480th Edition, November 2, 2021

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November 2, 2021

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BioTalk Welcomes Amritha Jaishankar, PhD, Executive Director, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF)

Amritha Jaishankar, PhD, Executive Director, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF), joins BioTalk to discuss her career, investing in Maryland, and accelerating cures.

Listen via Apple https://apple.co/3ED5uIy, Google https://bit.ly/3EudFqG, Spotify https://spoti.fi/3EudHii, and TuneIn https://bit.ly/3bs9a3u.

Paul Rennie OBE and Professor Jason Snape Join Rich Bendis on BioTalk

Paul Rennie OBE, Counsellor for Global Issues in the Global Economy Group at the British Embassy, Washington DC, and Professor Jason Snape, Head of Environmental Protection within AstraZeneca’s Global Sustainability Team, join Rich Bendis to Discuss Life Sciences, Climate Change, COP26 – UN Climate Change Conference, and The Race to Zero Campaign.

Listen now via Apple https://apple.co/3ls3EEp, Google https://bit.ly/3liTlSU, Spotify https://spoti.fi/3ylxair, and TuneIn https://bit.ly/3rS9Giz.

A US – UK Discussion: How to Conduct Clinical Trials as Seth Toback, Vice President, Clinical Development at Novavax and Divya Chadha Manek, Director of Business Development at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) join Rich Bendis on BioTalk.

Listen now via Apple https://apple.co/3BSIFjn, Google https://bit.ly/3j7YyLt, Spotify https://spoti.fi/2Z474Ec, and TuneIn https://bit.ly/3DUweUz.

Divya Chadha Manek was appointed as the NIHR CRN’s Head of Commercial Business Development in 2015 then in 2020, Divya was seconded to the UK Vaccines Taskforce (VTF) which was set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to lead the UK’s search for a safe and effective vaccine. Divya was responsible for supporting global pharmaceutical companies to rapidly generate the evidence required for marketing authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines. Divya also played a pivotal role in conceptualising and developing the NHS Vaccine Research Registry.

Ellume team for takies the Accenture Australia Award for Product Innovation

Congrats to Dr Sean Parsons and the Ellume team for taking out the Accenture Australia Award for Product Innovation at the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards.

Catalent’s Investment in Expanding its State-of-the-Art Gene Therapy Commercial Manufacturing Campus in Harmans, Maryland, Increases to $360M

SOMERSET, N.J. – October 26, 2021 — Catalent, the global leader in enabling biopharma, cell, gene and consumer health partners to optimize development, launch, and supply of better patient treatments across multiple modalities, today announced a $230 million expansion project to add three further commercial-scale viral vector manufacturing suites and associated support facilities and services at its gene therapy campus in Harmans, Maryland, to meet growing customer demand.

The Harmans campus, located close to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), includes a now fully operational, state-of-the-art U.S. FDA- and EMA-approved facility comprising 10 commercial-scale manufacturing suites. A second facility is under construction following an initial $130 million investment by Catalent in 2020, which will add five new manufacturing suites that are expected to be operational mid-2022. This latest investment will include the construction of three additional multi-room commercial suites, as well as expanding the site’s storage capabilities for just-in-time inventory space, ultra-low temperature freezers, and its water-for-injection infrastructure. When complete at the end of 2022, the campus will house a total of 18 CGMP viral vector manufacturing suites, each designed to accommodate multiple bioreactors up to 2,000-liter scale and enable the execution of commercial manufacturing from cell bank to purified drug substance.

JuneBrain Moves to UM BioPark for Next Growth Phase | UM BioPark

BALTIMORE, MD, OCT. 29, 2021 – The University of Maryland BioPark (UM BioPark) today announced that JuneBrain Inc., a telehealth device company that empowers ophthalmology and neurology communities, joined the UM BioPark as its newest tenant. JuneBrain, a Maryland-based company, is located in the BioPark’s innovation space in the Lion Brothers Building on Hollins Street.

“We are delighted to welcome JuneBrain to our tenant community,” said Jane Shaab, executive director of the UM BioPark. “The BioPark is an ideal fit for emerging technology companies seeking pre-built space to grow. By fostering unique opportunities and connections, we provide a supportive environment that helps companies thrive at any stage in their development.”

BHI EIR Feedback Day November 17th. Register Now!

Are you a biohealth start-up in Maryland, DC or Virginia seeking feedback on your biohealth business idea, pitch deck, or commercialization plan? Schedule your feedback session with BHI EIRs on one of the following dates. Pre-registration is required; Sign up here tinyurl.com/EIRfeedback

For questions/more information, contact BHI.

Maryland Commerce Launches Maryland Innovation Investment Tax Credit – The Southern Maryland Chronicle

BALTIMORE, MD (October 26, 2021) — The Maryland Department of Commerce has launched the Maryland Innovation Investment Tax Credit, which will help foster the growth of the state’s technology sectors by incentivizing investment in early-stage companies. The program, which has $2 million in funding for FY 2022, will also help increase overall investments in current and emerging tech sectors, and boost the number of individual investors in Maryland tech companies.

Applications from potential qualified Maryland technology companies are now being accepted. To submit an application, click here. To be eligible, a company must have 50 employees or less; an aggregate capitalization of at least $100,000; and be in a qualifying tech sector, which includes advanced manufacturing, aerospace, agriculture, artificial intelligence, blue technology, cybersecurity, education, energy and sustainability, financial, life sciences, quantum, and sensors and robotics.

Noble Life Sciences Welcomes Rigoberto Sanchez, Associate Director, Quality Assurance.

Noble Life Sciences is delighted to welcome Rigoberto Sanchez, Associate Director, Quality Assurance (QA).

Dr. Sanchez will be responsible for Quality Assurance and regulatory compliance with Title 21 of the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 58, for studies conducted in accordance with Good Laboratory Practices; animal welfare regulations provided by the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW); the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC); standards provided by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and additional local, state, federal and international regulations.

Image: https://content.noblelifesci.com

MaxCyte Signs Strategic Platform License with Nkarta, Inc. to Advance Natural Killer Cell Therapy Programs

Nkarta to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform to accelerate the development of its oncology cell-therapy candidates

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO and GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MaxCyte, Inc., (Nasdaq: MXCT; LSE: MXCT, MXCN), a leading provider of enabling platform technologies for ex-vivo cell engineering, today announces the signing of a strategic platform license (SPL) with Nkarta, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing engineered natural killer (NK) cell therapies to treat cancer.

Novavax files for authorization of Covid-19 vaccine in UK – Washington Business Journal

Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX) has filed for regulatory approval of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the U.K. — a major step toward seeking approval in more countries, including the U.S.

The Gaithersburg biotech said Wednesday it has completed all of the requirements for its submission to the U.K.’s regulatory agency, after kicking off a rolling review process earlier this year. It’s a big step for the company, which has faced numerous manufacturing challenges that have prolonged its ability to get its protein-based vaccine across the finish line in multiple markets.

Women in Bio Celebrates 20 years and Foundational Roots in the DC area

October 2021, A 2020 survey conducted by BIO found that in the 100 biotech companies surveyed, women made up nearly half of total employees, but accounted for only 31% of executives and 23% of CEOs. Women’s representation suffers a steep decline in leadership positions across the life sciences, and the gap only widens for women of color.

When Lynn Johnson Langer and Debra Bowes, started their careers in the life sciences they both knew that gender diversity was rare, and even scarcer as women entrepreneurs. “Networking events I attended were mainly comprised of men. There were no opportunities to talk with women about their experiences and career opportunities,” said Johnson Langer.

Four Ways Quantum Computing Could Change The World

Organizations and governments around the world are pouring billions of dollars into quantum research and development, with the likes of Google, Microsoft and Intel racing to reach quantum supremacy.

The stakes are high, and with so many major players, the arrival of full-scale quantum computers could be around the corner.

In order to prepare, it’s vital that we as technology leaders educate ourselves on the reality of these machines, and the impacts they could have around the world. Unfortunately, it’s not all positive.

10 from Johns Hopkins elected to National Academy of Medicine | Hub

Ten Johns Hopkins University faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, an independent organization of leading professionals from diverse fields, including health, medicine, and the natural, social, and behavioral sciences. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as adviser for the nation and the international community.

Through its domestic and global initiatives, the academy works to address critical issues in health, medicine and related policy. Membership is considered one of the highest honors in health and medicine.

Image: https://hub.jhu.edu

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