349th Edition – April 16, 2019

View Rich Bendis’ Welcome Presentation from the 2019 BioHealth Capital Region Forum

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– Winning company focused on learning solutions for those with Autism.

Other finalists presented innovative technologies related to Multiple Sclerosis, Spine Alignment, TBI and Oncolytic Immunotherapeutics 

Competition sponsored by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati held during 2019 BioHealth Capital Region Forum –

Judges of the 2019 Crab Trap competition present Floreo Inc. CEO and Co-Founder, Vijay Ravindran their award 

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, April 9, 2018 – Floreo Inc., an early stage startup founded in 2016 which is leveraging the power of virtual reality to deliver immersive, fun, and affordable lessons for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), was chosen from five finalists as the firm with the most commercial potential at the 4th Annual Crab Trap Competition. This year’s judges included industry leaders John Rubin of JP Morgan Private Bank, Charles J. Andres of Wilson Sonsino Goodrich & Rosati’s, Raghav Bhargava  of New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Ethel Rubin of NIH/BHI, John Trainer of AstraZeneca, and Norm Marcus, MD. Of Sanderling Ventures.

The Judges were impressed with Floreo’s CEO and Co-Founder, Vijay Ravindran, presentation of his company’s technology which was inspired by his autistic son’s reaction to virtual reality. Floreo’s library of lessions are currently used in schools, therapy, and homes while providing a supervising adult the opportunity to monitor and track the learner’s progress. Floreo joins previous Crab Trap winners Galen Robotics (2018), LifeSprout (2017) and Sonavex (2016).

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The 5th annual Biohealth Capital Region (BHCR) Forum was held on April 8th and 9th at AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD. Biotech and life science executives and expert speakers from industry, academia, healthcare, government, finance and real estate development, among others, converged to discuss the BHCR’s path forward to becoming a top three U.S. biotech cluster by 2023.

Rich Bendis, CEO of BioHealth Innovation, and host of the forum welcomed the 1,200 registered attendees (double the number of the first forum) with the annual update on the region’s progress towards that goal.  After moving up one spot in 2018 to number four, according to GEN Biotechnology’s annual rankings, the BHCR is building momentum fueled by record VC investment, new lab space and multiple new companies moving into the region.

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Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC and Children’s National Health System (Children’s National) today announced a collaboration to launch JLABS @ Washington, DC, a 32,000-square foot facility to be located at the new Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C. This Children’s National expansion is set on a nearly 12-acre portion of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus in the nation’s capital. The co-location of the Research and Innovation Campus with key partners in the areas of public health research, innovation and incubator space is critical to accelerating the translation of potential breakthrough discoveries into new treatments and technologies. The JLABS @ Washington, DC site will be open to pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and health technology companies that are aiming to advance the development of new drugs, medical devices, precision diagnostics and health technologies, including applications in pediatrics.

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Catalent, Inc. (NYSE: CTLT), the leading global diversified provider of advanced delivery technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics and consumer health products, and Paragon Bioservices, Inc., a leading viral vector development and manufacturing partner for gene therapies, today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Catalent will acquire Paragon for $1.2 billion.

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Paragon Bioservices, the leading private equity-backed biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with proven expertise in gene therapy and next-generation vaccines, celebrated this morning the grand opening of its new, world-class and state-of-the-art 200,000 square-foot GMP gene therapy biomanufacturing facility in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County. The event brought together state and regional political and biopharmaceutical industry leaders. Distinguished guests and speakers at the event included:

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QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE:QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard:QIA) today announced the U.S. launch of its novel therascreen® FGFR RGQ RT-PCR Kit (therascreen FGFR Kit) as a companion diagnostic to help guide the use of the newly approved FGFR kinase inhibitor, BALVERSA™ (erdafitinib), developed by Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen). The test will aid in identifying patients with urothelial cancer whose tumors have certain alterations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration co-approved the new test with BALVERSA™, as announced today by Janssen.

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The uptake of continuous manufacturing, a faster and more flexible production process, has lagged in the risk-averse pharma and biotech industries.

Still, a number of the larger companies have dipped their toes in the water, including GlaxoSmithKline, Vertex, Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly. In addition to its collaboration with CPI, GlaxoSmithKline is working with the Center for Structured Organic Particulate Systems at Rutgers University to expand its knowledge of continuous manufacturing.

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities is accepting applications for two $125,000 Alexandria LaunchLabs Innovation Prizes for entrepreneurs who can win support for their emerging businesses and a year’s worth of space at the Cambridge, MA, startup facility by showing what the urban life-sciences real estate investment trust says is excellence in early-stage science, leadership, and business strategy.

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The American Cancer Society has awarded three new grants to support and further cancer research in Maryland.

Each grant is funded for multiple years and together total nearly $2 million in cancer research funding. Since 1946, the society has awarded more than 1,091 grants to researchers in Maryland.

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Baltimore is brimming with entrepreneurial talent. A new generation of CEOs and inventors are emerging right here in Baltimore with companies that are revolutionizing the life science & healthcare industries. The local community of universities and investors, coupled with the broader assets of the BioHealth Capital Region, has provided a lush ecosystem for innovators to take their ideas to the next level.

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Applied Biosciences Corp. (OTCQB: APPB), a diversified cannabinoid therapeutics company focused on the medical, bioceutical, testing and pet health industries, announced that is has retained the Emmes Group to assist with the development and execution of the Company’s partnership and technology licensing initiatives and strategies.

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UMBC’s underdog basketball team did not pull off another stunning upset this year, but the school’s scientists continue to conquer the STEM world.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, just announced that they will put part of their enormous wealth behind an effort to spread the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s successful STEM honors program to two University of California colleges.

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Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: RNN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies to improve patient outcomes in cancers that are difficult to treat, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a one-for-twelve (1-for-12) reverse stock split of its common stock that will become effective Friday, April 12, 2019, upon the filing of a Certificate of Amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of the State of Delaware. Beginning on April 12, 2019, Rexahn’s common stock will trade on NYSE American on a reverse split-adjusted basis under the new CUSIP number 761640309.

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In mid-November 2018, Amazon grabbed headlines when it announced it will build part of its new headquarters in Northern Virginia.1 The site for HQ2 had been long-awaited after a national “beauty contest.” Amazon decided to place major new office complexes in the Crystal City section of Arlington, which is being renamed National Landing. This will rejuvenate an area filled with office buildings that were developed in the 1970s, and once housed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and various patent law firms that have now relocated to Alexandria.

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For a second year in a row, D.C. metro area venture capital funding in the first quarter dropped when compared to the previous quarter. In the first quarter of 2019, venture capital activity in the D.C. metro area totaled $323 million invested in 47 deals, according to data from a recent PwC/CB Insights MoneyTree report.

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Generally speaking the aim of active stock picking is to find companies that provide returns that are superior to the market average. Buying under-rated businesses is one path to excess returns. For example, long term QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE:QGEN) shareholders have enjoyed a 94% share price rise over the last half decade, well in excess of the market return of around 47% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven’t been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 27%.

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The wisdom of Warren Buffett reflects a value-based philosophy about investing that says investors are buying shares in a business, and encourages strategic thinking about investment time horizon. Before placing a buy order for a stock, a great question we can ask is whether we would still be comfortable making the investment if we couldn’t sell it for many years?

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Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH / TSX: AUP) (“Aurinia” or the “Company”), a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the global immunology market, today announced the appointment of Mr. Peter Greenleaf as Chief Executive Officer and as a Director on the Aurinia Board. The Company also announced the elevation of George M. Milne, Jr., Ph.D. to Chairman of the Board of Directors. Dr. Richard M. Glickman, who previously announced his plans to retire on November 6, 2018, will step down from his role as Chairman and CEO concurrent with Mr. Greenleaf’s appointment on April 29, 2019, and will remain an advisor to the Company for a period of 12 months.

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation clusters, today celebrates the inaugural member class of seed- and early-stage life science companies at the Alexandria LaunchLabs® – Cambridge with a highly curated Grand Opening event. The 20,000 RSF space, located at the Alexandria Center® at One Kendall Square, is now home to 13 new member companies rigorously selected from a deep pool of applicants based on the quality of their science, leadership teams and business strategies. Alexandria also offers a unique opportunity to access capital through the Alexandria Seed Capital Platform, which is led by Alexandria Venture Investments and supported by a preeminent group of member biopharmaceutical and venture entities. The Alexandria Seed Capital Platform recently closed on its first investment in a Cambridge‑based company.

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You’re about to go under the knife and the anesthesia is taking hold. Is it better to look up and see a robot surgeon with autonomous capabilities looming over you, or an old-fashioned human doctor?

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