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The purpose of this event is to bring Technology Transfer leaders, policy makers, thought leaders, and innovators in the Technology Transfer field together to discuss and exchange ideas on how to best qualify and quantify the impact of Technology Transfer on the stakeholders it serves.

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellphire Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing next-generation platelet-based hemostatic therapeutics for application across multiple medical indications, announced today that Michael Gaffney has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Gaffney brings deep health sector insight, extensive operational experience, and proven strategy and capital markets expertise to Cellphire. He will also join the Company's board.

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) and the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize a strategic partnership to help build a stronger local relationship between federal labs and Montgomery County’s private sector, particularly small businesses.

COLUMBIA, Md. (April 20, 2021)—TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced today its Seed Fund invested $200K in TargetDocs, a Maryland-based technology startup. TEDCO’s Seed investment is part of an $850K funding round, which includes University System of Maryland Momentum Fund (Momentum Fund), the Hustle Fund, New Age Capital, Debut Capital, Dingman Center Angels, and Gaingels.

Largest Venture Capital Investors in Greater D.C. - Washington Business Journal

Image: https://www.bizjournals.com

U.S.-listed shares of GlaxoSmithKline GSK, 0.12% were down 1.4% in trading on Thursday after the Food and Drug Administration said it had granted accelerated approval to the company's endometrial cancer treatment. The immunotherapy, which was called dostarlimab and is now named Jemperli, is approved to treat patients with severe forms of this kind of cancer who have a genetic feature known as dMMR.

Amid the international effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maccura Biotechnology, headquartered in the city of Chengdu in China’s Sichuan Province, is still able to keep up with changing demands. The Maryland Department of Commerce first met with the well-established, global diagnostics company in 2018 with the help of the Maryland Center China.

BETHESDA, Md., April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gain Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GANX) (“Gain”) today announced a multi-target collaboration agreement with Zentalis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ZNTL) to discover new product candidates for the treatment of cancer. Gain will use its proprietary SEE-Tx computational platform technology to identify new sites on target proteins for potential use in oncology. SEE-Tx applies a proprietary computational algorithm and supercomputer processing to the published 3D structure of proteins to discover new binding sites with the ability to modulate protein function. The intended output is newly-discovered targets or target protein interactions that can then be drugged for therapeutic benefit to intervene on protein misfolding.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK — United Therapeutics has applied for a priority review voucher and submitted a new drug application to the United States Food and Drug Administration, the company announced this week.  The drug, Tyvaso DPI™, is a novel dry powder inhalation formulation of treprostinil, and, if approved, will be used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

The company estimates there are about 30,000 treatable patients in the United States, according to a statement.

Each quarter we bring you an update from our Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS Portfolio of companies across our 13 sites, from San Diego to Shanghai. Beyond news of our companies milestones, we also report on the diversity of our JLABS Portfolio leadership as we seek to reflect the patients we serve.

Meanwhile, we look ahead this spring and beyond to the first companies moving into our JLABS @ Washington, DC site, built in collaboration with Children's National Hospital and BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority). You can always find our latest stats and companies via our JLABS Portfolio Navigator.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NexImmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: NEXI), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a novel approach to immunotherapy designed to orchestrate a targeted immune response by directing the function of antigen-specific T cells, today announced that Chad Rubin has been appointed to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs. Mr. Rubin will be responsible for all corporate communications, along with involvement in investor and capital markets activities. He joins NexImmune with more than 20 years of experience in investor relations, investment banking and capital markets within the biotechnology sector.

NEW YORK – Qiagen said on Tuesday that it has received a CE-IVD mark for its Artus SARS-CoV-2 Prep&Amp UM Kit for high-throughput PCR-based COVID-19 testing.

The kit is now commercially available in the EU and other markets accepting the CE-IVD mark, and Qiagen has submitted an Emergency Use Authorization application for the assay to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The Quantum Startup Foundry (QSF) at the University of Maryland brings together the resources needed—physical and virtual—to support entrepreneurs and startups in accelerating quantum technologies’ time to market. QSF will bring entrepreneurs together with industry and government customers, investors, technical mentors, leading-edge research and IP, and quantum-specific infrastructure (equipment, tools, facilities). Located in the Washington, DC metro area, QSF offers the perfect landing and launch spot for quantum companies.

A group of top lawmakers of both parties in both chambers of Congress on Wednesday reintroduced legislation that aims to spend $110 billion on vital technologies to sustain American leadership and spur competitiveness against China.

The draft bill, known as the Endless Frontier Act, championed by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., is matched by a companion bill in the House by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis.

The Matan Cos. will add biotech manufacturing and research space to one of its existing office campuses in Germantown to meet the surge in demand from local life sciences firms.

The new construction is slated for the Milestone Business Park, located just off Interstate 270 at the Father Hurley Boulevard exit, the Frederick-based developer told the Washington Business Journal. Matan plans to add three new buildings totaling 532,000 square feet, constructing them on some of the site’s ample parking lots and rebranding the campus as “Milestone Innovation Park.”

Image: Matan Cos. plans to add three new biotech-focused manufacturing and research buildings at its Milestone office park in Germantown. HIGH ROCK STUDIOS

Did you miss our 3-day Workshop featuring experts from NIH, HHS, NCI, NSF, USAMRDC, NIA, MTech, BHI, and others? Videos and Slide decks are now available by visiting http://www.biohealthinnovation.org/events/sbir-workshop-documents today.

With its unique system of intramural and extramural research programs, funding for academic and corporate product development, along with its supporting foundations, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has created a vibrant public “innovation ecosystem” that has changed not only the face of healthcare, but has also led to the creation of the biotech industry in the U.S. Whether your interest in the overall healthcare environment is scientific, medical, educational or commercial, there is something here for you.

Image: Dr Joseph J.Kinyoun, NIH Founder - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmes, a global, full-service Clinical Research Organization (CRO) dedicated to supporting the advancement of public health and biopharmaceutical innovation, today announced that Rhonda Henry has joined the company as President of Emmes BioPharma.

"Naming a leader of our biopharma group is a major, positive step in our strategy to expand and diversify our business," said Dr. Christine Dingivan, Chief Executive Officer of Emmes.

It might surprise you to learn that many of the innovations deployed to counter the coronavirus were once obscure Pentagon-funded projects to defend soldiers from contagious diseases and biological weapons. The life-saving vaccine developed in record time owes a debt to these programs. To learn more, we met the man who has been leading the rapid vaccine effort, retired Colonel Matt Hepburn. An army infectious disease physician, he spent years with the secretive defense advanced research projects agency or DARPA, working on technology he hopes will ensure COVID-19 is the last pandemic.

As the CEO of a 2,000-plus person Maryland-based company involved in the COVID-19 response, I have a high tolerance for the obligations that come with it — like spending endless hours trying to explain complicated manufacturing processes to reporters who just learned we existed. Or battling back the misinformation that is used to find fault with the people who are the spine of our nation’s world-leading response to this pandemic.

Image: Manufacturing associates work on a COVID-19 vaccine in one of four flexible manufacturing suites at Emergent BioSolutions' Bayview facility. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun) (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun) 

Topic: GW-CAN Givitas Webinar

Description

Who: GW Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Industry Experts

What: A 45-minute webinar to educate the GW CAN entrepreneurial community on Givitas. We will cover the benefits of Givitas and how to sign up and use Givitas.

Time Apr 21, 2021 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

LUND, Sweden, April 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Alligator Bioscience (Nasdaq Stockholm: ATORX) today announced that it has entered into a joint research collaboration with MacroGenics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGNX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. The research collaboration will lead to the expansion of Alligator’s proprietary patient specific immunotherapy Neo-X-Prime™ by incorporating MacroGenics’ proprietary DART® and TRIDENT® multi-specific platforms against two undisclosed targets.

Image: https://biobuzz.io

Margot Connor has over 25 years of experience in diversified Life Science industries bringing executive level expertise to business operations, corporate development and mergers and acquisitions. When Connor took the helm at RoosterBio in 2015, the start-up had only five employees. The company has since grown rapidly to become a leader in the stem cell biomanufacturing industry. It now has about 40 employees in a state-of-the-art facility in Frederick.

Image: https://i95business.com

ROCKVILLE, Md., Apr. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — American Gene Technologies (AGT), an emerging gene and cell therapy company, announced today that Gaingels, a leading venture investment syndicate in service of the LGBT+ community and its allies, made an investment in AGT to support the Phase 1 clinical trial of an HIV cure. The Phase 1 human trial is investigating the safety of AGT103-T, a single dose, autologous cell therapy intended to cure the disease.

This investment places Gaingels alongside private investors who believe deeply in AGT’s mission, rapid drug development platform, and gene and cell therapy programs for HIV, cancer, and PKU.

Image: https://www.americangene.com

Antibodies that target the glycan cap epitope on the ebolavirus glycoprotein (GP) are common in the adaptive response of survivors. A subset is known to be broadly neutralizing, but the details of their epitopes and basis for neutralization are not well understood. Here, we present cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of diverse glycan cap antibodies that variably synergize with GP base-binding antibodies. These structures describe a conserved site of vulnerability that anchors the mucin-like domains (MLDs) to the glycan cap, which we call the MLD anchor and cradle. Antibodies that bind to the MLD cradle share common features, including use of IGHV1-69 and IGHJ6 germline genes, which exploit hydrophobic residues and form β-hairpin structures to mimic the MLD anchor, disrupt MLD attachment, destabilize GP quaternary structure, and block cleavage events required for receptor binding. Our results provide a molecular basis for ebolavirus neutralization by broadly reactive glycan cap antibodies.

Image: https://www.cell.com

We are proud to announce that U.S. News & World Report has designated the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, located at our hospital, as the number one training program for pediatrics in the country! Please join us in congratulating our faculty, staff and trainees who consistently strive to make our department an exceptional place to work and learn.

Image: https://www.linkedin.com

Dr. James Crowe, Director, Vanderbilt Vaccine Center,  is on the forefront of groundbreaking vaccine development. 

Studying kidney physiology is essential to increase our understanding and improve the quality of life and prognosis of patients with renal diseases. Organoid cultures have been developed that enable in vitro studies of donor-specific tissue in a controlled three-dimensional (3D) environment. Organoids are 3D multicellular constructs that recapitulate structural and functional characteristics of their organ of origin. Using a modified protocol originally developed for the expansion of adult intestinal Lgr5+ stem cells1, Schutgens et al. recently established kidney tubular epithelial organoids (tubuloids) derived from adult kidney tissue and urine2. 

GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – – Arcellx, a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it raised $115 million in a Series C financing to advance its pipeline of adaptive and controllable cell therapies. The proceeds will support the company’s development of CART-ddBCMA, a BCMA-specific CAR-modified T-cell therapy currently in Phase 1 and anticipated to begin a pivotal trial in 2022. In addition, the funding will support initiation of clinical trials evaluating ACLX-001 and ACLX-002, cell therapies derived from Arcellx’s uniquely controllable ARC-SparX platform, in multiple myeloma (MM) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), respectively.

Join us as Alex Hanlon, Ph.D. (Director of the Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science at Virginia Tech,  Professor of Statistics and works closely with researchers on the Health Science and Technology Campus in Roanoke, adjacent to Carilion Clinic and the VTC School of Medicine) and Richard Bendis (Founder, President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation, Inc. and a successful entrepreneur, angel investor, innovation and technology-based economic development leader, international speaker and consultant in the technology and healthcare industries and host of BioTalk) discuss how ‘Big data requires team science.’

Jeff Galvin, the CEO of American Gene Technologies, has always made investing in his team and the BioHealth Capital Region (BHCR) a top priority. 

In the latest sign of the company’s commitment to its employees and the region, AGT recently announced the creation of a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified lab that is actively providing RT-PCR testing for COVID-19. 

Image: https://biobuzz-io.cdn.ampproject.org

COLUMBIA, Md. (April 13, 2021)—TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced today the Maryland Entrepreneur Hub (The Hub) launch in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Commerce and the University System of Maryland. The Hub, https://marylandentrepreneurhub.com/, was designed with the entrepreneur in mind, to provide a platform that gathers all of Maryland’s resources and funding information in one place. 

"It's so important for entrepreneurs and the entities that support entrepreneurs be connected, especially during COVID-19,” said Claire Broido Johnson of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, managing director of the University System of Maryland's Momentum Fund. “We want to make sure there is a resource connecting providers and suppliers with tools, funding, mentors, space, and more and hope this new platform is really efficient!" 

The military wants to stop pandemics. Many of the innovations and breakthroughs deployed to combat COVID-19 began years ago as Pentagon-funded research programs to protect soldiers, some spearheaded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Bill Whitaker and 60 Minutes cameras were allowed in to report on some of the technologies the Department of Defense is developing to defend against future pandemics -- including a single vaccine to ward off all coronaviruses. Whitaker's report will be broadcast on 60 Minutes, Sunday, April 11 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.