News Archive

Innovating medical technologies in emerging markets Medical device company with the potential to save up to 2.6M newborn lives a year

In developing countries, many hospitals are overcrowded, understaffed, and lack standard medical equipment, leading to preventable newborn deaths. Neopenda is a for-profit public benefit corporation that is developing technologies to prevent these deaths, including a wearable that captures newborn vital signs so nurses in resource-constrained hospitals can attend to babies in distress.

UM Ventures – College Park, part of the University of Maryland Division of Research, is pleased to announce the addition of new talent to its innovation and commercialization efforts: Ken Porter, director of the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) and Stan Smith, venture investment manager. These new hires build on UM Ventures’ strategic goal of unleashing innovation.

The Collegiate Inventors Competition®, an annual competition that rewards innovations, discoveries and research by college and university students and their faculty advisors, announced today its 2018 Finalists.

Baltimore-based Cerecor announced the acquisition of Ichorion Therapeutics, a New York–based biopharmaceutical company.

The deal includes an all-stock transaction worth up to $26.6 million, with potential for an additional $15 million in milestones, which could be paid in cash or stock.

Montgomery County has awarded a total of $425,000 in matching grants to 12 small companies who applied for the County’s new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Matching Grant Program.

In order to qualify, eligible companies must have been awarded a SBIR or STTR Phase 1 or Phase II grant during the current calendar year by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and 51 percent of research and development operations must be conducted in Montgomery County.

A total of $150K was awarded to six pediatric cardiovascular innovations during the medical device pitch competition at the 6th Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium hosted by Children’s National Health System.  Award winners with Children’s National Vice President Kolaleh Eskandanian (far left) and CEO Kurt Newman, MD, (far right) include:  Ken Nelson, Bardy Diagnostics; Henri Justino, MD, PolyVascular Corp.; Corin Williams, Draper; Doug Vincent, VentriFlo; Joshua Woolley, NuPulseCV; and Kurt Newman, MD, Children’s National Health System. Peca Labs, not pictured, was also an award recipient. Photo credit: Paul Loftland Photograph

Six companies presenting innovative medical devices that address significant unmet needs in pediatric healthcare were awarded a total of $150,000 in grants yesterday in Philadelphia, Penn.at the Sixth Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposiumorganized by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Health System.

The “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” competition this year focused on pediatric cardiovascular devices, an area where new devices can make a life-changing difference, especially for younger children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 40,000 children are born annually in the U.S. with a congenital heart defect (CHD) and approximately 1 million U.S. children currently live with a CHD.

The pitch competition was originally slated to award $100,000 in grants; however, because of the judges’ response to the quality and potential of the technologies presented, Children’s National expanded the award grants to $150,000 to include six awardees.

Join us for the 5th Annual BioBowl! You and your company team will be competing against other biotech firms to win the coveted BioBowl Trophy! But first you have to RSVP to claim your spot in the competition.

The Association of University Research Parks (AURP) and the University of Maryland have teamed up to present the AURP 2018 International Conference from October 22nd to October 26th. The International Conference attracts 200+ park leaders from around the world for knowledge exchange and networking with industry expert presenters.

AURP is a not-for-profit international organization that focuses on creating communities of innovation and education for university research parks both operating and planned, innovation districts, incubators, accelerators and businesses that cater to the research park industry.

BioHealth Capital Region moves up one spot to number four, closing in on our goal to be a Top 3 by 2023.

What makes a top-tier biopharma cluster? The standard answers involve a critical mass of resources including the brightest scientific and business minds capable of attracting public and private funding; powerhouse universities and healthcare systems, with endowments reaching into the billions; research institutes, often named for billionaire benefactors; and drug and tools & technology developers that can translate investment into net income.

From “doing digital” to “being digital,” that’s where the life sciences and health care industry needs to go. To help your business navigate digital disruption, this series provides a life sciences and health care perspective on Deloitte’s 2018 Tech Trends report. From blockchain to digital reality to the no-collar workforce, explore eight trends that are shaping strategic and operational transformations and redefining life sciences and health care.