News Archive

Coming off the record-breaking venture financing numbers of 2018, the first quarter of 2019 displayed some cooling off, in terms of pre-money valuations across all rounds and amounts raised in Series C and later rounds, although the market remained strong by historical standards. Q1 2019 had slightly fewer up rounds for Series B and later financings than did the last two quarters of 2018. Median pre-money valuations declined moderately across all equity rounds in Q1 2019. Median amounts raised remained strong for Seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, with those medians matching or exceeding those of Q4 2018. But the median amount raised in Series C and later rounds declined significantly, falling from the historic high of $31.1 million reached in Q4 2018 to $15.3 million in Q1 2019.

Maryland Commerce is leading a delegation of 20 biohealth and life sciences companies, educational institutions, federal agencies, and city and county economic development offices to the 2019 BIO International Convention in Philadelphia next month. 

Scott Gottlieb, who resigned as head of the FDA in March, has rejoined NEA as a special partner focused on healthcare investments. Gottlieb was a venture partner with the firm for 10 years before leading the FDA. Founded in 1977, the Maryland-based firm’s portfolio includes Opendoor and Desktop Metal.

With expansion, Protenus recently moved to new offices in Fells Point.

The healthcare analytics company moved into a 12,000-square-foot office space that’s roughly triple the size of its previous location, according to People Operations Associate Samantha Barber, who gave us a recent tour.

Regenxbio will construct a GMP facility in Maryland to produce adeno-associated viral vectors for its gene therapy programs using its NAV technology-based platform.

The good manufacturing practice (GMP) plant will be integrated into Regenxbio’s 132,000 square-foot headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, currently under construction. Financial details have not been disclosed but the manufacturing plant is expected to be operational in 2021.

Navitas Life Sciences, a TAKE Solutions Enterprise today announced the acquisition of US based niche full service CRO and health research company, KAI Research Inc.

KAI Research brings on board top of class offerings in 3 key areas – Clinical Trial Management, Clinical Research Consultation, and Data Management & Standardization. Through this acquisition, Navitas Life Sciences expands Phase II and Phase III capabilities in North America adding to its current capabilities in Europe and APAC. KAI strengthens Navitas’ therapeutic expertise in mental health, musculoskeletal diseases, neurological disorders, pain, diabetes, infectious diseases and oncology for Pharma and medical devices. The company has differentiated offerings in the areas of patient registries and e-clinical solutions as well as long-standing relationships with clinical sites and trusted network of service providers across the United States and Africa.

QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced that QuantiFERON ® -TB Access, a new solution under development for diagnosis of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection in low-resource regions with a high disease burden of tuberculosis, will be recognized by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) at the organization’s Health Innovation Exchange from May 21-23 in Geneva, Switzerland. The event will be held during the World Health Assembly and brings together ministers of health, nonprofits and industry to spotlight innovations with potential to change the world’s health landscape and benefit sustainable development.

NAVAN, Inc. (NAVAN), a privately-held biotechnology company enabling the development of next generation cell and gene therapies through its novel, non-viral NanoStraw platform, announced today the appointment Heidi Hagen, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer for Vineti, Inc., and Howard Grimes, Ph.D., Associate Vice President and Associate Vice Provost for Institutional Initiatives at The University of Texas at San Antonio, to its Strategic Advisory Board.

Most Congressional hearings are morality plays designed to reach a predetermined outcome. It wasn’t hard to predict how the second hearing on drug pricing by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform was supposed to go. If the title, “HIV Prevention Drug: Billions in Corporate Profits after Millions in Taxpayer Investments” wasn’t enough of a clue,  when Chairman  Elijah Cummings (D-MD) said it was because of the “phenomenal leadership” of freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)  that the hearing was being held, any doubts evaporated. In an extraordinary gesture of deference for a new Member of Congress, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was recognized for an opening statement before senior members of the committee.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) arises from molecular events that scientists are piecing together to discern an overall story, parts of which are well known, others less so. Some of the lesser-known epigenetic events in the Alzheimer’s story have just been filled in by scientists based at the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI). What’s more, these epigenetic events, which occur early in Alzheimer’s, appear to fit well with what we know about the disease’s progression to its most devastating biological features.