News Archive

First awarded in 2016, the International Biomedical Research Alliance’s Innovation Award recognizes novel solutions in biology or medicine and acknowledges discoveries of unusual importance, application, or magnitude that make use of new or unusual methods, paradigms, or approaches to solve important problems in biology or medicine. This year, the Innovation Award was graciously sponsored by BioHealth Innovation Inc. and presented to Michael Metrick. A graduate of James Madison University, Michael is working toward completion of his PhD in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. The Scholars Program is a novel, dual-mentored, and international collaboration between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, respectively, in the United Kingdom.  The Scholars Program’s elite students conduct their own biomedical research project in an average completion time of 4.2 years.  Michael is in the MD/PhD track and his MD is in progress at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Michael is mentored by Prof. Byron Caughey at the NIH’s National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana and Prof. Michele Vendruscolo at the University of Cambridge.

Image: Michael Metrick

Her entrance comes just as Montgomery County leaders are examining what role USG can play in bringing in more business.

Image: Anne Khademian starts as the executive director of the Universities at Shady Grove in October. THE UNIVERSITIES AT SHADY GROVE

A one day symposium bringing together investigators, researchers, and clinicians from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Children’s National Hospital as well as other interested participants from outside institutions, to discuss the creation, progress, and evolution of this first-of-its-kind collaboration between the NIAID at the National Institutes of Health and Children’s National, a pediatric academic medical center. This year, the event will highlight the current COVID-19 and MIS-C pandemic, with a specific focus on the pediatric population. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of NIAID, will provide an overview on the infectious disease, and leading experts from Children’s National, NIAID, and other institutions will share the novel research and science being done to address this worldwide issue.

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday visited a Gaithersburg laboratory, that’s in the process of developing a possible COVID-19 vaccine.

Novavax Inc., was awarded $1.6 billion through the Federal Government’s Operation Warp Speed to produce large-scale manufacturing, and delivery of 100 million vaccine doses as early as late 2020.

The company is just one of several in Montgomery County and Baltimore, helping to find a vaccine.

Image: Photo by: Gov. Hogan’s Office Gov. Hogan visits Novavax Inc.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a late stage biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced that it has initiated its first Phase 3 study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373, Novavax’ COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The trial is being conducted in the United Kingdom (UK), in partnership with the UK Government’s Vaccines Taskforce, and is expected to enroll and immunize up to 10,000 individuals between 18-84 (inclusive) years of age, with and without relevant comorbidities, over the next four to six weeks.

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020

Earlier this year, the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced a four-year contract worth $354 million for Richmond-based Phlow Corp. to manufacture medication components and drugs in the United States that could treat COVID-19 and other diseases.

If extended to the maximum 10 years, the contract could be worth $812 million. Phlow is a new company, co-founded and formally launched this year by Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering professor and alumnus B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D., and three-time VCU alumnus Eric S. Edwards. Edwards earned his B.S. in biology from the College of Humanities andSciences in 2002, his Ph.D. from the School of Pharmacy in 2011 and his M.D. from the School of Medicine in 2013.

Image: Phlow co-founder Eric Edwards, an alumnus of VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences, School of Pharmacy and School of Medicine, speaks at a School of Pharmacy Graduate Advisory Board meeting in 2019. (Danny Tiet, School of Pharmacy)

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Why We Vaccinate, Inc., a 501(3)(c) educational organization dedicated to provide a credible and trusted source for honest and factual information on vaccines, their efficacy, safety and importance to public health, announced today the appointment of eight new board members. These additions to the organization’s leadership further its efforts to develop educational programs and facts-based messages. Our goals are to put forward information on the science and safety of vaccines, educating the population on the value of all vaccines and immunization programs.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — A broad range of 49 Montgomery County, Maryland companies made the list in this year’s annual Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately-owned companies in the United States. The recognized companies span industries that include software, IT system development, health, biotech, consumer products, advertising & marketing, construction, government services and financial services. 

Among the Montgomery County companies, there is a prevalence in software, healthcare/bio and government services—a natural fit with access to one of the country’s most highly  educated workforces and local proximity to world-class federal research institutions in science, health, medicine and cybersecurity such as NIST, NIH, FDA and NCCOE.    

The George Washington University (GW) Technology Commercialization Office is pleased to host the inaugural DC Startup Showcase.

DC Startup Showcase will present companies developing disruptive healthcare innovations.

Log on to our live YouTube channel to see pitches from entrepreneurs seeking funding to bring the fruits of high-impact research to market.

Then join our Zoom rooms to follow up with specific startups, ask questions of our legal sponsors, and/or mix and mingle with DC’s best entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders.

In an effort to improve communication among children, hard-of-hearing, and Deaf individuals, ClearMask is working to provide accessibility to everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ClearMask teamed up with Montgomery County-based business Xometry, the largest on-demand manufacturing platform, to produce the PPE design for its fully transparent surgical mask. Xometry has one of the largest 3D printing plants in the Mid Atlantic region.

Image: https://open.maryland.gov