Weekly Quick Hits (BHCR) – Week of October 2, 2023

Nominations for BioBuzz’s Annual Awards are open, and there are plenty of leaders and projects to tout. Who will you nominate??

Crummy weekend weather is a great reason to stay indoors, strategize, and write–October is crunch time for key grants, including MD’s M4 initiative, and unique projects based in the area are kicking into gear with international recognition. It’s also playoff time in Baltimore–go O’s!

By Sam Hopkins | October 10, 2023

Funding, Awards and Collaborations

Applications Due Oct. 18 for MD Manufacturing 4.0 (M4) Grant?

Awarded grants will cover 75% of project costs for small manufacturers and 50% of project costs for mid-sized manufacturers with 51-250 employees, with a minimum grant of $25,000 and a maximum grant of $500,000, according to the state. Life science companies are strongly encouraged to apply and contact M4 Program Grant Manager David Minges for more details.?

Virginia Region 2 Talent Pathways Initiative Includes Focus on Life Sciences, Biotech

Virginia economic development initiative GO Virginia catalyzed more than $500,000 in total funding for life sciences, biotech, and transportation manufacturing and autonomy, with the goal of identifying and training residents for jobs in industry clusters in the region including the cities of Covington, Lynchburg, Radford, Roanoke, and Salem and the counties of Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, and Roanoke.

Bethesda’s AGED Diagnostics Named a Most Fundable Company by Pepperdine

AGED, working to develop the most accurate blood test for liver disease, was among 16 Platinum finalists chosen from 3,000 early-stage startups screened by the California university’s business school. The company is focused on early detection of liver disease, which affects 1 in 3 Americans.?

BioFactura, Inc. Nabs $16 Million Contract for Smallpox BioDefense?

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) funding will move BioFactura’s monoclonal antibody-based product into cGMP manufacturing to support clinical development. BioFactura is based in Frederick, MD.?

Noble Life Sciences Inc and KROMATID? Team on Cell & Gene Therapy Evaluation

Noble Life Sciences, based in Sykesville, MD, and Colorado’s KromaTiD announced that they will work together to advance products that enable complete toxicity screening for toxicity in cell and gene therapies before Investigational New Drug applications.?

MD Commerce Secretary Tours UMB BioTech Facilities

A new release recapped the visit of Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson to the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, learning about institutional facilities and companies onsite. Anderson toured TEDCO grant recipient KaloCyte, housed at the Center for Blood Oxygen Transport & Hemostasis (CBOTH) on the BioPark campus. CBOTH and KaloCyte recently landed a $46.4 million federal grant for a stable whole-blood product.?

In the Clinic

UMB PATIENTS Day Program Aims to Help? Build Trust in Clinical Research Activities

The October 13 PATIENTS Day event will gather community members at the University of Maryland, Baltimore BioPark in its Community Engagement Center to see how researchers co-develop research with the community and will showcase real-world connections to advance research and mental health. BioBuzz spoke with PATIENTS Program Director, Dr. C. Daniel Mullins, about how leaders can build community trust to advance shared research goals.

Virginia Drug Discovery Consortium (VaDDC) Highlighted in Special Journal Edition

Multiple educational and commercial partners in the Commonwealth were featured in SLAS Discovery, Emerging Drug Discovery Ecosystems, including Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, and Chartlottesville’s KeViRx, Inc., for their work on therapeutics for COVID-19 related respiratory distress and other illnesses and vaccine efforts.?

FDA Clears ReGelTec, Inc for Study on Injectable Back Pain Treatment

Baltimore’s ReGelTec, whose Hydrafil system has been in development since 2014, will move the needle-based treatment for chronic low back pain into a pivotal study with the new investigational drug exemption and move toward pre-market approval. The company aims to serve patients with degenerative disc disease.

People on the Move

Assoc. For Lab and Diagnostic Medicine Names New CFO

The Washington, D.C.-based Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine announced that Maritel Dasco will serve as its new Chief Financial Officer.

Luis Alvarez Talks Military and Biotech Leadership

The CEO of Theradaptive , which raised a $26 million Series A for its regenerative therapeutics this year, talked with BioBuzz about his West Point experience and the humility needed to build transformative scientific businesses.?