GAITHERSBURG, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Adaptive Phage Therapeutics (APT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded to provide an effective therapeutic response to the global rise of multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria, today announced that it has closed an oversubscribed, non-brokered financing, raising approximately $7 million in proceeds. Investors include Alexandria Venture Investments as well as a large integrated healthcare delivery network currently exploring the option to implement PhageBank™ therapy within its network of more than 17 hospitals and a NYSE-listed specialty life sciences company. Proceeds will be deployed to support multi-center phase 2 clinical studies for its PhageBank® therapy for antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.

Image: https://biobuzz.io

Happening now at the #BioInnovationConference, Henry Ahn of National Science Foundation (NSF), Joseph Naft of #MIPS, Judy Costello of BioHealth Innovation, Inc. , Paul Silber of Blu Ventures #Investors, & Jeff Galvin of American Gene Technologies International Inc. discuss “Alternative Funding Options for Launching Your Company.”

AGT will do our best to share resources mentioned during this talk after the conference for startups and early-stage companies.

Gregg L. Semenza, whose discoveries on how cells respond to low oxygen levels have the potential to result in treatments for a variety of illnesses, today was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

The academy recognized Semenza, the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, for his groundbreaking discovery of hypoxia-inducible factor 1, or HIF-1, the protein that switches genes on and off in cells in response to low oxygen levels.

Image: https://hub.jhu.edu

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a leading genome editing company, and MaxCyte, Inc., the global cell-based therapies and life sciences company, today announced a new clinical and commercial license agreement. Editas Medicine will use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ instruments for the advancement of engineered cell medicines, including EDIT-301, an experimental CRISPR medicine designed to durably treat sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia.

The prize was awarded to William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza for their work in discovering how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to three scientists — William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza — for their work on how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.

Image: Gina Kolata and Megan Specia - https://www.nytimes.com

Research and startups are each important ingredients as the University of Maryland, Baltimore works to build a biotech community. In the case of recent news from KaloCyte, a mix involving both came with one move. As announced last week, the team that is commercializing a synthetic blood product relocated from St. Louis to downtown Baltimore, with the company taking up residence at UMB and joining the University of Maryland BioPark as an affiliate.

Image: The University of Maryland BioPark. (Courtesy photo)

Leiden, Utrecht October 2019 MIMETAS and Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB) announce that they entered into a strategic collaboration to market organoid models on a Chip. The agreement includes a license to MIMETAS to market HUB Organoids in an assay ready format, as well as a collaborative effort to develop disease-specific models.

The second annual BHCR Investment Conference, which is an invitation-only event, will be held at AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg on October 15 and 16, 2019.   

BioHealth Innovation (BHI), J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), Deloitte, AstraZeneca and The Maryland Department of Commerce have worked closely to ensure the 2019 investment conference builds on the success of last year’s event.

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The National Institutes of Health has awarded $20 million to fund five additional hubs designed to speed up the translation of biomedical discoveries into commercially viable diagnostics, devices, therapeutics, and tools to improve patient care and enhance health. The newly selected Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) expand a national network of proof-of-concept centers that links 34 academic institutions developing best practices to translate biomedical innovations into public benefit. 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) awarded Emergent BioSolutions a $6.3 million research grant for further development of the company’s treatment for opioid addiction.

Specifically, the funding is for the continued development of AP007, Emergent’s sustained-release nalmefene formulation for the treatment of addiction in opioid use disorder (OUD). AP007 is designed to continually release an effective dose of nalmefene for up to three months and to be administered through intramuscular injection.

Attracting talent is one of the most commonly cited challenges voiced by company executives in the Biohealth Capital Region (BHCR). Rapid growth, particularly in the cell and gene therapy industry and advanced biomanufacturing, is applying strong pressure on companies that are up against a finite market with a skills gap, talent shortages and other regional recruiting challenges.

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The Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for Technology Transfer Mid-Atlantic Region is pleased to announce the following winners of its 2019 awards:

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Monica Lopez will receive from the President of Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association the prestigious Outstanding Recent Graduate Award for bringing credit to Johns Hopkins University through outstanding professional achievements, leadership, and vision.

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GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arcellx, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has raised $85 million in an oversubscribed Series B financing. Proceeds will be used to advance the Company’s ARC-T + sparX programs, including clinical development of a bivalent BCMA-targeted cell therapy in multiple myeloma, and a CD123-targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukemia. The Series B will also fund earlier stage ARC-T + sparX programs for patients with solid tumors and diseases outside oncology.

Partnerships with consumer-tech firms could help medtech companies innovate and stay relevant as healthcare turns increasingly to prevention and wellness, according to a new report from Deloitte.

Executives at medtech companies may be leery of Apple and other consumer-technology companies, especially as the latter tout ever-more-sophisticated healthcare applications. But as healthcare evolves, those potential competitors may turn out to be good partners, according to a new report by accounting and consulting firm Deloitte.

The ribbon was cut today at GSK’s recently expanded manufacturing facility in Rockville, marking the completion of a $139M project that was first announced in May 2017 to support growing demand for BENLYSTA® (belimumab), a treatment for adult patients with Lupus.

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Gaithersburg’s Viela Bio Inc. began publicly trading Thursday on the Nasdaq.

The clinical-stage biotech is offering 7.9 million shares of common stock priced at $19 per share, positioning the company to raise roughly $150 million. Viela (NASDAQ: VIE) is also giving underwriters the option to buy up to an additional 1.19 million shares at the initial public offering price for 30 days.

Image: Viela Bio CEO Bing Yao and colleagues rang the opening Nasdaq bell Thursday. LIBBY GREENE

Kylene Kehn-Hall, Ph.D. carefully puts on her personal protective equipment (PPE) – a Tyvek suit, gloves, overshoes and a specialized helmet with a built-in respirator designed to protect the wearer from exposure to airborne pathogens. With an almost meditative vigilance, she periodically checks herself for any potential gaps or ruptures in the material—a necessary precaution when working with the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV).

Johns Hopkins University will host the DevLab XR Accelerator 2019 from Oct. 16 to Dec. 5 in an effort to support augmented reality projects created by those in underserved communities. 

This year, virtual reality (VR) network Kaleidoscope, which organized the event, is partnering with Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund at JHU and immersive media company RYOT in order to expand the outreach of the program. 

Image: VR at MICA Game Lab's Fall Arcade. (Photo by Stephen Babcock) - https://technical.ly

You and your company team will be competing against other biotech firms to win the coveted BioBowl Trophy and bragging rights!

...Until next year

Date: Thursday, October 10th, 2019 Time: 4:00 - 6:30 PM (TBC) Location: Bowlmor – 15720 Shady Grove Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Invitation to follow.

Hosted by BioHealth Innovation and AstraZeneca

“Top 3 By 2023” has been the slogan for the Biohealth Capital Region (BHCR) over the past few years adopted by many economic development and industry leaders across Maryland, DC, and Virginia.

After more than four years of organized effort across the BHCR, starting with the first Regional Biotech Forum back in 2015, there is a clearly defined strategy underway and substantial progress is being made towards achieving that goal.

In this year’s GEN Top 10 report, Alexandria Real Estate Equities executive chairman and founder Joel Marcus was quoted about what factors will most likely drive the future creation of clusters for biopharma and other emerging life sciences. 

“Clusters takeabout a generation, 25 years, to really evolve and develop,” stated Marcus, emphasizing the importance of thinking long-term for building a strong cluster.

The New Orleans BioInnovation Center is the only organization dedicated solely to advancing life science entrepreneurship through technology commercialization in Louisiana. The Center works closely with local academic institutions and other economic development entities to help develop cutting edge research, curate pilot projects with healthcare providers, and attract necessary complementary funding. 

MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Redox today announced its third annual Healthcare Interoperability Summit, which will take place on Oct. 15, 2019 at the Aloft Boston Seaport Hotel. The conference brings together the most influential health IT professionals from around the country for a deep dive into one of the biggest barriers to innovation in health IT today – interoperability.

One of the largest research contracts ever awarded to the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) was announced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) this week, to the potential tune of more than $200 million over the next seven years.

Initially, the award will take the form of a $2.5 million contract to conduct clinical testing of influenza vaccines. It could be extended from there to up to $201 million. The research will be led by Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, a professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) and the only U.S. member of the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. Her research will cover the testing of improved seasonal influenza vaccines and conducting controlled human influenza challenge studies with the hopes of creating a universal vaccine for use against emerging influenza strains and improving current seasonal vaccines.

Partners HealthCare is a global leader in healthcare research and development, with an immense capacity for innovation.

Partners HealthCare Innovation is the system's business development arm that commercializes the insights and discoveries of researchers and clinicians at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and McLean Hospital, all of which are Harvard Medical School affiliates. The 125-member team was responsible for $154 million in commercial and investment income last year and at any given time is working on 2,000-plus active agreements.

Herndon, VA, Sept. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced today the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) Request for Proposals (RFP) for FY2020.

The CRCF accelerates Virginia’s economic growth by supporting high-potential technology commercialization projects at Virginia's public and private institutions of higher education, technology companies, and federal labs and nonprofit research organizations. A single solicitation for approximately $2.5 million will be offered in FY2020, through five programs: Commercialization, SBIR Matching Funds, STTR Matching Funds, Eminent Researcher Recruitment, and Matching Funds.

The product would reverse the effects of chemicals that disrupt nerve function for military and other emergency situations.

Image: Bob Kramer is president and CEO of Emergent BioSolutions. COURTESY EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS

A Baltimore medical device firm that aims to prevent kidney injury was awarded the $25,000 grand prize in the Beta City Venture Capital Pitch Competition.

Renalert was chosen as the winner of the live competition that took place Thursday evening during the fifth annual Beta City, a startup demo and networking event put on by Betamore and Sagamore Ventures at City Garage in South Baltimore. About 30 companies applied to the competition this year, and Renalert was one of five finalists chosen to present their concepts to a panel of judges. This year's judges included representatives from Brown Advisory, Pitch Creator, Emerging Technology Centers, Johns Hopkins Tech Ventures and We Capital.

Image: Betamore Chairman Greg Cangialosi (middle) awarded Renalert CEO Aaron Chang (right) the grand prize for this year's Beta City Venture Capital Pitch Competition. MORGAN EICHENSEHR

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) today announced a research grant awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, valued at approximately $6.3 million over two years, for the continued development of AP007, the company’s sustained-release nalmefene formulation for the treatment of addiction in opioid use disorder (OUD). AP007 is an extended-release formulation of nalmefene, an opioid receptor antagonist, intended to continually release an effective dose of nalmefene for up to three months and to be administered through intramuscular injection. The award is being made under the Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or the NIH HEAL Initiative, which was launched to improve prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction and enhance pain management.

In September 2012, when National Institutes of Health (NIH) neurologist Chris Austin took charge of a new translational science center, he faced a host of skeptics. In launching the new center, NIH Director Francis Collins said he wanted to re-engineer drug development to speed new treatments to the clinic. But some accused NIH of wanting to become a drug company or solve the pharmaceutical industry's challenges—a notion one former CEO likened to believing in fairies. It fell to Austin to prove that the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences wasn't going to compete with industry, but could give it new tools. After 7 years, the jury is still out.

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmes today announced that it was ranked as one of the 100 largest private companies in the Washington metropolitan area. The ranking is compiled annually by the Washington Business Journal.

The Emmes Corporation Logo (PRNewsFoto/The Emmes Corporation)

The company was ranked as the 83rd largest private company this year. Its most recently reported revenues were more than $114 million, and about 600 of the company's 725 employees work in the Washington area.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's National Hospital and the National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation (NCC-PDI) announce the six winners of the $150,000 "Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!" competition, each receiving a $25,000 award and the opportunity to participate in NCC-PDI's recently launched "Pediatric Device Innovator Accelerator Program" led by MedTech Innovator. The six winners, who presented medical devices designed to improve Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care, emerged from a field of 11 finalists. Each participant delivered their five-minute live pitch presentation to a panel of 25 esteemed judges during the 7th Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium hosted by Children's National.

BALTIMORE, Sept. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — KaloCyte, a preclinical-stage healthcare biotechnology company developing a synthetic, bio-inspired red blood cell substitute for use in settings when stored red blood cells are not available, has joined Baltimore’s growing biotech community as a University of Maryland (UM) BioPark affiliate. KaloCyte’s relocation from St. Louis brings it closer to major stakeholders and funders, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Small Business Program and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Army Combat Casualty Care Research Program, as well as the outstanding research and clinical communities at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) campuses.