BHI Weekly News Archives

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

For Investors:

This is where you’ll find what’s next. The conference showcases a vetted lineup of companies spanning therapeutics, diagnostics, digital health, AI-powered solutions, and other transformative technologies. You’ll hear live pitch presentations and quick-pitches on the main stage from top applicants,  including standout participants from the previous day’s Crab Trap Competition.

Investors will schedule targeted meetings with presenting companies and engage with the region’s leading commercialization partners, accelerators, and research institutions. Whether you’re looking to make your next investment or build your pipeline, this is one of the best opportunities of the year to do it.

Investor registration is open now:
https://bit.ly/BHCRIC2025

For Startups and Entrepreneurs:

The Investment Conference is designed for companies ready to raise capital or build relationships with the investors who matter most in the BioHealth space. Whether you’re seeking Seed, Series A, or strategic partnerships, this event puts you directly in front of potential funders and collaborators.

BioHealth Capital Region Week returns for its 11th year, and registration is now officially open. Scheduled for September 23–25, 2025, this annual gathering will once again take place at US Pharmacopeia (USP) in Rockville, Maryland, bringing together leaders from across the biohealth ecosystem for three days of innovation, connection, and forward-thinking dialogue.

This year’s theme—“Where Human and Artificial Intelligence Converge in the BioHealth Industry”—will guide Forum discussions as experts from across industry, government, and academia explore how AI is reshaping drug development, diagnostics, health data, and the future of care delivery.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available at multiple levels, including standard, lunch, networking reception, VIP dinner, and display table options. Sponsors receive prominent visibility throughout the event and exclusive access to the region’s top biohealth leaders.

Applications are now open for the 9th Annual Crab Trap Competition, one of the signature events of BioHealth Capital Region Week 2025, taking place on Wednesday, September 24, during Day 2 of the BioHealth Capital Region Forum at US Pharmacopeia (USP) in Rockville, Maryland.

The Crab Trap showcases emerging startups developing high-impact innovations in therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, and other transformative areas of healthcare. Finalists will pitch live to a panel of expert judges in front of a high-profile audience of industry leaders, investors, and commercialization partners.

The winning company will receive a valuable package of services and recognition to help accelerate its growth.

Click here to apply to compete in the Crab Trap.

Deadline to apply: AUGUST 29, 2025

Applications are now open for the 9th Annual Crab Trap Competition, one of the signature events of BioHealth Capital Region Week 2025, taking place on Wednesday, September 24, during Day 2 of the BioHealth Capital Region Forum at US Pharmacopeia (USP) in Rockville, Maryland.

The Crab Trap showcases emerging startups developing high-impact innovations in therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, and other transformative areas of healthcare. Finalists will pitch live to a panel of expert judges in front of a high-profile audience of industry leaders, investors, and commercialization partners.

The winning company will receive a valuable package of services and recognition to help accelerate its growth.

Click here to apply to compete in the Crab Trap.

Deadline to apply: AUGUST 29, 2025

In a new video feature, BioHealth Innovation’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Kwame Ulmer offers a candid and experienced take on the evolving FDA landscape and its impact on medical device innovation.

As Managing Partner at MedTech Impact Partners, Kwame brings more than two decades of regulatory expertise to the table. His experience includes twelve years in leadership roles at the FDA, culminating as Deputy Director and Branch Chief, where he personally evaluated over 1,000 medical technologies. Today, he advises startups on regulatory strategy, supports complex submissions including de novo, PMA, and 510(k), and helps medtech founders navigate an increasingly uncertain regulatory environment.

BioHealth Capital Region Week returns for its 11th year, and registration is now officially open. Scheduled for September 23–25, 2025, this annual gathering will once again take place at US Pharmacopeia (USP) in Rockville, Maryland, bringing together leaders from across the biohealth ecosystem for three days of innovation, connection, and forward-thinking dialogue.

This year’s theme—“Where Human and Artificial Intelligence Converge in the BioHealth Industry”—will guide Forum discussions as experts from across industry, government, and academia explore how AI is reshaping drug development, diagnostics, health data, and the future of care delivery.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available at multiple levels, including standard, lunch, networking reception, VIP dinner, and display table options. Sponsors receive prominent visibility throughout the event and exclusive access to the region’s top biohealth leaders.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) today announced it has been awarded a $62.4 million contract modification from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for BAT^® [Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) – (Equine)]. The modification has been made to the existing 10-year contract with ASPR (75A50119C00075) whereby Emergent will supply BAT^®, an antitoxin used in the treatment of symptomatic botulism following suspected or confirmed exposure to botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A, B, C, D, E, F, or G in both adults and pediatric patients.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Altimmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALT), a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel peptide-based therapeutics for liver and cardiometabolic diseases, today announced positive topline results from the IMPACT Phase 2b trial of pemvidutide in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

UVA Health has received two anonymous $25 million estate gifts to support the University of Virginia’s Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology. The $50 million of additional support for the institute enabled UVA Health to top its $1 billion fundraising goal in UVA’s Honor the Future campaign, which concludes this month. 

“I’m deeply grateful for the generosity and vision of these donors, whose contributions will help us to realize the full potential of the Manning Institute, and for everyone who has helped UVA Health reach this milestone,” said UVA President Jim Ryan. “These extraordinary gifts will support the Manning Institute’s research and aid in developing new treatments for hard-to-treat or incurable diseases, which will change lives across the Commonwealth and beyond.”

The 2025 BIO International Convention brought together over 20,000 life sciences leaders from across the globe. BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), led by Founder, President, and CEO Rich Bendis, was proud to represent both the organization and the broader BioHealth Capital Region (BHCR) during this year’s gathering in Boston.

As one of the most wide-ranging events in the biotech industry, BIO 2025 served as a platform to showcase the BioHealth Capital Region’s unique strengths. The region, encompassing Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, presented a united front of innovation and economic vitality. Maryland and Virginia each hosted pavilions that attracted strong traffic and engagement, while the District’s leadership was prominently involved in cross-jurisdiction conversations.

“There was a great deal of interaction between the members of the BHCR during the Convention and it culminated with the First Annual BHCR Breakfast on Wednesday the 18th,” said Bendis. “Virginia also had their own breakfast on Tuesday the 17th and Maryland had a well-attended evening reception that same day. These events made it clear just how committed the region is to growing together.”

The BioHealth Capital Region BIO Breakfast, hosted at Maryland Tech Council Member, Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The breakfast brought together stakeholders from all three jurisdictions, reaffirming a shared commitment to growing the region’s life sciences economy. The breakfast was headlined by a panel discussion including Harry Coker, Jr, Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce; Derek Ford, President & CEO, Washington DC Economic Partnership; Rachel Rath, Head of JLABs @ Washington D.C., and Joe Benevento, CEO, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation. BHI’s Rich Bendis served as the moderator for this panel.

In this episode of BioTalk, Lara Mangravite, PhD, Executive Director of Digitalis Commons, joins the conversation to explore how scientific research is shifting in the U.S., from centralized, institutional models to a more decentralized, innovation-driven landscape. She shares the mission of Digitalis Commons and explains how the organization is working at the intersection of technology, research, and public good to address systemic barriers in health and healthcare. Drawing from her recent article, “Notes on Catalyzing Health,” Lara discusses the growing role of independent research institutions, the challenges of fragmentation, and why this moment calls for new leadership models and public-interest partnerships that can drive coordinated, high-impact solutions.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:
Apple: https://apple.co/4jXJdK0
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4jWAdVm
iHeart: https://ihr.fm/3G800vX
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SZGR2g
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4k2hF6h
TuneIn: https://bit.ly/445al3F

BioHealth Capital Region Week returns for its 11th year, and registration is now officially open. Scheduled for September 23–25, 2025, this annual gathering will once again take place at US Pharmacopeia (USP) in Rockville, Maryland, bringing together leaders from across the biohealth ecosystem for three days of innovation, connection, and forward-thinking dialogue.

This year’s theme—“Where Human and Artificial Intelligence Converge in the BioHealth Industry”—will guide Forum discussions as experts from across industry, government, and academia explore how AI is reshaping drug development, diagnostics, health data, and the future of care delivery.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available at multiple levels, including standard, lunch, networking reception, VIP dinner, and display table options. Sponsors receive prominent visibility throughout the event and exclusive access to the region’s top biohealth leaders.

BOSTON, MA – This week, Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna K. Miller led a Maryland delegation to the BIO International Convention in Boston, Massachusetts where she and members of the Department of Commerce promoted Maryland as a national hub for life sciences. 

The BIO International Convention is the world’s largest biotech industry event, bringing together leaders from more than 60 countries across the global biotechnology ecosystem—including biopharma companies, academic institutions, startups, investors, and government officials—to share insights, build partnerships, and showcase innovation. 

Maryland was among the most well-represented states at the convention as Lt. Governor Miller and Commerce Secretary Harry Coker, Jr. were joined by County Executives Marc Elrich and Jessica Fitzwater, Maryland Tech Council CEO Kelly Schulz, a delegation of 15 Maryland-based life sciences startup companies, and several other public and private sector leaders. 

“Maryland is America’s biotech frontier,” said Lt. Governor Miller. “This week we were proud to showcase why 5,000 life science companies call our state home and why Maryland is a place where potential meets performance, and innovation meets mission. With one of the most robust pipelines for STEM talent in the country and unmatched assets like our universities and life sciences sector, we’re not just keeping pace, we’re setting the standard.” 

COLUMBIA, Md., (June 17, 2025) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $500,000 dual investment in Astek Diagnostics, a biomedical company. This investment came from both the Pre-Seed Builder Fund, part of TEDCO’s Social Impact Funds, which supports Maryland’s underrepresented startup communities, and the Venture Funds, dedicated to funding and growing the next generation of early-stage businesses in the state.

Astek Diagnostics, based in Baltimore, Md., is a medical technology company working to transform infectious disease management through its Jiddu™ Platform—a diagnostic system that aims to deliver antibiotic susceptibility results in under one hour. Designed to support faster, more targeted treatment decisions, the platform addresses infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), sepsis and wound infections. Unlike traditional culture-based methods, which take 48 to 72 hours, Astek’s phenotypic approach aims to provide results at the point of care, hopefully reducing wait times without compromising precision.

BALTIMORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Infinity Bio, a biotechnology company pioneering technologies to map immune responses at scale, today announced the successful closing of an $8 million Series A financing round. The round was led by Illumina Ventures, with participation from PTX Capital, Blackbird BioVentures, and Propel Baltimore Fund.

As part of the strategic plan to broaden its suite of service offerings, Infinity Bio has acquired the assets of Serimmune, Inc., which was founded in 2014 to provide unbiased antibody reactome services. New MIPSA™ service offerings, including EnviroSIGHT™, are also expected to launch in the second half of 2025.

Infinity Bio will use the proceeds to expand its commercial footprint, accelerate development of its proprietary MIPSA™ platform, and launch new immune profiling services. The platform enables unbiased, high-resolution analysis of the antibody reactome, an emerging field critical to understanding immune responses in health and disease.

BioHealth Capital Region Week returns for its 11th year, and registration is now officially open. Scheduled for September 23–25, 2025, this annual gathering will once again take place at US Pharmacopeia (USP) in Rockville, Maryland, bringing together leaders from across the biohealth ecosystem for three days of innovation, connection, and forward-thinking dialogue.

This year’s theme—“Where Human and Artificial Intelligence Converge in the BioHealth Industry”—will guide Forum discussions as experts from across industry, government, and academia explore how AI is reshaping drug development, diagnostics, health data, and the future of care delivery.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available at multiple levels, including standard, lunch, networking reception, VIP dinner, and display table options. Sponsors receive prominent visibility throughout the event and exclusive access to the region’s top biohealth leaders.

In this episode of BioTalk, Amy C. Hay, Chief Business and Strategy Officer at the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center (CTMC), joins the conversation to explore the evolving landscape of cell and gene therapy. Amy shares insights from her extensive career in oncology care and innovation, highlighting the role CTMC—a joint venture between National Resilience and MD Anderson Cancer Center—is playing in accelerating the transition from discovery to commercialization. She discusses the current state of the industry, what disruption really means in this context, and how new business models can drive stability and impact for early-stage biotech companies. Amy also offers her perspective on how manufacturing must evolve to meet clinical demand, and how CTMC is positioned to lead in this next era of therapeutic development.

Listen now via your favorite podcast platform:

Apple: https://apple.co/44dfCYa
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45SJ3Qv
iHeart: https://ihr.fm/4k7Ck9b
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4jYZ23e
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4k7CoFX
TuneIn: https://bit.ly/3HyBF2X 

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced that the Maryland Department of Commerce has awarded 10 grants totaling $6.95 million through the Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program. The recipients represent projects that will support innovation infrastructure development in eligible technology sectors.

“Maryland will win the decade by making strategic investments in high-growth sectors,” said Gov. Moore. “The latest round of Build Our Future grants provides key infrastructure funding to projects supporting life sciences, clean tech, cybersecurity, and agriculture. Today’s announcement marks an important continuation of our longstanding work to grow our economy, create jobs, and leave no one behind.”

Maryland business researching treatment options for a debilitating illness

COLUMBIA, Md., (June 16, 2025) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $100,000 Pre-Seed Builder Fund investment in Higher Medicine. The Pre-Seed Builder Fund is housed under the Social Impact Funds, an umbrella of investment opportunities that seek to provide eligible entrepreneurs with access to support and capital.

“Kabuki syndrome is a rare genetic disorder in children that results in developmental delays, distinct facial features, and various medical complications throughout life,” said Leo Kim, Ph.D, founder and CEO of Higher Medicine. “We are looking to give hope to those impacted by developing a treatment that addresses the root causes, rather than symptomatic relief only. With TEDCO’s investment, we are excited to continue forward.”

ROCKVILLE, Md. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUPN) and Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SAGE), today announced a definitive agreement for Supernus to acquire Sage through a tender offer for $8.50 per share in cash (or an aggregate of approximately $561 million), payable at closing, plus one non-tradable contingent value right (CVR) collectively worth up to $3.50 per share in cash (or an aggregate of approximately $234 million), for total consideration of $12.00 per share in cash (or an aggregate of up to approximately $795 million). The CVR is payable upon achieving certain net sales and commercial milestones. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025.

BETHESDA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BrainScope®, a leader in AI-enabled EEG technology for brain health assessment, today announced the launch of its next-generation deep learning platform. BrainScope developed and has commercialized the first FDA-cleared AI/machine learning medical device in the field of neurology. Building on that foundation in machine learning, BrainScope’s new capabilities enhance its ability to deliver fast, objective, and clinically actionable insights across brain health conditions including concussion, stroke, and early Alzheimer’s detection.

In this episode of BioTalk, Sam Tetlow, Founder and CEO of Grant Engine, joins the conversation to share insights on how early-stage biotech and life science companies can navigate today’s complex federal funding environment. With a career spanning entrepreneurship, investment, and grant strategy, Sam breaks down what’s changed under the current administration, how companies should position themselves for success, and the durable tactics that still matter in securing SBIRs, ARPA-H contracts, and other non-dilutive awards. He also discusses the evolving priorities at HHS, the role of program officers, and how Grant Engine is adapting to help clients align with shifting agency goals. This episode builds on the upcoming June 10th, 2025 webinar co-hosted by Sam and BioHealth Innovation’s Rich Bendis, “Turning Uncertainty to Opportunity: Mastering Government Funding in 2025.” Learn more and register at: https://info.grantengine.com/turning-uncertainty-into-opportunity-mastering-government-funding-in-2025

Listen via your favorite podcast platform:
Apple – https://apple.co/4jEWGWO
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/3HIa5Qx
iHeart – https://ihr.fm/4dWwB4y
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4jELdqn
YouTube – https://bit.ly/3HHIwqA
TuneIn –  https://bit.ly/2M60Wmx

Navigating the Shifting Federal Funding Landscape

Strategies, Insights, and AI-Driven Approaches for Winning Non-Dilutive Capital

The federal funding landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. With a new administration in office, the dynamics of securing non-dilutive capital are shifting—requiring organizations to move strategically and with precision to stay ahead. In this high-impact 45-minute session, Grant Engine and BioHealth Innovation bring together their leadership to break down the latest changes, clarify what remains uncertain, and showcase what top-performing companies are doing right now to secure meaningful, large-scale funding.

Lab will help enable broader adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and state-of-the-art quality solutions 

Rockville, MD – June 4, 2025 – The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) announced today the opening of its Advanced Technologies Laboratory in Rockville, Maryland. USP will use this lab, and related solutions and expertise, to develop, pilot, and scale innovations that foster more efficient and expanded production of quality medicines for stronger and more secure supply chains. 

The lab expands USP capabilities to help manufacturers overcome barriers in the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies by developing new approaches and processes for flow chemistry and additive manufacturing coupled with advanced analytical techniques such as process analytical technologies (PAT) that can enable real-time quality monitoring. The lab will also support development of alternative and novel synthetic routes to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and key starting materials. Taken together, these capabilities are essential in efforts to create stronger supply chains through strategic onshoring, distributed manufacturing, and personalized medicine. 

Charlottesville, VA – June 5, 2025 – Luminoah, a medical device company transforming chronic disease care through personalized enteral nutrition delivery, announced today that it has been selected to join the MedTech Innovator 2025 Accelerator Cohort. Luminoah is one of only 65 companies—representing the top 4% of nearly 1,500 global applicants—chosen for this year’s program.

MedTech Innovator (MTI) is the world’s largest accelerator for medical technology startups. The highly competitive four-month program provides participants with world-class mentorship, strategic guidance, and access to a robust network of investors, providers, payers, manufacturers, and industry experts.

“We are honored to join this year’s MedTech Innovator cohort,” said Neal Piper, Founder and CEO of Luminoah. “This opportunity gives us a powerful platform to validate our technology, accelerate key partnerships, and expand the reach of our mission to set a new standard in enteral nutrition.”

ROCKVILLE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GlycoMimetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GLYC) (“GlycoMimetics”) today announced that its stockholders have approved the proposed merger (the “Merger”) with Crescent Biopharma, Inc. (“Crescent”), along with all proposals related to the Merger. The proposals were voted upon at GlycoMimetics’ special meeting in lieu of the annual meeting of stockholders held on June 5, 2025 (the “Special Meeting”), including a reverse stock split of GlycoMimetics’ common stock to be effected at the discretion of the board of directors of GlycoMimetics (the “Board”) within the parameters approved by GlycoMimetics’ stockholders.

COLUMBIA, Md., June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission (“Commission“) is pleased to announce the release of Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the July 2025 funding cycle. The deadline for application submissions is July 9, 2025.

The upcoming cycle supports a broad spectrum of grant programs, including early-stage basic research, translational efforts, clinical trials and manufacturing support. Maryland-based academic institutions, nonprofits and companies are encouraged to apply. Additionally, companies/non-profit entities outside Maryland are eligible to apply, provided the funded research occurs within the state. Supplemental funding is available for research projects involving collaboration between public and private sectors, accelerating the development of therapies for unmet medical needs.

In this episode of BioTalk, we welcome Rick Wieczorek, President and CEO of the NIH Federal Credit Union (NIHFCU), to discuss how credit unions like NIHFCU are uniquely positioned to support the biohealth and healthcare communities. With over 40 years of industry experience, Rick shares his journey from teller to CEO and reflects on NIHFCU’s 85-year history, its mission-driven approach to service, and the importance of tailoring financial solutions to meet the needs of life science professionals. He also explains the benefits of membership, the value of the NIHFCU “At Work” program for employers, and how the credit union’s “Banking with Heart” philosophy is making a difference across the BioHealth Capital Region.

Listen now via your favorite podcasting platform:
Apple –  https://apple.co/4jrwyi8
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/4km1v8L
iHeart – https://ihr.fm/3T0HZlY
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3FIwdts
YouTube – https://bit.ly/3T22kYd
TuneIn – https://bit.ly/3T8MgUt

Navigating the Shifting Federal Funding Landscape

Strategies, Insights, and AI-Driven Approaches for Winning Non-Dilutive Capital

The federal funding landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. With a new administration in office, the dynamics of securing non-dilutive capital are shifting—requiring organizations to move strategically and with precision to stay ahead. In this high-impact 45-minute session, Grant Engine and BioHealth Innovation bring together their leadership to break down the latest changes, clarify what remains uncertain, and showcase what top-performing companies are doing right now to secure meaningful, large-scale funding.

FREDERICK, Md., May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cartesian Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNAC) (“Cartesian” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering cell therapy for autoimmune diseases, today announced that the first participant has been enrolled in its Phase 3 AURORA trial of Descartes-08 in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG).

Descartes-08, Cartesian’s lead cell therapy candidate, is an autologous engineered chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) product candidate targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Descartes-08 is designed to be administered without preconditioning chemotherapy in an outpatient setting and does not use integrating vectors.

GERMANTOWN, Md., May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Senseonics Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: SENS), a medical technology company focused on the development and manufacturing of long-term, implantable continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems for people with diabetes, today announced the closing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of a total of 115,000,000 shares of its common stock, which included the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to an additional 15,000,000 shares of common stock, at a public offering price of $0.50 per share.

The aggregate gross proceeds from the public offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses were $57.5 million. All of the shares in the offering were sold by Senseonics.

Bethesda, Maryland – The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) and MDC Studio, Inc (MDC) are proud to announce their groundbreaking collaboration through the HJF-MDC Venture Fund LLC.

This collaboration aims to revolutionize medical technology development and commercialization, benefiting military and civilian health care sectors.

The HJF-MDC Collaboration

This new initiative seeks to grow existing collaborations to accelerate the development and commercialization of dual-use medical technologies for military and civilian applications. As part of this initiative, MDC Studio has established a satellite office within HJF’s innovation facility in Bethesda, Maryland.

Introducing the HJF-MDC Venture Fund

HJF and MDC formed the HJF-MDC Venture Fund, as an independent entity that aims to invest in a diversified portfolio of early-stage companies commercializing military medical technologies with civilian applications. HJF is participating as a non-voting member of the Fund with a minority interest. The Fund’s focus areas include medical devices, wearables for health, and rehabilitation / assistive robotics. The Fund will be overseen by a Board of Managers, who will make investment decisions based on objective selection criteria, including alignment with military medical needs, benefits to civilian health, risks, and expected returns.

By Nate Doughty – Staff Reporter, Washington Business Journal – Virginia Tech this week unveiled the Institute for Advanced Computing at its Potomac Yard campus to offer academic and research opportunities in AI and quantum computing — and it’s looking for more companies to work with.

At buildout, the institute will employ 50 full-time faculty members and occupy about a third of Virginia Tech’s Academic Building One, a $302 million, 300,000-square-foot facility in Alexandria that opened in January. That’s all somewhat subject to grant funding, enrollment and the total number of partnerships, according to Kirk Cameron, professor of computer science at Virginia Tech and interim director of the institute.

By Sara Gilgore – Staff Reporter, Washington Business Journal – May 21, 2025 – Once the Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a plan to cut 10,000 positions, United Therapeutics Corp. didn’t waste time.

The publicly traded Silver Spring drugmaker saw an opportunity to scoop up some of that talent, hiring a handful of former HHS employees, including from the Food and Drug Administration, and entering into consulting agreements with others, according to Dewey Steadman, UT’s head of investor relations. The 1,305-person company, which counts about 250 D.C.-area employees, has even created a role for one professional with “specific skills that are critical to us,” he said.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: UTHR) isn’t alone. AstraZeneca, Lonza Group, Kite Pharmaceuticals and Thermo Fisher Scientific are among the local life sciences firms actively hiring, and while no one is cheering the loss of so many public-sector jobs, “there’s a clear opportunity to connect federal talent with private-sector innovation,” said Richard Bendis, president and CEO of Rockville’s BioHealth Innovation Inc.

“These are folks with deep regulatory, scientific, and policy expertise who know how to navigate complex systems and bring big ideas to life,” Bendis said. “And in a region like ours, that’s a serious asset.”

University research has grabbed plenty of headlines over the past few months. Not for the breakthroughs that propel so much of American innovation. Not for the work that advances our health and well-being, that protects our safety, our security, our sustainability. Even so, the discoveries keep coming.

No, the new headlines about academic research deal in the grave threats it now faces: massive cuts in the way university R&D is funded, the revocation of grants that don’t align with federal priorities, the slow-walking of new grant approvals.

Defending science and scientific inquiry is vital right now, for all the reasons you might imagine—and for one you might not. When academic research is an integrated, meaningful part of the undergraduate experience, it develops students into more critical and creative thinkers, better communicators, collaborators, and problem solvers. Undergraduate research builds learners’ confidence and focuses their career plans. It predicts better grades and graduation rates, and reduces equity gaps, particularly in STEM. Students consistently say that research is among the most valuable components of their college career.

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — REGENXBIO Inc. (Nasdaq: RGNX) today announced the closure of a non-dilutive, limited recourse royalty bond agreement of up to $250 million with Healthcare Royalty (HCRx). This agreement monetizes select anticipated royalties and milestones, and provides both immediate and expected future, non-dilutive capital.  REGENXBIO received $150 million at closing, extending the Company’s expected cash runway into early 2027.

GERMANTOWN, Md., May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Senseonics Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: SENS), a medical technology company focused on the development and manufacturing of long-term, implantable continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems for people with diabetes, today announced the closing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of a total of 115,000,000 shares of its common stock, which included the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to an additional 15,000,000 shares of common stock, at a public offering price of $0.50 per share.

The aggregate gross proceeds from the public offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses were $57.5 million. All of the shares in the offering were sold by Senseonics.

VIENNA, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CEL-SCI Corporation (“CEL-SCI” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: CVM), a clinical stage cancer immunotherapy company, today announced the closing of its underwritten public offering of 2,000,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $2.50 per share. Total gross proceeds from the offering, before deducting the underwriting discount and other offering expenses, were $5,000,000. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 190,000 shares to cover over-allotments at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount.

CE Mark approval for the HYDRAFIL System was granted based on a clinical study of 75 patients that showed that those treated with HYDRAFIL experienced clinically and statistically significant improvements in pain and disability. Results demonstrated a more than 80% improvement in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores and greater than 70% reduction in Numeric Pain Rating Scale scores after HYDRAFIL treatment, with reductions sustained for two years in the 63 patients that have completed their two-year follow-up visit.