229th Edition – November 22, 2016

A life sciences incubator formerly run by Montgomery County is now being managed by a public-private partnership that focuses on helping central Maryland scientists and bio-health startups bring their ideas to market. Rockville-based BioHealth Innovation Inc. at the start of October began managing the Germantown Innovation Center, which is part of the Pinkey Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery

Calling all innovators, startups, and entrepreneurs: join us in participating in the first-ever #FosterlyCensus — a region-wide, community project gathering information and statistics about our rapidly expanding ecosystem. Be a part of the most comprehensive, resourceful survey our city has ever seen by filling out the info at http://fosterly.com.

As the IoT reels from and struggles with ongoing security issues stemming from DDoS and botnet and SSH and DNS and innumerable other interrelated problems, the industry needs outside input and leadership to give it strategic guidance.

According to a recent announcement, one such source of guidance will be in the form of the Rockville Innovation Center (RIC) in Montgomery County, Maryland, where BioHealth Innovation (BHI) has partnered with The MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation that operates federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), including the National Cybersecurity FFRDC, to look for innovative solutions to next-generation security threats.

In an effort to accelerate growth in the cybersecurity and health technology industries in Montgomery County, BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) has partnered with The MITRE Corporation of McLean, Virginia—a not-for-profit corporation that operates federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), including the National Cybersecurity FFRDC.

BHI will serve as the primary manager for the Rockville Innovation Center (RIC), which is home of BHI’s health tech startup accelerator, Relevant Health. MITRE will provide the resident RIC start-up companies technical mentorship and insight into the most pressing cybersecurity challenges facing business and government today. This collaboration is an extension of a strategic initiative recently launched by MITRE to act as an innovation bridge between the private and public sectors.

The RIC will support start-ups and attract early-stage technology companies within these key technology sectors to graduate companies into commercial spaces in Montgomery County in a few short years.

As Maryland emerges as a hotbed for research and commercial opportunities in the biohealth industry, many small businesses in this sector see the state as a good place to grow. When William Hearl started building Rockville-based Immunomic Therapeutics Inc. a decade ago, much of the initial learning curve was finding that sweet spot between creating their

Roche said today it will launch a CHF 100 million ($100.1 million) global network of 21 academic centers focused on cancer immunotherapy R&D.

The new Centers of Research Excellence (imCORE™) Network aims to advance promising new immuno-oncology treatments by quickly carrying out preclinical and clinical research, as well as aggregating and sharing data.

Gaitherburg-based OpGen Inc. has entered a new partnership with pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. in a collaboration officials say will help more quickly combat so-called superbugs with rapid diagnostic tests.

OpGen, which has focused on creating rapid DNA diagnostic tools to improve antibiotic decision-making, has been building a bank of bacterial pathogens to offer more accurate infection diagnostic testing.

Integrated BioTherapeutics (IBT) announced today that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) whereby Emergent will gain exclusive rights to use IBT’s proprietary vaccine antigens and know-how in a joint research, development, and manufacturing collaboration focused on an equine-based hyperimmunoglobulin for the treatment of hemorrhagic fever caused by Filoviruses. Financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed.

AstraZeneca today announced the completion of the licensing agreement between MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, and Allergan plc, for the global rights to MEDI2070.

MEDI2070 is an IL-23 monoclonal antibody currently in a Phase IIb clinical trial for moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease and ready for Phase II for ulcerative colitis, diseases that sit outside AstraZeneca’s three main therapy areas.

HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc. (Nasdaq: HTGM) and QIAGEN Manchester Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of QIAGEN N.V. (Nasdaq: QGEN). This Agreement creates a framework for both companies to combine their technological and commercial strengths with the goal to offer pharmaceutical companies a complete NGS-based solution for the development and commercialization of companion diagnostics, with a focus in oncology. Together with the parties’ entry into the Agreement, QIAGEN North American Holdings, Inc., another QIAGEN subsidiary, made a minority investment in HTG’s common stock.

Baltimore-based Glyscend Inc. was awarded one of three $500,000 research grants from Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC and its research arm Janssen as part of the health care giant’s World Without Disease QuickFire Challenge.

Glyscend was spun out of Johns Hopkins University and continues operations as part of the Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures program. The company is currently in the process of raising a Series A funding round, with a goal of between $5 million and $10 million. The Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) grant money will help the company reach its goal, said Ashish Nimgaonkar, co-founder and CEO.

Faculty from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and Johns Hopkins University and local entrepreneurs were recently recognized for their groundbreaking research with $200,000 in prizes.

The awards were made by the two universities, the Abell Foundation and the Maryland Department of Commerce as part of a day-long 2016 Innovation Showcase. The event was cohosted by the Johns Hopkins Alliance for Science and Technology Development and the University of Maryland, Baltimore Commercial Advisory Board.

GSK has recently been ranked first in the Access to Medicine Index for the fifth consecutive time, taking a leadership position in research and development, pricing, manufacturing and distribution, and product donations.

The Index, which recognises GSK for its clear access to medicines strategy and company-wide ownership, is an independent measure of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies’ efforts to improve access to healthcare in developing countries.

When a scientist discovers a new drug to cure a disease, it’s cheers all around. But what happens next? How is the drug produced for commercialization so that it can actually be administered to a patient?

That’s where Michael Betenbaugh, a Whiting School of Engineering professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, comes in. He and his laboratory team are working with researchers at MedImmune to develop a more efficient media in which to grow the microbes used to produce genetically engineered human antibodies for testing, development and commercialization.

EY has named J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr., Marriott (MAR) International Executive Chairman, its 2016 US EY Entrepreneur of the Year. The honor was announced at the EY Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, California.

The legendary hotelier credits hard work and high expectations for his associates as two key reasons for his success. Under his more than 50 years of leadership, Marriott has grown from a family restaurant business into the world’s largest hotel chain.

During the STRT1UP Roadshow, lots of companies around the state pitched on the Startup Maryland bus.

They were looking to get exposure from the video evidence it provided, but also looking to move on to the next round.

TEDCO’s Entrepreneur Expo came to Baltimore this year, hosting an all-day session at the Hilton on Monday.

The annual event attracts founders, investors and other community members from around the state. For the past several years, it was held in Columbia.

Startup Maryland yesterday unveiled the finalist for the Pitch Across Maryland Competition. Startup Maryland is proud to showcase the finalists along with all the ventures who participated in the 2016 STRT1UP Roadshow celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship. This year’s Finalist for each category are listed below with a link to their 2016 pitch video:

Deloitte today released the 2016 Technology Fast 500, an annual ranking of the fastest growing North American companies in the technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech sectors. Loot Crate claimed the top spot with a growth rate of 66,661 percent from 2012 to 2015.

Based in Los Angeles, Loot Crate delivers monthly curated mystery boxes of entertainment and pop culture themed collectibles to fans. Founded in 2012, Loot Crate has more than 650,000 subscribers worldwide in 35 countries. Loot Crate’s position at the top of this year’s list showcases how innovation isn’t always about new technology and invention, but also about ingenuity, the recombining of existing assets and know-how in new ways to maximize value.

California, the nation’s birthplace of biotechnology, continues to add jobs in that sector and the life sciences in general, a trade association reported Wednesday.

While growth is slow, the life sciences remain a potent economic force, especially in San Diego County and the San Francisco Bay area. There are also signs of expansion in Los Angeles County, which has long been overshadowed by its neighbors to the north and south.

International Trade – The Basics for Bio & Technology Companies

Attend this lunch-and-learn event to hear global industry experts discuss how Maryland companies can leverage resources to fund and market their international ambitions. Hear from one local company who has successfully taken advantage of these tools. WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Existing companies and startups in the life sciences and health technology industries

OCTOBER 27, 2015 @ 8:00 AM – OCTOBER 29, 2015 @ 5:00 PM

Join us for the 17th Annual National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Technology Transfer Conference. This year’s conference From Washington to Washington: Supporting Small Business Innovation for Health, will provide attendees an opportunity to learn more about the $780 million in annual NIH funding available exclusively for small businesses to perform innovative research and build new businesses based on their technologies.

A Chinese group has become the first to inject a person with cells that contain genes edited using the revolutionary CRISPR–Cas9 technique.

On 28 October, a team led by oncologist Lu You at Sichuan University in Chengdu delivered the modified cells into a patient with aggressive lung cancer as part of a clinical trial at the West China Hospital, also in Chengdu.

A $25,000 contribution from AT&T will help the MdBio Foundation boost science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in Maryland. The contribution supports MdBio programs for underserved high school and rising middle school students, including the MdBioLab, a mobile laboratory that travels across the state giving students hands-on STEM experiences.

Brian Gaines, CEO of the MdBio Foundation, made the announcement during today’s Advancing Tomorrow’s Leaders in STEM (ATLAS) event at the University of Maryland BioPark in Baltimore. ATLAS is a college and career readiness symposium that offers students underrepresented in STEM an opportunity to connect with business leaders, colleges, government agencies and potential employers.

The Tech Council of Maryland is pleased to announce their new chairman and recently named board members representing a diverse coalition of Maryland technology, life sciences, legal and academic professionals.

Incoming Chairman Rene B. LaVigne has over 25 years of sales, marketing, operations, finance and accounting experience in the information technology and financial industries. He also serves as President and Chief Executive of Iron Bow Technologies.

When historians look back at the presidential election of 2016 they will certainly have many questions, but perhaps the biggest one isn’t getting enough attention today. “What the (insert the popular profanity of the future)?” they will likely ask. “Why was there hardly any mention of climate change?” Or will the future inhabitants of Earth be so distracted by survival that they won’t even care what happened in 2016 when the greatest country on the planet at that time denied this problem existed?