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Wilson

Key Insights from Wilson Sonsini’s Entrepreneurs Report: 1H 2024

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WilsonWilson Sonsini’s Entrepreneurs Report for the first half of 2024 is now available, offering critical insights into the current private company financing landscape. Valuations remain subdued across Seed to Series C stages, with many still below their recent peaks. However, later-stage companies are beginning to see larger fundraising amounts, suggesting a cautious but emerging confidence among investors.

A notable theme in the report is the decline in down rounds, indicating that investors are shifting their focus toward healthier, more sustainable startups. This trend, coupled with steady momentum in pre-seed notes and a dip in post-seed raise amounts, reflects a mixed yet cautiously optimistic venture capital environment.

The report also highlights significant changes in Delaware’s corporate law, which could have substantial implications for governance rights among venture-backed startups. These legal developments, along with the financial trends observed, are shaping the venture landscape as we move into the latter half of 2024. Access the full report here.

Hopkins Whiting

Hopkins Team Awarded Up To $20.9 Million in ARPA-H Funding to Further Tumor-Removal Research

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Hopkins WhitingA Whiting School-led interinstitutional research team will develop a novel photoacoustic endoscope and fluorescent contrast agent to ensure total tumor removal and preservation of healthy tissue

A Johns Hopkins Engineering-led team has won an award of up to $20.9 million over five years from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop novel technologies for precise tumor removal. ARPA-H is a federal funding agency established by the Biden-Harris administration to rapidly advance high-impact biomedical research centered around preventing, detecting, and treating cancer and other diseases.

Using its ARPA-H award, the team, led by Emad Boctor of the Whiting School of Engineering and including collaborators from Johns Hopkins’ schools of Engineering and Medicine, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, and industry will develop a novel, non-contact photoacoustic endoscope that promises to provide an information-enhanced view of the surgical field without altering surgeons’ workflows. When used with the team’s proposed multi-cancer fluorescent contrast agent, the endoscope will help surgeons identify and remove any remaining microscopic cancer remnants during tumor removal procedures.

The team will also use existing fluorescent dyes in combination with their novel photoacoustic endoscope to visualize critical anatomical structures, allowing surgeons to “see” deep into human tissue to reveal hidden blood vessels and nerves so that they are not accidentally damaged during such procedures.

This project is one of several nationwide chosen for funding of up to $150 million total from the ARPA-H Precision Surgical Interventions (PSI) program, which is part of the broader Biden-Harris administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative.

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SAllain2

WBJ: Virginia Tech taps D.C. incubator leader Sally Allain for new role

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SAllain2By Sara Gilgore – Staff Reporter, Washington Business Journal Aug 21, 2024 – Sally Allain, the inaugural head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s D.C. incubator, has left her position after more than four years — to grow Virginia Tech’s health sciences research enterprise.

Allain, a longtime J&J exec who built up and led the local JLabs hub that planted roots on Children’s National Hospital’s Walter Reed campus in spring 2019, stepped away this month, announcing her departure in a LinkedIn post. She’ll start with Virginia Tech next week as chief health sciences growth and innovation officer, a newly created position charged with spinning out technology companies and tapping big-name partners across sectors.

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Rentention

Falls Church’s Retension Pharmaceuticals Closes $10.4 Million Oversubscribed Series A to Fund Clinical Trials for Patients Suffering from Resistant and Uncontrolled Hypertension

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RententionFALLS CHURCH, Va.–()–Retension Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is pleased to announce the successful closing of its Series A $10.4 million financing round to initiate a well-powered and controlled Phase 2 clinical study in patients with hypertension uncontrolled on two or more antihypertensives.

Retension Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage therapeutic development company focused on developing innovative treatments for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The company’s lead drug candidate, RTN-001, a second generation PDE5 inhibitor, was designed to target the tissues of the higher vasculature by the company’s CSO and Co-Founder, Dr. Paul Sweetnam, overcoming the limitations of first generation PDE5 inhibitors in the hypertension space. According to the WHO, it is estimated that hypertension affects 1.28 billion adults worldwide, of whom only 21% have their hypertension fully under control. In prior clinical trials, RTN-001 has been studied in over 265 human subjects, including two Phase 2 studies in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. In these studies, RTN-001 was shown to be well tolerated and demonstrated clinically significant blood pressure lowering effects.

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techtransf

Explore the World of Technology Transfer and Commercialization with the Technology Transfer Society – Washington D.C. Chapter

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techtransfThe Technology Transfer Society – Washington D.C. Chapter is excited to announce its Fall 2024 course, “Introduction to Technology Transfer and Commercialization,” offered in collaboration with Montgomery College. This hybrid course, available both virtually and in-person, is designed to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the technology transfer process—transitioning innovations from the lab to the marketplace.

Whether you’re interested in the inner workings of a technology transfer office or looking to commercialize your own invention, this course is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable insights. You’ll learn from seasoned professionals, including experts from federal labs, who will share their knowledge and experiences to help you navigate the complexities of technology transfer.

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Brain

UVA Engineering Professor’s $600,000 Grant Set to Innovate Pediatric Brain Tumor Treatment

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BrainNatasha Sheybani, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia School of Engineering, will collaborate with researchers at Children’s National Hospital to study the combination of two therapies for pediatric brain cancer. 

High-risk brain tumors in children often don’t respond well to existing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but Sheybani and her collaborators hope their fusion of therapies will offer a better option. 

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OSJnJ

OS Therapies Accepted Into Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS

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OSJnJROCKVILLE, Md.–()–OS Therapies (NYSE American: OSTX) (“OS Therapies” or “the Company”), an ADC and Immunotherapy research and clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has been accepted into Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS. Through membership of JLABS, OS Therapies aims to further develop and enter the clinic with its tunable Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) linker-based platform that relies on pH sensitive linkers & coating technology to reduce off-target effects to improve safety and increase the number & diversity of therapeutic payloads delivered. Through these developments, OS Therapies hopes to offer improved efficacy versus other ADCs in the market or in development. Drug candidates developed using OS Therapies’ tunable ADC platform leverage this unique linker platform to create new intellectual property for both novel and off-patent targeting antibodies and drug payloads.

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WIBlogo

Women In Bio (WIB) Excited to Participate in the 10th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum

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WIBlogoWomen In Bio (WIB) will be well-represented at the 10th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum on September 17th and 18th, 2024, at US Pharmacopeia in Rockville, MD. WIB, a national organization dedicated to advancing women’s careers, leadership, and entrepreneurship in the life sciences, will host a table at this annual event as part of its in-kind partnership with BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) and the Forum planning committee. Attendees can learn more about WIB’s mission to empower women across the biohealth sector and explore opportunities to get involved in this dynamic community.

With 13 chapters across the U.S. and Canada, including the Capital Region chapter, WIB’s members include professionals from leading biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device companies, academia, government, and supporting industries like finance and law. WIB provides a robust platform for networking, mentorship, and professional development, fostering diversity and inclusion in life sciences.

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AURP

AURP’s BIO Health Caucus Sponsors 10th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum

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AURPAURP and its BIO Health Caucus have sponsored the 10th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum (Sept 17-18) at US Pharmacopeia in Rockville, MD.

Serving on the Forum planning committee are: Amy Adams, Executive Director of George Mason University’s Institute for Biohealth Innovation; Kolaleh Eskandanian, Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Children’s National Hospital; and Brian Darmody, AURP Chief Strategy Officer.

The BioHealth Capital Region Forum gathers together the DC/MD/VA region’s biopharma sector, to highlight the region’s capabilities and achievements with insights into future trends. With over 2,300 life science companies, 78 federal labs, and numerous esteemed academic institutions, the BioHealth Capital Region stands as a vibrant hub of innovation and opportunity. Learn more.

South Africa and Rich 250 x 600 px

Bringing the BioHealth Capital Region to South Africa: A Conversation with Global Innovators on BioTalk

By News

South Africa and Rich 250 x 600 pxIn this special episode of BioTalk, Rich Bendis, President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation, Inc., hosts a compelling discussion with three groundbreaking guests from South Africa: Johann de Bruyn, CEO of TASK, Ethan Hunter, Chief Operations Officer at Immobazyme, and Dr. Carla Eksteen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stellenbosch University. Together, they share their journey of connecting South Africa’s biotech scene with the BioHealth Capital Region, showcasing how innovation transcends borders.

Johann de Bruyn opens the conversation by introducing TASK Applied Science and its collaborative relationship with the U.S. He explains the genesis of Bio Centrifuge Africa, a business plan competition inspired by the BioHealth Capital Region’s Crab Trap, designed to bridge the gap between South Africa’s emerging biotech sector and the established BHCR.

Ethan Hunter, co-founder of Immobazyme, discusses his company’s pioneering work in precision fermentation and the growing impact it has across various industries. He reflects on the significance of winning Bio Centrifuge Africa and the exciting opportunity to compete in the 9th Annual Crab Trap in Maryland this September.

Dr. Carla Eksteen shares her research journey in cancer immunotherapy and the vital role her work plays in advancing healthcare in South Africa. She talks about the opportunities provided by Bio Centrifuge Africa and her upcoming trip to Maryland as part of the competition winners.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:

Apple: https://apple.co/3SUCMwz
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3XbF9wv
Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3Mbzph1
TuneIn: https://bit.ly/3MbzqBB 

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