News Archive

May 16, 2022 (Columbia, Md.)—The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission announced it will grant $7,067,409 in award funding to innovative research that will strengthen and advance stem cell treatments and technologies in Maryland. Awardees submitted proposals to the Commission in response to its Request for Applications (RFAs) for its second round of funding cycle in 2022.

Recipients include 24 scientists accelerating research at Johns Hopkins University, Britecyte, Inc., RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., RoosterBio, Inc., and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

What is a pre-IND? Why have a pre-IND? What goes into preparing for a pre-IND? And, what documents are required? All of these questions and more will be answered in this webinar presented by Dr. Carmella Moody, a regulatory affairs specialist at RTI International. Dr. Carmella Moody brings her expertise in regulatory affairs and the development of small molecules to the Catalyze program, where she serves as a technical project lead. In this 1-hour webinar, Dr. Moody will explain the process of preparing and approaching an effective pre-IND meeting, but also what to expect from FDA feedback and how to incorporate it into your project to ultimately save time and money.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Chimerix, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMRX), to acquire Chimerix’s exclusive worldwide rights to TEMBEXA® (brincidofovir), the first antiviral approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for all age groups for the treatment of smallpox. TEMBEXA was approved in June 2021 and is indicated for the treatment of human smallpox disease in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates.

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Emmes, a global, full-service clinical research organization (CRO) dedicated to supporting the advancement of public health and biopharmaceutical innovation, today announced that it is providing data, statistical analysis, and project management support for new research that will test the Moderna mRNA vaccine at more than 50 sites in South and East Africa.

The clinical trial, which will include about 15,600 participants, seeks to better understand infection and disease in immunocompromised populations in order to prevent severe COVID-19 and chronic SARS-CoV-2 infections and minimize the risk of transmission.  The study will also address the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine’s resistance to the variants that have been detected in South Africa and surrounding countries.

No question about it—2021 was a banner year for initial public offerings.

Nasdaq data indicates 1,033 IPOs last year, more than double 2020’s 471.  As we move further into 2022, the market has slowed considerably. In the first quarter, only 95 companies filed initial public offerings as opposed to 419 in the first quarter of 2021.

Image: https://www.crainsnewyork.com/

MIMETAS, a global leader in Organ-on-a-Chip models and technology and headquartered in the Netherlands (Europe), announces  that it has expanded its license to the HUB Organoid Technology to include all organs. The license covers organoid technology developed by Professor Hans Clevers, a pioneer in adult stem cells.

IndyGeneUS plans to use the grant funding from Johnson & Johnson Innovation to Scale Blockchain-secured Genomic Data Marketplace and Proprietary GenēUS™ Discovery Platform

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, IndyGeneUS AI was named an awardee of the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Veterans Lead QuickFire Challenge: Innovations by Vets.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation, together with Bunker Labs, a national nonprofit organization that aims to equip the military-connected community with the network, tools, and opportunities needed to launch and grow successful businesses, invited U.S. Veteran innovators and military spouses/legal partners to submit potentially ground-breaking ideas in all aspects of human healthcare.

The black-owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOSB), IndyGeneUS AI, pitched their cutting-edge blockchain-encrypted and machine learning-powered bioinformatics “GenēUS™ Discovery Platform” to a panel of judges, which included both Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Bunker Labs executives.

By: Brian Darmody, Chief Strategy Officer, AURP: Building Communities of Innovation

May 10, 2022

Sometime this September, the US Economic and Development Agency (EDA) will announce its Phase 2 awardees for the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge award winners.

Thirty or so lucky jurisdictions from across the U.S will receive between $25M -$100 M in EDA funding, although actual funding levels will be smaller to support projects on a regional basis for an industry cluster. These programs will develop or scale regional economies and devote funding to workforce training and support equitable development, including science parks and accelerators.

Thirty other finalists though will not be winners though as EDA only has funds to support thirty awards, much less the hundreds of jurisdictions from across the U.S. that applied for the program. (Five hundred and twenty-nine applicants were received by the EDA.)

HILDEN, Germany & GERMANTOWN, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) announced today that it has signed agreements to acquire a 96% majority ownership stake in BLIRT SA (Polish Stock Exchange: BLR), a manufacturer of recombinant enzymes for the life science industry based in Gdansk, Poland.

BLIRT develops, manufactures and commercializes standardized and customized solutions for proteins and enzymes as well as molecular biology reagents. Its offering includes proteins and enzymes that are critical to the life sciences industry and diagnostic kit manufacturers, especially for non-COVID-19 applications. BLIRT, founded in 1994 in Gdansk, Poland, has approximately 90 employees and generated 2021 sales of less than $10 million.