technology, makes Bitcoin, a currency, possible in the first place. Their sheer novelty has already given rise to a mini-industry of explainer videos, more of them dealing directly with bitcoin than blockchain, but in time the latter could potentially overtake the former in importance, to the degree that it becomes as vital to society as the protocols that undergird the internet itself.

Jonathan Aberman: This study shows how cybersecurity can foster economic growth – Washington Business Journal

What does it take to be a founder of a cybersecurity startup in the Greater Washington region? Prior experience, according to a new study from American University’s Kogod School of Business.

Fast-growing Twist Bioscience finds Peninsula expansion space with investor-landlord Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE: ARE) – San Francisco Business Times

When Twist Bioscience Corp. started in Mission Bay five years ago with the idea of making synthetic genes for researchers, it consisted of Emily Leproust and her two co-founders. Today, the 240-employee company is priming to move to nearly 61,000 square feet in South San Francisco.

All You Need to Know for Round 2 of the CRISPR Patent Fight – Scientific American

It’s baaaaack, that reputation-shredding, stock-moving fight to the death over key CRISPR patents. On Monday morning in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will hear oral arguments in University of California v. Broad Institute. Questions?

HHS Secretary Alex Azar Gives Industry Leaders a Map of the New Healthcare – Healthcare Blogs

It was quite fascinating to cover the speech that Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar gave this week in Washington, D.C. In a keynote address on Wednesday morning at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Secretary Azar laid out his agency’s overall policy strategy, for attendees at the World Health Care Congress, which annually gathers together leaders from all the major sectors of the U.S. healthcare industry, from hospitals to physician groups to post-acute and behavioral healthcare, to health plans/health insurers, employer-purchasers, pharmaceutical leaders, and healthcare IT leaders. It’s an ideal venue for senior federal healthcare officials to make announcements—and they usually do show up every year, and sometimes, make news.

As digital health companies proliferate, it’s getting tougher to spot the strongest businesses – MedCity News

The digital health rocket seems to have gotten supercharged lately, at least when it comes to fundraising. Depending on who you ask, either $1.62 billion (Rock Health’s count) or $2.5 billion (Mercom) or $2.8 billion (Startup Health’s count) was plowed into digital health companies in just the first three months of 2018. By any measure Q1 2018 was the most significant quarter yet for digital health funding. This headline has been everywhere. Digital health: to infinity and beyond! But what is the significance of this? Should investors and customers of these companies be excited or worried? It’s a little hard to tell.

9th Call of the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund-Introduction

“Commercializing Technologies for Societal Impact”

The governments of the United States of America (through the Department of State) and India (through the Department of Science & Technology) have established the United States – India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) for the promotion of joint activities that would lead to innovation and technopreneurship through the application of science and technology. The Endowment Fund activities are implemented and administered through the bi-national Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF).

May 01 2018

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302nd Edition – May 1, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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May 1, 2018

Galen Robotics Wins BioHealth Capital Region 3rd Annual Crab Trap Competition

Galen Robotics, a Johns Hopkins University spinout, was chosen from five finalists as the company with the most commercial potential by judges at the 3rd Annual Crab Trap Competition. This year’s judges included industry leaders Amgen’s Bethany Mancilla, AstraZeneca’s Shaun Grady, Blu Venture’s Dr. Paul Silber, J.P. Morgan’s John T. Rubin, New Enterprise Associates’ Sara Nayeem, Roche’s Robert Silverman, and Sands Capital Ventures’ Stephen Zachary. They were impressed with a presentation by Lead Hardware Engineer, Yunus Sevimli, on Galen Robotics’ low-cost, compact, and intuitive to use novel microsurgical robotic platform designed to assist surgeons with minimally-invasive applications in otolaryngology, neurosurgery and similar critical fields. Galen Robotics is the third Johns Hopkins University spinout to win this competition following LifeSprout (2017) and Sonavex (2016).

Strong presentations also were made by the other finalists–AlgometRx, Cellth Systems, Renalert, and Reveragen Biopharma—whose technologies originated at Children’s National Medical Center, the University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University.

Biohealth Capital Region aiming for top 3 status – Smart Incentives

The Biohealth Capital Region–DC, Maryland and Virginia – plans to be a top 3 biohealth hub in the US by 2023. What will it take to get there?

The Biohealth Capital Region is already a top 5 location as ranked by NIH and venture capital funding, patents, lab space, and jobs. The 1,100 participants at this week’s 2018 Biohealth Capital Region Forum agreed on the area’s strengths: a highly educated and diverse workforce, leading universities and research institutions, strong healthcare organizations, hundreds of companies, and broad-based policy commitment to the biohealth industry.

Job Opportunity: University of Maryland, College Park Seeks Director, Office of Technology Commercialization – IPWatchdog.com

The University of Maryland, College Park is seeking a Director for its Office of Technology Commercialization. The Director leads and manages the OTC, 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 OTC’s commercialization efforts and its support of related entrepreneurial endeavors. The Director is responsible for developing and meeting annual OTC 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.

The genomics-focused Illumina Accelerator backs five new companies – TechCrunch

Illumina Accelerator, the genomics-focused startup accelerator backed by the publicly traded genetic sequencing pioneer Illumina Corp., has picked five startups for its seventh accelerator class, the company announced.

Wth technology addressing skin microbial therapeutics, fertility science, chronic disease alleviation, post traumatic stress disorder treatments, and services for the biopharmaceutical and clinical research industries; the startups selected by Illumina will have access to the company’s genomics and sequencing expertise, business coaching, lab and office space and an infusion of capital.

BioHealth Capital Region Industry Compensation Survey™

Is your employee compensation package competitive?

Help us help you. Complete the 2018 BHCR Industry Compensation Survey by June 1, 2018 to receive an anonymized summary of salaries and benefits specific to positions in biohealth and to this region. A pdf version of the survey is available here or you can use the online version of the survey to complete your information. All company specific information will be kept confidential. This survey is a joint project among BioHealth Innovation, WorkSource Montgomery, and UMBC-Shady Grove’s Industrial Organizational Pyschology Program. If you or your Human Resources colleagues have any questions about the survey, please contact BHI@BioHealthInnovation.org.

NIH-Funded Research Finds emocha Medication Adherence Technology Leads to Cost Savings | emocha Mobile Health

emocha Mobile Health’s video Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) platform helped patients with tuberculosis achieve 94 percent medication adherence with the potential to save public health programs $1,391 per patient on average, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine published today in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Staff and patients cited increased flexibility, convenience, and patient privacy compared to traditional treatment methods.

This startup is bringing a human face to surgical masks – Technical.ly Baltimore

A few years ago, Allysa Dittmar was about to go into surgery, but her interpreter didn’t show up.

Dittmar, who is deaf, was able to lip-read and recognize facial expressions during some of the mandated check that’s required before a procedure, but those were obscured when surgeons, nurses and anaesthesiologists, put on their masks. Things grew more frustrating, and the staff eventually gave up trying.

Christy Wyskiel Named to BBJ’s Power 10

The Baltimore Business Journal recognized Christy Wyskiel for her ongoing efforts to perfect the “magic formula” that will further catalyze the commercialization of life-changing research and technologies emerging from labs and dorms across Johns Hopkins.

United Therapeutics To Acquire SteadyMed Ltd.

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) and SteadyMed Ltd. (NASDAQ: STDY) announced today the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which United Therapeutics will acquire SteadyMed for $4.46 per share in cash at closing and an additional $2.63 per share in cash upon the achievement of a milestone related to the commercialization of Trevyent®. The transaction, including the $75 million in contingent consideration, is valued at $216 million.

Ben Jealous brought Google and Alphabet execs to Maryland – Technical.ly Baltimore

Gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous organized a meeting on Thursday that gave executives from Google and parent company Alphabet a chance to hear about technology in Baltimore and Prince George’s County.

These Greater Washington women scored big venture capital deals — that’s far too rare – Washington Business Journal

Women and minorities are sparsely represented in our recent fundings. So what do we do about that?

Angel deals see big increase in female firms and greater geographic diversity, according to HALO Report | SSTI

In 2017, 25.7 percent of all angel capital group deals went to a founding team with at least one female founder, up from 17.0 percent in 2016, according to the Angel Resource Institute’s (ARI) HALO Report: 2017. The report also found a sizeable increase in the number of deals made for companies that included at least one minority female founder – 5.5 percent in 2017 (1.0 percent in 2016).

How to bet and win on biosciences … outside established hubs – PE Hub

San Diego. New Haven. Boston.

Besides cities that make for a nice waterside vacation, these destinations seem to have figured out the complex, yet irresistible, world of bioscience investment.

To create jobs, think long term – fredericknewspost.com

As a business owner, I’m often asked to speak to groups about my entrepreneurial journey. One component of my talk involves the importance of long-term thinking. Too often, businesses and politicians fall into the trap of short-term thinking. They focus on making a profit this quarter or succeeding in their re-election campaign without considering the impact of their decisions five, 10 or 20 years down the road.

Bill Gates Just Announced a $12 Million Grand Challenge for a Universal Flu Vaccine

The real world isn’t like Hollywood. Despite what we might see in TV shows like 24 or movies like Contagion, we don’t have teams of experts ready to spring into action at the first signs of a global outbreak.

But we should, philanthropist Bill Gates emphasized during his Shattuck Lecture for the Massachusetts Medical Society today. And Gates is ready to put up $12 million to help us get there.

Augmented-reality system lets doctors see medical images projected on patients’ skin | Kurzweil

New technology is bringing the power of augmented reality into clinical practice. The system, called ProjectDR, shows clinicians 3D medical images such as CT scans and MRI data, projected directly on a patient’s skin.

New immunotherapy treatment for lung cancer dramatically improves survival, researchers report | Kurzweil

An immunotherapy treatment — one that boosts the immune system — has improved survival in people newly diagnosed with the most common form of lung cancer (advanced non–small-cell lung cancer), according to an open-access study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

REGULATORY APPLICATIONS OF REAL WORLD EVIDENCE

Real-World Evidence (RWE) holds out the promise of reducing time and costs of product approvals, identifying new uses for existing products, increasing our ability to treat rare diseases, and improving clinical practices for using drugs and medical devices. The 21st Century Cures Act, enacted in 2016, requires FDA to evaluate the use of RWE in approving new drug indications. FDA in 2017 issued a final guidance document regarding RWE in regulatory decisions involving medical devices. The private sector is also focusing on RWE: more than half the pharmaceutical companies in a recent survey say they are significantly expanding their involvement in RWE. Nonetheless, misunderstandings and uncertainties remain, both about what constitutes RWE and its potential role in regulatory and other aspects of precision medicine.

Apr 26 2018

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301st Edition – April 26, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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April 26, 2018

BHI CEO Rich Bendis’ Opening Presentation at The 2018 BioHeath Capital Region Forum

Welcome to the 2018 BioHealth Capital Region Forum: State of the BioHealth Capital Region’s EcoSystem

Presented by: Rich Bendis, President & CEO, BioHealth Innovation Inc.

Message at BioHealth forum: Md., Va., and D.C. biotech industry needs to get rid of silos – Baltimore Business Journal

The annual BioHealth forum brought together about 1,100 biotech industry stakeholders from across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

University presidents Loh, Perman on impact of immigration changes to STEM workforce – Baltimore Business Journal

George Mason University President Angel Cabrera said more restrictive immigration policies could threaten the future of regional and national biotechnology industries.

“It is critical for universities to act both as producers of [science, technology, engineering and math] talent and as magnets for top STEM faculty and researchers from around the world. That is our biggest role in the ecosystem,” Cabrera said. “When we mess with immigration policy, our whole system of science and innovation is at stake.

BioHealth Capital Region Industry Compensation Survey™

Is your employee compensation package competitive?

Corvidia Therapeutics Secures $60 Million in Series B Funding to Accelerate Clinical Work | Business Wire

Corvidia Therapeutics Inc., a leading clinical stage biotechnology company, today announced the close of a $60 million USD Series B funding round. The financing will accelerate growth of Corvidia’s ongoing clinical programs, expand scientific and market access capabilities and explore new treatment areas.

Emmes Launches New Internship Program with an Egyptian Children’s Cancer Hospital

The Emmes Corporation today announced the creation of an internship program in which the company will offer one fellow from Egypt’s Children Cancer Hospital an internship to gain training and experience in clinical research. Under the new program, one fellow will be selected each year to travel to Emmes’ headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, to work with its clinical research experts. The duration of each internship will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

QIAGEN Announces FDA Approval of PartoSureTM – Business Wire

QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced the U.S. regulatory approval of PartoSureTM , which is a novel test for assessing the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in patients with symptoms of preterm labor. The pre-market approval of PartoSure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) follows successful uptake of the rapid, accurate test in more than 35 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. U.S. commercialization of the PartoSure test is expected to begin in 2018.

New Enterprise Associates the most active venture firm in Q1 2018

The first quarter of 2018 saw a decline in investments, given that global deal activity decreased by 4 percent. Despite the fewer deals, global investment reached $46.5 billion, invested across 2,884 deals. The data was revealed as part of a larger report titled Money Tree, put together by CB Insights and PricewaterhouseCoopers, with focus on the latest trends in venture capital funding globally.

Why you need to know NEA’s Scott Frederick – Washington Business Journal

He is a walking Rolodex of some of the nation’s most high-powered business leaders. And he’s the reason many startups feel they’ve gotten a leg up in an otherwise crushing entrepreneurial race.

Maryland Biotechs Dominate 2018 Vaccine Industry Excellence Awards – BioBuzz

More than a dozen biotech companies or researchers from the Maryland biotech cluster, which some have also dubbed ‘Vaccine Alley’, were among the most recognized finalists at this year’s Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards in Washington, DC at the World Vaccine Conference. In fact, 15 out of the 54 finalists, or 27%. were from right here in Maryland. This year’s conference was held in Washington, DC so could this have been a case of home court advantage? Probably not. More than likely it’s because this region holds 20% of the top influencers worldwide in vaccine development.

FounderTrac’s First of Two Cohorts in 2018 Was a Standing Room Only Event with Aimee Martin of MileMarker Winning a $25k Investment from MCVC Partners! | Business Wire

On Tuesday, April 3, 2018 TEDCO Incubation Challenge finalist FounderTrac had their first Demo Day at Host Sponsor Loews Annapolis Hotel. After a 12 week, rigorous program 10 FounderTrac finalists pitched to a standing room only atrium of over 200 attendees. Over 50 angel investors and venture capitalists were in attendance creating an energy at the event that truly represents the essence of entrepreneurship. Tami Howie, CEO of the Maryland Technology Council says, “We had a huge number of high quality investors attend our showcase to see the amazing growth of our companies over the last 12 weeks of our FounderTrac program.”

CARB-X 2018 Funds

Are you involved in the fight against drug resistant bacteria? Between June 1 and June 8th, organizations seeking funding to advance antimicrobial technologies (diagnostics, therapeutics or devices) will have the opportunity to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) to CARB-X. CARB-X is dedicated to accelerating global antibacterial innovation through targeted funding of focused projects. Only technologies specifically focused on the Pathogens outlined in the CARB-X 2018 Funding Round 2 Scope will be considered. Now is the time to beginning preparing your EOI. More information is available on the CARB-X website: http://www.carb-x.org/application

MaxCyte Appoints Dr. Claudio Dansky Ullmann as Chief Medical Officer

MaxCyte, the global cell-based medicines and life sciences company, announced today that it has appointed Claudio Dansky Ullmann, MD, a 25+-year expert in clinical oncology and pharmaceutical research, as its Chief Medical Officer (CMO). In his new role, Dr. Dansky Ullmann is responsible for overseeing clinical development of MaxCyte’s CARMA™ drug development program as the company’s first candidate, MCY-M11, is expected to enter the clinic this year.

Commercialization Brings Research with ‘Broad Benefits’ to Market – GW Today

Patients dealing with hypotension, or dangerously low blood pressure, can now be treated with a drug initially developed by George Washington University researcher Lakhmir Chawla from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the GW Medical Faculty Associates.

Science Start-Ups Gain Strong Momentum at the Prince William Science Accelerator – pilotonline.com

Prince William County today congratulated three science start-ups – ISOThrive, LLC, Virongy, LLC and Ceres Nanosciences, Inc., – on recent business successes leading from the Prince William Science Accelerator.

How New York VC firm Deerfield Management plans to help Johns Hopkins bring more products to market – Baltimore Business Journal

New York investment firm Deerfield Management is looking to bring more drugs, medical devices and health care products to market by partnering with academic institutions like Johns Hopkins University.

Chinese money floods US biotech as Beijing chases new cures | afr.com

Chinese investors are pumping money into US drug startups as Beijing seeks to become a global leader in new medicines, adding to a flood of cash flowing to groundbreaking health firms.

New Members Join NIIMBL to Advance Biomanufacturing

The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a proud member of Manufacturing USA® is pleased to welcome Genentech, Celgene, Merck, MilliporeSigma and EMD Serono (the U.S. businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), among others, to its growing membership base.

A ‘groundbreaking’ day: Workers break ground on new science complex

Towson University celebrated the start of construction on the new science complex with a groundbreaking ceremony on the top floor of the Glen Garage April 17.

Construction for the new science complex began in fall 2017, but the ceremony marked the University officially breaking ground on the project.

Global Cities Challenge America’s High-Tech Dominance – CityLab

We hear a lot these days about the so-called “rise of the rest”—the ascent of second-tier American cities such as Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Detroit, and Nashville as challengers to the established tech capitals of the Bay Area, New York, Boston, and Seattle. But the reality is that the rise of the rest is happening mainly in cities outside of the United States.

Apr 17 2018

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300th Edition – April 17, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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April 17, 2018

Last Week to Register: BHCR Forum 2018 – HHS Secretary Alex M. Azar II Confirmed

Don’t let your colleagues miss out — Forward this message to other senior leadership in the Region to invite them to attend the 2018 BioHealth Capital Region Forum. Register with the password: bhcrforum18

The Planning Committee has recently confirmed the participation of Secretary of Health & Human Services, Alex M. Azar II as a keynote speaker. His presentation is an exciting addition to an already robust lineup of speakers.

Check out the BioHealth Capital Region Forum website for regular updates on confirmed speakers and Forum agenda. Download our event application to interact with other attendees and post to the social wall – search for BHCR Forum 2018 in the AppStore or Google Play Store.

Finalists Selected – 3rd Annual BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition

– Winner to be announced during 2018 BioHealth Capital Region Forum –

Five companies have been selected to present to a panel of investor judges and an audience of industry leaders during the 2018 BioHealth Capital Region Forum, April 23-24, at the MedImmune campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Founded by BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) and MedImmune in 2016, the annual Crab Trap Competition highlights companies from throughout the region in varied stages of business development and industry sectors. Open to applicants from Maryland, DC and Virginia, previous winners are Johns Hopkins University spinouts: LifeSprout (2017) developing the next-generation of synthetic soft tissue substitutes for aesthetic and reconstructive medicine, and Sonavex (2016), developer of a pipeline of novel ultrasound solutions to visualize and quantify critical clinical data for improved outcomes and reduced costs in new surgical applications. The 3rd Annual Crab Trap Competition is sponsored by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. The grand prize includes $10,000, incubation space in either Montgomery County, MD or Prince William County, VA, and business mentoring.

BHI Portfolio Company MIMETAS Secures 20 Million Dollar Series B Financing – Mimetas

MIMETAS, leader in organ-on-a-chip products and tissue models, has secured 20.5 million USD in financing from an international syndicate from Asia and Europe. Mimetas will use the proceeds of this Series B financing round to expand its global commercial footprint with the OrganoPlate® organ-on-a-chip platform. In addition, the company will broaden its product portfolio, establish tissue production facilities, develop novel OrganoPlate® products and expand into clinical market segments, including personalized medicine. The company has operations in the Netherlands, USA and Japan.

MedImmune spinoff Viela Bio leads Greater Washington to stellar VC funding quarter, per Pitchbook – Washington Business Journal

The D.C. area saw its biggest first quarter in startup funding in at least 16 years, with companies raking in more than $473.3 million in venture capital with the biotech and software sectors leading the way, according to data provided by PitchBook.

The 2018 Maryland Health Impact Forum – May 15th – 16th, 2018

New York-based Cavendish Global (URL: http://cavendishglobal.com), together with the University of Maryland’s Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR), MedImmune (a member of the AstraZeneca Group), BioHealth Innovation, and BioHealth Capital Region will co-host Cavendish’s sixteenth Health Impact Forum, and the first in the state of Maryland, on May 15th and 16th, at the Chevy Chase Club and IBBR. Cavendish is a by-invitation-only community of select health and life science innovators and researchers, impact investors (single and multi-family offices, foundations, philanthropists, angel investors and pro-social private equity and venture capital investors), along with renowned institutional, nonprofit and public leaders. Cavendish members convene throughout the year at Health Impact Forums held in diverse innovation hubs, to identify, showcase and support the leading innovators addressing health’s greatest unmet needs. To request an invitation:http://cavendishglobal.com/invitation-request

Emergent BioSolutions Announces Successful Completion of Mutual Recognition Procedure for Market Authorization of BioThrax in European Countries

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) today announced the successful completion of the Mutual Recognition Procedure (MRP) for market authorization of BioThrax® (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) in five Concerned Member States (CMS) within the European Union (EU), including Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the U.K., and France (where it will be marketed as BaciThrax™). Emergent filed the mutual recognition application based on the existing Marketing Authorization of BioThrax in Germany granted by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut. Following the positive MRP outcome, national licenses are due to be issued shortly by the five CMS countries.

Alexandria LaunchLabs, the Premier Life Science Startup Platform, to Open in Fall 2018 at the

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, today announced the expansion of Alexandria LaunchLabs®—its premier, full-service life science startup platform—into the thriving East Cambridge life science ecosystem. Alexandria LaunchLabs will open in the fall of 2018 in One Kendall Square, one of the most sought-after locations for life science companies in the United States. Building upon the success of Alexandria LaunchLabs’ initial flagship site, which opened at the Alexandria Center® for Life Science – New York City in June 2017, the company will now bring its validated Alexandria LaunchLabs platform to Cambridge to meet the cluster’s critical demand for life science startup space.

Building up the BioHealth Capital Region – FederalNewsRadio.com interview with BHI CEO Rich Bendis

What’s Working in Washington EXTRA is an opportunity for us to discuss an issue of particular interest to the region. We’re talking today about life science, biotechnology, medical devices, and how these industries are successful and well-represented represented here in the D.C. region. Joining us to discuss the growth of these sectors are two experts: Richard Bendis, president & CEO of BioHealth Innovation Incorporated, and Jeff Gallagher, CEO of Virginia Biotechnology Association, or VABio.

HGMD enables you to provide better care with better knowledge! – White Paper

In 2016, a mother filed a lawsuit relating to the death of her son Christian against a diagnostic company. When Christian began experiencing a series of unrelenting seizures, the company performed a massive battery of tests, including the sequencing of a gene called SCN1A. At the time, the company reported that he had a variant of unknown significance (VUS) there. What the company did not realize was that there was a peer-reviewed study that had identified the same SCN1A mutation in an Australian family one year earlier. Christian received inappropriate treatment and died from a seizure months later.

TEDCO 2.0 initiative rolls out new funding, programming efforts for Md. startups – Baltimore Business Journal

TEDCO CEO George Davis has spent several months in his new role traveling the state and talking to startups and other tech industry players, trying to figure out how his organization can best serve Maryland’s entrepreneurial community beyond what it has been doing for the past 20 years.

Hopkins teams with Lockheed Martin to enhance STEM programming for Baltimore students | Hub

The Johns Hopkins University and Lockheed Martin today announced a partnership aimed at enhancing opportunities for Baltimore City public school students pursuing academic and career fields in science, technology, engineering, and math. The collaboration is designed to close the STEM gap that exists primarily in Pre-K through 12th grade.

NHLBI 70th Anniversary Lecture Series

This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). NHLBI began as the National Heart Institute on June 16, 1948, when President Harry S. Truman signed the National Heart Act. In 1969, the Institute expanded its mission (and name) to cover research on lung diseases, and in 1976, the Institute grew further to include blood disorders.

To commemorate the Institute’s 70th anniversary and showcase important investments in scientific research, NHLBI is featuring lectures throughout the year from prominent thought leaders representing areas of high scientific priority in heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders.

Epidarex-backed Enterprise Therapeutics raises £29 million (USD$41 million) funding

Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research and development of novel therapies for the treatment of respiratory diseases, today announced that it has closed an oversubscribed £29 million ($41 million USD) Series B round co-led by Versant Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund. The syndicate also included new investor Forbion, founding investor Epidarex Capital and existing investor IP Group.

New Enterprise Associates, Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, GV and Greycroft top ranking of most active Q1 venture investors – Silicon Valley Business Journal

Y Combinator has broadened its investment focus beyond the seed funding it gives to startups in its accelerator batches, and has become one of the most active investors in the country in subsequent stages.

GSK divests line of rare disease drugs

GlaxoSmithKline divested its portfolio of rare disease gene therapies to Orchard Therapeutics through a strategic agreement, the company announced April 12.

First annual Kendall Square Challenge to take place May 17 – News – Cambridge Chronicle & Tab – Cambridge, MA

The first annual Kendall Square Challenge, an app-driven fundraiser competition benefiting various nonprofits, will take place May 17 in Cambridge.

Apr 10 2018

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299th Edition – April 10, 2018

By admin BHI Weekly Newsletter Archives

BioHealth Innovation

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April 10, 2018

Third Annual Crab Trap: Finalists Announced Tomorrow

You thought the Shark Tank was tough…

wait until the BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap!

Five finalists will have a chance to win the grand prize by presenting infront of a panel of prominent industry funding experts and executives including:

Rich Bendis (Moderator), President & CEO, BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
Christian Barrow, Executive Director, Life Sciences, J.P. Morgan
Shaun Grady, VP, Strategic Partnering & Business Development, AstraZeneca
Sara Nayeem, Partner, New Enterprise Associates (NEA)
Dr. Paul Silber, Founding Principal, Blu Venture Investors
Robert Silverman, Head Externalized Drug Discovery Partnering, Roche
Stephen Zachary, Associate, Sands Capital Ventures

Christy Wyskiel, Senior Advisor to the President at Johns Hopkins University, chats with host Rich Bendis for new episode of BioTalk

Christy Wyskiel, an investor, entrepreneur, and ecosystem builder, serves as Senior Advisor to President Daniels at Johns Hopkins University. She runs the group Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, which serves as the tech transfer, corporate partnership, and start-up arm of the university. In this episode of BioTalk, Christy and Rich discuss Tech Transfer, Innovation, Investment, Partnerships, Collaborations, and other important areas that she and JHU work on every day.

Listen now on iTunes , Google Play , and TuneIn.

24 most active nonprofit, public or university investment funds identified – TEDCO Recognized – SSTI

In reviewing data regarding the hundreds of TBED-related investment funds, SSTI found that 24 of them have invested in at least one dozen startups each over the past year. The funds are characterized as economic development, university-centric, regionally focused, or impact oriented investment funds, incubators and accelerator programs located in the U.S. or Canada. Data the various funds provide to Pitchbook is the source of the list below, ranked in order by activity level. Each organization may have used their public or university funding to support operations, due diligence or mentoring of portfolio companies and/or to support direct invest into startups. University-centered activities in the list are denoted by an asterisk at the end of the entry. Two of the most active 24 funds are nonprofit, impact accelerators supported in part by foundations and corporation philanthropy.

CASI Pharmaceuticals’ Evomela Moves Closer to China FDA Approval with Receipt of Advisory Meeting Notice from China Center for Drug Evaluation

CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASI), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing high quality, cost-effective pharmaceutical products and innovative oncology therapeutics to patients, announces receipt of a letter from the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) (group within the China FDA in charge of technical review) indicating that EVOMELA® (melphalan) for injection has been scheduled for review by the Expert Advisory Anti-Tumor (Oncology) Drugs Committee (the “Advisory Committee”), which is scheduled to take place between April 25-26, 2018 (the “Advisory Committee Meeting”).

2018 BioHealth Capital Region Forum: Only 1 Week Left to Register

April 23-24 | 1 MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg MD 20878

This invitation-only event is free for executive level biotech leaders and is presented by BioHealth Innovation, VirginiaBio, Inova, Children’s National Health System, QIAGEN, Maryland Tech Council, University System of Maryland and MedImmune/AstraZeneca. Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC set the bar high for biotech innovation. So please join us for our Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum that will highlight the accomplishments of today and chart our successes of tomorrow.

We are excited to bring you an exceptional line up of speakers. The program will feature sessions that focus on the Advancing Science and Accelerating Innovation.

How a local scientist became an accidental entrepreneur – FederalNewsRadio.com

Contrary to popular belief, the D.C. region can be a dynamic place to start a life science business. Many things that we are now taking for granted from the standpoint of healthcare and life extension, are happening, and were developed, here in our region. One example of that is our next guest, David Cetlin, founder of MockV Solutions, a startup that’s growing through revenue in the area.

WellDoc Announces Providence Health & Services’ Implementation of BlueStar® Digital Therapeutic in a Pilot Program for Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

Today, WellDoc® announced a pilot program in the Providence Health & Services Oregon/SW Washington Region to examine the use of WellDoc’s BlueStar®, an FDA-cleared, proven digital therapeutic for individuals with type 2 diabetes. The Providence Health & Services pilot program will include individuals living with type 2 diabetes and will evaluate the impact of a digital therapeutic—when used in conjunction with the support of a dedicated Diabetes Educator—on user engagement, retention, satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

Gliknik Announces Issuance of U.S. Patent for Use of Recombinant IVIG Mimetics

Gliknik Inc. today announced that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) has issued U.S. Patent 9,926,362, which claims methods of using compounds that have utility as recombinant mimetics of pooled human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). The patent, which issued jointly to Gliknik Inc. and to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), encompasses the uses of trimers, tetramers, pentamers, hexamers, and many other structures containing two or more human IgG1 Fc domains and binding multiple low affinity Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs).

Compugen signs cancer drug licensing deal worth up to $200m

MedImmune, the R&D arm of AstraZeneca, will make an immediate payment of $10 million to the Israeli cancer immunotherapy company. Israeli cancer immunotherapy company Compugen Ltd. (Nasdaq: CGEN; TASE: CGEN) today announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with MedImmune, the biologics R&D arm of AstraZeneca. The agreement will facilitate the development of bi-specific and multi-specific immuno-oncology antibody products.

Apply now for Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards. Deadline: April 18th

The 2018 Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards publicly recognizes achievements by current clients and graduates of Maryland incubators and provides a forum for the nominees to increase their visibility in the business, technology and investment communities.

Business incubators support new and early-stage businesses in Maryland. In 1986, the first public incubator was established at the University of Maryland in College Park. Recognizing the economic challenges facing new companies, business incubators are facilities that provide reasonable market rents, shared services and technical assistance to start-ups and early-stage companies, including manufacturing, biotech, service and technology firms.

Immunomedics Appoints Dr. Robert Iannone Head of Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer

Immunomedics, Inc., (NASDAQ:IMMU) (“Immunomedics” or the “Company”), a leader in the field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), today announced the appointment of Robert Iannone, M.D., M.S.C.E., as Head of Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer, effective today. In his new role, Dr. Iannone will oversee and lead all clinical development, regulatory, pre-clinical, translational research and medical affairs strategies and activities of the Company. Dr. Iannone brings more than thirteen years of experience in clinical drug development, including the approval of several targeted and immuno-oncology medicines at AstraZeneca/MedImmune and Merck & Co.

MIPS Funding Available: Apply by May 1, 2018

Accelerate tech product development with MIPS funding.

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program provides funding for university research projects that help companies develop new technology products.

Division of Industrial Innovation & Partnerships – Division Director Employment Opportunity – National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Engineering (ENG) announces a nationwide search to fill the position of Division Director (DD), Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP). The position provides an unparalleled opportunity to lead the Division to support research, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the forefront of advancing knowledge and stimulating translation of new knowledge into solutions that benefit society; to share in the management responsibility of the Directorate for Engineering to advance NSF’s overall strategic goals “to expand knowledge in science, engineering, and learning, to advance the capability of the nation to meet current and future challenges, and to enhance NSF’s performance of its mission.”

FounderTrac closes out with demo day in Annapolis – Technical.ly Baltimore

At the Loews Annapolis Hotel on Tuesday night, ten founders took the stage.

They were gathered before a full audience of tech community members to pitch and close out FounderTrac, the Annapolis-based program which ran over 12 weeks to start the year. Throughout, the founders went through a curriculum to help build their business and were guided by “Executive Sherpas,” who offered mentorship.

Win Funding for Your Innovative Research – Enter Today! – SoBran, Inc.

Deadline to apply is April 17, 2018

The Maryland Tech Council and SoBran are celebrating the transformational science coming out of Maryland and surrounding area by establishing the Innovation for Impact Prize. This is an added annual award at the Industry Awards Celebration. Tell us how your innovative research will impact the world one day and describe your research!

It is our pleasure to host the Summer RISE program again this year. We had some amazing students last year and we look forward to the next group of rising stars.” – Darlene Douglas, Summer RISE 2017 Host“

GE Sheds Health IT Assets for $1B, Doubles Down on A.I. and Devices – Xconomy

General Electric is selling a chunk of its healthcare IT business to New York private equity firm Veritas Capital for $1.05 billion in cash, as GE (NYSE: GE) chief executive John Flannery aims to streamline the Boston-based industrial behemoth and reverse a steep decline in its stock price.

Former USM Chancellor Brit Kirwan said to be competitive, Marylanders need to care about quality of schools in every county – Baltimore Business Journal

The Kirwan Commission hopes investing in initiatives like full-day preschool and intensified teacher preparation training will help Maryland schools become competitive on an international level.

Abell Foundation, University System of Maryland lead $1.45 million round for aerospace startup – Baltimore Business Journal

An aerospace company born out of the University of Maryland, College Park has raised $1.45 million in a round led by the University System of Maryland and the Abell Foundation.

Aisling Capital’s Steve Elms on rise of massive early funding rounds – Business Insider

Funding has been flowing into biotech over the past few years.

Over one week earlier this year, biotech and healthcare startups raised almost $1 billion in capital. And on Tuesday, a cancer-drug startup called Allogene raised $300 million in its series A round.