The Collegiate Inventors Competition®, an annual competition that rewards innovations, discoveries and research by college and university students and their faculty advisors, announced today its 2018 Finalists.

Baltimore-based Cerecor announced the acquisition of Ichorion Therapeutics, a New York–based biopharmaceutical company.

The deal includes an all-stock transaction worth up to $26.6 million, with potential for an additional $15 million in milestones, which could be paid in cash or stock.

Montgomery County has awarded a total of $425,000 in matching grants to 12 small companies who applied for the County’s new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Matching Grant Program.

In order to qualify, eligible companies must have been awarded a SBIR or STTR Phase 1 or Phase II grant during the current calendar year by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and 51 percent of research and development operations must be conducted in Montgomery County.

A total of $150K was awarded to six pediatric cardiovascular innovations during the medical device pitch competition at the 6th Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium hosted by Children's National Health System.  Award winners with Children’s National Vice President Kolaleh Eskandanian (far left) and CEO Kurt Newman, MD, (far right) include:  Ken Nelson, Bardy Diagnostics; Henri Justino, MD, PolyVascular Corp.; Corin Williams, Draper; Doug Vincent, VentriFlo; Joshua Woolley, NuPulseCV; and Kurt Newman, MD, Children’s National Health System. Peca Labs, not pictured, was also an award recipient. Photo credit: Paul Loftland Photograph

Six companies presenting innovative medical devices that address significant unmet needs in pediatric healthcare were awarded a total of $150,000 in grants yesterday in Philadelphia, Penn.at the Sixth Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposiumorganized by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Health System.

The “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” competition this year focused on pediatric cardiovascular devices, an area where new devices can make a life-changing difference, especially for younger children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 40,000 children are born annually in the U.S. with a congenital heart defect (CHD) and approximately 1 million U.S. children currently live with a CHD.

The pitch competition was originally slated to award $100,000 in grants; however, because of the judges’ response to the quality and potential of the technologies presented, Children’s National expanded the award grants to $150,000 to include six awardees.

Join us for the 5th Annual BioBowl! You and your company team will be competing against other biotech firms to win the coveted BioBowl Trophy! But first you have to RSVP to claim your spot in the competition.

The Association of University Research Parks (AURP) and the University of Maryland have teamed up to present the AURP 2018 International Conference from October 22nd to October 26th. The International Conference attracts 200+ park leaders from around the world for knowledge exchange and networking with industry expert presenters.

AURP is a not-for-profit international organization that focuses on creating communities of innovation and education for university research parks both operating and planned, innovation districts, incubators, accelerators and businesses that cater to the research park industry.

BioHealth Capital Region moves up one spot to number four, closing in on our goal to be a Top 3 by 2023.

What makes a top-tier biopharma cluster? The standard answers involve a critical mass of resources including the brightest scientific and business minds capable of attracting public and private funding; powerhouse universities and healthcare systems, with endowments reaching into the billions; research institutes, often named for billionaire benefactors; and drug and tools & technology developers that can translate investment into net income.

From “doing digital” to “being digital,” that’s where the life sciences and health care industry needs to go. To help your business navigate digital disruption, this series provides a life sciences and health care perspective on Deloitte's 2018 Tech Trends report. From blockchain to digital reality to the no-collar workforce, explore eight trends that are shaping strategic and operational transformations and redefining life sciences and health care.

The Maryland Tech Council (MTC) concluded its Bio+Tech18 Conference yesterday in Baltimore with the announcement of Remedy Plan Therapeutics as the winner of its Inaugural Start-Up Pitch Contest. Remedy Plan Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing drugs that target cancer stem cells to inhibit tumor growth and proliferation.

Put a Regulatory consultant, a lawyer, and a venture capitalist in a room together and what do you get? Come to the National Capital Chapter SoPE event on October 17th, 2018 to find out!

The Biden Cancer Summit takes place Friday, September 21st in Washingtin, D. C. The event aims to promote new solutions, bring together problem solvers, and tell stories that epitomize what it means to be cancer FIERCE. The Summit is the flagship event of more than 450 Biden Cancer Community Summits convening throughout September 21st, all focused on improving the cancer journey for patients, their families, and caregivers.

Good morning and thank you for having me here today.

One of the most critical points on a patient’s journey is the moment of diagnosis.  The moment when you find out what’s wrong.  What the options are.  The uncertainty of the unknown can be the hardest part of a grave diagnosis. And the emotional health that comes with more confidence and more certainty is inextricably linked to physical health and outcomes.

The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) has been awarded more than $800,000 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to supplement a current $6.5 million grant provided to NDRI that supports continued national leadership with the recovery and distribution of human organs and tissues for medical research over the course of five years. The supplemental awards provide support for NDRI to serve as a human biospecimen resource for research focused specifically on Alzheimer’s disease, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and HIV/AIDS. The three awards are supplements to NDRI’s Human Tissues and Organs for Research Resources (HTORR) program which has been supported by the NIH since 1987.

The second minibus package includes the fiscal year 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) funding bill, which includes funding for programs within the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and other related agencies, including the Social Security Administration.

Even under the no-holds-barred rules of biotech, it’s a particularly shrewd move, one that might prompt guffaws from knowing insiders.

An artificial intelligence start-up founded by three insiders at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center debuted with great fanfare in February, with $25 million in venture capital and the promise that it might one day transform how cancer is diagnosed.

This national conference is the cornerstone of the HHS’s congressionally mandated outreach efforts. This three-day national HHS SBIR/STTR Conference is designed to educate attendees about the America’s Largest Seed Fund and how to apply for these research and development dollars. With over $1 billion dollars of annual HHS funding, this is one of the largest sources of early-stage capital for technology commercialization in the United States. The HHS’s SBIR/STTR programs allow US-owned small businesses to forge academic partnerships and build productive businesses. With this funding, the partners can engage in research and development that has a strong potential to deliver products and services, including medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, to improve the health of Americans.

Learning Undefeated is a mobile education program serving Southeast Texas schools devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Using a self-contained science classroom on wheels as its home base, the program provides teaching space and scientific equipment, lab supplies, during- and after-school activities, and public outreach to communities whose classrooms and science labs were destroyed during the August 2017 hurricane.

Monday, October 1, 2018

ACGT and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., invite you to an Intimate Conversation with Crystal Mackall, MD

In its most recent look at states where innovation and entrepreneurship rank high, the U.S. Department of Commerce Foundation rated Maryland third, highlighting the state as a “national leader in bioscience, biotechnology, and health innovation.”

WellSpan Health and Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have partnered to launch a grant program to support cancer research.

The biotechnology industry in the Boston region, especially Cambridge, is a powerhouse even when compared with the innovation and development seen in the San Francisco Bay Area. These hubs function at a whole different level in biotech compared with other biotech clusters in the U.S. The healthy rivalry between San Francisco and Boston has fostered rapid growth in biotech thanks to their robust populations of small startups, large well-established pharmaceuticals, incubator sites, and large biotech-focused research institutions.

SparkLabs Group operates a network of accelerators and venture capital funds, and today it is adding to them with the creation of a new global accelerator program focused on cybersecurity and blockchain-related startups in Washington, D.C.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and Children’s National Health System, a pediatric academic medical center in Washington, have launched a clinical research partnership devoted to treating and preventing allergic, immunologic and infectious diseases in children. An inaugural symposium will take place at Children’s National on Sept. 17, 2018, to highlight the partnership and discuss current and future directions for its research activities.

Autolus Therapeutics is a promising clinical-stage biotech that is a leader in T-cell programming and manufacturing technology. They have seen rapid growth since launching in 2014, and recently executed a successful US IPO in June that raised $160.4M at a $17 share price and landed them on the Nasdaq (AUTL).

United Therapeutics Corporation announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with privately held drug development company, Samumed LLC, for purchasing the North American rights to the latter’s IPF drug candidate, SM04646.

Principia Biopharma Inc. (Principia or the Company) (Nasdaq: PRNB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing transformative oral therapies to patients with significant unmet medical needs in immunology and oncology, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 7,187,500 shares of its common stock, including the exercise in full of the underwriters' option to purchase 937,500 additional shares of common stock, at a public offering price of $17.00 per share.  The gross proceeds to Principia, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses, were approximately $122.2 million.  All of the common stock was offered by Principia. Principia’s common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol "PRNB."

Galera Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of drugs targeting oxygen metabolic pathways with the potential to transform cancer radiotherapy, today announced it has secured $150 million in a joint, oversubscribed Series C financing and royalty purchase agreement. The financing was led by new investor Clarus, with participation from additional new investors Adage Capital Management, HBM Healthcare Investments, Nan Fung Life Sciences, RA Capital, Rock Springs Capital and Tekla Capital Management LLC. Existing investors Correlation Ventures, Galera Angels, New Enterprise Associates, Novartis Venture Fund, Novo Ventures and Sofinnova Ventures also participated. In addition, Emmett T. Cunningham, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., MPH, Managing Director at Clarus, will join Galera’s Board of Directors.

The Maryland Tech Council (MTC), the state’s largest trade association supporting the technology and life sciences sectors, today announced the appointment of Marty Rosendale as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately.

Host:  UM BioPark & Wexford Science + Technology

Location:  UMB BioPark On the Nook Cafe Patio 801 W. Baltimore Street Baltimore  Maryland  21201

Time:  5:00pm to 6:30pm

Mingle with our honored guest, Alex Triantis, Dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business, other members of the Smith School community, BioPark tenants, and UMB faculty & staff

Join one of the 24 Institutes and Centers within the NIH that awards extramural grants! Extramural grants account for approximately 80 percent of NIH's budget and are awarded to investigators at more than 2,500 universities, medical schools, and other research organizations around the world. To learn more about the grants process, types of grant programs, and the peer review process, visit the website for the Office of Extramural Research.

It’s the 21st century and information is just right at the tip of our fingers – thanks to the wide, wide, internet world. However, in spite of all the availability of information and the easy access to it, many people are still under the cloak of hoaxes and myths – and the business world is no exemption.

Another year, another list of the Top U.S. Cities for Global Trade. If there’s one thing that strikes us about this list over the past couple of years is that the reach of the global economy has not just stretched to other shores but into virtually every city in the United States, no matter the size.

MedTech Innovator, the premier nonprofit startup accelerator in the medical technology industry, today announced that AblaCare, CroiValve, FineHeart, Sana Health, and Spect have been selected as finalists to compete for the title of MedTech Innovator of 2018, out of over 700 applicants. The Grand Prize winner of $350,000 will be determined by the vote of the audience at the largest gathering of medtech industry leaders in North America on Sept. 25 in Philadelphia, PA at The MedTech Conference, powered by AdvaMed.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation's Manhattan outpost of its startup incubator, JLabs, is the new kid on the NYC-health-tech block.