News Archive

Washington, Jan. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced 38 companies, seven organizations and 14 individuals as the winners of the prestigious Tibbetts Award for their accomplishments in creating cutting-edge technologies. The Tibbetts Awards, named after Roland Tibbetts, the founder of the SBIR Program, honors these awardees for the exceptional successes they achieved through SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first over-the-counter (OTC) fully at-home diagnostic test for COVID-19. The Ellume COVID-19 Home Test is a rapid, lateral flow antigen test, a type of test that runs a liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules. The test detects fragments of proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from a nasal swab sample from any individual 2 years of age or older. 

“Today’s authorization is a major milestone in diagnostic testing for COVID-19. By authorizing a test for over- the-counter use, the FDA allows it to be sold in places like drug stores, where a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. “As we continue to authorize additional tests for home use, we are helping expand Americans’ access to testing, reducing the burden on laboratories and test supplies, and giving Americans more testing options from the comfort and safety of their own homes.” 

Venture capitalists invested $1.159 billion into Maryland companies, according to data from the MoneyTree Report by PwC/CB Insights. It marks the third-highest VC dollar total in a year since 2000, and the highest since 2001.

The funding was invested over 79 deals that included a pair of megadeals over $100 million, which typically drive yearly totals up.

“Maryland not only had a good year in 2020 but the upward trend in funding over the last 20 years in Maryland is quite encouraging as well,” said Brad Phillips, a director in PwC’s emerging company services practice.

Image: (Photo by Flickr user Austin Kirk, used under a Creative Commons license)

The Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) at the NIH will host a Virtual Open House on Monday, March 1 for its online Spring 2021 Academic Programs, including the several courses for its “Advanced Studies in Technology Transfer Program”. The Advanced Studies in Technology Transfer is a low-cost, open enrollment program with class credits transferable into various university graduate degree programs. Online registration for these classes is now open:

Online Courses

• TECH 514 | Technology Transfer: Transitions, Processes, and Players (Starts March 22) 
• TECH 540 | Introduction to Life Sciences Licensing (Starts March 22) 
• TECH 566 | Building a Biotech Company: Business Leadership and Management Strategies (Starts March 22) 
• TECH 582 | Intellectual Property and Patent Prosecution for Scientists (Starts March 22) 
• TECH 607 | Capstone Course in Technology Transfer (Starts February 1 and March 22)

GAITHERSBURG, MD – January 18, 2021 – NexImmune today announced the appointment of Dr. Robert (Bob) Knight as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Knight is a seasoned executive with extensive experience leading early- and late-stage immunotherapy product development teams. Prior to joining NexImmune, Dr. Knight led the Yescarta® clinical program at Kite Pharmaceuticals (a Gilead Company) and, prior to that, spent 16 years at Celgene Corporation as a Vice President in Clinical Research. During his tenure at Celgene, he helped lead the development of the company’s IMiD and targeted therapy programs, including thalidomide, lenalidomide, and enasidenib. In addition to his roles at Kite and Celgene, Dr. Knight also led the cancer immunotherapy development program at Sorrento Therapeutics as the company’s Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Research.

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) announced that United Therapeutics will sponsor the PFF Registry.

The Registry is a research resource that tracks clinical data, samples, and patient-reported outcomes from people living with pulmonary fibrosis in the U.S.

According to the PFF, United Therapeutics’ sponsorship of the Registry will aid researchers who are working to develop better treatments for people with pulmonary fibrosis and secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH, when the blood pressure in the lungs is abnormally high).

Maryland’s growing companies raised a record $1.16 billion in VC dollars last year.

FREDERICK, Md – January 12, 2021 – Veralox Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing first-in-class small molecule therapeutics that treat the underlying pathologies of diseases with significant unmet medical needs, today announced it submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of VLX-1005, a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of 12-Lipoxygenase in development for the treatment of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT).