454th Edition, May 4, 2021

Gain Therapeutics CEO Eric Richman joins BioTalk to Discuss His Career, Redefining Drug Discovery, and Ventures in the BioHealth Capital Region and Beyond.

Listen now on Apple https://apple.co/3vB8mS3, Google https://bit.ly/2QI3xrb, Spotify https://spoti.fi/33021mT, and TuneIn https://bit.ly/2S7Yuk4.

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BETHESDA, Md., May 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gain Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GANX) (“Gain”), a biotechnology company focused on redefining drug discovery by using super-computational methods to target allosteric binding sites and guide enzymes back to their proper shape, today announced new pre-clinical data from its GBA1 Parkinson’s disease program. The findings were highlighted in a presentation at the XXVI International Association of Parkinsonism and Related Disorders (IAPRD) World Congress, a research conference dedicated to Parkinson’s disease and other disorders affecting muscle tone and motor control, being held virtually May 1-4, 2021.

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Matan Companies announces today plans to transform its Milestone Business Park into a vibrant and collaborative life sciences destination known as Milestone Innovation Park. The key component of the evolution is the addition of 532,000 square feet of best-in-class biomanufacturing and life science research space in three, brand new facilities. This highly sought-after location sits along the I-270 Biotech Corridor with prominent visibility on I-270 at Father Hurley Boulevard in Germantown, MD., centrally located between NIH in Bethesda and Fort Detrick in Frederick. Just 20 miles northwest of Downtown Washington D.C., the site offers easy access to points north and south via I-270 and points east via the Intercounty Connector (ICC). Once complete Milestone Innovation Park will be one the largest, science-based destinations in the BioHealth region at over 1.2 million square feet.

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A potential vaccine has brought new life to the embattled Gaithersburg biotech.

Image: Novavax CEO Stanley Erck, left, and Gregory Glenn, head of research and development, at Novavax’s office in Gaithersburg. EMAN MOHAMMED

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The University of Maryland will house an incubator for quantum computing startups, offering access to high-quality internet and connections with potential customers, the school announced last week.

The university will spend $25 million to create the Quantum Startup Foundry, according to a press release. The $25 million comes from state investment and from the university’s Discovery Fund. The program will include a physical space for the startups on the school’s College Park campus, including offices and labs.

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On a first-quarter earnings call Thursday, Emergent’s CEO addressed a turbulent month for the Gaithersburg biopharmaceutical company.

Image: https://www.bizjournals.com

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Montgomery County, Maryland, was a leader in biotechnology before COVID-19 hit, ranking among the highest in the nation for the number of life sciences companies, and the pandemic has only fueled the industry’s growth.

That means more high-paying jobs and demand for research and laboratory-suitable real estate.

There are currently 650 companies operating in the bio-health area in Maryland, including biotechnology and medical device manufacturers. The majority are early-stage companies, but many are now transitioning to later-stage and product manufacturing. Some are well established.

Image: https://biobuzz.io

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André Marshall will draw from his life experience across innovation and workforce development to drive Mason to new heights, he says.

Image: Andre Marshall, is set to become George Mason University’s vice president for research, innovation and economic development on July 1. – George Mason University – Ron Aira

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Around Baltimore, folks tend to analyze economic trends through three vantage points: the city, the region and the state. No matter which level you’re looking at, data on venture capital shows that the first quarter of 2021 brought an influx of investment for local emerging companies.

Data from the latest MoneyTree report by PwC/CB Insights shows that Maryland companies received a collective $562 million in investment over 24 deals. It was a nearly 68% increase in the number of dollars and a 26% increase in the number of deals from the fourth quarter of 2020, which capped off a big year of investment in the pandemic.

Image: nsightin Health’s team in the South Baltimore office. (Courtesy photo)

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Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ Washington, DC: We did it! Persevering through a time of great challenge and change, today we’re happy to share that we’ve opened our doors in a thriving ecosystem, to entrepreneurs, early-stage companies and the life sciences community.

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Oxford, UK – Vaccitech plc (“Vaccitech”) (Nasdaq: VACC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel immunotherapeutics and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases and cancer, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering in the United States of 6,500,000 American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) representing 6,500,000 ordinary shares at an initial public offering price of $17.00 per ADS for total gross proceeds of $110.5 million. All ADSs sold in the offering are being offered by Vaccitech. The ADSs are expected to begin trading on The Nasdaq Global Market on April 30, 2021 under the ticker symbol “VACC.” In addition, Vaccitech has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 975,000 ADSs at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The offering is expected to close on May 4, 2021, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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Novavax is aiming to seek Emergency Use Authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine NVX-CoV2373 later this spring. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives it the green light, the Maryland-based company could see revenue of approximately $1.8 billion in sales by the end of the year.

Data and analytics company GlobalData pegged the potential revenue for Novavax based on a potential authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies across the globe. The revenue stream from the vaccine is expected to continue well past the close of business for 2021. GlobalData forecast Novavax’s vaccine will generate $33.3 billion from expected authorization this spring through 2027. A peak forecast of $7.2 billion is expected in 2027 alone, according to the report.

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Women Building Bio 2021 is just around the corner.

Save the date for September 30th to join our 6th year of Women Building Bio. An event always focused on advancing the bioscience through collaboration between industry and academia, researchers and innovators, professionals and decision-makers.

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The five health care-focused cohort members were selected from a pool of 120 applicants.

Image: LifeBridge Health and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield have partnered to launch a new incubator for health startups, called 1501 Health CAREFIRST/LIFEBRIDGE

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Locally Researched by: Carolyn M. Proctor, Washington Business Journal Apr 30, 2021, 6:00am EDT

Source: The companies, Form 990s, SEC filings and regional economic development agencies

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Are you a servant leader of leaders? Can you “GiveFirst” with no expectation of anything in return? Do you believe that collaboration drives innovation? Do you believe that entrepreneurs can change the world? If so read on…

We are seeking a Managing Director (MD) who can ake the helm and lead our Accelerator and investment strategy for Techstars in Baltimore, Maryland . Your focus is to invest in the best founders, companies and support them from ideation to exit. You will actively recruit, select, mentor and guide founders through challenges, critical decisions, strategy, tactics, securing investment, making hard decisions and celebrating their wins. You will be directly supported by a Program Manager (PM) who focuses on program operations and with you, executing the Techstars proven playbook and delivering the best possible experience for Founders.

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This is a complimentary webinar – the optional attendee list is $39. For registration questions, please email Elizabeth Baker at liz.baker@bisnow.com

What You’ll Learn:

– Why immunology companies with groundbreaking vaccine, cell and gene therapy work are thriving in Montgomery County, MD, home to the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and 38 federal labs

-How the Montgomery County ecosystem supports companies fast tracking to develop and commercialize products

– Where the region stands on a national and international scale as home to a vibrant, growing life sciences sector

– Why top life science tenants are growing and moving to Montgomery County, MD and the DMV

Image: https://www.bisnow.com

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Infectious disease therapies have been awarded the highest number of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants over the last 20 years, according to GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center’s deals database. The Covid-19 pandemic shed light on the importance of funding for drug development in this crucial therapy area. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programmes encourage innovation and technological development from small businesses with a focus on commercialisation. These programmes allocate hundreds of grants each year for infectious disease commercialisation, especially at crucial early stages of development.

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A Virginia Beach biotech accelerator program announced more than five years ago as a way to attract a booming, high-salary industry to the area has completed lab construction and is finally looking for tenants.

The VABeachBio Accelerator finished construction in February and is now accepting lease applications. The 5,700-sqaure-foot office and lab space is in the Convergence II office near the intersection of Independence Boulevard and Interstate 264.

Image: https://www.pilotonline.com

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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.

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Montgomery County, Maryland, was a leader in biotechnology before COVID-19 hit, ranking among the highest in the nation for the number of life sciences companies, and the pandemic has only fueled the industry’s growth.

That means more high-paying jobs and demand for research and laboratory-suitable real estate.

Image: TCR² Therapeutics’ future lab space will be built in Rockville, Maryland. (Courtesy JLL)

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