BioHealth Innovation Weekly for March 26, 2024

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March 26, 2024

Building Baltimore's Future: Kory Bailey and the UpSurge Vision on BioTalk

Join us in this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis as we delve into the Baltimore ecosystem with Kory Bailey, Chief Ecosystem Officer (CEO) of UpSurge Baltimore, a trailblazing organization dedicated to fostering equitable economic growth and innovation.

Kory Bailey brings over a decade of leadership experience from both early-stage startups and big tech. He has emerged as a thought leader on equitable economic growth and a champion for Baltimore's tech ecosystem. As the CEO of UpSurge Baltimore, Kory is spearheading the vision for Baltimore to become the first Equitech hub globally, pioneering a new model for American innovation.

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In this discussion, Kory unveils UpSurge Baltimore's mission: to cultivate a thriving tech ecosystem for innovators, founders, and talent by fostering culture and connectivity and mobilizing regional and national assets around Baltimore startups.

From exploring what drew him to Baltimore to discussing the evolution and unique aspects of UpSurge, Kory shares insights into the philanthropic landscape in Baltimore and initiatives like the Equitech Accelerator, Techstars, KHU, and CareFirst. He also delves into the primary challenges facing Baltimore and UpSurge's short-term goals focused on accountability, awareness, investment, and early-stage support.

TEDCO Invests in Innate Technologies, Inc.

COLUMBIA, Md. (March 20, 2024) – TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $500,000 Maryland Equity Investment Fund (MEIF) investment in Innate Technologies, Inc. The MEIF – which is housed under TEDCO’s Venture Funds – was created to increase private equity and venture capital in Maryland, generate financial returns, and foster economic growth.

“Our goal at Innate Technologies is to provide a solution that will fill the current void in digital manufacturing practices – data integration,” said Shawn Springs, founder and CEO of Innate Technologies, Inc. “Thanks to TEDCO’s investment we can continue our mission to revolutionize manufacturing through data collaboration.”

Innate Technologies, Inc., headquartered in North Bethesda, Md., has a mission to deliver innovative software solutions for the digital manufacturing sector. Combining cutting-edge technology with industry expertise, they look to empower businesses by bridging the gap between sales and production teams, fostering smarter manufacturing practices.

AMPEL BioSolutions' Lupus Test Launches to Predict Flares & Drug Targets

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – March 26, 2024 – AMPEL BioSolutions announces a breakthrough in personalized precision medicine that will revolutionize the way doctors manage the autoimmune disease Lupus. Revealed in the peer-reviewed journal Genome Medicine and being made available to patients through a US follow-on study, the LuGENE^® blood test forecasts patient flares and drug targets from gene expression utilizing predictive AI.

The LuGENE^® lab test is now launching at several Lupus practices around the country including those in medical centers, concierge practices and healthcare systems as a practical decision support biomarker test that could greatly impact day-to-day healthcare for patients with Lupus. The blood test predicts flares before they happen and provides specific information about a patient's disease abnormalities leading to symptoms, allowing physicians to make evidence-based decisions regarding therapy including whether a patient is stable on their current therapeutic regimen. There are a million and a half lupus patients in the US that could benefit from LuGENE^®by preventing unexpected flares and shortening the time to disease-controlling therapy.

Built in Baltimore: CoapTech, Inc. Announces Market Launch of its Second Generation Magnetic Balloon Catheter for the PUMA-G System

BALTIMORE, MD, March 19, 2024 –, CoapTech, Inc., a medical device company delivering transformative solutions for minimally-invasive surgery, announced today the market launch and historic first bedside use case of its second generation magnetic balloon catheter. The magnetic balloon catheter is a key component of the PUMA-G System™ which enables ultrasound placement of gastrostomy tubes (i.e. permanent feeding tubes), necessary to nourish patients to recovery. The PUMA-G System is manufactured in Baltimore in collaboration with The LaunchPort™.

This first bedside use case was completed in the critical care unit (better known as ICU) at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) and was performed by Darwin Ashbaker, MD, and Stephen Griffin, PA, on February 27, 2024.

WBJ: Germantown Precigen Inc. biotech expands manufacturing capacity, headcount ahead of potential product launch

Germantown’s Precigen Inc., a clinical-stage biotech developing gene and cell therapies for cancers and other diseases, is taking steps to get an experimental treatment to regulators for review this year — which could pave the path for a market launch in 2025.

The 26-year-old Precigen (NASDAQ: PGEN) has been advancing an immunotherapy to treat a rare disease most common in kids called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, or RRP. It’s on track to wrap up a phase 2 clinical trial in the second quarter that, if successful, could set it up for the Food and Drug Administration’s signoff to get it to patients next year.

Biofactura, Inc. Expands presence at Riverside Tech Park in Frederick, Maryland to 17,520 Square Feet

Biotechnology company consolidates operations in business community and expects to employ over 50 engineers, scientists, quality-control professionals, and related positions

FREDERICK, Md., March 20, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- BioFactura, Inc. has signed a lease with St. John Properties, Inc. for 12,000 square feet of space at Riverside Tech Park, a 70-acre business community located in Frederick, Maryland. The biotechnology firm has occupied 5,520 square feet of space at 8435 Progress Drive in Riverside Technology Park since 2015 and this new requirement expands the company's presence to 17,520 square feet of space within the building. Danny Foit, Leasing Representative for St. John Properties represented the landlord.

CEL-SCI’s LEAPS Vaccine Offers Promising New Paradigm to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis: Published in Frontiers in Immunology

CEL-4000 may deliver safe and effective therapy for RA by rebalancing the inflammatory response, without weakening important immune defense mechanisms, risking infections or cancer, as current treatments may.

VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE American: CVM) today announced the peer reviewed scientific journal Frontiers in Immunology published an article regarding CEL-SCI’s Ligand Epitope Antigen Presentation System (LEAPS) technology in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) titled: “Current status of immunological therapies for rheumatoid arthritis with a focus on antigen-specific therapeutic vaccines”. CEL-SCI’s LEAPS team, along with outside collaborators from U.S. and Europe, reviewed published/presented results from pre-clinical animal model of antigen-specific LEAPS therapeutic vaccines, such as CEL-4000 and CEL-5000, made specific for the treatment of RA, and compared these findings with published results of other RA-therapies that either suppress or alter the immune response in order to treat RA.
In the article, the authors note that the currently available therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of RA consists mainly of immunosuppressive or ablative drugs, which may carry the potential risk of facilitating recurrent or primary infectious diseases or cancer.

Clasp Therapeutics Launches With $150 Million to Pioneer Precision Immuno-Oncology Using Next-Generation T Cell Engagers With Unparalleled Specificity

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clasp Therapeutics, a biotechnology company bringing unparalleled precision to immuno-oncology using next-generation T cell engagers (TCEs), launched today with $150 million in financing.

The round was led by Catalio Capital Management, Third Rock Ventures and Novo Holdings, with participation from Vivo Capital, Cure Ventures, Blackbird BioVentures, Pictet Alternative Advisors, American Cancer Society’s Bright Edge and Alexandria Venture Investments. Clasp is developing modular TCEs tailored to each patient’s immune system that are directed to common oncogenic driver mutations, resulting in off-the-shelf, antibody-like medicines that can specifically target a wide variety of hard-to-treat tumor types.