The hospital will advocate for the unique needs of children as part of nationwide network working to accelerate transformative health solutions

November 13, 2023 - Children’s National Hospital was selected as a spoke for the Investor Catalyst Hub, a regional hub of ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network launched by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

The Investor Catalyst Hub seeks to accelerate the commercialization of groundbreaking and accessible biomedical solutions. It uses an innovative hub-and-spoke model designed to reach a wide range of nonprofit organizations and Minority-Serving Institutions, with the aim of delivering scalable healthcare outcomes for all Americans.

“The needs of children often differ significantly from those of adults. This partnership reflects our commitment to advancing pediatric healthcare through innovation and making sure we’re addressing those needs effectively," said Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president and chief innovation officer at Children’s National. “Leveraging the strength of this hub-and-spoke model, we anticipate delivering transformative solutions to enhance the health and well-being of the patients and families we serve.”

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, November 13, 2023 – BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a leading organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the BioHealth industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Eric S. Edwards, Co-founder and CEO of Phlow Corporation, to its Board of Directors. In addition, Donna J. Edmonds, CEO of BRAINBox Solutions, Inc., has been appointed as the new Vice Chair of the Board.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Dr. Eric S. Edwards to our Board of Directors and to appoint Donna J. Edmonds as our new Vice Chair,” said Richard Bendis, BHI President and CEO. “Dr. Edwards' remarkable achievements in pharmaceutical innovation and his dedication to improving healthcare delivery are perfectly aligned with our mission at BHI. Similarly, Donna's extensive experience and proven leadership in the healthcare sector will be invaluable as we continue to drive forward our vision. Their appointments signify BHI's continued journey towards fostering a robust and dynamic BioHealth ecosystem in our region.”

Dr. Eric S. Edwards, currently the Co-founder and CEO of Phlow Corporation, brings a wealth of experience and innovation to BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI). With a remarkable career spanning pharmaceuticals and healthcare, Dr. Edwards is at the forefront of securing the supply chain for critical essential medicines in America. His visionary leadership extends beyond Phlow, as he co-founded Kaléo, Inc., a pharmaceutical company dedicated to novel treatments for chronic and acute-care diseases.

The NHLBI is accepting applications for the I-Corps at NIH™ Program, which provides funding, mentoring, and networking opportunities to current Phase I SBIR/STTR awardees and Fast-Track awardees in the first phase of their award to help commercialize your promising biomedical technology. During this 8-week, hands-on program, you’ll learn how to focus your business plan and get the tools to bring your treatment to the patients who need it most.   

Program benefits include:   

• Funding up to $55,000 to cover total program costs  
• Training from biotech sector experts  
• Expanding your professional network 
• Building the confidence and skills to create a comprehensive business model  
• Gaining years of entrepreneurial skills in a matter of week

All applications must be submitted through PAR-22-073 no later than November 15, 2023. Please note that the updated due dates for the FY2024 I-Corps at NIH™ cohorts may be found at NOT-OD-23-188. This cohort begins in March 2024. The sessions will be held virtually except for the in-person kickoff in Houston, TX, and the in-person closeout session in Bethesda, MD.

 For more information, contact Stephanie Davis, Small Business Program Coordinator (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or visit the I-Corps at NIH™ program website.  

US-based biotech company VLP Therapeutics, Inc. (VLPT) and its Tokyo-based group company VLP Therapeutics Japan, Inc. (VLPT Japan) together announced on November 8 the third closing of its financing round, which secured investments from Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, a new investor headquartered in Tokyo, and Mr. Robert G. Hisaoka, an existing investor in the US.

With this funding the VLPT group plans to: 1) bolster its vaccine research and development underway in the US for cancer treatment and infectious disease prevention, such as malaria and dengue; and 2) establish a manufacturing facility, which is expected to begin operation in 2024–2025 and will enable VLPT Japan to produce investigational vaccines in-house in Fukuoka, Japan.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., November 7, 2023 – Emergent (NYSE: EBS) has recently submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for the expansion of the indication for ACAM2000®, Smallpox (Vaccinia) Vaccine, Live to include immunization against mpox virus. The sBLA includes data from a well-controlled animal study in which ACAM2000® vaccine has been shown to be effective in protecting against mpox virus exposure.

“Community transmission of mpox continues to be a public health challenge in the U.S.,” said Paul Williams, SVP and Products Business Head, Emergent BioSolutions. “Our sBLA submission for ACAM2000® reflects Emergent’s commitment to expanding our product capabilities and continuously support the U.S. government as we address emerging infectious diseases and strengthen future preparedness.”

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is a rare disease caused by infection with the mpox virus. Mpox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Mpox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and mpox is rarely fatal.¹ Since the start of last year, there have been more than 31,000 mpox cases in the U.S. and 55 deaths, according to the CDC, with more than 91,000 cases and 166 confirmed deaths globally.

BALTIMORE, MD, November 7, 2023 –Irazú Oncology, LLC, a biotechnology research company working to develop the next generation of cancer vaccines, and University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) are marking the one-year anniversary of their exclusive, worldwide license agreement and continuing partnership for the development of UMB’s novel immunotherapeutic vaccine technology. The Company, founded and led by Marco Chacón, PhD, is a UMB startup pursuing its plans to commercialize UMB’s technology as part of its oncology vaccine platform.

Irazú Oncology’s Membrane Vesicle Platform (MVP) technology utilizes nanosized outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from attenuated bacteria to display and deliver tumor antigens to sites of immune response. The OMV vaccines are designed to stimulate the body’s own immune system to attack and destroy tumor cells. The Company’s lead vaccine candidate, IRZ-CRC-1, is a bivalent colorectal cancer vaccine that has shown excellent efficacy in colorectal cancer preclinical models.

A life sciences accelerator called Blackbird Laboratories has $100 million to spend to turn Baltimore into a biotech hub.A life sciences accelerator called Blackbird Laboratories has $100 million to spend to turn Baltimore into a biotech hub.

Blackbird was founded at the start of this year with the backing of Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti’s family foundation. So far, Blackbird has looked at about 80 to 100 proposals and funded five programs, Blackbird CEO Matt Tremblay told Endpoints News.

Baltimore has had a few notable biotech success stories, such as Thrive Earlier Detection (acquired by Exact Sciences in 2020) and Personal Genome Diagnostics (acquired by Labcrop in 20222), but Tremlay said he hopes to support a "Kendall Square-like phenomena." He's looking to back research ideas that ultimately become biotech startups based in Baltimore. 

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OXFORD, United Kingdom, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barinthus Biotherapeutics plc (NASDAQ: BRNS), formerly Vaccitech plc (NASDAQ: VACC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel T cell immunotherapeutic candidates designed to guide the immune system to overcome chronic infectious diseases, autoimmunity and cancer will present data from its Phase 2 Hepatitis B trials of VTP-300 at The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) – The Liver Meeting® 2023, November 10-14 in Boston, MA.

The company also announced today that it has changed its name to Barinthus Biotherapeutics plc to represent the evolution and expansion of its focus beyond vaccines. The company expects to begin trading under its new name and ticker (Nasdaq: BRNS) effective as of November 7, 2023. As part of the rebranding, the company has also updated its website -- learn more at www.barinthusbio.com.

Are you curious about the world of transformative regenerative medicine and stem cell research? Are you eager to understand how Maryland champions researchers and companies in the field of stem cell and regenerative medicine? Do you want to learn more about the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF)? Listen to the latest episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis as he welcomes MSCRF Executive Director, Ruchika Nijhara, PhD.

In this enlightening episode, Dr. Nijhara, a forward-thinking leader driven by her passion for advancing scientific innovation, delves into the funding mechanisms that Maryland employs to support research and development at all stages and fosters collaboration and innovation.

• Partnership combines QIAGEN’s QIAseq panels, CLC LightSpeed, and QCI Interpret software to support Element’s AVITI System users in genomic analysis
• Collaboration to accelerate discovery, enhance cost efficiencies, and improve turnaround times for genomic applications in the scientific community
• QIAGEN to present performance data for universal QIAseq library preparation panels running on other sequencing platforms at ASHG Annual Meeting 2023 in Washington, DC

Venlo, the Netherlands, and San Diego, California, Nov. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) and Element Biosciences, Inc. today announced a strategic partnership to offer comprehensive next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows for the Element AVITI™ System, an innovative sequencing platform.

Element’s AVITI System is a versatile benchtop sequencer offering a combination of performance, cost, and flexibility for a wide range of NGS applications. For customers using the AVITI System, QIAGEN provides Sample to Insight NGS workflows with validated QIAseq panels and integrated bioinformatic solutions, including CLC LightSpeed and QCI Interpret software.

“The collaboration between QIAGEN and Element Biosciences delivers unprecedented insights across various genomic applications to our customers worldwide. Researchers are increasingly searching for complete solutions and workflows from sample to insight, and we are committed to advancing the field together by providing innovative technology and applications that help researchers accelerate discovery,” said Nitin Sood, Senior Vice President, Head of Life Sciences Business Area at QIAGEN.