Weekly Quick Hits (BHCR) – Week of July 24, 2023

Children’s Cancer Foundation Awards went out to 11 pediatric cancer researchers in the Baltimore-Washington region, and a number of companies reported their quarterly finances. It was a busy week for life science news in the Capital Region. Here’s a look.

By Mark Terry

July 28, 2023

Quick Hits is BioBuzz’s weekly round up of all the life science news you don’t want to miss, in your region of interest. Don’t miss a beat; SUBSCRIBE to our weekly Quick Hits newsletter via LinkedIn (BioHealth Capital Region, Greater Philadelphia, Research Triangle Park) or get it delivered to your inbox every week.

Funding, Awards, and Collaborations 

Baltimore-based AsclepiX Therapeutics Raised $10 Million to Advance Phase 1/2a Clinical Study of AXT107

AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company leveraging computational biology from Johns Hopkins to identify and develop peptides for improved treatments of retinal diseases, announced that it had secured a $10 million Series A-3 financing. The round was led by Perceptive Advisors with participation from the existing investors Hibiscus Capital Management Fund II and Rapha Capital Management and its managed fund, Rapha Capital PE Life Sciences Fund VI, in addition to a new outside investor.

11 Baltimore-Washington Researchers Receive Children’s Cancer Foundation Awards

The Children’s Cancer Foundation announced the 2023 CCF Research Awards, which will be awarded to 11 pediatric oncology researchers from the Baltimore-Washington region in November at its 39^th Annual Gala. The awards total $1 million. The recipients are at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Children’s National Hospital, and the National Cancer Institute.

Quest Diagnostics Completes Buyout of Haystack Oncology

Quest Diagnostics completed its previously announced acquisition of Haystack Oncology, located in Baltimore and Germany. Haystack developed a highly sensitive minimal-residual disease testing technology based on circulating tumor DNA.

Danaher Reported $1.1 Billion in Second Quarter Net Earnings

Washington, DC-based Danaher Corporation reported its second-quarter earnings, with net earnings hitting $1.1 billion, or $1.49 per diluted quarter share. However, revenues dropped 7.5% year-over-year to $7.2 billion, primarily due to lower COVID-19 revenue.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Q2: 3% Drop in Quarterly Revenues to $10.69 Billion

Thermo Fisher Scientific reported second-quarter revenues of $10.69 billion, 3% lower than the same quarter in 2022. Core organic revenue growth was 2%. The company revised its guidance for the year, now expecting revenue range to be $43.4 billion to $44.0 billion.

Solar Biotech Buys Noblegen

Solar Biotech, based in Norton, Va., is a provider of sustainable and scalable biomanufacturing solutions. The company acquired Peterborough, ON-based Noblegen, a Canadian advanced digital biology company.

ASRC Federal Awarded NIH Contract to Study Environmental Impacts

Reston, Va.-headquartered ASRC Federal Data Solutions was awarded the Research Data Management and Reporting (RDMR) Support Services contract with the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT). The 5-year, $90 million award will have the company create, interpret and share environmental health research data to better understand how environmental factors impact public health.

Indivior Q2/H1: Sublocade Brought in $155 Million, up 58% From Previous Year 

Indivior, based in Slough, UK and Richmond, Va., reported $155 million in net revenue for Sublocade, a 58% increase compared to the same quarter in 2022. Total net revenues were $276 million, up 25% from $221 million in the same quarter last year. 

HanAll Q2: A 58% increase in Total Revenue for the Quarter

HanAll Biopharma Co. (Rockville, Md. and Seoul, South Korea) reported KRW 41.4 billion (~$32.4 million U.S.), a 58% increase from the same quarter in 2022. The company also noted meaningful Phase III results for tanfanercept for dry eye disease.

DELFI Diagnostics Licenses GEMINI Tech from Johns Hopkins University

Palo Alto, Calif.-based DELFI Diagnostics licensed a new, highly accurate technique for identifying somatic genomic alterations in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from Johns Hopkins University. The tech is Genome-wide Mutational Incidence for Non Invasive (GEMINI) detection of cancer.

RIVANNA Receives $30.5 Million from BARDA for Accuro XV Musculoskeletal Imaging System

Charlottesville, Va.-based RIVANNA received funding totaling $30.5 million over 39 months from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The funding will support further advanced development of the Accuro XV for comprehensive point-of-care musculoskeletal diagnostics and submission of an application for FDA clearance.

Research Roundup 

NIH Research: Daily Statin Reduces Heart Disease Risk in Adults with HIV

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported the publication of an NIH-supported study that found statins may offset the high risk of heart disease in HIV patients by more than a third. Individuals living with HIV can have a 50% to 100% increased risk for heart disease.

Johns Hopkins Research: Positive Outcomes for 3 HIV-to-HIV Kidney Transplants

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and three other collaborating medical institutions published research suggesting that people living with HIV who donate a kidney to other people with HIV have a low risk of developing end-stage kidney disease or other kidney problems. The research is based on positive outcomes for the first three U.S. living HIV-to-HIV kidney transplant donors.

WVU Research: Atomic View of Synthetic DNA

Researchers at West Virginia University viewed synthetic DNA at the atomic level, allowing them more insight into how to change its structure in order to enhance its scissor-like function. They used X-ray crystallography, but then added superpowered X-rays to reveal its structure.

U of V Research: Key Driver of Chronic Inflammation that Accelerates Aging

Researchers with the University of Virginia School of Medicine identified a key driver of chronic inflammation that accelerates aging. It is related to improper calcium signaling in the mitochondria of certain immune cells. They believe the research could lead to approaches to slowing the aging process.

NIH Research: How Obstructive Sleep Apnea Increases Cardiovascular Risk

An NIH-supported research study identified the mechanism mostly responsible for increased cardiovascular risk from obstructive sleep apnea. They found that for every measure of observed reduction in blood oxygen levels, or hypoxic burden, a person in one of the studies had a 45% increased associated risk for having a primary CV event.

Johns Hopkins Research: Restoring Cold Sensation in Amputee’s Phantom Limbs

Researchers with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory developed the world’s smallest, wearable thin-film thermoelectric cooler (TFTEC), a refrigeration device. They then partnered with neuroscientists to help amputees perceive a sense of temperature with their phantom limbs, which could lead to improved prostheses and thermally-modulated therapeutics.

UVHS Research: Storing Fat at the Waist May Not Increase Diabetes Risk

It has long been believed that belly fat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. But new findings from researchers at the University of Virginia Health System (UVHS) suggested some cases were “metabolically healthy obesity,” in which people appear to be protected from the adverse effects of their obesity. It appears to be related to specific genomic regions which play different roles, and five in particular that can decrease an obese person’s risk of type 2 diabetes.

Johns Hopkins Research: Subscription Factors in Colorectal Cancers

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center published research suggesting that transcription factor expression may play a key role in the degree of DNA methylation across the genome, which plays a part in the development of different subtypes of colorectal cancers. Methylation of genes acts as an on/off switch for gene expression.

University of Maryland Research: Mapping the CNS Specific Kappa Opioid Receptor

Researchers with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Washington University have mapped the 3D structure of the central nervous system specific kappa opioid receptor, differentiating it from other opioid receptors. These receptors only occur in the CNS, and it is believed that better drugs that only target these receptors may not lead to addiction or death due to overdose.

On the Hill – Regulatory and Advocacy

FDA Granted BD’s Alaris Infusion System 510(k) Clearance

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) announced the FDA granted 510(k) clearance of its updated BD Alaris Infusion System. The updated system addresses all open recalls, and has new hardware and software, as well as cybersecurity updates.

FDA Offered Update on Pfizer’s NC Facility Damage

The FDA indicated it is working closely with Pfizer to evaluate the damage at the company’s Rocky Mount, North Carolina facility, which was damaged during a recent tornado. The agency said it does not expect immediate impacts on the supply of total sterile injectables as a result — Pfizer has one-third of the total sterile injectable drug market for hospitals in the U.S., but this facility manufactures only about 25% of Pfizer’s total product for this market.

Galen Robotics Received De Novo Device Clearance from FDA for Digital Surgical Assistant

Baltimore-based Galen Robotics’ motorized ES system, a digital surgical assistant to help with ear, nose and throat operations, received a de novo device clearance from the FDA. The company plans to use an on-demand, pay-per-use model.

FDA: Facilitating Innovation for Devices to Treat Opioid Use Disorder

The FDA announced new steps to facilitate innovation in devices designed to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). The draft guidance is designed to assist sponsors in designing clinical studies that evaluate the devices.

People on the Move

FinaBio’s Andrew Lees Wins Derek Horton Award in Industrial Carbohydrate Chemistry

Andrew Lees, founder and CEO of Rockville, Md.-based Fina Biosolutions, received the Derek Horton Award in Industrial Carbohydrate Chemistry. The award is given by the CARB division of the American Chemical Society and marks distinguished achievements in and outstanding contributions to industrial carbohydrate chemistry. His award was for his contributions to the field of protein polysaccharide conjugate vaccines.

BD Names Joanne Waldstreicher to Board

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) named Dr. Joanne Waldstreicher to its board of directors. Waldstreicher was most recently the Chief Medical Officer for Johnson & Johnson until her retirement in 2023.

NeoImmuneTech Appoints 2 New Scientific Advisory Board Members

NeoImmuneTech (Rockville, Md.) appointed the addition of Benny J. Chen, M.D. and Su-Hyung Park, Ph.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Chen is a Professor of Medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Park is an Associate Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Sirnaomics Appoints Francois Lebel as Senior Vice President, Preclinical and Clinical Development

Sirnaomics (Hong Kong, Germantown, Md., and Suzhou, China) appointed Francois Lebel, MD to the position of Senior Vice President for Preclinical and Clinical Development. He was previously Executive Vice President for Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer at Spectrum Pharmaceuticals.