News

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., February 28, 2023 — AMPEL BioSolutions today announced a genomic precision medicine test for chronic kidney diseases, such as Lupus Nephritis, that could save lives by predicting kidney damage before it is irreversible and providing decision support for prophylactic therapies.  Genes that drive the inflammatory pathways characteristic of different stages of kidney damage are revealed in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Immunology.  AMPEL’s breakthrough approach identified markers in kidney biopsy samples that drive pathways that can be targeted by drugs.  The NephroGENE^® lab test, only a concept for the last few years, is now ready for development for practical use as a decision support biomarker test to manage kidney disease.

AMPEL’s innovation is crucial to provide decision support for day-to-day patient care as well as effective drug development.  Currently, physicians rely on microscopic examination of kidney biopsies to assess the severity of disease and there is no current way to predict drug options.  Today’s publication identifies the molecular pathways at every stage of damage leading to end stage renal disease as well as targets of medications to slow down the immune driven damage.  And translation of key genes in animal models used for Lupus Nephritis drug development with human patients is essential to increase the success rate of clinical trials and provide earlier confirmation of the applicability of pre-clinical work to human disease.

I write today to announce that Dr. Tatiana Litvin-Vechnyak, currently Associate Vice President for Innovation Ventures at Rutgers University, will serve as Georgetown University’s new Vice President for Technology Commercialization starting February 1, 2023.

Dr. Litvin-Vechnyak brings significant experience and expertise to this critical role, having led the Rutgers Innovation Ventures team’s management of approximately 1,260 technologies, 2,600 patent assets, 800 licenses and 90 startup companies. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Cornell University Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences and a B.A. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Clark University. She has done Postdoctoral Research at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey where she was a recipient of the Gallo Award for Outstanding Cancer Research. Dr. Litvin-Vechnyak is a Registered Patent Agent; has served on a number of boards over the years, including the Research & Development Council of New Jersey; and was recently elected to the Board of Directors of AUTM -the Association of University Technology Managers.

Catalyze Preclinical Services Program

The Preclinical Services Program expands the support available to innovators with a heart, lung, blood, or sleep to include preclinical development activities from end-stage proof-of-concept through preclinical development and US regulatory submissions. Preclinical services are tailored to the development needs of each product. Applicants can request specific services required to advance their technology to the clinic or regulatory submission. Once a project is selected for support, the level of support and services provided are negotiated between the Principal Investigator and NHLBI.

GAITHERSBURG, MD / ACCESSWIRE / February 23, 2023 / BullFrog AI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFRG; BFRGW) (“Bullfrog AI” or the “Company”), a digital technology company using machine learning to usher in a new era of precision medicine, today announced a co-development arrangement with the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a world-leading institution in genomics research and innovation, for the design and validation of a synthetic HSV-1 (herpes simplex type 1) virus particle targeting colorectal cancer.

Exciting News: #AGT CEO, Jeff Galvin, won “the most prestigious leadership award in the life sciences industry” — The Life Sciences Voice Top Industry Leaders Award! It recognizes the industry’s most creative minds working on important initiatives and delivering extraordinary results. Read more. https://bit.ly/3IMfVyC

NCI SBIR is hosting an informational webinarExit Disclaimer on funding and resources designed to assist cancer technology innovators get their projects to the market. This presentation is appropriate for both established small businesses and researchers interested in translating technologies to patients and/or marketplace.  Program Directors Sarra Djemil and William Bozza will cover topics, including:

On Friday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller came to North Bethesda to meet with local leaders about a new research facility planned for the area.

“In order for this to be Maryland’s decade, it means it also must be Montgomery County’s decade,” Moore said following a meeting with leaders including County Executive Marc Elrich and county councilmembers. “And this is going to be an important component to actually making that happen.”

Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced the approval of over $66 million in state grants for four projects in the Biotechnology, Life Sciences, and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Cluster that will help the BioHealth Capital Region continue to flourish as a top national biohub.

These initiatives are aimed at creating job opportunities, raising wages, and promoting economic growth throughout the Commonwealth. Governor Youngkin hopes that by accelerating the growth of the life sciences industry, Virginia will become a leading state in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, and improve economic opportunities in what are sometimes considered the BioHealth Capital Region’s “pocket hubs”.

Maryland business dedicated to developing telehealth solutions for remotely monitoring patients with eye and brain diseases

COLUMBIA, Md. (February 16, 2023) – TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) investment of $150,000 into JuneBrain Inc., an organization focused on creating new ways for physicians to remotely monitor their patients.