News

Rockville, MD—September 17^th, 2024 —The BioHealth Capital Region Forum is honored to announce that Maryland Governor Wes Moore will attend the event this morning to deliver welcoming remarks between 9:00 am – 10:00 am. As the premier gathering for the biohealth industry in Maryland and the surrounding region, the Forum celebrates the significant contributions of this sector’s vitality and innovation landscape.

Governor Moore’s presence underscores the importance of the biohealth industry to Maryland and highlights his administration’s commitment to supporting this vital sector. “We are thrilled to welcome Governor Moore to the BioHealth Capital Region Forum. His continued support plays a crucial role in our mission to advance Maryland as a top biohealth hub in the country,” said Rich Bendis, President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

Frederick, MD, September 13, 2024 — VaLogic Bio, a platform company of 424 Capital and a leading provider of compliance and SaaS services to the life sciences industry, proudly announces the acquisition of Facility Logix (FLGX), a renowned firm specializing in planning, developing, and project management for life sciences facilities. This acquisition aligns with VaLogic Bio’s strategic vision to enhance its capabilities and broaden its footprint in the life sciences sector.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., September 11, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), a leader in the quantum computing industry, and the University of Maryland (UMD), an international powerhouse in quantum research and applications, today announced an agreement to expand their partnership to provide state-of-the-art quantum computing access at the National Quantum Lab at Maryland (QLab). QLab provides UMD-affiliated students, faculty, researchers, staff and partners with an unprecedented opportunity to work closely with IonQ’s scientists and engineers as they gain experience with industry-leading trapped ion quantum computers.

QLab, a first-of-its-kind lab for quantum research and development, has supported multiple cohorts of undergraduate interns, multiple academic research projects, and multiple companies within UMD’s Quantum Startup Foundry and Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance. Workshops have also been held for government partners such as NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as other events and tours for government and international visitors.

In a recent MedCity News article, Renée Arnold, entrepreneur-in-residence at BioHealth Innovation and the National Institutes of Health, emphasizes the critical importance of early planning for reimbursement strategies in digital health startups. She discusses the common misconception that securing a reimbursement code is the final hurdle, when in reality, startups must ensure insurers will cover their product and that the payment aligns with their pricing model. Learn more about why startups need to integrate reimbursement planning early in their journey and avoid potential setbacks post-FDA approval.

Why Digital Health Startups Should Start Thinking About Their Reimbursement Pathway Earlier

By Katie Adams on September 10, 2024 – Some of the most challenging yet most important processes for digital health startups to navigate are those related to reimbursement and coding.

PASADENA, Calif., Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), the first, preeminent, longest-tenured and pioneering owner, operator and developer of collaborative mega campuses in AAA life science innovation cluster locations, today announced that Joel S. Marcus, the company’s executive chairman and founder, is being honored with the inaugural Bisnow Life Sciences Icon & Influencer Award tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday, September 11, 2024. This prestigious award highlights Mr. Marcus and Alexandria’s significant long-term contributions to and lasting impact on the life science real estate sector and broader life science industry. He will accept the award on his own behalf and that of Alexandria at Bisnow’s International Life Sciences & Biotech Conference in Rockville, Maryland.

Maryland-based business has the potential to reshape the ophthalmology and neurology sectors

COLUMBIA, Md., (September 10, 2024) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $200,000 Builder Fund investment in JuneBrain Inc., a biotechnology company. TEDCO’s Pre-Seed Builder Fund is part of TEDCO’s Social Impact Funds, which were created to engage and invest in economically underserved founders and communities.

“JuneBrain was originally started to creatively support patients and those who care for them,” said Dr. Samantha Scott, founder and CEO. “TEDCO’s continued investments in us have helped our goals and unique strategies come to fruition.”

RICHMOND, VA — Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that Canon Virginia, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of consumer and office products, will expand its manufacturing facility in the City of Newport News. The expansion will support Canon’s new initiative to scale a unique method of isolating natural silk protein to create a solution with applications for multiple industries. Canon Virginia will retrain 30 employees to staff the new line, which is one of the company’s first ventures outside their longstanding core business of image-related products.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is accepting applications for its FY24 $50 million Build to Scale program to support organizations that strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems to support entrepreneurs as they build and scale technology-driven businesses—and the employees in the new, good jobs they create—to make and deliver new technology products and services. [Read Today’s Blog Post] 

Build to Scale (B2S) grants fund programs that support innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups transforming ideas into the critical, emerging technologies of the future.  

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cartesian Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNAC) (the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering mRNA cell therapy for autoimmune diseases, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to Descartes-08 for the treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).

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