Weekly Quick Hits (BioHealth Capital Region) – Week of October 16, 2023
The leaves are changing, however slowly, and the Oktoberfest vibes were warm at our event Thursday night at Brookeville Beer Farm. Thanks to everyone who came to chat, build, snack and sip–including many from this week’s companies in the news!
By Sam Hopkins | October 20, 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
Richmond’s Qnovia Teams with UVA to Advance Inhaled Drugs for Infectious Diseases
Qnovia has developed a portable vibrating mesh nebulizer that will deliver drugs no matter how it is held by the patient, and UVA researchers recently showed that using Qnovia’s platform with select peptides demonstrated in vitro bactericidal efficacy against clinically important pathogens. The collaboration provides Qnovia with new pipeline assets for anthrax and pneumonia.
Previse Nabs $1.8 M from NIDDK for Esophageal Cancer Biomarker Test
Previse, led by a team that met at Johns Hopkins and is now based in the LifeBridge Health BioIncubator at Sinai Hospital in West Baltimore, has been awarded a Direct to Phase II SBIR grant. The funding comes from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and will advance EsopredictTM, its flagship molecular test that provides personalized guidance for Barrett’s esophagus surveillance and treatment decisions.
Catholic University Engineer Rafael Casas Lauded for Assistive Tech
Dr. Casas, who is based at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and lives in Baltimore, was named to Technical.ly’s RealLIST of engineers who show technical expertise and community leadership. Casas is CEO of SpringWear, which is focused on augmenting hand function rehabilitation during stroke recovery.
KKR Invests in Catalio, NYC Firm with Baltimore Roots, Following NBA Star
Global investment company KKR has acquired a minority stake in Catalio Capital Management. A joint announcement said the investment was made because of Catalio’s entrepreneurial management team and venture partner network of more than 40 scientists. It has been reported that the stake was acquired from an investment consortium that includes Greek NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
UMBC Team Honored in Agricultural Innovation Competition
BioBuzz “Ambassador of Buzz” Ben Bhattarai and UMBC teammates advanced a proposal for using halophytic algae to desalinate salt water as part of the innovation award program hosted by agricultural technology company Wilbur-Ellis. The Retriever Essentials team received an honorable mention.
In the Clinic
Rise Gets Green Light for Phase 1 on RA Treatment
Rise Therapeutics, based in Rockville, got the go-ahead from the FDA for R-2487 to move into Phase 1 clinical trial. This treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is based on synthetic biology and is delivered orally. BioBuzz has spoken with Rise CEO and founder Gary Fanger about the company’s approach to immunotherapy.
Baltimore’s Elixirgen Phase 1/2 Results Show Potential for Long-Term COVID Vax Immunity
Elixirgen Therapeutics works to advance therapies using its mRNA platform and has shown new results that could impact the durability of effects of COVID vaccines. Principal investigator Yohei Doi said, “The results from this trial suggest a priming effect by EXG-5003 on the long-term cellular immunity of approved SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines.”
Oxford Impact Report Spotlights Vaccitech
Vaccitech acquired Maryland-based Avidea in 2019, which added the SNAPvax™ platform to Vaccitech’s portfolio. The path to developing the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was featured in a case study released by Oxford University this week.
- About the Author
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Sam Hopkins has spent the past decade in the Baltimore area life-science and healthcare ecosystem, including roles at Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, the U.S. Army, and early-stage companies. He spent the previous decade as a journalist, which saw him cover everything from clean energy conferences in Morocco, to Soviet-era Estonian rock’n’roll, to trailblazing CEOs in Timonium. Sam is an avid athlete and coach, and he lives with his wife and two sons in Baltimore’s Oakenshawe neighborhood. You can often find him around town spinning records as DJ Balagan, or performing in musical groups Sink and South of Boundary.
