News Archive

Multiple drugs to combat bioterrorism threats and other life-threatening bacterial infections will be developed under a public-private partnership agreement between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company.

The partnership agreement with AstraZeneca uses Other Transaction Authority granted to the Secretary of HHS under the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006. The agreement becomes the second such strategic alliance ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has forged with a private company to develop a portfolio of drug candidates with dual uses in treating illnesses caused by bioterrorism agents and antibiotic-resistant infections.

Inovalon INOV, +4.11% a leading technology company providing advanced, cloud-based data analytics and data-driven intervention platforms to the healthcare industry, today announced it will partner with The Center for Health Information and Decision Systems (CHIDS) at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business Collaborative on research efforts that will focus on how digital solutions can be more effectively deployed to address outcomes such as patient safety, healthcare quality, efficiency in healthcare delivery and a reduction in health disparities.

Driving BioMedical Innovation and Advancing Regulatory Science through Public-Private Partnerships with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Featuring Remarks from U.S. FDA Acting Commissioner Stephen Ostroff, M.D. and other distinguished speakers and panelists

October 26 – 27, 2015
United Therapeutics Headquarters
1110 Spring Street
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

The Johns Hopkins University’s new personal protective suit for frontline health care workers in Ebola outbreaks was honored Monday as one of 10 finalists in the Social Good category of Fast Company’s 2015 Innovation by Design Awards.

The suit, intended for use in future Ebola outbreaks like the 2014 epidemic that killed thousands in West Africa, has elements to keep the wearer more comfortable than existing suits, reduce the risk of coming in contact with the virus and protect against other infectious diseases.

Plans to expand MedImmune’s Frederick manufacturing plant will move forward with financial support from Frederick County after the County Council approved an agreement with tax credits and other economic incentives for the biotechnology firm Tuesday night.

In a 6-1 vote, the Frederick County Council approved the county’s $3.8 million contribution to a $6.8 million conditional loan for MedImmune’s expansion and an agreement guaranteeing the AstraZeneca-owned firm certain tax credits and access to specific county resources over the next decade.

On Tuesday, Rare Genomics Institute (RG), announced that it is launching ten separate crowdfunding campaigns to help patients with rare diseases pinpoint the causes of their illnesses. All amounts raised will go towards exome sequencing, which is a method of partial genome sequencing to find the genetic causes of diseases.

This effort is part of Amplify Hope, initiated by RG to determine the most effective crowdfunding programs and measure their effect on scientific education. Amplify Hope is a new RG study funded by the John Templeton Foundation that provides crowdfunding training to rare disease families and tracks the overall reach and scientific impact to help rare disease patients.

Google Capital has invested $32.5 million in Oscar, a health insurance startup, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The new funding values Oscar, which had in April raised $145 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, at $1.75 billion.

Are you an entrepreneur with or know someone who is? Apply today for the opportunity to make your pitch!

Application deadline September 21.

Apply for a chance to record your 3-minute investor pitch in a mobile video studio on the Startup Maryland bus Montgomery County on September 30.

At each event, 20 entrepreneurs will pitch their companies and network with the business community. Pitches are seen online by VC, angel investors and voted on by fans around Maryland! Fan favorite finalists will present at the TEDCO Entrepreneur Expo on November 17.

The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), the premier global advocate for product development and management professionals, announced today that it has awarded the 2015 Outstanding Corporate Innovator (OCI) Award to BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) BDX, +0.68%

BD’s focus on innovation has provided a framework to integrate the business, make acquisitions and coordinate actions vertically, from the top through operating levels of the company.

Join more than 400 of the region’s business and government leaders for the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore’s Annual Meeting, November 4, 2015 at the Hilton Baltimore.

While Maryland is known for its history and culture, food and beautiful landscape, this year’s annual meeting will celebrate one of the region’s greatest assets – the people – as they tell their stories.  The program will recognize the region’s growing companies and those who make our community a world-class market in which to live, work, learn and invest.