News Archive

A cancer immunotherapy drug under development at Gaithersburg-based MedImmune Inc. received “breakthrough” status from the Food and Drug Administration for its use in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. MedImmune, the research and development arm for AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN), has multiple clinical trials in its pipeline for the drug candidate durvalumab, or MEDI4736, to treat non-small cell lung cancer, as well as head and neck, bladder, gastric, pancreatic, liver and blood cancers. The drug candidate inhibits what’s known as a programmed death-ligand, or PD-L1 protein, which cancer uses to suppress the immune system.

A renewed push by state lawmakers to combine the flagship University of Maryland, College Park with the health- and law-focused University of Maryland, Baltimore could give the state a dual-campus powerhouse that would leverage the strengths of both institutions to launch new programs, discoveries, and businesses, supporters say.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Bill Ferguson and Del. Curt Anderson and backed by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller would move the 80-employee headquarters of the state university system from Adelphi to Baltimore and establish a ventures office to help faculty and students market their inventions commercially.

Recent research suggests that the site of vaccine administration significantly influences the tissue specificity and durability of the resulting immune response. Conventional vaccines delivered by intramuscular injection may therefore be unsuitable for the prevention of diseases with tissue tropisms distinct from the site of administration. Notably, for mucosally-transmitted pathogens such as herpes simplex virus (HSV), the current inability to generate a sustain immune response at the primary site of infection, the genital mucosa, has hindered the development effective preventative vaccines.

WorkSource Montgomery, Inc., the workforce development resource for Montgomery County businesses and jobseekers, is proud to announce Dr. Ellie Giles as its new Chief Executive Officer. She will begin her new role March 21.

Giles will lead the non-profit WorkSource Montgomery, Inc. in collaboration with its board and work with the recently seated Workforce Development Board to promote job training and placement for the County’s workforce and meet the needs of County employers. Together, the two boards will direct a robust system of talent development aligned to the future and current economic development priorities for the County.

The Abell Foundation made its second investment in a year in Vasoptic Medical.

Just like last summer, the nonprofit invested $250,000 in the medical device startup.

“Expanding our investment in Vasoptic Medical Inc. is a win-win for Baltimore,” said a joint statement released by the Abell Foundation board. “Vasoptic is growing Baltimore’s innovative tech industry and is poised to improve access to affordable healthcare for low-income populations.”

Biotech company in Princeton plans clinical tests of birth-control patch thanks to state-administered incentive program

If Princeton-based biotechnology firm Agile Therapeutics can eventually get federal approval to bring its promising new female contraceptive patch to market, credit will go to more than just the company’s employees and investors

After raising a seed round, building a team of 14 people in its Canton office and conducting a pair of pilots, Protenus is ready to build a real sales team in 2016.

“Ultimately, we know that selling is hugely time-consuming, it’s hugely specialized, and it’s something that we really wanted to invest in, along with our marketing side,” said cofounder Robert Lord, who’s been handling sales with his fellow cofounders.

Biohealth is all over the map in Maryland. There’s the biotech corridor in Montgomery County, where companies like MedImmune LLC and Emergent BioSolutions Inc. call home. The students and academic researchers at Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland are up in Baltimore. Then there are the government agencies and their many, many contractors spread throughout the Baltimore-Washington region.

The TCM Industry Awards Celebration will take place on May 11, 2016 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. This is our 28th year recognizing the high achievers in the regional technology, life science and government contracting industries.

On May 11, the Tech Council will come together with the technology, life science and government contracting communities to celebrate the achievements of the companies and individuals that propelled innovation and made 2015 such a memorable year for our region. Your attendance supports the finalists and the mission of the Tech Council.

Applications for the Maryland Technology Development Corporation’s (TEDCO) Life Science Investment Fund are being accepted now through April 15.

The Life Science Investment Fund (LSIF) was previously managed by the former Department of Business and Economic Development under the name Biotechnology Commercialization Award. It was one of the programs that was transferred to TEDCO on October 1, 2015 along with Maryland Venture Fund, following the enactment of legislation passed during the 2015 General Assembly. This legislation was initiated by the Augustine Commission in an attempt to consolidate the State’s efforts to provide seed/early-stage business investment.