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Maryland should see a boost in direct public funding toward manufacturing and lab space later this year as Gov. Wes Moore said he plans to sign a bill that will help build out the state’s science and technology industries through a new fund.

Prior to his keynote speech at the TechStars Equitech Demo Day this week, Moore said he planned to sign Senate Bill 549, or House Bill 552, “as soon as it’s on my desk,” which would authorize the creation of the “Build Our Future” grant program to fund infrastructure projects in a variety of technological fields.

Through this Challenge, NIA is seeking researchers and entrepreneurs with a demonstrated need who have innovative ideas for science-driven technologies and products with the potential to increase the diversity of NIA-funded small business research and development. Entrepreneurs from groups underrepresented in health-related sciences are strongly encouraged to apply.

Richmond, VA, April 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Phlow Corp., a U.S.-based public benefit corporation and contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced that it has closed a $36 million Series B capital raise as part of its mission to protect America’s medicine cabinet. Since its launch in 2020, Phlow has been working to leverage advanced development and manufacturing processes to re-imagine the domestic production of key starting materials (KSM), active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), and finished pharmaceutical products that are critical to U.S. healthcare.

GERMANTOWN, Md., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Precigen, Inc. (Nasdaq: PGEN), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of innovative gene and cell therapies to improve the lives of patients, today announced the amendment of its exclusive license agreement with Alaunos Therapeutics, Inc. (Alaunos).

With this amendment, Precigen has the unique ability to utilize the clinically validated UltraCAR-T platform for unencumbered development and commercialization of two proven CAR-T targets, CD19 and B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). These targets enhance Precigen’s UltraCAR-T library approach, which is designed to transform the personalized cell therapy landscape for cancer patients through the development and validation of a library of non-viral plasmids to target various hematological and solid tumor-associated antigens. Enabled by the design and manufacturing advantages of UltraCAR-T, coupled with the capabilities of the UltraPorator® system, Precigen is working to empower cancer centers to deliver personalized, autologous CAR-T treatment with overnight manufacturing for cancer patients. The addition of CD19 and BCMA targets positions Precigen as a front runner in the CAR-T space.

GERMANTOWN, Md., April 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Deka Biosciences (“Deka”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel cytokine therapies to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, announced today that the first subject has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of DK210 (EGFR) at NEXT Oncology in Fairfax, Virginia. The Phase 1, first-in-human, multicenter clinical study seeks to characterize the safety, potential efficacy and evaluate possible biomarkers of response to DK210 (EGFR) in patients with advanced solid cancer(s) who are expressing epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) (NCT05704985).

“We are beyond thrilled to begin the clinical trial of DK210 (EGFR), marking our first program to enter clinical development,” said John Mumm, Ph.D., President and CEO of Deka. “Importantly, we anticipate that the results of the study will confirm the clinical safety, pharmacokinetics, exploratory efficacy and correlative biomarker responses to our first DiakineTM, establishing a solid foundation for the expanded use of this treatment in cancer patients.”

COLUMBIA, Md. (April 4, 2023) – The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission announces the appointment of Ruchika Nijhara, Ph.D., MBA, as executive director of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF). As executive director, Nijhara oversees all MSCRF activities and seven programs accelerating stem cell research, commercialization and cures.

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission (Commission), which oversees the fund, was established as an independent unit within the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO). It leads the way in identifying and supporting the most promising stem cell technologies in our region.

April 3, 2023 – The battle against Cancer has long been a collective effort, with advances in treatment and prevention made possible through the dedicated work of researchers, caregivers, advocates, and the investment of federal, state, and local governments, as well as private investment. Building on the progress made thus far, the National Cancer Plan represents a bold and ambitious framework to end Cancer as we know it. The National Cancer Plan has been developed to coordinate a comprehensive national response to achieving the goals of the Cancer Moonshot initiative, led by President Biden and First Lady Biden, and to deliver better cancer outcomes to all people​.

Image: https://twitter.com/theNCI/status/1642905180596498433/photo/1

April 3, 2023 – Medcura, Inc., a life science and medical device company based in Riverdale, MD, is experiencing substantial growth in the BioHealth Capital Region. The company has developed a cutting-edge proprietary biosurgical technology demonstrating the rapid arrest of difficult-to-control surgical bleeding. This innovative technology offers the industry-best highly disruptive economics and has been tested in numerous challenging pre-clinical models. In addition to its versatility, the platform can be expanded into highly differentiated product solutions, as seen in Medcura’s emerging surgical and recently commercialized consumer product applications. Notably, the company’s products have garnered recognition for quickly stopping bleeding using naturally abundant and highly economical ingredients.