You're a student, and you've got an idea for a new app. It's handy. It's intuitive. It solves some commonplace problem you've encountered yourself too many times to count. This idea of yours is going to take off, you know it.

The SnapPath® Cancer Diagnostics System is the only diagnostics system that can generate purified populations of live solid tumor cells from live, unfixed samples in an automated and standardized manner. SnapPath preserves the molecular integrity of these living cells for exposure outside the human body to targeted therapies. This enables the generation of PathMap® Functional Signaling Profiles, which are highly predictive of individual solid tumor response to targeted therapies and combinations, because they are based on the dynamic, predictive signaling information available only from live cells. BioMarker Strategies has been granted patents on both of these important technologies in the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan, and patent applications are pending elsewhere. (Photo: Business Wire)

Created in 1974, the Federal Acquisition Regulation provides “uniform policies and procedures for acquisition” to ensure integrity, fairness, and openness in federal procurement. And for over 40 years now, federal agencies have implemented numerous contract writing and support systems. But no one technology has made it dramatically easier for contracting officers or industry.

The Emmes Corporation today announced the completion of a pivotal clinical trial for a new product developed by IDx that could help in detecting diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the United States.  IDx-DR is a fully autonomous AI-based diagnostic system that analyzes images of the retina for signs of diabetic retinopathy, providing instructions for follow-up care based on the level of disease detected. IDx-DR has been granted expedited review by the Food and Drug Administration.

Montgomery County continues to experience a steady rise in employment since 2014, a positive change from stagnant growth in prior years. Montgomery County recorded over 550,000 employees, an increase of 2.6% from last year and trended above the then year average of 516,360. Montgomery County’s unemployment rate continued to contract and ended Q3 2017 with a rate of 3.2%, down from 3.3% from November 2016.

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) today announced executive management changes that continue to align its organizational structure to its long-term strategy and to the achievement of its near- and long-term growth objectives. Specifically, effective today, the company’s board of directors promoted Robert G. Kramer Sr. to the newly-created position of president and chief operating officer, and appointed Richard S. Lindahl as the company’s new executive vice president and chief financial officer.

NexImmune, an emerging leader in the field of antigen-directed immunotherapy, today announced that Scott Carmer has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Carmer has served as NexImmune’s Chief Operating Officer since 2015. In addition, Kristi Jones has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and Alan Roemer has been appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The state of Maryland and the Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corp. (AAEDC) announced today their support of Paragon Bioservices’ new commercial manufacturing facility under development in Anne Arundel County and the addition of 200 new jobs over the next four years. Earlier this year, Paragon, a leading biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with expertise in gene therapy and next-generation vaccines, announced plans to lease 150,000 square feet in the BW Gateway development on Harmans Road.

Akonni Biosystems Inc. and Chinese in vitro diagnostics company, Righton, announce a commercial agreement that enables Righton to sell Akonni's products for nucleic acid purification and molecular diagnostics to researchers, clinical laboratories, and hospitals in China. The products to be sold include TruTip®, Akonni's best-in-class sample preparation technology, which is low-cost and simple, yet highly effective at purifying DNA and RNA from the most difficult sample types. In addition, for diagnostic applications, Righton plans to commercialize Akonni's TruDiagnosis® system based on the proprietary TruArray® multiplexed diagnostic solutions. Righton has made an equity investment of $7.5 million USD in Akonni's series D fundraising round bringing the total investments in the Series D round to $13.9 million USD.

The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday unanimously approved Tuesday a county matching fund for businesses that receive federal grants.

Councilmember George Leventhal spearheaded the grant, which was co-sponsored by the eight remaining council members.

WellDoc®, a leading digital therapeutic company, announces today the formation of its scientific advisory team whose expertise spans cardiology, health behavior, endocrinology, primary care and pharmacy-based diabetes education and care. Richard Katz, MD, Janet Duni, RN, BSN, MPA, CCM, Pablo Mora, MD, Nancy D’Hondt, RPh, CDE, FAADE, Edwin Fisher, PhD and Charlene Quinn, PhD have each been involved in WellDoc’s digital health journey with product enhancement, evaluation, or implementation and have been asked to now formally serve as scientific advisors to the company.

Pharma major Lupin announced the launch of its Carbidopa Tablets 25mg having received an approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier.

Lupin’s Carbidopa Tablets, 25mg is the generic equivalent of Aton Pharma, Inc.’s Lodosyn® Tablets, 25 mg. It is indicated for use with carbidopa-levodopa or with levodopa in the treatment of the symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (paralysis agitans), postencephalitic parkinsonism, and symptomatic parkinsonism, which may follow injury to the nervous system by carbon monoxide intoxication and/or manganese intoxication.

A biotech company founded by Johns Hopkins researchers to develop new drugs to fight cancer said this week that it is raising $40 million in Series A funding.

The round for Dracen Pharmaceuticals was led by Deerfield Management Company, a New York–based firm which invested $36 million in the round.

USC researchers have launched a massive scientific effort to construct a detailed, virtual 3-D model of the pancreatic beta cell and its components — a global project that aims to one day curb the worldwide rise of diabetes.

Eighteen companies ranging in maturity and focus, from software building to bag making, will be housed in the newly renovated HQ by the end of the month.

A pair of bio-oriented spaces in Baltimore are looking to provide extra help to scientists building companies out of discoveries.

The Inner Harbor–based Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) and Baltimore Under Ground Science Space (BUGSS) have a new partnership, according to leaders from both spots.

TEDCO announced investments from its seed fund in five startups this week, including three from Baltimore.

Taken together, the latest funding from Maryland’s quasi-public agency backing early-stage companies totals $1.2 million. Here’s the funding breakdown:

Johns Hopkins University led all U.S. universities in research and development expenditures for the 38th consecutive year in fiscal year 2016, spending $2.431 billion on projects like fighting dengue, finding the functional age of cells, and explaining why the universe is making fewer stars.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

The National Capital SoPE Chapter is moving its meeting to the newly established Inova Personalized Health Accelerator located at 3225 Gallows Road Room C17, Fairfax, Virginia, 22031. We will meet in the Conference Center on the Inova Campus. Our first meeting for the Spring 2018 lineup will be: RED FLAGS in Healthcare/Life Science Due Diligence - What Every Investor and Entrepreneur Should Know!

CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASI), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing high quality, cost-effective pharmaceutical products and innovative oncology therapeutics to patients, announces today a $50 million private placement. The Company has entered into definitive securities purchase agreements pursuant to which the Company will issue 15,432,091 shares of its Common Stock with accompanying warrants to purchase 6,172,832 shares of its Common Stock. The purchase price for each share of Common Stock and warrant is $3.24.  The warrants will become exercisable 180 days after issuance at a $3.69 per share exercise price, and will expire five years from the date of issuance. On March 19, 2018, the consolidated closing bid price per share of Common Stock was $3.19.

Our country faces an ever-growing number of challenges in the 21st century, but all too often our political dialogue can’t even begin to scratch the surface. While Washington remains mired in its usual partisan fights, entire communities across the country — especially in the Midwest — have been locked out of an economy that has moved away from the manufacturing base that helped build the strongest middle class the world has ever seen.

Friday, May 18, 2018 7:30AM – 3:00PM

Largest Regional Small Business Procurement Conference

MCCC GovConNet Procurement Conference gives over 800 attendees the unique opportunity to gain valuable insights and meet directly with key purchasing agents from a variety of prime contractors and federal, state, and local government agencies. 

Wednesday, April 18, 20185:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Please join us on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 for a Healthcare Panel presentation and networking event at the INOVA Personalized Health Conference Center.

Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be provided.

American Gene Technologies International Inc. (AGT), a leading gene and cell therapy company, today announced receipt of a second immuno-oncology patent on the stimulation of gamma delta T cells for treating solid tumors in epithelial cancers. U.S. Patent No: 9,914,938 dated March 13, 2018 further consolidates AGT’s intellectual property position surrounding its novel gene therapy platform. The patent describes AGT’s unique lentivirus vector approach to modify tumors for potent activation of naturally-occurring T cells in the immune system providing a highly-effective immune response and destruction of tumors.

In the second financing round announced in one day for an immunometabolism startup, Johns Hopkins spinout Dracen Pharmaceuticals just wrapped up a $36 million investment deal from Deerfield.

The $1.3 trillion fiscal 2018 funding package sent to President Trump early Friday includes big boosts for almost all of the major federal agencies, thanks to a broader two-year budget deal increasing spending caps that President Trump signed last month. 

New York-based investment firm Deerfield Management is leading a $40 million Series A funding round for Baltimore's Dracen Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Novavax may be years away from a potential approval of its RSV vaccine, but on the company's recent year-end conference call, executives talked up the candidate's commercial appeal and the steps they're taking now to prepare for a possible rollout. 

On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that Secretary Alex Azar will name Robert R. Redfield, M.D., as the 18th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:  ARE), an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, today announced that its board of directors has appointed Jennifer J. Banks and Larry J. Diamond as co-chief operating officers, effective April 23, 2018. Ms. Banks will assume additional responsibilities related to leading the company's risk management operations and will continue as general counsel and corporate secretary. Mr. Diamond will assume a national role overseeing the company's real estate property operations and will continue as regional market director of Maryland.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc, a real estate investment trust focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, has named Jennifer J. Banks and Larry J. Diamonds as co-chief operating officers. Their appointments become effective April 23, 2018. Banks joined Alexandria in 2002 and has served as the company’s general counsel since 2008 while Diamond joined the company in 1998 to open a regional office in Alexandria’s Maryland life science cluster.

In some ways Martine Rothblatt, the founder and chairwoman of United Therapeutics, a Maryland-based biotechnology company, and James Park, the CEO and co-founder of consumer fitness company Fitbit, are unusual health care leaders and entrepreneurs. Both came from outside the industry—Rothblatt previously created SiriusXM radio, among other things; meanwhile the inspiration for Park’s popular family of wearable devices was the Nintendo Wii— and neither set out steeped in the regulatory arts of American healthcare.

The Maryland state Senate signed off on $5.6 billion in tax incentives to lure Amazon.com Inc. to Montgomery County on Monday night.

Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, will become president of American Association for Cancer Research next month.

Jaffee is deputy director of Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, as well as associate director of Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins.

Investors got big returns on the initial sale and could see millions more over the coming years, as Harpoon's device continues on the path to U.S. regulatory approval.