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Source: https://cdn.ymaws.com/delawarebio.site-ym.com/resource/rss/news.rss

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<title>News & Press</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/</link>
<description><![CDATA[ Read about recent events, essential information and the latest community news. ]]></description>
<lastBuildDate>Thu, 26 Dec 2024 05:52:56 GMT</lastBuildDate>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:52:00 GMT</pubDate>
<copyright>Copyright © 2024 Delaware BioScience Association</copyright>
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<item>
<title>Nicole Merli Appointed to Spearhead University-Life Science Sector Collaboration</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/683437/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/683437/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Important new role created by University of Delaware and Delaware BioScience Association will accelerate bioscience ecosystem growth through robust industry-university partnerships NEWARK, DE (October 1, 2024) – The state’s leading academic research institution and the organization representing Delaware’s life science industry announced today the appointment of Nicole Merli to a new role designed to spark biotech ecosystem growth through expansion and strengthening of university-business collaboration.  The role was created and will be jointly funded through an innovative partnership between the University of Delaware and the Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio) and enabled through funding support from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) inaugural Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program to invest in capacity-building resources that enhance research impact.  In the new position, Merli will lead efforts to support the translation of cutting-edge university research into new technologies, products, companies, and commercial opportunities by rich connections between university faculty, students, entrepreneurs, investors and businesses. Most recently the director of strategic alliances and communications at LumaCyte, a Virginia-based biotechnology company, Merli has extensive experience cultivating industry relationships, translating complex research and facilitating public-private partnerships that spur life science innovation. This includes serving as the associate director of business development, strategic alliances at the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a public-private partnership headquartered at the University of Delaware. Merli’s appointment is the second joint UD-Delaware Bio effort to drive growth for the state’s life science industry. In November 2022, the organizations named Katie Lakofsky to a new role leading bioscience workforce development. “Strong relationships with industry are vital to the University of Delaware,” said Miguel Garcia-Diaz, vice president for research, scholarship and innovation at UD. “Our industry collaborations help guide the work of our researchers toward translation and use by society, while also shaping our academic programs in ways that better prepare our students for future careers. This joint appointment is another positive outcome of UD’s partnership with Delaware Bio to increase industry engagement in Delaware as a global hub for world-class research, innovation and investment in the life sciences.” “Anywhere you find a thriving life science ecosystem there is also sublime, effective collaboration between industry and research universities,” said Michael Fleming, president and CEO of Delaware Bio. “We are delighted Nicole will be leading this essential effort for our state. She has the ideal combination of experience, relationships, energy and vision to make an immediate impact and establish new programs and frameworks that will supercharge and sustain our future growth.” “I am excited by this opportunity to accelerate the growth of Delaware’s thriving life science community,” said Merli. “This is the work I love to do – connect innovative research with real-world applications. There is incredible potential to deepen the university-industry connections already built and position the state as a national leader in translational research and the formation of groundbreaking life science companies through technologies that directly address industry needs and priorities.” In a comprehensive report jointly issued by the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) and Delaware Bio, the need to strengthen university-industry collaboration was identified as a key priority for future life science sector growth in the state. Since then, Delaware Bio has devoted significant focus to enhancing academic and research partnerships with member companies, investors and regional economic development organizations. Most recently, the association highlighted multiple UD research institutions at its 2nd annual “Delaware’s DNA: 2024 Life Science Conference” at UD’s Clayton Hall in May. Merli will engage and partner with UD faculty, staff, research leaders, public officials, and Delaware Bio members, as well as regional industry stakeholders, to develop a comprehensive strategy to catalyze industry-university collaboration at every stage of connection. She will also work closely with Lakofsky to fortify relationships between life science employers and the university. “The life sciences are a significant driver of Delaware’s current and future economic success. The state’s status as a global hub is a testament to the successful collaboration across industry, higher education and government,” said Kurt Foreman, DPP president and CEO. “Filling this new role is a clear commitment to and a key investment in Delaware’s science and tech economy.”  “Nicole has deep expertise in developing and fostering productive multi-stakeholder research collaborations. Her industry knowledge will enhance our collective impact in supporting a critical sector for the state’s future,” said Tracy Shickel, associate vice president, corporate engagement at UD and Delaware BioScience Association board member. Prior to her work at LumaCyte and NIIMBL, Merli was managing director of the Advanced Mammalian Biomanufacturing Innovation Center (AMBIC) at Johns Hopkins University. She was chosen as a Susan Riley Keys Memorial Fellow through the Association of University Technology Mangers (AUTM), a year-long immersion in academic technology transfer topics such as evaluation, protecting and transferring IP from the lab to the marketplace, corporate engagement, start-up and entrepreneurial support, and economic development. Merli has a BA in Economics from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from the University of Delaware. She starts in the new role October 1.  <div>About the University of Delaware The University of Delaware traces its roots to 1743, making it the seventh-oldest higher educational institution in the country. UD’s tradition of excellence continues today in both the classroom and the laboratory, with consistent ranking among the nation’s top universities. UD is classified as a doctoral university with very high research activity—a designation accorded less than 3% of U.S. colleges and universities—and as a community engagement university for applying its knowledge and creativity to challenges facing communities in Delaware and around the world. <div> </div><div>About Delaware BioScience Association The Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio) is a catalyst for bioscience innovation in Delaware. We serve pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, medical device manufacturers, agricultural biotech and chemical companies, research and testing companies, hospitals and medical institutions, academic partners and other organizations and companies that support them, with the goal of expanding our state’s vibrant science economy. Our more than 180 member companies and organizations are of every size, from global leaders to small start-ups, directly responsible for more than 11,000 innovation-based jobs vital to Delaware’s economic future.</div><div><div><div> <div> </div><div>Contact</div><div>Jamie Pedrick – Director, Marketing and Communications</div><div><a href="mailto:Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org" style="transition-property: all;"></a><a href="mailto:Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org" style="transition-property: all;">Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org</a></div><div>410-920-2668</div></div></div></div></div><div> </div>]]></description>
<category>Press Releases</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 1 Oct 2024 15:32:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>2024 Top 10 Innovations</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/689281/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/689281/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/2024-top-10-innovations-72342" target="_blank">The Scientist</a>The latest group of winning technologies has a little something for everyone—from scientists at the lab bench to those in the clinic and even the classroom.The Scientist’s Top 10 Innovations contest is back. This year we took nominations for cutting-edge products launched between January 2023 and July 2024. The results showcased emerging trends in basic, translational, and clinical research, and beyond. From fine-tuned updates to brand-new products set to shake up the ways scientists conduct research and improve how clinicians treat their patients, the winner’s circle includes established companies and new startups. Looking at our top products, it is clear that advanced cell sorting and analysis technologies made a big splash this year. Products that provide a spatial spin on cell and tissue analysis, often with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning, captured our judges’ attention. In addition, omics advances, new technologies for medical imaging and monitoring, and better ways to model disease and detect biomarkers took top ranks. Finally, a teaching tool educating the next generation of scientists rounds out our top innovations list. We are happy to announce the new technologies that our panel of independent judges has chosen as this year’s Top 10 Innovations.REM-I Platform | DeepcellMany technologies help researchers glean insights into cellular phenotypes, but it is challenging to manually identify subtle cellular morphology differences, and more so to do it in an unbiased and quantitative manner. <a href="https://deepcell.com/product/" target="_blank">Deepcell’s REM-I platform</a> for single-cell analysis, launched in April 2024, provides critical insights into cellular heterogeneity and functionality by combining <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/infusion-of-artificial-intelligence-in-biology-71665" target="_blank">artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology</a> and high-throughput imaging. “REM-I is really the first platform that brings AI capability with high resolution, bias-free, brightfield imaging and physical action as part of sorting into one platform,” explained Maddison Masaeli, Deepcell co-founder and chief executive officer. REM-I uses advanced microfluidics and optics to capture high-resolution brightfield images of each cell in a sample. The platform combines self-supervised learning and morphometrics (computer vision) to collect morphological information and clusters cells in real time based on biophysical properties. REM-I enables researchers to rapidly view, compare, and sort morphologically distinct cell populations, capturing cells that may otherwise be missed through manual methods. Clinical bioinformatician Peter van der Spek at Erasmus Medical Center, who is on Deepcell’s scientific advisory board, envisions opportunities to improve pathology analyses based on his experience using REM-I for several translational research projects, including investigations into kidney transplant rejection. “We saw at the morphology level, cells that have never been observed by our pathologists. That is very fascinating because you're starting to see new shapes, new states of cells which actually open up the biology,” he explained. According to Masaeli, Deepcell offers different pricing models for REM-I, which is currently used in research only and is commercially available.CosmoSort | Meteor BiotechMost bulk cell sorters remove cells from their spatial context. Meteor Biotech’s <a href="https://meteorbiotech.com/" target="_blank">CosmoSort</a> cell sorter retains the original spatial information while isolating stained target cells based on structural and cellular imaging data. According to Sumin Lee, Meteor Biotech’s chief technology officer, engineers at Seoul National University initially developed the CosmoSort technology based on collaborations with biomedical researchers looking to better answer clinical questions. “We thought, what if we could directly sort out the cells from pathology tissues, so that we can deeply analyze those cells?” said Sumin Lee. CosmoSort’s spatially-resolved laser activated cell sorting technology uses near-infrared laser pulses to rapidly release targeted cells within slide-mounted specimens. The instrument preserves the collected cells’ natural states and spatial information, while sorting them into retrieval vessels. Scientists can then perform various downstream omics analyses with the isolated cells to gain spatial insights into cellular diversity and disease pathology. Using this innovation, scientists can derive detailed data about an individual’s tumor microenvironment. Han-Byoel Lee, a clinician specializing in breast cancer surgery and research at Seoul National University, was involved in several projects assessing tumor tissue using earlier versions of the CosmoSort technology. In <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/microbiology" target="_blank">one study</a>, after isolating regions of interest from breast cancer tissue, “we performed whole transcriptome and epi-transcriptome analyses on the cells,” said Han-Byoel Lee.1 “We were able to identify adenosine-to-inosine editomes that may be related to resistance of therapy in triple-negative breast cancer.” Meteor Biotech launched its first CosmoSort instrument in March 2024, and their scientists are currently working on updating the machine with integrated fluorescence microscopes and AI-driven features.CRISPR in a Box™ | ChristianaCare® Gene Editing InstituteThe entertainment industry often misrepresents <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/from-crispr-to-prime-editing-the-evolution-of-the-genome-editing-revolution-72168" target="_blank">CRISPR genome editing</a>, leaving the public confused about how this technology works. However, the emergence of gene therapies has sparked excitement in high school and college students, inspiring them to learn more. As a result, the ChristianaCare® Gene Editing Institute developed the <a href="https://www.carolina.com/biotechnology-kits/crispr-in-a-box-kit-with-voucher/216900.pr" target="_blank">CRISPR in a Box™</a> educational kit and partnered with Carolina® Biological Supply Company to manufacture and distribute the current version, which they released in March 2024. “[The kit offers] an opportunity to really expand the students’ understanding through hands-on, active learning,” said Philip Kudish, a science instructor at Delaware Technical Community College, who received the kit for beta testing. “One of the things that makes CRISPR in a Box so versatile is that the CRISPR gene editing step is done in vitro.” Typically, CRISPR cleavage and gene repair processes occur within target cells. However, the gene editing step in CRISPR in a Box does not require cells, which allows educators without access to cell culture equipment to still perform this portion of the exercise with their class. “We are hoping that [CRISPR in a Box] is going to demystify gene editing technology,” said Amanda Hewes, one of the inventors of the kit and the educational program manager at the ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute. “[Using this kit], we can teach the younger generations about what CRISPR and gene editing could do, whether it is in healthcare, agriculture, or any other fields,…and hopefully train some of the next generation of scientists, teachers, and professionals that are going to get into the [gene editing] field.” Tensor Field Mapping | Q BioMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a staple of medical diagnostics, but its power has been hampered by data variability and the technique’s qualitative nature. In May 2024, Q Bio Inc. unveiled Tensor Field Mapping (TFM), a new MRI technology that provides quantitative imaging data that is harmonized across instruments and operators. TFM represents a “quantum leap forward,” said Q Bio founder, chief technology officer, and chief executive officer Jeff Kaditz in a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240409787415/en/Q-Bio-Unveils-New-MRI-Technology---Tensor-Field-Mapping---Advancing-Measurement-in-Medical-Imaging" target="_blank">statement</a>. Kaditz further stated that TFM makes “multi-parametric quantification of tissues reproducible across machines, which is key to [artificial intelligence] in MRI and personalized medicine.” TFM technology will debut in Q Bio’s Mark I full-body scanner, an instrument under development as of October 2024 that was specifically designed to take advantage of what TFM can accomplish. “Quantified MRIs have been anticipated for over 25 years,” explained Thomas Witzel, vice president of imaging at Q Bio, in a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240409787415/en/Q-Bio-Unveils-New-MRI-Technology---Tensor-Field-Mapping---Advancing-Measurement-in-Medical-Imaging" target="_blank">press release</a>. “By modeling the entire imaging process without idealizing assumptions about the hardware, we're not only enhancing the quality of MRI data but also paving the way for developing new MRI equipment optimized for speed and patient comfort.” Q Bio is currently looking for partners to test and prove the capabilities of TFM within real-world health systems. “We look forward to sharing our collaborations with healthcare providers and researchers to bring the benefits of TFM to patients around the world,” said chief operating officer Clarissa Shen in a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240409787415/en/Q-Bio-Unveils-New-MRI-Technology---Tensor-Field-Mapping---Advancing-Measurement-in-Medical-Imaging" target="_blank">statement</a>. UG100™ | Ultima GenomicsDNA sequencing has evolved to support the analysis of large quantities of genetic material and the production of vast amounts of data. Researchers seek solutions for workflow bottlenecks, and one of the first places they turn to is sequencer technology. February 2024 marked the full commercial release of <a href="https://www.ultimagenomics.com/ug-100-tm-sequencer/" target="_blank">Ultima Genomics’ UG100™</a> high-throughput sequencer, which uses cutting-edge technology to improve sequencing speed and efficiency. “We have brought to market a high-throughput, high-quality sequencer that sequences smaller batches at a lower price point that any other sequencer available,” said Jay Therrien, Ultima Genomics’ chief commercial officer. The company prides itself on the UG100’s ability to reduce costs to 100 USD per genome. Leading researcher institutes globally already use the platform. Cheaper and faster sequencing supports data generation and research discovery, enabling information extraction from more cells, tissue types, samples, time points, and treatments. “The more that we lower the price of generating data, the more can be done. We see that take hold in a variety of market segments,” Therrien said. Among the first adopters of the technology were scientists at Macrogen Inc., a company that produces DNA sequence reads for their research customers and the public. Seung-been “Steven” Lee, head of the Technology Strategy Office at Macrogen Inc., describes UG100’s cost-effectiveness, automation, and reliability as a game changer. The platform uses a special spinning silicon wafer to distribute reagents, which speeds up data collection and imaging tremendously. “The UG100 can store up to six wafers, that’s six flow cells, and it automatically starts a new run,” Lee said. “The automation has been working very well, and it really improved the efficiency of our pipeline.” Microscoop™ | SyncellScientists increasingly turn to microscopy-based spatial biology techniques to detect, localize, and map proteins, but high-throughput or unbiased spatial proteomics screening remains limited by method resolution, sensitivity, and specificity. <a href="https://www.syncell.com/workflow/" target="_blank">Syncell’s Microscoop™</a> brings microscopy-guided proteomic discovery into the automated, large-scale realm. Microscoop is a new spatial biology platform that leverages AI and advanced image processing, precise photolabeling-based biotinylation, and a streptavidin bead pull down assay for mass spectrometry analysis. It performs automated photolabeling for all fields of view in a sample and can rapidly reveal new proteins at specific subcellular regions, such as protein aggregates in brain tissue or biomarkers in cancer samples. “This technology is probably the first high precision spatial protein purification method,” said Jung-Chi Liao, Syncell’s chief executive officer. “You can pull [down] the proteins in the location you're interested in and identify what they are in a much better, much faster way.” “What many companies now call spatial proteomics is often candidate-based…Here the technology is quite different, because in this case, it's really discovery-based,” said neurobiologist Wilfried Rossoll from Mayo Clinic, who received early access to the Microscoop system as a winner of Syncell’s Spatial Proteomics Grant Opportunity Award. Rossoll’s research team employed the platform to investigate key neurodegenerative disease markers within pathological protein aggregates in human autopsy brain tissue. Rossoll also led the initiative to bring a <a href="https://www.mayo.edu/research/core-facilities/overview" target="_blank">mass spectrometry core facility</a> to the Mayo Clinic in Florida, where one of the first Microscoop systems has been installed in the US. The official launch of the Microscoop system coincides with the 2024 American Society for Cell Biology meeting, a representative for Syncell said via email. STARVUE™ | Vizgen (Ultivue)When performing spatial image analyses of heterogeneous tissues, the amount of data generated can become unmanageable. “If you want to study, for instance, the tumor microenvironment, you need to understand what different cell types are in your tissue, what's the actual battle ongoing there between the immune system and cancer cells,” said Lorenz Rognoni, the spatial image analysis portfolio owner at Vizgen (Ultivue). “If you then multiplex, you have to overcome this massive data challenge.” To facilitate the exploration of complex tissues, Vizgen offers a range of VUE multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) biomarker panels, which generate rich mIF images of stained slides. In April 2024, the company rolled out the <a href="https://ultivue.com/starvue/" target="_blank">STARVUE™</a> Image Data Science Platform to handle this plethora of data. STARVUE uses pre-trained, tissue-based image analysis applications to analyze mIF images of whole stained slides, providing tissue detection, segmentation, and cell-biomarker classification based on morphology and stain signals. The cloud-based, automated platform can stack whole slide mIF and same-section hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain images, and its deep learning models classify cells throughout complex and variable tissues with the help of artificial intelligence. Scott Daigle, senior director of Translational Medicine at Nimbus Therapeutics, highlighted how scientists at his company leverage the VUE panels and STARVUE to identify oncology targets that modulate the immune system. “We can get majority of our answers just from this one assay…Are those T cells engaging with the cancer cells, are they activated, are they doing as we expected?” said Daigle. “Tissues from clinical samples are extremely precious, and so to be able to multiplex and get that type of data is great.”Direct RNA Sequencing | Oxford Nanopore TechnologiesTranscriptomic analysis is essential for characterizing cells in health and disease. But most RNA sequencing techniques do not directly analyze native RNA molecules and instead sequence cDNAs. The reverse transcription process loses vital information about the RNA molecules including base modifications. To overcome this limitation, Oxford Nanopore Technologies developed a direct RNA sequencing workflow, which requires a <a href="https://nanoporetech.com/products/sequence/minion" target="_blank">MinION™</a> nanopore sequencing device, a <a href="https://store.nanoporetech.com/us/flow-cell-rna.html" target="_blank">MinION RNA Flow Cell</a>, and a <a href="https://store.nanoporetech.com/us/direct-rna-sequencing-kit-004.html" target="_blank">Direct RNA Sequencing Kit</a>. This system enables researchers to comprehensively examine an RNA molecule’s sequence and detect several post-translational modifications including N6-methyladenosine, pseudouridine, inosine, and 5-methylcytosine. Oxford Nanopore released the latest version of the flow cell and sequencing kit, known as RNA004, in March 2023. “What we have done with RNA004 over old versions is improved its accuracy, improved its output, and reduced the input material requirement,” said Lakmal Jayasinghe, the senior vice president of R&D Biologics at Oxford Nanopore. Additionally, the updated direct RNA sequencing system can now analyze short RNAs that are 50 nucleotides or longer. “The ability to read RNA molecules that are otherwise very hard to [read including] non-coding RNA, structured ribosomal RNA, or tRNA…is remarkable and quite empowering,” said Miten Jain, a nanopore sequencing expert at Northeastern University, who received the system for beta testing. “[With direct RNA sequencing], we can start looking at cancer cells, neurodegeneration, or pancreatic metabolism-associated models and get a better and more complete picture of the landscape of RNA, not just expression, but also modifications.”Proteograph XT Assay Kit | SeerBiotech company Seer released the Proteograph™ Product Suite in January 2022, giving researchers a way to study unknown and low-abundance proteins. However, they soon received requests for more throughput and even more depth from scientists looking to push the envelope, recalled David Horn, chief financial officer for Seer. The <a href="https://seer.bio/products/proteograph-product-suite/" target="_blank">Proteograph XT Assay Kit</a>, launched in June 2023, is Seer’s answer. “The original product could process 16 samples per eight-hour run,” explained Horn. “With the XT, now you can do up to 80. This allows for large-scale studies, which we have seen increasing interest in.” Horn said that this improved throughput enables studies looking at up to 50,000 samples, and he believes that these large-scale studies will enable a better understanding of biology. Biochemist Joshua Coon has seen this first-hand. When the COVID-19 pandemic started in spring 2020, Coon and his team performed proteomic analyses on plasma samples. “This was before the Proteograph, and we were able detect about 300-350 proteins per sample.” Since then, the project has moved to studying long COVID: “This summer, with the Proteograph, we are now getting 6,500–7,000 proteins per sample. We are also getting both the markers that we saw in the first study and new markers that have clear associations. We may be able to separate markers for long COVID from markers for acute COVID, so I am super excited,” said Coon.PhysioMimix® Single-Organ Higher Throughput (HT) System | CN Bio Accurately reproducing the unique microphysiology of human organs in culture is a prerequisite for generating reliable preclinical data that mimics human physiology and improves translatability. This is especially true for scientists engaged in drug discovery and development research. Launched in February 2023, CN Bio’s <a href="https://cn-bio.com/organ-models/" target="_blank">PhysioMimix® Single-Organ Higher Throughput (HT) System</a> is a perfused, organ-on-a-chip platform that addresses the need for large-scale studies to generate robust, human relevant, predictive, and cost-effective preclinical data. “This system has a total capacity of 144 chips, which can be run simultaneously,” said Paul Brooks, chief executive officer of CN Bio. This is particularly useful for toxicology and efficacy studies, where informed decisions about data sufficiency mitigate drug failure in future clinical trials. Brooks highlighted configurability as one of the platform’s key advantages. The platform bridges traditional cell culture and the complexity of animal studies, allowing researchers to minimize the number of animal models while using a human cell-based system that remains faithful to the physiology of human tissues and organs. Alysha Bray, a scientist at CN Bio, believes that this technology, plus their Liver-48 plate for 3D culture, simplifies the use of organ-on-a-chip approaches in laboratories, increasing research capacity and throughput and reducing costs by using fewer primary cells. “Despite the smaller size of [each] well and tissue, we don’t have to compromise on quality of the data produced,” Bray said. “Using the Liver-48 plate is straightforward, and the fact you can use a multi-channel pipette for changing media and taking samples is a real time saver. Every moment counts in the lab, and this higher-throughput system allows us to do more whilst using less.” REMI™ Remote EEG Monitoring System | Epitel™The seizure disorder epilepsy affects roughly 3.4 million people in the US. Beyond epilepsy, one in 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime, underscoring the importance of seizure detection. However, access to neurologists and electroencephalogram (EEG) monitors that record brain activity remains a gap in the healthcare system. “Today you could walk into your neighborhood clinic and walk out with a wireless halter monitor for your heart, but your chances of getting an EEG are slim to none. In fact, three quarters of all clinics lack the ability to get an EEG,” said Epitel™ chief executive officer and chief technology officer Mark Lehmkuhle. Epitel's REMI™ is the first wireless wearable EEG system, enhancing epilepsy management through advanced remote monitoring. It allows healthcare professionals to track seizure activity in real time and outside of the clinic. The system includes four adhesive sensors that contain conductive hydrogel, which wirelessly transmit signals to a dedicated smartphone. Machine learning analyzes data stored in the cloud and sends readouts to healthcare providers, making it easier to identify and monitor seizure activity. REMI is FDA-cleared for home use for up to 30 days by prescription. “Access to neurology and neurologists is limited and will be continually limited in the future. Technology like this can help bridge that gap and make it so there's greater access,” said neurologist Steven Benedict at Northern Ohio Medical Specialists, who first used REMI in a clinical outpatient setting during beta testing. “Just having access, for the patients and for the providers, and being able to answer clinical questions easily, is a tremendous benefit.”VisionSort™ | ThinkCyte Launched in the summer of 2023, ThinkCyte’s <a href="https://thinkcyte.com/visionsort/" target="_blank">VisionSort™</a> adds advanced optics, microfluidics, high-resolution morphological profiling, and AI to conventional cytometry. Traditional flow cytometry requires fluorescent labels, which can alter cells’ native states and cannot capture cell morphology at high resolution. VisionSort is a multi-laser flow cytometer that uses Ghost Cytometry® technology, a cellular fingerprinting method that combines morphological profiling, fluorescence, and AI to define and sort cell populations label-free. With this instrument, researchers can isolate specific cell populations with high viability using gentle microfluidics, screen for new drugs, and identify novel cell populations in disease. Since its launch, researchers have used VisionSort for cell therapy development, drug discovery, and disease profiling. “Whether it’s isolating truly untouched and phenotypically defined cells, performing CRISPR-based phenotypic screens by flow cytometry, or identifying novel cell populations in disease, VisionSort gives researchers the ability to do things they couldn’t do before,” said Willem Westra, vice president of Business Development and Marketing at Thinkcyte, in an email. Scientists at VCCT Inc., a regenerative medicine company that develops cell therapies for retinal degeneration, began using VisionSort in early 2024. “A critical element of our research and development pipeline requires analysis of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal cells, a longstanding challenge due to the lack of specific surface markers, reporters, or chemical labels,” said Masayo Takahashi, president of VCCT Inc., in an email. “This approach allows our researchers to enrich live, phenotypically-defined cells and use them in downstream steps."]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:52:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Innovation Space’s new grant helps start-ups take next step</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/688207/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/688207/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/supplements/innovation/innovation-space-new-grant/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Monday%20s%20News%20From%20Delaware%20Business%20Times&utm_campaign=DBT-Newsletter-11-25-24" target="_blank">Delaware Business Times</a>WILMINGTON — For years, The Innovation Space has fostered early-stage bioscience and technology companies that have secured more than $1 billion in funding in the early stages. Now, The Innovation Space is primed to launch an opportunity to help spring its next act: the Early Stage Growth Grant (EGG). EGG provides up to two years of private laboratory space at The Innovation Space for early-stage startups, or companies that have secured some funding to get off the ground, as well as loans on scientific equipment and access to mentorship programs and learning seminars. It’s specifically targeted to companies that are less than five years old and have secured at least $200,000 in funding. EGG itself is supported by $1.42 million from a congressionally directed spending request sought by U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and Chris Coons.The grant can support start-ups between six months and two years, depending on the company’s needs – and the first six companies are just the beginning. Provine believes the funding is enough to work with up to 20 companies. “These days as investors are becoming more and more conservative and want companies further de-risked, and there’s always this challenge for early stage companies, and in Delaware in particular, where they’re at the pre-seed funding stage. When they get truly started, it’s harder for some people to think about taking on investors when they need the business along,” Innovation Space CEO Bill Provine said. The EGG grant is focused on funding areas like in life sciences, clean technology and advanced materials, all sectors that build on top of Delaware and DuPont’s legacy of science and innovation. Since The Innovation Space was founded in 2017 out of an old building in the DuPont campus, it’s helped incubate and launch companies like Prelude Therapeutics, NiKang and Napigen and more. But Provine has seen the struggles up close in recruiting and retaining great ideas to Delaware. Much of it relates to the struggles all biotech and life sciences face in terms of securing capital to fuel development even before a product is ready to debut on the market. That coupled with the expense of lab space and equipment and talent makes it a large lift for many early stage companies. “You see some noticeable proof points like Prelude or NiKang, and they were able to go directly to venture capital because they had a long track record of commercialization experience,” Provine said, referencing to the talent behind both companies having distinguished careers at other companies before branching out on their own. “But others are purely relying on networks, angel investors or their own personal finances. I do think if you get companies with a good team, a good market opportunity, it all comes down to the risk for investors,” he continued. “And for some, if this funding didn’t exist, they may not be able to get that proof of concept to show the idea and how it could work in the market application.” The Innovation Space worked with its Science Inc. accelerator to run due diligence on the companies, but Provine said that many of these companies had come through the nonprofits’ doors before, either through its 14-week cohort experience or seminar programs. Since EGG was launched in July, it has signed on six companies, ranging from an advanced materials company focusing on cathodes for lithium ion batteries, a manufacturer for a dissolvable stent, developers for a therapeutic treatment for pain relief, among others. The EGG grant will start in January to give start-up founders like Unsmudgeable Founder and CEO Swarna Shiv time to relocate to Delaware. Based out of Babson College, Shiv will be moving the start-up out of the Mansfield Bio Incubator and to Delaware to lab space. “That’s huge in itself, and it’s a pretty big milestone to have our own space. I’m a big believer in that we need to have the right space for the team to do the best work,” Shiv said. “We’re talking to more investors and potential customers, so we need to have our own office for it.” Unsmudgeable is developing an environmentally-friendly coating that can fade fingerprints from glasses and safety goggles. The coating interacts with oils or sweat from fingers and manipulates it in a way that it reduces surface tension so that you can see through those smudges. For a young founder like 23-year-old Shiv, the mentorship aspect of the EGG grant will be incredibly helpful. “We’re going to be doing at least monthly check-ins to make sure we’re hitting our goals, but those mentors will also make sure we get the resources we need,” she said. “It’s really exciting because I already have existing relationships with some of the mentors already like Jonathan Burbaum and Todd Wllach. But to meet them in person for a physical product like ours is going to be huge.” For others like Neil Butler, who recently earned his Ph.D in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware, the EGG grant will provide the lab space to help independently build the research and processes from the university. His new company Nitro Biosciences is based off of five years of research at UD, which focused on expanding the capabilities of amino acids to target immune responses to specific disease antigens. The end goal is to turn that technology into vaccines to overcome limitations. “There’s some diseases where being able to shift where the immune response is focused is very important,” Butler said. “By applying his technology, we’re looking to develop vaccines that we can carry on into clinics.” In the past, Butler participated in many The Innovation Space programs such as the mentorship program and other virtual programs. But as Nitro Biosciences seeks to validate its work and start developing a product to bring to market, the access to lab space is critical. “Having the proximity to UD is a value but having the right set of equipment to perform a whole suite of the different assays that this piece of equipment can be quite expensive in house is also highly valuable as well,” he said. The EGG funding is awarded on a rolling basis and now has seven companies enrolled. Editor’s note: a previous version of this story incorrectly described companies that may receive funding from EGG as well before the funding stage.” Companies must have at least $200,000 in funding to apply.]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 2 Dec 2024 15:35:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Honoring a Delaware Biomedical Leader: Nick Petrelli</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/684545/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/684545/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Written by Eric Kmiec, Executive Director & Chief Scientific Officer, ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute  <div>The success of any organization largely depends on hiring the right person at the right time to do the right job. Nicholas Petrelli, M.D., is a shining example of this. </div><div> Nick arrived at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute in 2001 and has served uninterrupted as the Bank of America Endowed Medical Director for 23 years. He recently passed the leadership torch to Thomas Schwaab, M.D., Ph.D., and transitioned to a new position as director of the Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research at the Graham Cancer Center. All of us who know Nick felt he was not really going to retire. He was just going to change lanes. </div><div> Over the course of the last six weeks, his friends and colleagues at ChristianaCare in the state and in the nation have spent time reflecting and commenting on his two decades plus of remarkable service. Nick is a surgical oncologist and a good one, but his impact on Delaware reaches far beyond the operating room. The Graham Cancer Center was built in 2002, and at that time Delaware was in the unenviable position of having the highest rate of cancer deaths in the United States, ranking number one. Nick assembled a dedicated team of oncologists, nurses and administrators, and within a decade Delaware dropped out the top 10, and now ranks number 16.   </div><div> Nick’s philosophy is that community cancer care is built with a strong infrastructure and funded clinical trials. A relevant measure of success centers on the program’s patient accrual rate to clinical trials. During Nick’s tenure, that rate jumped from 6% to 28%. I am proud to say that the Gene Editing Institute will be included in this effort as we develop CRISPR-directed gene editing for solid tumors and plan on having one of the world’s first clinical trials in humans at the Graham Cancer Center. It’s a big deal. </div><div> The Graham Cancer Center now has eight full-time genetic counselors who travel the state to offer their services and educate patients. That’s exactly eight more than when Nick arrived. He also established a statewide High-Risk Family Cancer Registry that now has 572,610 individuals registered – by any measure a huge success!</div><div> But these achievements were not enough. In 2001, Nick was instrumental in establishing the Delaware Cancer Consortium and the Delaware Cancer advisory Council. Both the governor and the state legislature were moved by Nick’s appeal as he helped to introduce reimbursement for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate cancer screenings for insured and uninsured individuals. This program has flourished for over two decades and remains unique across the nation. It has been so impactful that in 2008 the state eliminated the disparity in colorectal screening and mortality between white and Black men, which continues to this day. </div><div> There is certainly a lot more, but I think you get the picture. Today, style often wins over substance, but not here and not with Nick. That’s not to say that Nick doesn’t have a unique style--sometimes colorful, but always effective. He’s an engaging physician far ahead of the curve in establishing a holistic approach to cancer, including the use of therapy dogs that travel throughout the cancer center with their personal IDs strapped to their collars. Everyone loves these dogs. I was once in Nick’s office when his longtime executive assistant knocked on the door. The door opened and a therapy dog briskly trotted in. Without stopping to glance at me, the dog went over to a file drawer and received a biscuit. Nick didn’t say a word, the dog started chewing, walked out of the room and went back to work. </div><div> Nick is courageous and unafraid of innovation. He does not get in the way of progress for personal, territorial or professional reasons. He single-handedly advocated for and led the way for the Crawley Center for Translational Cancer Research, something he counts among his most cherished achievements. </div><div> Janice Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare president and CEO, tells me that when Nick saw an article in the New York Times about CRISPR-directed gene editing, he went to her and said “I got a guy” -- and soon after the Gene Editing Institute was born. Under their joint leadership, the Institute continues to flourish. He even managed to serve on a thesis committee for Natalia Rivera-Torres, Ph.D., one of our principal investigators and a rising star in the field. </div><div> From the operating room to a cancer center with a sterling national reputation and to a world-renowned gene editing institute, we always got his best.</div><div> Truly, Nick was the right person for the job.  <div> </div></div>]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:59:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Siemens Healthineers scores FDA approval for 5-second, 3D mammography system</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/683761/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/683761/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/siemens-healthineers-scores-fda-approval-5-second-3d-mammography-system?utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl&utm_campaign=LS-NL-FiercePharma+Tracker&oly_enc_id=8908C9413778A8C" target="_blank">Fierce Biotech</a> Siemens Healthineers has received a new go-ahead from the FDA for what the company describes as its first completely redesigned mammography platform in over a decade. The agency’s premarket approval covers the three-dimensional imaging portion of the Mammomat B.brilliant breast scanner, dubbed PlatinumTomo. That builds upon previous green lights for 2D imaging, breast biopsy and contrast-enhanced mammography. By adapting flying focal spot technology from the company’s CT scanners—to help counter the blurring that can happen as the sensor moves to build a 3D image—and incorporating a new X-ray tube, the system aims to acquire wider pictures of the breast in less than five seconds. Siemens Healthineers said its ability to capture 50-degree images can help avoid how overlapping tissue may hide potential lesions in a typical 2D scan, regardless of the density of the breast. In addition, the scanner’s UltraHD image reconstruction technology brings customizable settings, and can provide clinicians with a synthetic 2D image without additional radiation exposure. “This revolutionary system not only provides healthcare institutions with significantly improved diagnostic capabilities but also addresses the critical need for patient and technologist comfort in breast cancer screening,” Niral Patel, VP of X-ray products at Siemens Healthineers North America, said in a <a href="https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-us/press-room/press-releases/mammomat-bbrilliant-fda-premarket-approval" target="_blank">statement</a>. The system was <a href="https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/siemens-healthineers-debuts-5-second-3d-mammogram-machine-new-mobile-mri" target="_blank">unveiled one year ago</a> at the September 2023 annual congress of the European Society of Breast Imaging, held in Valencia, Spain. At the time the company said the Mammomat’s acquisition speed clocked in at about 35% faster compared to other systems. ]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 4 Oct 2024 16:18:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>UD ranks #26 in the nation</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/682071/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/682071/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2024/september/wsj-wall-street-journal-college-pulse-rankings/?utm_source=mc&utm_medium=email&utm_term=priority&utm_content=priority&utm_campaign=ud-news" target="_blank">UDaily</a>New Wall Street Journal rankings recognize UD’s high graduation rates and graduates’ salariesThe University of Delaware ranks #26 overall among 500 colleges and universities nationwide and #10 out of 235 in best public universities, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/wsj-best-colleges-2025-princeton-babson-stanford-52443de8" target="_blank">The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 WSJ/College Pulse best colleges in the U.S. rankings.</a> The 2025 rankings reflect immense growth in UD’s accomplishments and reputation, rising from <a href="https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2023/september/us-news-wall-street-journal-undergraduate-rankings-2023-2024/" target="_blank">#86 overall in the nation in the 2024 survey.</a> “This prominent recognition by The Wall Street Journal of the University of Delaware’s excellence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our outstanding faculty and staff to prepare our students for success in their careers and throughout their lives,” said President Dennis Assanis. “Student success has always been — and will continue to be — a critical focus for the University.”  According to The Wall Street Journal, the ranking “measures how well each college sets graduates up for financial success. We look at how much a school improves students’ chances of graduating and their future earnings, balancing these outcomes with feedback from students on college life.” Over the past two years, the WSJ/College Pulse survey has increased its focus on the importance of student outcomes, primarily graduation rates and graduates’ salaries. The survey puts more emphasis on the value added by colleges and universities — not only students’ success but also the contribution the institution makes to that success. Assanis noted that these metrics in the survey recognize the advancements that UD has made over the past several years.  “I’m extraordinarily proud of the investments we have made in strengthening our faculty ranks, providing accessible pathways for students to achieve their educational goals, expanding our research enterprise to propel discovery and innovation in so many critical fields, and engaging with people here in Delaware and around the world to help solve our most complex challenges,” Assanis said. “We will continue to build on these achievements to make an even greater impact on the future.” In the WSJ/College Pulse survey, UD also ranked #48 for <a href="https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/salary-impact-2025" target="_blank">best salaries</a> and #86 for <a href="https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-value-2025" target="_blank">best value</a>.  UD boasts a 73% four-year graduation rate, which is among the best in the nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS 2022-23 graduation rates survey. Additionally, 94% of students are employed or continuing their education within six months of their graduation from UD.  In August, UD made <a href="https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-colleges" target="_blank">The Princeton Review’s Best 390 Colleges</a> list for 2025. UD was also listed among the Best Mid-Atlantic Colleges. The Princeton Review has also recognized UD as one of the <a href="https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-value-colleges" target="_blank">Best Value Colleges 2024</a> and UD’s excellent undergraduate entrepreneurship program was recognized as #3 in the Mid-Atlantic and in the top 50 nationally in the <a href="https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=top-50-entrepreneurship-ugrad" target="_blank">2024 Entrepreneurship Rankings.</a>About UD rankings A complete listing of UD’s high-profile rankings is available on <a href="https://ire.udel.edu/ir/rankings/" target="_blank">UD’s Institutional Research and Effectiveness Rankings webpage.</a> Please note that programs and specialties used in rankings might vary slightly from the names of degree programs used by UD.]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Sep 2024 20:13:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Incyte Update: New Drugs, Cancer Cures, Downtown Office Plans</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/682023/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/682023/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://townsquaredelaware.com/incyte-dermatology-vitiglia-downtown-office-plans/" target="_blank">Town Square LIVE</a>WILMINGTON (September 12, 2024) – Some of Incyte’s biopharmaceutical drugs can help skin problems and one seems to be a cure for vitiligo, CEO Hervé Hoppenot said in an update Thursday.He also said the company plans to renovate the two downtown MBNA buildings in a way that will make them unrecognizable to the people familiar with how they look now. And he predicted that cures for cancer will be coming soon, and the country where those cures are discovered will reap the economic benefit. Hoppenot spoke during a breakfast sponsored by the <a href="https://www.delawarebio.org/" target="_blank">Delaware BioScience Association</a>. The breakfasts, held six times a year, are networking affairs, but also give new member companies a chance to introduce themselves and tell people what they do. <a href="https://incyte.com/" target="_blank">Incyte</a> recently was named the 2024 winner of the  Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation’s 2024 <a href="https://townsquaredelaware.com/incyte-2024-pete-du-pont-freedom-award-winner/" target="_blank">Freedom Award</a>. Named for the former Delaware governor, a champion of business and development, the award is given annually to an individual or organization whose successful idea has led to economic growth and brought innovation to the private sector.Incyte, which creates drugs focused on activating the body’s own immune system, was founded in Wilmington in 2002. It now has more than 2,500 employees, over 1,000 research and clinical development employees, eight approved products and ongoing clinical trials in dozens of disease areas. DelawareBio CEO Michael Fleming joked that the du Pont family and Hoppenot have a natural connection: Both are French.Incyte News Hoppenot joked that although Incyte had only been in existence about 20 years, it sometimes seemed like it had been 600 years. Much of the work it’s doing, as well as what’s happening in China, may change the world, he said. “Our industry has a profound geopolitical impact,” he said. “But truth is that these cures for cancers are coming in the next few years. If it’s discovered in the U.S., it will have a gigantic economic impact as a country. If they are discovered somewhere else, that impact will be somewhere else in the world. It’s really important.” Among other things, he told the crowd that the company is finding new uses for some of its drugs. The CEO joked that he was not always sure why a cancer drug would work on another issue, and he was glad they did. The company also has focused on vitiligo a disease that involves a slow loss of skin pigment, leaving white patches. It occurs in several ethnic groups. He pointed to the use of Opzelura, a cream, that can help people dealing with vitiligo whose disease hasn’t progressed far. That disease involves a slow loss of skin color, leaving white patches. He showed photos of it dramatically helping a man of color regain a lot of his skin tone. Povorcitinib, available in infusion and pill form, even more dramatically helped patients who had progressed further down the disease path but who used it for 52 weeks. In photos documenting what happened to one woman, her skin seems to have reverted completely to her natural tone. Even more exciting, he said, is Anti-CD122, an injectable antibody.  He showed scans that showed skin completely restored after just eight weeks. “We are basically in the business of curing the disease now,” he said.]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Sep 2024 15:11:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Spurring biotechnology innovation</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/681346/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/681346/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2024/august/create-biofoundries-biotechnology-blenner-research-workforce/" target="_blank">University of Delaware</a>UD scoping a biofoundry with NSF supportBiotechnology has proven to be a real problem-solver for some big challenges in our lives — from producing the insulin that people with diabetes need to regulate their blood sugar to manufacturing sustainable chemicals.   And now the University of Delaware is poised to take the tools of biotechnology to the next level for researchers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.  UD is one of five institutions that the U.S. National Science Foundation is funding to advance a network of biofoundries, where researchers will be able to rapidly design, create, test and streamline tools and products that will accelerate research and workforce training for the emerging “bioeconomy” based on sustainable, renewable resources. Mark Blenner, Thomas and Kipp Gutshall Career Development Associate Professor in UD’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and affiliated faculty member with the Microbiology Graduate Program, is the principal investigator on the project, which involves researchers at UD, Penn State and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  The recipients of a $2 million grant from NSF, the UD-led team is creating the NSF Center for Robust, Equitable and Accessible Technology (CREATE) for Next-Generation BioFoundries to democratize access to the tools of modern biotechnology. The project team aims to provide users from academia and industry with automation and design tools to rapidly produce proteins, biosensors and bacteriophage products commonly used in biotechnology research.  “Our team is excited about training the next generation of scientists and engineers who will address our society’s most important problems — from sustainability to energy to therapeutics,” Blenner said. “This work will put Delaware squarely at the forefront of enabling the bioeconomy.”  Key audiences for the project include academic institutions such as primarily undergraduate institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions, and women’s colleges in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. “Bioscience is a significant driver of our regional economy, and this project will further accelerate the research and workforce training capabilities of our UD faculty and students in this expanding area,” said Miguel Garcia-Diaz, UD’s vice president for research, scholarship and innovation. “This project also will have great synergy with other major initiatives underway at UD and in partnership with our collaborators, from NIIMBL and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute to the new CURB NSF Engineering Research Center in St. Louis.”  Each biofoundry will focus on a different area of biology or biotechnology, but all will advance both in-house and user-initiated projects, train the next generation of the scientific workforce, engage with consumers and users of the products developed and continually enhance workflows and processes to accelerate the translation of ideas.  “Across all fields of science and engineering, including biology, answering grand challenges requires sustained development of technologies, sophisticated instrumentation, and workflows, but not every researcher at every institution can access those critical capabilities,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.  “The new BioFoundries will help democratize access, helping to spur opportunities everywhere so innovation can come from anywhere. Not only will these BioFoundries advance biology, but they will spur developments in artificial intelligence, data storage, health, climate resilience and more.”]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 4 Sep 2024 18:11:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Delaware BioScience Association Names New Board Members</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/677611/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/677611/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Organization elects scientific and educational leadersNEWARK (July 17, 2024) – The Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio) announced the election of Natalia Rivera-Torres, Ph.D., of ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute and Bruce Sachais, M.D., Ph.D., of the Blood Bank of Delmarva and New York Blood Center Enterprises to its board of directors.  Natalia Rivera-Torres is a principal investigator and co-leader of translational research within Christiana Care’s Gene Editing Institute. Dr. Rivera-Torres is considered a rising star in the field of human gene editing whose work has led to a fundamental understanding of how gene repair is carried out in human cells. She was a major force in discovering how the natural diversity among patients can modulate the success of gene editing in human cells. She is also credited with the discovery of a process known as ExACT (EXcision And Corrective Therapy), which is currently being developed as a therapeutic modality. She received her BA in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras campus, her MS in Biology from Delaware State University and her Ph.D.  in Medical and Molecular Sciences from the University of Delaware.  She currently holds faculty appointments at the University of Delaware and Mayo Clinic, where she has taught and serves on graduate student thesis committees. Bruce Sachais is Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for The New York Blood Center Enterprises, as well as the Medical Director for the Blood Bank of Delmarva.  He also directs the Translational Research and Development Laboratory located in Newark Delaware. He was recently appointed as an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences at the University of Delaware and continues to serve on the advisory board for that department. After receiving his BA in Chemistry from Lehigh University, he earned his MD/PhD (Neuroscience) from Washington University in St. Louis.  He completed his clinical pathology residency and his transfusion and apheresis medicine fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he remained as faculty, attaining the rank of Associate Professor before moving to NYBC. He has co-authored over 85 peer-reviewed publications and is a past member of the AABB CTMC. “Delaware Bio’s continued success supporting our member organizations and growing the life science ecosystem relies on ensuring we bring new, diverse talent and expertise to the Board,” said Chris Yochim, Delaware Bio board chair. “Bruce and Natalia’s expertise in clinical medicine and cutting-edge gene editing and their understanding of the importance of translational medicine will greatly strengthen our ability to support companies, researchers and entrepreneurs developing innovative therapies and technologies that benefit patients and society.” <div> </div><div>For more on the Delaware Bio board go to: <a href="https://www.delawarebio.org/page/meet-de-bio" target="_blank">https://www.delawarebio.org/page/meet-de-bio</a> </div><div> <div><div><div>About Delaware BioScience Association The Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio) is a catalyst for bioscience innovation in Delaware. We serve pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, medical device manufacturers, agricultural biotech and chemical companies, research and testing companies, hospitals and medical institutions, academic partners and other organizations and companies that support them, with the goal of expanding our state’s vibrant science economy. Our more than 170 member companies and organizations are of every size, from global leaders to small start-ups, representing 11,000 innovation-based jobs vital to Delaware’s economic future. <div> </div><div>Contact</div><div>Jamie Pedrick – Director, Marketing and Communications</div><div><a href="mailto:Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org"></a><a href="mailto:Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org">Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org</a></div><div>410-920-2668</div></div></div></div></div><div> </div>]]></description>
<category>Press Releases</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Jul 2024 15:45:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>EastSide Charter STEM Hub to include workforce training pilot</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/675279/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/675279/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/insider-only/eastside-charter-stem-hub-to-include-workforce-training-pilot/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Monday%20s%20News%20From%20Delaware%20Business%20Times%20%E2%9E%A1%EF%B8%8F&utm_campaign=DBT-Editorial-Newsletter-06-17-24" target="_blank">Delaware Business Times</a>WILMINGTON — When the EastSide Charter School <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/chemours-eastside-stem-hub/" target="_blank">community STEM facility</a> opens in the next couple months, it will feature a new program set to train adults in biomanufacturing and basic lab functions. Delaware’s federal delegation, including Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, worked to secure $2.1 million in federal earmarks in the latest appropriation bill to launch a pilot program to train participants on skills needed for jobs in the state’s rising life sciences sector. Delaware Bioscience Association Associate Director Katie Lakofsky said that many partner companies placed these skills on the wish list to fill its rapidly-growing workforce.  “The goals of the pilot program are to connect individuals from non-traditional communities through partnerships to provide that training to be successful and grant them the tools for success,” Lakofsky said at a Friday event announcing the initiative. “By strengthening the partnerships with our nonprofit community organizers, we can build talent pipelines and expand recruitment funnels.” The three-year pilot program will initially be based out of the Chemours STEM Hub in the EastSide Charter School to help open doors to a new talent pool. The STEM Hub is 24,000 square feet in size and set to double as a community center for after-school and weekend events. Bioscience leaders and state and local politicians were invited to tour the construction site on Friday. “What that means is you can see a world where everyone can be working on robotics or learning about machine labor,” said EastSide Charter Executive Officer Aaron Bass. “Adults can come in and be a part of the best practices and safety training on equipment.” Other key partners in the pilot program include The Warehouse and West End Neighborhood House. Lakofsky added that the location of the first program was important to set the goals and minimize barriers like transportation — which made EastSide Charter a perfect fit. Delaware Bioscience Association and the Delaware Life Sciences Caucus also unveiled other initiatives to lift the sector during Friday’s event, like the launch of a center focused on life science education and training. This center, established by the Delaware Bioscience Association will work to form partnerships with academic and community institutions to help develop skills to succeed in a life science career path. <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/pharma-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Past surveys</a> conducted by the Delaware Bioscience Association have shown that every company surveyed had unfilled positions requiring skills in research, business or manufacturing. This center will focus on workforce needs at every level, even though it’s at the early stages, according to officials.Legislators Reps. Mike Smith (R-Pike Creek), Krista Griffith (D-Fairfax/Hockessin) and Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos (D-Elsmere), who represents the state <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/life-science-caucus/" target="_blank">Life Sciences Caucus</a>, also touted movement on a bill to help draw STEM talent to stay in Delaware. <a href="https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail/141508" target="_blank">House Bill 435</a>, also known as the DE-STAR Act, would create a retention and talent advancement program to attract and retain new university graduates with employers by offering tax credits for education loans. Under the bill, successful applicants will receive tax credits for a maximum of $1,000 for associate degrees, $4,000 for bachelor’s degree and $6,000 for a graduate and postgraduate degree. “It’s a small incentive, but it’s one of those that can create cohorts of individuals to go through this program,” Griffith said. “The state is showing them that we want them here and rewarding them with a tax credit because we want them to raise a family here.” “Economic development is a long game,” Smith added. “It’s a big puzzle, and when you take it out of the box, there’s a lot of pieces. Sen. Carper created that puzzle a long time with AstraZeneca, and now you have pieces in the Wilmington corridor like the STAR Campus and  WuXi STA in Middletown.” Carper was instrumental in bringing AstraZeneca’s North American headquarters to Fairfax when he served as governor. Delaware <a href="https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/08/25/astrazeneca-sell-fairfax-campus/89308834/" target="_blank">reportedly</a> offered $40.7 million in grants and tax credits in addition to millions more in road improvements to bring the newly-formed company in 1999. The company has downsized its Delaware presence, but has around 1,600 employees in the state. Delaware Bioscience Association President and CEO Michael Fleming called Carper the “Godfather of life sciences in Delaware.” Carper joked in a comment to the Delaware Business Times that it was one of the “nicer things said about him.” “I focused on job creation and preservation, and when you think about how the landscape has changed over the years, we used to have tens of thousands of people work in the auto assembly. Those jobs are gone,” Carper said. “But we’ve replaced them with life sciences companies like AstraZeneca and others who are still looking at us. They’re focused on what we’re doing in our middle and high schools to prepare the workforce. It’s a shared responsibility.”]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jun 2024 16:45:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Millions of dollars supporting education of future scientists & attracting STEM professionals to DE</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/675148/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/675148/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.wdel.com/news/millions-of-dollars-dumped-into-education-of-future-scientists-and-attracting-stem-professionals-to-delaware/article_f8bae89a-2a71-11ef-b26d-7fdfead19e33.html" target="_blank">WDEL News</a>Programs facilitating life science education and training for the next generation were announced today at the <a href="https://www.delawarebio.org/news/563713/Bi-Partisan-Coalition-Launches-Life-Science-Caucus-in-the-Delaware-General-Assembly.htm" target="_blank">Delaware Life Science Caucus</a> at <a href="https://www.eastsidecharterschool.org/" target="_blank">EastSide Charter School</a>’s new Chemours STEM Hub. Industry, educators and government worked together to support current and future needs for Delaware's STEM community. A $3 million, three-year pilot program to recruit and educate about laboratory and biomanufacturing skills was backed largely by U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons. Carper says that a focus of his has been strengthening and nurturing families and their children.  "I want to make sure that kids have a loving, nurturing family to grow up in and an education to be able to support their families," Carper says.  Bringing successful businesses to Delaware was highly emphasized throughout the meeting and by Carper, saying that STEM is a huge part of our future.  Other programs aspire to attract new university graduate to STEM companies in our state by supporting portions of college loan payments. A press release from Delaware BioScience Association lists the programs and proposals announced today: <ul><li>Launch of the Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training. The new organization will serve as a regional catalyst for the next generation of life science talent at every level, partnering with industry, educators and government to address current and future employer needs.  </li><li>A $3 million, three-year pilot program to recruit and train individuals in basic laboratory and advanced and biomanufacturing skills. Key initial funding for the innovative pilot comes from a $2.1 million Congressionally Directed Spending grant supported by US Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons. The three-year pilot also has the support of the state, the Delaware BioScience Association and additional private financial and in-kind support.</li><li>Introduction of the “DE-STAR” Act. The legislation, HB 435, introduced by Reps. Krista Griffith, Mike Smith and Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, creates the 'Delaware STEM Talent Advancement and Retention' program to attract and retain new university graduates with Delaware STEM employers by supporting a portion of their college loan payments. This pilot effort will receive additional state and private funding to support individual credits of up to $6000."</li></ul>A number of programs have been announced two years after a <a href="https://www.delawarebio.org/page/Life-Sciences-Delaware-Momentum-Opportunity" target="_blank">report</a> by the Delaware BioScience Association and the <a href="https://www.choosedelaware.com/" target="_blank">Delaware Prosperity Partnership</a> showed a need to invest in the future life science industry. "The simple goal of these initiatives is to make Delaware the very best place in the world for employers to find life science talent at every level – from advanced manufacturing operators to PhDs,” said <a href="https://leadershipdelaware.org/teams/michael-fleming/#:~:text=Michael%20Fleming%20President%20%2F%20Delaware%20BioScience%20Association&text=Fleming%20began%20his%20career%20as,senator's%20Wilmington%20state%20office%20director." target="_blank">Michael Fleming</a>, Delaware Bio President and CEO. “These new efforts will attract talent and companies of all sizes, strengthen our state’s manufacturing capability, boost regional economic growth and advance our national security.” Carper supported the programs and ones like these throughout his tenure in government.  "One of the big things that I hear from employers around the state is that we need to make sure that we're developing the next generation of workers," Carper says. "If we do that, businesses will be successful, our state will be successful and we will all be better off." ]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:44:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Innovative Delaware Public-Private STEM Workforce Initiatives Announced</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/675015/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/675015/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Industry and Government Leaders Hail Comprehensive New Programs and Investments to Deliver Diverse Science and Technology Talent Pipeline $2.1 Million Federal Grant Will Fund Bioscience Manufacturing Training PilotWILMINGTON, DE (June 14, 2024) – Leading Delaware business, educational and government officials today heralded a comprehensive package of initiatives designed to strengthen the state’s STEM workforce. The array of new programs and proposals were announced at a gathering of the Delaware Life Science Caucus at EastSide Charter School’s new Chemours STEM Hub. They include: <ul><li>Launch of the Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training. The new organization will serve as a regional catalyst for the next generation of life science talent at every level, partnering with industry, educators and government to address current and future employer needs.  </li><li>A $3 million, three-year pilot program to recruit and train individuals in basic laboratory and advanced and biomanufacturing skills. Key initial funding for the innovative pilot comes from a $2.1 million Congressionally Directed Spending grant supported by US Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons. The three-year pilot also has the support of the state, the Delaware BioScience Association and additional private financial and in-kind support.</li><li>Introduction of the “DE-STAR” Act. The legislation, <a href="https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=141508" target="_blank">HB 435</a>, introduced by Reps. Krista Griffith and Mike Smith and Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, creates the "Delaware STEM Talent Advancement and Retention” program to attract and retain new university graduates with Delaware STEM employers by supporting a portion of their college loan payments. This pilot effort will receive additional state and private funding to support individual credits of up to $6000.  </li></ul><div>The program announcements come two years after a <a href="https://www.delawarebio.org/page/Life-Sciences-Delaware-Momentum-Opportunity" target="_blank">seminal report released by the Delaware BioScience Association and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership</a> that identified the need to invest in the development of a diverse, prepared and resilient workforce to ensure future life science industry growth. Following the report findings, Delaware Bio undertook an in-depth review of employer needs and educational and training capabilities leading to the appointment of the nation’s first-ever role focused on life science workforce development. These initiatives come as a direct result of that effort. “The life science industry continues to be an important part of our economy,” said Governor John Carney. “Programs that invest in Delawareans to be the next generation of life science workers and leaders will yield positive results for our state.” <div> </div></div><div>“I am thrilled to join Senator Coons to deliver the funding to start the pilot program to recruit and train our future biomanufacturing workforce,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “It’s important that we create a nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation, and this training will go a long way to support Delaware’s first-class workforce and thriving biosciences industry.” “Delaware’s growth as a hub for biotechnology and biomanufacturing strengthens our global leadership in research and innovation,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “Securing federal funding—this time for a $2.1 million bioscience manufacturing pilot with the new Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training —will help grow the First States’s biotechnology workforce, creating good paying careers for Delawareans in advanced manufacturing, and keep Delaware at the forefront of life science innovation.” “The Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training will invest in our young people so that they are set up for success,” said U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Future of Work Caucus. “I’m proud to have worked alongside Senators Carper and Coons to secure federal funding for important STEM initiatives at EastSide Charter and other community organizations, and I will continue working to ensure that every student and adult are equipped with the skills they need to join our life sciences workforce.” “I am excited to see the launch of the new Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training,” said State Representative Krista Griffith. “Delaware has always maintained such a first-rate talent pool in the life science industry, but we are now at a place where we need to continue to invest in the next generation to hold our strong presence in these industries. This center along with initiatives such as HB 435 creating the STAR Program, will be enormously helpful in supporting these important careers.” “At UD, we are constantly striving to be an engine of innovation and economic growth for the State,” said Dr. Dennis Assanis, University of Delaware President. “This program provides another avenue that would not only help us attract the highest quality students to Delaware, but also retain them in our state after graduation to fill critical jobs in our growing science and technology-based economy.” “The burden of student loan debt is borne disproportionately by people of color, with Black women hit especially hard, so the DE-STAR program will particularly benefit graduates of Delaware State University,” said Melissa Harrington, PhD, Associate Vice-President for Research of Delaware State University and Director of Delaware Center for Neuroscience Research. “By reducing their student loan debt, DE-STAR will support our graduates to pursue and thrive in STEM careers within the state, ultimately contributing to Delaware’s innovation and economic vitality.” “The simple goal of these initiatives is to make Delaware the very best place in the world for employers to find life science talent at every level – from advanced manufacturing operators to PhDs,” said Michael Fleming, Delaware Bio President and CEO. “These new efforts will attract talent and companies of all sizes, strengthen our state’s manufacturing capability, boost regional economic growth and advance our national security.” <div> </div></div><div>New Center Focuses on Engaging and Training Talent The newly formed Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training was established by the Delaware BioScience Association to accelerate the engagement, training, and delivery of a robust life science workforce.  Through strategic partnerships with industry, academic institutions and community organizations, the Center aims to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in life science careers. The Center will serve as a cornerstone of workforce development, enhance local economic development and contribute to the growth and sustainability of the regional life sciences community. <div> </div><div>Pilot Manufacturing Training Program Launches with Federal Funds   One early focus of the Center will be the development of an innovative, employer-informed pilot training program designed to equip participants with essential skills for biomanufacturing and laboratory roles.  Earlier this year, the Center secured significant initial funding through a $2.1+ million Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) appropriation, thanks to the support of Delaware US Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons. The federal funds will be supplemented by significant additional state, philanthropic and private funds.  The pilot biomanufacturing training program is set to launch in Q1 2025, with significant resources dedicated to identifying and recruiting participants, as well as removing barriers to accessing the training. Key partners include non-profit community organizations serving the City of Wilmington, such as The Warehouse, West End Neighborhood House, and East Side Charter.  The pilot training program will take place at the Chemours STEM Hub at Eastside Charter School and other locations.  <div> </div></div><div>HB 435, DE-STAR to Attract College STEM Talent Delaware science and technology employers are growing, yet they face significant challenges in recruiting and retaining STEM talent.  The proposed STEM Talent Advancement and Retention Program (“STAR Program”) aims to address these challenges by offering post-secondary graduates employed in Delaware STEM fields personal income tax credits to reduce the debt on their student loans. The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Rep. Krista Griffin and Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos and is cosponsored by Life Science Caucus Cofounder Rep. Mike Smith. <div> </div></div><div>“These important STEM-focused initiatives will serve the state well by addressing employer needs, informing communities about jobs in a robust area of our economy, retaining science and technology companies and keeping talent in Delaware which is a wellspring for any industry sector,” said Kurt Foreman, President and CEO of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.  “We are excited to see this comprehensive package of initiatives focused on the need to strengthen and retain Delaware’s STEM workforce,” said Brian DiSabatino, Delaware Business Roundtable Chair.  “Delaware’s ability to compete with other states for jobs, talent, and investment in the life sciences industry rests squarely on our willingness to invest in the development of highly trained people to meet the needs of employers.  Whether those needs are for advanced manufacturing operators or PhDs, the initiatives announced today will help develop a qualified and diverse workforce for well-paying job opportunities at many levels.” “Delaware Technology Park is very supportive of the proposed legislation STEM Talent Advancement and Retention Program,” said Mike Bowman, CEO and President of Delaware Technology Park. “For any STEM focused business, the two most significant success factors are capital to grow and attraction and retention of a skilled workforce.” “As a Manufacturing USA institute, NIIMBL (the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals) has a deep understanding of the employment shortfall the biopharmaceutical manufacturing sector faces today, and that is projected in the coming years,” said Kelvin Lee, Director of NIIMBL. “To address this need and build the training programs for the future, we facilitate collaborative workforce development projects across the nation. We are excited about these local STEM workforce initiatives announced today and look forward to supporting the growth of Delaware’s economy." “With the transformational STEM-related growth and economic development taking place in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region right now, this is a much-needed initiative that will serve to build and retain a talent pipeline that will take us into the future,” said Dora Cheatham, Board of Directors for Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (DESCA) and Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub.  “Having a diverse pool of workers trained in science, laboratory operations, and manufacturing is crucial to the success of science-based companies like Agilent,” said Bryan Fisher, Associate Vice President, Global Service Contact Centers of Agilent Technologies. “I applaud the Delaware BioScience Association for spearheading these efforts. Programs like these continue to make Delaware a great place to do business.” “A talented, diverse and well-trained workforce is critical to the success of our Delaware operations spanning manufacturing and business roles,” said Shamus Whyte, Executive Director and General Manager of AstraZeneca’s Newark manufacturing facility.  “We are pleased to see these important life science workforce initiatives that will help recruit, retain and mobilize the next generation of STEM talent in Delaware.” “These new STEM initiatives make Delaware an even more attractive place to not only start but continue to grow life science and manufacturing companies,” said Paula Swain, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Incyte. “These new programs are another example of how the private and public sector come together to address issues related to STEM education.” <div> </div><div>“At IFF, we believe in ‘<a href="https://www.iff.com/sustainabilityreport/" target="_blank">doing more good</a>’ which includes giving back to the communities in which we work and live,” said Angela Strzelecki, President of IFF Pharma Solutions. “With a large contingency of Pharma Solutions’ colleagues based in Wilmington, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to support STEM-focused initiatives and are excited by today’s announcement highlighting investments in STEM education and programs in Delaware.  It is wonderful to see the public and private sector partnering to help ensure that Delaware is a great place for science-focused companies to take root and develop a strong pipeline of STEM talent to further innovation.” “Prelude relies on its incredibly talented team of scientists to fulfill its mission to discover and develop innovative medicine for cancer patients in need,” said Michele Porreca, Chief People Officer of Prelude Therapeutics, Inc. “This bill and associated supportive actions by the state will assist Delaware-based employers, like us, to continue supporting our dedicated team members who are committed to the innovation and discovery of breakthrough medicines. Also, bills like these encourage STEM talent to build their careers in DE, directly enhancing our ability to attract new talent. We thank all who introduced this legislation and are excited about the positive impact it will have on strengthening our state’s STEM workforce.”</div><div> </div><div>“By fostering a culture of innovation, Delaware has successfully sparked a new wave of economic growth in our life sciences industry, which in turn has led to high demand for well-trained and highly skilled workers among our state-supported research ventures and locally grown bioscience companies,” said Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, chair of the Senate Banking, Business, Insurance and Technology Committee. “Now, we are stepping up once again to make the kinds of critical investments in our workforce that will empower Delaware’s working families to share in that success by giving them the training they need to secure good-paying, high-demand jobs in our rapidly growing bioscience industry,” he said. “These initiatives are another great example of how collaboration among state legislators, Governor Carney, our Congressional delegation and our bioscience industry is creating real prosperity for our communities.” “Growing Delaware's economy needs to be a top priority as we make our way through 2024 and gear up for a new Gubernatorial administration starting in 2025,” said State Representative Mike Smith. “The Financial Services Act grew Delaware to where we are today, but we need to grow Delaware with the assets we have in place and catalyze off of our institutions of higher education and partners in the region to create a workforce of the future. The life sciences industry is Delaware's next big opportunity!” “Today’s announcements serve as the framework for a comprehensive STEM workforce strategy,” said Katie Lakofsky, state bioscience workforce lead and President of the Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training. “Our future success will depend on innovative public-private partnerships that effectively listen to and address the dynamic needs of cutting-edge STEM employers who want to grow right here.” <div> </div><div>About Delaware BioScience Association The Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio) is a catalyst for bioscience innovation in Delaware. We serve pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, medical device manufacturers, agricultural biotech and chemical companies, research and testing companies, hospitals and medical institutions, academic partners and other organizations and companies that support them, with the goal of expanding our state’s vibrant science economy. Our more than 170 member companies and organizations are of every size, from global leaders to small start-ups, representing 11,000 innovation-based jobs vital to Delaware’s economic future. About EastSide Charter School/Chemours STEM Hub EastSide Charter School is a transformative educational institution committed to providing high-quality education to its diverse student body. The Chemours STEM Hub at EastSide Charter School is expected to be completed during the 2024-2025 school year, featuring a 40,000 square foot facility dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.  The new Hub will also offer public spaces and serve as a premier access point for STEM education and training in the Wilmington community. <div> </div><div>Contact</div><div>Jamie Pedrick – Director, Marketing and Communications</div><div><a href="mailto:Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org"></a><a href="mailto:Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org">Jamie.pedrick@delawarebio.org</a></div><div>410-920-2668</div></div></div></div></div><div> </div>]]></description>
<category>Press Releases</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jun 2024 14:16:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>VIEWPOINT: Delaware innovation is driving regional, global biotech collaboration</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/674243/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/674243/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/viewpoint-delaware-biotech-collaboration/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Thursday%20s%20News%20From%20Delaware%20Business%20Times%20%E2%9E%A1%EF%B8%8F&utm_campaign=DBT-Editorial-Newsletter-05-30-24" target="_blank">Delaware Business Times</a>Regional, cross-state economic development is the kind of mom-and-apple-pie-concept that everyone seems to love – but can be as rare as a Bigfoot sighting in the actual wild. So it was notable that UD’s Clayton Hall was recently the stage for a discussion not just about theory, but about the real thing in action. In this case, the conversation centered on an unprecedented tri-state collaboration to make our region a central technology hub for cutting edge therapies for the most debilitating and rarest diseases. The “Regional Precision Medicine Tech Hub” will leverage the unparalleled capabilities right in our backyard (De-Phl-NJ): a thriving cell and gene therapy sector, a bubbling entrepreneurial ecosystem and a national institute investing hundreds of millions of dollars to transform the production of complex biopharmaceuticals. Leaders from Philadelphia-based Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and a trio of Delaware organizations – Innovation Space, the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceutical (NIIMBL) and Delaware Bio/Delaware Biotechnology Institute – sketched out the progress already made and exciting opportunity ahead for this initiative at our recent <a href="https://www.delawarebio.org/page/delawares-dna-2024-life-science-conference" target="_blank">Delaware’s DNA: 2024 Life Science Conference</a>. The Tech Hub represents more than a hundred regional organizations and businesses, spanning biotech startups and world class research institutions to patient-focused groups and top economic and workforce development players. Soon we will be learning if a $75 million federal grant will be funding the hub’s ambitious plans, but its sheer creation is a noteworthy milestone for <a href="https://www.bisnow.com/philadelphia/news/life-sciences/philadelphia-ranks-no-4-for-life-sciences-colliers-124055" target="_blank">a region that was recently ranked the 4th hottest life science mecca in the country</a>. The conversation dovetailed perfectly with other panel discussions at the conference highlighting the central role biotechnology plays in driving innovation and “outsized value” for society. Industry leaders and investors agreed that advances in AI, machine learning and modalities such as cell and gene therapy poise our industry to deliver transformational changes in the way we think about and treat disease and health care more broadly. Throughout, the power of effective collaboration – learning, sharing and leveraging strengths between industry and research institutions, and across geographies – was a consistent theme. And that notion was certainly apparent during a recent Delaware delegation visit to Ireland for a deep-dive into that country’s remarkable emergence as a global powerhouse in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Led by Gov. John Carney, the group included representatives of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP), the University of Delaware, industry executives, myself and others. We met with top officials from Ireland’s National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), the Irish Development Agency, Enterprise Ireland, the National Science Foundation, key innovation leaders at Trinity, Cork and Limerick Universities and major employers like Eli Lilly. It was an enlightening, productive and inspiring visit. Over less than two decades Ireland has established itself as an industry force, with billions invested by global biopharma and technology firms in cutting edge facilities employing tens of thousands. One-third of the country’s exports are innovative biopharmaceuticals, the product of a concerted, coordinated effort across government, industry and universities to develop one of the world’s most skilled and sought-after workforces. We were impressed by the concerted multi-year efforts to drive an integrated industry-government-university approach to education and training and set the stage to explore some promising collaborations. The Irish system isn’t perfect nor is it an exact analogue to Delaware – but our state and that small country do share important characteristics that are compelling. This includes our native strength in the life sciences and advanced manufacturing, serving as the home of NIIMBL, preeminent research institutions and global businesses like AstraZeneca and Incyte. Those assets will be fundamental to the continued success of the Delaware life science sector of course, but our sustained, long-term growth will also be ensured by smart, targeted and mutually-beneficial partnerships beyond the First State, whether it be along the I-95 corridor or across the great blue sea.Michael Fleming is the President of the Delaware BioScience Association. <div> </div>]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 4 Jun 2024 18:09:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>65 students develop biopharma products in NIIMBL contest </title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/674241/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/674241/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://delawarelive.com/65-students-develop-biopharma-products-niimbl/" target="_blank">Delaware Live</a>Students from the <a href="https://www.charterschool.org/" target="_blank">Charter School of Wilmington</a> said a new partnership with a national biopharmaceutical institute has helped them find their career path of the future.  “Prior to this program, I wasn’t entirely sure what within biology I wanted to focus on for my career and major, but I think this definitely encouraged me to pursue biopharma or biotech, something related to that,” said Arya Gupta, a junior at Wilmington Charter. Gupta is one of 65 students involved in the <a href="https://www.niimbl.org/workforce/niimbl-biologic/" target="_blank">bioLOGIC Program</a> created by the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (<a href="https://www.niimbl.org/" target="_blank">NIIMBL</a>), which is headquartered in Newark on University of Delaware’s campus.  In that program, students work in teams of four to six to:<ul><li>Identify a real-world problem</li><li>Conceptualize an advanced product solution</li><li>Create a business model around the product</li><li>Build a pitch deck and three-to-four-minute pitch they will deliver to a panel of representatives in a professional-style setting</li></ul>Kathie Young, workforce committee coordinator and project manager at NIIMBL, said it’s like a “Shark Tank” for biopharmaceutical products. “The goal was to get around 20 students, and we had in the first initial meeting, over 75 students come, and we ended up taking 65 of those students,” said Michael Valenti, a science teacher and science department chair at the charter who coordinates the partnership. Students committed to an eight-week process in which they met outside of the school every Monday from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Wilmington Charter is the only school in Delaware to be part of the bioLOGIC Program, which was also piloted in North Carolina in 2022. Gupta, whose team won in Wilmington Charter’s first year of the program, helped develop a monoclonal antibody for IgA nephropathy which is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and young adults.  Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made immune system proteins meant to stimulate the immune system, treat and diagnose diseases, including cancer and other infections. Bhavin Yarlagadda, a junior, and his team developed a gene therapy product to treat Alzheimer’s disease.  “What I really enjoyed was the fact that they gave us the freedom to actually approach whatever issue that we chose,” he said. “We got to approach it from whatever avenue we wanted as long as it involved biopharmaceuticals, so for us, we kind of branched out.” While in its infant stage, NIIMBL hopes to expand the program next school year into more schools.  “The program is designed to be really flexible, so you could do anything from an intensive summer-camp-type scenario, which they’ve done in North Carolina, and you could do it for say 40 hours a week, and then finish the project,” said Jennifer Mantle, the regulatory committee coordinator and technical director at NIIMBL. Another option, she said, is to incorporate bioLOGIC into the school year through a specific class, or an after-school model like Wilmington Charter chose.  Its flexibility allows teachers to tailor it to the specific needs and wants of students and their learning objectives, Mantle said. She said the institute isn’t focused on specific metrics and rather wants an organic growth of the program driven by interest from students, teachers and administrators.  “As someone who’s interested in medicine and pharmaceuticals, we’ve learned biology and chemistry in school, but I thought it was really valuable to use the knowledge that we’ve learned and kind of apply it to a more professional setting,” said Adarsh Ramamurthy, a junior. He said getting to see start to finish, from the research to developing a business model, he was able to learn aspects of the industry one might not think about in a traditional class setting. He also enjoyed getting feedback from professionals during the final pitches.  Margaret Olson, a science teacher at Wilmington Charter, explained that NIIMBL provides a sort of guide to teaching the program in which it’s very hyper focused and each week they meet, they focus on a few pages of the guide and a certain aspect of the product development process.  Mantle joked that while some of the groups’ products were very innovative and she’d love to actually bring them to market, part of what the students learned in the program is how incredibly expensive it is to mass produce a product and bring it to market.  “It takes billions of dollars and tens of years to bring a drug to market,” she said. “So, perhaps some of these bright young minds will go on to work at pharma companies and bring those ideas to life but at this point in time, no.” Xuan Bui, the director of faculty and student life and the charter, said the end goal is to get students outside the traditional learning structure of the classroom and immerse them in a simulated experience.  She said the appetite for this program is evident by the surprisingly large number of students who participated in year one of it, and said there is great value for them to hear back from industry experts on pitch day.  “We definitely want to continue, we’ve talked about doing a fall and a spring session,” Bui said. “This was all done after school, so it took eager students to stay after school and work on it.” On the NIIMBL side, Mantle said the institute wants to build relationships with local schools. “The charter school has been fantastic to work with and I’m hoping that we can work with some others and maybe help some teachers be able to implement this in their classrooms,” she said, “and maybe sometime in the future expand beyond just Delaware and North Carolina to other states, and maybe train program managers.” But, that’s a future problem, she said.  “As far as the outcomes of the program, with every implementation, I think it’s really important that we introduce the students to a real-life application of the things that they’re learning in school, and we introduce them to potential career options,” she said.  If a student is majoring in biological sciences, everyone is seemingly pre-med, Mantle said, but people don’t realize that degree can be used for a myriad of other jobs and careers, which is what she hopes the bioLOGIC shines light on. “Biology is definitely my favorite subject, and I’m still kind of thinking about what exactly I want to do, maybe medicine or maybe pursue a pharmaceutical research sort of role,” Ramamurthy said. “I think it was a good opportunity to just dip my toes into the biopharma industry.” An AP Bio class, Mantle said, might be more interested in just talking about the health problem and the solution. A business class, she said, could focus on the product market but without all the science background. But, she said, bioLOGIC brings both together. “I most enjoyed getting to see just how in-depth the process of developing biopharmaceuticals,” Gupta said, “and like learning the amount of money, the effort, the time that goes into this. We see ads on TV all the time, you may not think about how much it goes into, producing all these drugs that save lives.”<div> </div>]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 4 Jun 2024 17:59:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Nemours Children’s Health Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/674236/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/674236/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://nemours.mediaroom.com/moseleygroundbreaking" target="_blank">Nemours</a><a href="https://www.dtcc.edu/about/news/2021/09/23/delaware-bioscience-association-supports-student-scholarships-delaware-tech"></a>Ceremony includes dedication of the Alfred I. duPont Campus in recognition of the Nemours Children’s Health founderWILMINGTON, Del. (May 20, 2024) – Nemours Children’s Health today celebrated the construction of the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders with a special groundbreaking ceremony. The Moseley Foundation Institute at Nemours Children’s was <a href="https://nemours.mediaroom.com/2023-03-02-Nemours-Childrens-Health-Announces-78-Million-Donation-from-the-Lisa-Dean-Moseley-Foundation" target="_blank">established</a> in March 2023 with a $78 million gift from the Moseley Foundation. As one of the most significant donations ever made to a U.S. children’s hospital, the donation helps propel Nemours Children’s ongoing efforts to improve both the outcome and the experience of care for children with cancer, sickle cell disease and other blood disorders. Phase one of the project is the state-of-the-art, 24-bed inpatient facility at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, slated to open in Spring 2025. Phase two will be the construction of a 20,000-square-foot day hospital and infusion center. “This groundbreaking is a critical moment reflecting a broader expansive plan to amplify our ability to care for children with cancer and blood disorders throughout the region and beyond through advanced capabilities and leading-edge research,” said Mark. R. Marcantano, JD, President, Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware Valley. “The generous gift from the Moseley Foundation propels Nemours Children’s to further its existing world-class capabilities and services to improve the health of children, which is directly aligned with Alfred I. duPont’s philanthropic vision.” To honor our founder and benefactor, Alfred I. duPont, the ceremony also featured a dedication of the Alfred I. duPont Campus as a symbol of Mr. duPont’s and Nemours commitment to the children of Delaware. The Campus serves as the home of multiple entities situated on duPont's estate: Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, Nemours Estate, the Carillon Tower and more. “As a representative of the duPont Charitable Trust, it gives me great pleasure to dedicate the Alfred I. duPont Campus on such an important day, while we break ground on a significant part of our future,” said Geoff Rogers, Trustee, Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust. “I offer my most sincere thanks to Bill and the other members of the Moseley Foundation Board for your thoughtful investment in our community and the nation’s cancer and blood disease landscape.” The Moseley Foundation donation will be used to make immediate and long-term impacts on pediatric cancer and blood disorder treatment and research. “Every child deserves the brightest future possible, and we are honored that Lisa’s legacy will allow Nemours to continue to make a profound impact on children, in particular those with diseases that have been long overlooked and underfunded, such as sickle cell disease,” said William J. Martin, Esq., President of the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation. The new initiatives include:<ul><li>The family-oriented Moseley Institute that will accommodate the growing number of children seeking Nemours care, together with their siblings and parents. The new space will feature isolation areas to protect immunocompromised patients, a dedicated medication room, expanded comprehensive clinic and infusion room capacity, and supportive care services. The center will overlook the beautiful gardens of Nemours Estate, with extraordinary views and design that promote healing and recovery. </li><li>A Presidential Endowed Chair to support the inaugural Moseley Institute Director’s work in pediatric patient care, research and other high priority areas.</li><li>An Endowed Chair for Sickle Cell Disease who will further Nemours work in support of the Delaware Comprehensive Sickle Cell Research Program by conducting and overseeing sickle cell disease research and clinical care. The work began in 2021 with a five-year, $10.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) to support clinical, translational and psychosocial research in sickle cell disease. The chair will also focus on reducing disparities in access to care because the disease disproportionately impacts minority communities.</li><li>An Endowed Laureate Program that will create an annual research goal for a Request for Proposals (RFP) focused on cancer and blood disorders research. The Moseley Institute will convene a Scientific Review Board to review proposals to engage and fund leading global research teams from a variety of disciplines both inside and outside of traditional laboratory research.</li><li>An International Symposium to be held every other year to highlight the Moseley Institute’s researchers’ accomplishments and facilitate the exchange of information and collaboration amongst top international researchers and scholars to ultimately improve care. </li></ul>“Many children’s hospitals provide specialized care for patients who have cancer, but not all have the same dedication to the specialized care of children with sickle cell disease. This extraordinary gift, with a specific focus on cancer, sickle cell disease and other blood disorders, allows us to advance care in all these areas,” said David C. Brousseau, MD, MS, Pediatrician-in-Chief, Chair of Pediatrics at Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware Valley. “Nemours is committed to developing new treatment options to promote better outcomes for pediatric patients and their families. With the help of the Moseley Foundation, we can further improve our facilities and bring together the best and brightest minds dedicated to this cause.” The Moseley Institute will be a critical component of the industry-leading Nemours Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (NCCBD), which has achieved many accolades since its inception 30 years ago, including:<ul><li>Developing two fully accredited transplant and cellular therapy programs supporting children with cancer, sickle cell disease and other blood disorders.</li><li>Securing the designation as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Oncology Research Program, ranked second nationwide in enrolling children in NCI-funded trials.</li><li>Achieving a three-fold increase in the number of patients identified to have cancer predisposition syndrome by the Cancer Genetics Program at Nemours. This program provides fully integrated and advanced molecular diagnostics for children with a personal or family history of cancer.</li><li>Conducting active Nemours investigator-initiated research projects in sickle cell disease that focus on novel diagnostic tools, research approaches and intervention strategies to mitigate the effects of racism and stigma on disease management. </li></ul>To learn more about how this gift will impact the future of care for kids with cancer and blood disorders, please visit: <a href="https://www.nemours.org/well-beyond-medicine/the-moseley-institute.html" target="_blank">nemours.org/moseleyinstitute</a>.About Nemours Children’s HealthNemours Children’s Health is one of the nation’s largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also caring for the health of the whole child beyond medicine. Nemours Children's also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org. The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.About the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Based in Wilmington, Delaware, the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports basic medical and scientific research. The Foundation generally accomplishes these goals by collaborating with and funding research and clinical programs undertaken by highly qualified organizations such as Nemours Children’s Health, the American Cancer Society, the Helen Graham Cancer Center, and the Cleveland Clinic (among many other research institutions supported by previous grants made by the Foundation). The Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation strives to support groundbreaking research and clinical programs with the goal of improving outcomes and saving patient lives.  For further information: Leah Goodwyne, leah.goodwyne@nemours.org (904) 676-2229<div> </div>]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 4 Jun 2024 16:48:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>State EDGE program reaches milestone as 100 small businesses gain funding</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/673400/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/673400/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://delawarebusinessnow.com/2024/05/state-edge-program-reaches-milestone-as-100-small-businesses-gain-funding/?utm_campaign=Delaware%20Curated%20Email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9G6E-UOIYsxCmaHaA1CpBHmoEl9mSrYCTzmBvpB6M6_QrGM5PyiS15PJ9rXzS3WPyH6j1utNeUeWof5y7FgY7dc4rmy70nOA5xAYFw0WQnlEUEJ-Q&_hsmi=308514913&utm_content=308514913&utm_source=hs_email">Delaware Business Now</a>The State of Delaware program, which helps small businesses start or grow during the first few years of operation, hit a milestone Thursday with the most recent grant awards for the Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) competition. The awards given to 10 Delaware small businesses for the spring 2024 round bring the total number of businesses awarded funds under EDGE to 100. Awardees in the latest round of the competition include a company treating severe allergic diseases and cancer, a Wilmington-based company developing an app to teach baseball to inexperienced and underserved children, a company in Seaford looking to expand deliveries of its pies, and a company in Dover opening a second location for counseling families facing infertility. A total of $6.51 million has been awarded to 100 Delaware small businesses since the program was launched in 2019.“We started the EDGE grant program in 2019 to give small businesses an ‘edge’ over their competition. I’ve been impressed every year with the innovation and creativity of business owners across the state, and what EDGE grant winners have done with their awards to advance their business,” said Gov. John Carney. “I’m proud that we’ve been able to deliver this necessary funding to 100 small businesses since 2019 and I congratulate this year’s winners.”Businesses under seven years old and employing no more than ten full-time employees (or full-time equivalents) are eligible to apply for an EDGE grant. The grants are awarded through a competitive selection process. After a thorough internal review, 14 finalists were selected to pitch their proposals to an outside expert panel of judges. Ten companies are selected each round for awards. Five STEM-based companies receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses, while five Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses receive up to $50,000. “I am so proud of our team, and what we’ve been able to accomplish through the EDGE program,” said Division of Small Business Director Regina Mitchell. “Each awardee today, and each applicant who applied, had a story to tell about how they want to make our state, and the lives of the people who live here, better and easier through their proposals. We’re excited for the winners and pleased to contribute to their journey.” The application period for the next round of the EDGE program will open in August. EDGE is a matching grant program. The Division of Small Business matches a winning business’s investment on a 3-to-1 basis. The business can spend EDGE grant funds on expenses that help improve the company’s long-term chances of success, such as a marketing campaign to help acquire more customers or purchasing a needed piece of equipment that can increase production capacity. This is the ninth round of funding for the program. In February, 120 businesses applied for funding, 97 in the entrepreneur category and 23 in the STEM category. Fourteen finalists gave public presentations in early May. From that roster, the recipients below were selected. STEM CategoryAnvigen (Newark) Anvigen LLC, is a materials science start-up, founded in 2023. The company has developed a sustainable solution to efficiently degrade and dispose of corn stalks on farms. It developed a novel water-based spray that contains corn stalk degrading bacteria stored inside biodegradable microcapsules. When the microcapsules are sprayed on the corn stalk, the bacteria are slowly released and the stalks degraded, thereby not only returning the useful nutrients contained in corn stalk back into the soil, but also converting the corn stalk into organic matter supporting soil health for the next crop cycle. The technology eliminates the need for the current disposal method, which is burning, preventing millions of tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. The EDGE grant funds will be used for equipment to manufacture the product on a large scale for field testing. Cellergy Pharma (Wilmington)Cellergy Pharma is an early-stage Delaware biotechnology company dedicated to developing cures for severe allergic diseases and cancer. They are the first company to develop Chimeric Antigen Receptor engineered T cells (CAR T cells), or white blood cells, to treat severe allergic diseases. The company is also developing a novel CAR T cell product to treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The EDGE Grant funding will be used to equip a functional cell therapy development lab, enabling the company to accelerate its research and development efforts.Make the Play (Wilmington) Make the Play is a mobile app designed to enhance and expand youth engagement with baseball, by making the complex game easier for youth to learn via a user-friendly, gamified experience. The goal is to simplify the learning process and enhance the youth baseball experience for children, coaches, and families. The EDGE grant funding will be used to take this product which is already in development into three critical phases: a sales & marketing launch strategy, expansion of the app for advanced players, and adaptions to apply its use to the game of softball.NESTER (Wilmington)NESTER is the first tool to help homebuyers and homeowners predict and plan for the cost of future home repairs and maintenance. For a homebuyer, they can calculate that into their budget projections so they can buy a house they can afford long term. It’s like CarFax, but for houses. The existing platform is built for an individual homeowner to understand the future expenses for their home but is not currently set up, either for an individual or a company, to enter data for multiple homes or to aggregate the data to forecast maintenance. EDGE funding will be used to build an Enterprise Platform that will allow a user to do that. Having access to this platform will impact many public and private entities including: large single family rental operators, government housing projects (Housing Authorities), small investors with multiple properties, and real estate brokerages. Toivoa (Newark)Toivoa, Inc.’s mission is to fill the gap in mental health care for persons with disabilities. Toivoa will use EDGE funding to bring to market, Rauha, a doctor-prescribed, digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) therapy plus mental health coaching solution designed to treat depression and/or anxiety and tailored to meet the specific needs of the disabled community. Rauha matches patients with certified mental health coaches with similar lived experiences. This innovative care model is making delivery of mental healthcare scalable and accessible without restricting patient access due to location, mobility challenges, language differences (e.g., American Sign Language); all issues for people living with disabilities.Entrepreneur Category3&D Sports Performance (Wilmington)3&D Sports Performance is a Sports Performance Facility. 3&D will use EDGE funding to secure a second location, equipment purchases to outfit the location, and specialized courses/certifications so coaches can implement their injury prevention programming. The new equipment purchases will consist of turf, special rubber flooring that protects athletes’ joints, force plates for data analysis and new stretching devices. These equipment purchases will help them achieve their goal of helping 1,000 female athletes remain injury-free through specialized strength and mobility training. In comparison to their male counterparts, female athletes are 7x more likely to tear their ACL.Beachin Bash (Rehoboth Beach)Beachin Bash is an event management company specializing in unique events from luxury beach picnics and beach bonfires to bachelorette/bachelor parties, corporate gatherings, large festivals, and in house catering. Beachin’ Bash will use EDGE funding to purchase an updated cargo van. The acquisition of a gently used, high-top van will enhance their operational capabilities, allowing for more efficient and reliable transport of equipment and supplies, thereby supporting their expansion and ability to manage multiple events simultaneously. This investment will ensure that Beachin Bash remains at the forefront of delivering luxury and ease at every event.Coastal Key Lime Pie (Seaford)Coastal Key Lime Pie is a family owned and operated small business in Sussex County. Husband-and-wife team Jessica and Lee Williamson officially launched the business in February 2023 in a Sussex County Incubator Kitchen, finally settling into their dedicated commercial kitchen in Seaford in January 2024. They sell their custom key lime pies at local farmers markets, pop-up events, and two retail partners in Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. The EDGE funding will help them expand their business. They plan to use it for a refrigerated vehicle to ensure large orders of key lime pies maintain their proper temperature during transportation, a pie crumb former to increase the daily production of pies, and advertising.G & R Campground (Houston)G&R Campground, is the oldest black-owned campground and RV park in the United States. The owners have self-funded the campground since its acquisition, making significant improvements to attract a younger demographic of campers and expand their business. The general store, solar panels, hammocks, park, outdoor games, and garden have all been updated to enhance the overall experience for visitors. G&R will use the EDGE grant funding to renovate the activity hall, aligning with its mission to enhance visitor experiences and promote eco-conscious celebrations that support local businesses. The renovation includes infrastructure improvements, structural repairs and upgrades, flooring and lighting enhancements, accessibility features, eco-friendly design, energy-efficient lighting, waste reduction initiatives, outdoor landscaping, and technology upgrades including Wi-Fi.Willow Counseling Services (Dover)Willow Counseling Services, has established itself as a reliable provider of mental health support, with a particular focus on the perinatal period. Recognizing the lack of essential support for mental health during motherhood, Willow Counseling’s owner made it her mission to create a safe space where women could find solace and the support they need. Willow Counseling Services offers insurance-based services, ensuring that high-quality mental health services are accessible throughout Delaware. With the growing demand for their services, Willow Counseling aims to open a second office location in Middletown, expanding the reach of their community care and creating job opportunities for therapists and interns. Edge Grant Funding will be utilized for construction of the second office space, office furniture, medically compliant office supplies and equipment, and marketing.]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 May 2024 15:27:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Incyte to buy Bank of America buildings for growth</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/673158/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/673158/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/incyte-bank-of-america/">Delaware Business Times</a>WILMINGTON — <a href="https://incyte.com/">Incyte Corp.</a> has received $14.8 million in taxpayer-backed grants to open new offices out of the massive complex that Bank of America used to own, placing the company right in the heart of downtown Wilmington. The global biopharmaceutical company is slated to buy 1100 N. King Street and 1100 N. French Street to move into 541,000 square feet of office space in the city. <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/tag/incyte/">Incyte’s</a> fourth major expansion since 2014 and will add more than one million square feet across Delaware. The pair of buildings are in <a href="https://www.bankofamerica.com/">Bank of America</a>’s former Bracebridge complex, which once housed thousands of employees out of its four buildings but now only has offices for 500 employees at Bracebridge II. The final employees will be <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/insider-only/bank-of-america-move-jobs/">moved out of the city</a> and to Bank of America’s Deerfield Campus in Pike Creek or to its Christiana Campus in Stanton by November 2025. Bracebridge I on N. King Street and Bracebridge III on N. French Street was sold to Capital Commercial Investments in 2018. With the support of the state’s Strategic Fund program, those buildings that were first built for MBNA in the 1990s would bring 800 employees again. “We’re really excited to help continue the revitalization of Wilmington. It’s already come a long way and there’s a lot there. . . This expansion really is something we’ve been needing for a while,” Incyte Executive Vice President of Global Human Resources & Facilities Paula Swain told the Delaware Business Times. “We’re completely out of space. We have an in-person culture. We work four days in the office and one day at home. So we really need our space.” More than 400 employees from Incyte’s U. S. Oncology and Dermatology teams and global corporate employees that currently work out of offices in Chadds Ford, Pa. will relocate in the North King Street building. The downtown Wilmington office is expected to open in 2026. The North French Street building will be used for Incyte’s future growth and expansion efforts. Current research, development and technical operations teams will remain at the Augustine Cut-Off headquarters campus in Wilmington’s Alapocas suburbs. Incyte reports that of its 2,500 employees, roughly 1,200 are locally based.On Monday morning, the state’s investment board, the Council on Development Finance (CDF), unanimously approved a $9 million job performance grant to create 524 new jobs and retain 342 positions that would eventually move to Delaware. The average salary for these highly skilled and trained jobs is around $200,000, while other skilled positions would start as low as $90,000, according to Swain. CDF also approved a graduated lab space grant of up to $5.6 million for site improvements. Both grants will be distributed once Incyte has successfully made improvements to the site and hiring the promised jobs. The grant approval comes after <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/incyte-axes-friends-deal/">Incyte ended its plans</a> to build a new facility on the 20-care Lower School Campus from the Wilmington Friends School after outcry from neighbors. Incyte ended up writing off $5.6 million of expenses because of the situation. Delaware Prosperity Partnership President and CEO Kurt Foreman called Incyte “one of Delaware’s greatest success stories” during the Monday CDF meeting. In the last five months, the company has made major headlines by acquiring the rights to cancer drug <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/incyte-25m-monjuvi/">Monjuvi</a> and more recently Escient Pharmaceuticals for $750 million. “It’s great when companies are growing. They [Incyte] are growing dramatically. It’s important that we can find an option in Delaware for their growth,” Foreman told council members during the meeting. “It’s a great story for Delaware. It’s a fabulous opportunity to see a globally focused company continue to do a great job in Delaware.” Swain told DBT that the transition of moving its staff to the city would be on an ongoing basis, done by departments over time. “It will be a two-fold step. One is to move the sales and marketing teams from Chadds Ford to here. That’s about 200 people. Then we’d like to move folks that don’t have anything to do with research or technical operations from the Augustine Cutoff location to the new buildings. That will initially be about 400 people,” Swain said. She added that Incyte is looking to add another 400 to 500 people at the new locations over time. The Augustine Cutoff location will continue to be utilized for lab space as the company grows and adds to its portfolio. Currently, the company makes eight products, however it has another 24 compounds in the development process. “The pipeline and portfolio continues to grow and expand. As we move things from discovery to development, we will have to grow to support it organically,” Swain added. On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. John Carney celebrated the news of Incyte’s move into Delaware’s largest city as a great win for the state’s long storied bioscience sector. “Incyte’s decision to move their headquarters to downtown Wilmington is not only a big deal for the city – it’s a big deal for our state,” Carney said in a prepared statement. “Incyte is a Delaware success story. Incyte grew out of its space at the DuPont Experimental Station and moved hundreds of employees into a renovated headquarters at Augustine Cut Off. Not only does this announcement mean more great jobs in our state – but it means that there is more opportunity for Incyte to keep doing good in our community and across the world. Incyte’s research makes a huge difference in peoples’ lives. We couldn’t be prouder to call them a Delaware-grown company and we’re excited about their next chapter. I want to thank Incyte’s leadership for their commitment to Delaware.” Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, who is in the final months of his final year in office, welcomed Incyte into Delaware’s home for business and corporations. “Incyte is a company with motivated leadership that is addressing complex health needs throughout the world. And now, that important work will be conducted from an expanded company location in our city, and we couldn’t be more excited,” Purzycki said in a prepared statement. “In addition to enhancing the Wilmington business community, Incyte will provide a wonderful boost to our local economy,” the mayor added. “I offer thanks and appreciation from our entire city to Chief Executive Officer Hervé Hoppenot and the Incyte team and Governor John Carney and the state team for working with the city to make this happen.”]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2024 14:40:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Delaware DNA conference talks workforce ecosystem, innovation</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/672464/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/672464/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/insider-only/delaware-dna-talks-workforce/">Delaware Business Times</a>NEWARK — The second annual Delaware DNA conference hosted by the <a href="https://www.delawarebio.org/">Delaware BioScience Association</a> drew around 320 people seeking to gain perspective on the successes and challenges in the state’s pharmaceutical industry. The conference on May 9 at the University of Delaware’s Clayton Hall featured top leaders from Delaware’s pharmaceutical industry including Inctye, the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), AstraZeneca and other companies and organizations, building on last year’s foundation of discussing trends in workforce and innovation. “As we look to the future, I believe that life sciences will only become a more important part of our economy,” Gov. John Carney said in his welcome address. “Sometime, several years from now, this whole auditorium will be filled with people representing those companies in that industry.” The governor noted that biopharmaceuticals is quite literally knitted in Delaware’s DNA, building off the legacy from DuPont to establish the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, a partnership between industry, government and academia to advance biotechnology. Years down the line, the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus became home to NIIMBL where the state is now accelerating research in manufacturing. Still, Delaware has to compete on an international stage. Carney and a delegation of Delaware officials and business leaders spent a week in Ireland recently. Their trip included a tour of the AstraZenca production facility that focuses on treatments for rare diseases. The Newark site in the First State competed for that production line and lost. “Among the things we heard on that visit was the strong collaboration across government, the private sector and higher education in Ireland was really quite amazing,” the governor said. “That trip really drove home the importance of workforce development in the economy we have now. We really need young people prepared for specific production jobs.” Delaware’s life sciences sector employs around 11,000 people with a collective payroll of at least $230 million. It also generates $2 billion in gross domestic product. The conference brought people together from all over the region to hear panel discussions on technology breakthroughs, building a workforce, capital funding, politics, and leveraging federal funds. There was also a keynote chat with Olivier Leclerc, a senior partner of McKinsey & Company who works with pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical-products clients. Throughout the day, smaller companies were able to make their pitch to potential investors at a showcase – and vice versa. Companies like CorriXR, Prelude Therapeutics, Biocurie, Uvax Bio and more used a small theater to talk about the innovations their companies were making while investors like First Fund, Epidarex Capital, BioAdvance and UD Launch Fund talked about what strikes the interest of their fund. Workforce and AI talkThis year, many experts considered innovations in precision medicine, fueled by Delaware’s inclusion in the Tech Hub designation with the Philadelphia region, as well as the need to understand and process large amounts of data. On that front, many executives in the boardroom are discussing how artificial intelligence can prove to be a game changer. “I’ve been in the industry for 20 years, and when I started, validating manufacturing processes was done on paper. Imagine the data we had to collect, whether it’s drug testing, development and release,” AstraZeneca Global Operations Head of Lean Digital Katherine Wallace said. “Digitization sounds easy, but at the same time, you have to make sure the right safeguards are in place. Technology is enabling us to get better insights to the data, much faster. I think it’s enabling us to be better than we were before.” <a href="https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/editorial-ai-chatgpt/">While AI could</a> provide efficiencies in the research and development stage, for IQVIA Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Andrew Ploszay, the challenge is balancing that efficiency with quality.IQVIA provides analytics, technology solutions and clinical research to life science firms. “You have to put yourself in the shoes of the senior leaders who are asking how to generate speed if the window for commercialization is getting exceedingly smaller? How do I find increasingly smaller footprint data? AI will help you, but we’re still in that uncomfortable stage where we’re fumbling over it,” Ploszay said. Meanwhile, Aisling Capital Founder and Senior Advisor Dennis Purcell took a little more cautious look at AI overall, noting the historic hype around prescription drugs in the 1980s.“Lots of good drugs did come out of it, but there was fewer and fewer that eventually came out of the market. There was a lot of hype around it, and right now, the benefits of AI are not really accurate yet for clinical development. Though it probably will,” Purcell said. He added that in the last three years there has been $330 billion invested in 26,000 AI start-ups. When it came to building an ecosystem, panelists like Jay Biggins, executive director of site selection consultant Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company and Maryland Tech Council CEO Kelly Schulz pointed out that thinking of Delaware as a part of a group rather than an island can help move the needle. “The only things that really matter as a state or jurisdiction is the tax policy and having sites ready. We all know how quickly decisions are made for site selection, and particularly for life sciences companies, it can be uncertain” Biggins said. “Access to talent is also mission critical. Real estate costs are always a big number, but if you can’t find the talent, you can’t afford it. So that means locations like Delaware must demonstrate the most sustainable and durable commitment to workforce development, being keyed into what the industry needs.”With Maryland sharing a border with the first state, Schulz, who used to serve as Maryland Commerce Secretary under Gov. Larry Hogan, said that many Delaware companies have been borrowing workers that live in Maryland, and vice-versa for institutes like Johns Hopkins. “Not everywhere can be like the Interstate 270 corridor, but what parts of your state can contribute to the ecosystem where there’s a feed of information and resources. If you have a STEM background from one of our universities, it’s going to be translated to a lot of differ types of tech that are moving forward,” she said. “I think it’s critical to satisfy the needs of growing businesses across the state as we move forward.”]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2024 15:33:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Workforce development remains a priority for Delaware’s life science industry</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/672459/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/672459/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://delawarebusinessnow.com/2024/05/workforce-development-remains-a-priority-for-delawares-life-science-industry/#google_vignette">Delaware Business Now</a>Workforce development remains a top issue for Delaware’s biotechnology community. That was one of the messages from Delaware’s DNA Life Sciences Conference, a one-day Delaware BioScience Association event held at the University of Delaware’s Clayton Hall conference center in Newark. Delaware Bio CEO Michael Fleming listed workforce development in a short list of priorities for the industry that include a regional focus and strengthening ties with educational institutions.“We still have more job openings than people looking for work. It’s better than the opposite but is still a big problem,” said Gov. John Carney, who spoke at the event. Carney told attendees about his recent trip to Ireland as a member of a state delegation exploring opportunities in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The tour included a trip to an AstraZeneca site that ended up in Ireland rather than the company’s Newark site, which was on the pharma company’s expansion shortlist. Despite that loss, Carney, who, like many Delawareans, has family ties to Ireland, said he came away energized by the state’s potential in the bioscience arena. Many of the ingredients that have led to success in Ireland exist in Delaware, Carney said. The state is now the home of NIIMBL, a research organization located at the University of Delaware STAR Campus that focuses on pharmaceutical manufacturing. Ground was recently broken on the Sabre pilot manufacturing site on that campus. And unlike Ireland, Delaware is strategically located along the I-95 corridor, the home of many pharma and biotech companies in an area stretching from North Carolina to Boston. The keynote speaker, Olivier Leclerc, a senior partner at the southern California office of McKinsey & Co., also noted that Ireland is known for its low business taxes, an area where Delaware receives criticism. However, Leclerc agreed that Delaware has many advantages that can bolster its presence in the biotech world. In his remarks, Leclerc outlined the challenges facing the life science industry, including the loss of revenue when patents expire on blockbuster drugs. AstraZeneca’s struggles with the “patent cliff” led to the loss of thousands of jobs in Delaware a decade ago, which have been backfilled by growth at other life science companies such as Incyte. Leclerc said life sciences has shown an ability to adapt to replace lost revenues, navigate the regulatory process, and deal with challenging conditions in global markets. Artificial intelligence is one tool that will aid bioscience in speeding up its development, Leclerc said. The bioscience sector is still in the learning phase on using AI in a way that will not compromise the process of safely bringing a drug to market, he noted. Both Carney and Fleming pointed to the successes of the bioscience industry, which still has a lower profile among Delaware residents than other sectors of the economy. According to Carney, the growth in life science jobs from various sources has led to a more balanced economy in Delaware and pointed to success stories like the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus. The diversity has helped Delaware keep a top credit rating on its debt. ]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2024 15:23:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Philadelphia Ranks No. 4 For Life Sciences: Colliers</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/671832/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/671832/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.bisnow.com/philadelphia/news/life-sciences/philadelphia-ranks-no-4-for-life-sciences-colliers-124055?utm_source=outbound_pub_20&utm_campaign=outbound_issue_76644&utm_content=outbound_link_1&utm_medium=email">Bisnow</a>Philadelphia is the fourth-best life sciences market in the nation, according to a new report. Colliers’ <a href="https://www.colliers.com/en/research/nrep-life-sciences-report-2024">annual life sciences report</a> said $1.4B in National Institutes of Health government funding, vacancy rates of 7.7% in the region and a high level of biomedical degree completion help position the Philadelphia region as a leading player. The City of Brotherly Love lags only behind the most established hubs within life sciences. Boston holds first place, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. While funding slowed nationally and regionally — venture capital plummeted to $29B last year across the country — in Philadelphia, three major firms collected about $100M in investment together in the last quarter of 2023. "Access to funding has been challenging this year, but $100M in raises in Q4 shows availability persists and as conditions evolve and companies return to confidence on the ability to lease space — Philadelphia will continue to be a highly competitive option," <a href="https://www.bisnow.com/tags/joseph-fetterman">Joseph Fetterman</a>, an author on the report, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josephfetterman_in-spite-of-current-capital-markets-headwinds-activity-7191111466555514881-NnBf">wrote</a> on LinkedIn. There is 23.4M SF of available inventory in Philadelphia. Another 2.5M SF is under construction, but about 45% is pre-committed by companies such as Spark Therapeutics, WuXi and SmartLabs, the report says. Most of that leasing is in <a href="https://www.bisnow.com/tags/university-city">University City</a>.In addition, <a href="https://www.bisnow.com/tags/david-werner-real-estate-investments">David Werner Real Estate Investments</a> purchased the multi-building <a href="https://www.bisnow.com/tags/pfizer">Pfizer</a> campus in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, last August. That $180M acquisition helped keep Pfizer and Dow as major tenants in the region. Philadelphia ranked third in the nation for absorption and fourth for vacancy, Colliers said. It has the fourth-largest construction pipeline. "As VC funding activity recovers and early-stage companies continue to expand, the vacancy will be absorbed and projects on hold will move forward in the pipeline," the report states. Nationally, 20M SF of life sciences deliveries set a new record in 2023, and limited absorption led to increases in vacancy and sublease availability. Contact Sonya Swink at <a href="mailto:sonya.swink@bisnow.com">sonya.swink@bisnow.com</a>]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 6 May 2024 18:24:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>UD breaks ground on SABRE Center</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/670848/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/670848/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.wdel.com/news/ud-breaks-ground-on-sabre-center/article_715686b4-0151-11ef-bb68-8357eb3e5abd.html">WDEL</a>Delaware's Congressional delegation joined with officials from the University of Delaware to break ground Monday, April 22, 2024, on a new 90,000 square foot facility at the University's STAR Campus. The new Securing American Biomanufacturing Research and Education (SABRE) Center will be a pilot-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility to support the work of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). "We envision the SABRE Center as a place to scale up and to mature manufacturing innovations necessary to ensure broad access to novel biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, and ultimately, to the medicines that they make," said Dr. Kelvin Lee, NIIMBL's Director. "I personally believe that the SABRE Center is going to mark an inflection point in our national competitiveness in this advanced manufacturing industry, and to our resilience in the face of future public health threats." "It will provide a state-of-the-art facility for training Delaware workers with the most current technology for jobs in manufacturing biopharmaceuticals," said University President Dennis Assanis. "Delaware is well on its way to become a unique and vibrant hub for biopharma research and manufacturing," Assanis said. "A place where brilliant ideas become realities." The federal government has committed $45 million to the project, including $35 million of which was secured by the state's Congressional delegation.]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 17:40:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Incyte Announces Acquisition of Escient Pharmaceuticals and its Pipeline of First-in-Class Oral MRGP</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/670826/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/670826/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423725958/en/Incyte-Announces-Acquisition-of-Escient-Pharmaceuticals-and-its-Pipeline-of-First-in-Class-Oral-MRGPR-Antagonists">Business Wire</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.dtcc.edu/about/news/2021/09/23/delaware-bioscience-association-supports-student-scholarships-delaware-tech"></a>EP262, a first-in-class oral Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2) antagonist with the potential to treat a broad range of inflammatory disorders, has demonstrated proof-of-mechanism in chronic inducible urticaria and is in a Phase 2 study for chronic spontaneous urticaria</li><li>EP547 is a first-in-class oral MRGPRX4 antagonist with the potential to treat cholestatic pruritus and other conditions with severe pruritus</li><li>Acquisition supports Incyte’s portfolio strategy and complements its expanding R&D activities in Inflammation and Autoimmunity (IAI)</li><li>Incyte analyst and investor call scheduled for April 23, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. ET</li></ul>WILMINGTON, Del. & SAN DIEGO--(<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/">BUSINESS WIRE</a>)--Incyte (Nasdaq:INCY) and Escient Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company advancing novel small molecule therapeutics for systemic immune and neuro-immune disorders, have entered into a definitive agreement under which Incyte has agreed to acquire Escient, including EP262, a first-in-class, potent, highly selective, once-daily small molecule antagonist of Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2) and EP547, a first-in-class oral MRGPRX4 antagonist. “As a company dedicated to innovation and the discovery of transformative medicines, we are excited to add EP262 and EP547 to our portfolio. This acquisition builds on our strategy to develop differentiated and first-in-class medicines with high potential,” said Hervé Hoppenot, Chief Executive Officer, Incyte. “EP262 and EP547 are complementary additions to our portfolio, providing an opportunity to leverage our expertise, address the needs of patients with inflammatory diseases and additional potential launch opportunities starting in 2029.” By blocking MRGPRX2 and degranulation of mast cells, EP262 has the potential to effectively treat multiple mast cell-mediated diseases including atopic dermatitis (AD), chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). <a href="https://www.escientpharma.com/escient-pharmaceuticals-announces-presentation-of-data-demonstrating-efficacy-of-ep262-in-a-mouse-model-of-atopic-dermatitis-at-the-american-academy-of-dermatology-annual-meeting/">Preclinical studies</a> presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in March 2023 showed that EP262 improved AD-like skin lesions and markers of type 2 inflammation. Additionally, <a href="https://www.escientpharma.com/escient-pharmaceuticals-announces-positive-results-from-phase-1-study-of-ep262-a-first-in-class-oral-mrgprx2-antagonist-for-mast-cell-mediated-disorders/">in a Phase 1 study</a> of 64 healthy volunteers, EP262 was safe and well tolerated at all doses tested, with no serious or severe adverse events, no adverse events leading to discontinuation and no clinically meaningful adverse changes in safety laboratory parameters, vital signs or ECG parameters. Treatment-emergent adverse events for EP262 were mild, with an incidence that was lower than placebo (33.3% vs. 62.5%) and did not increase with dose.“These drug candidates are the result of the highly innovative research performed by Escient’s employees and scientific collaborators,” said Joshua A. Grass, President and Chief Executive Officer, Escient. “With its experienced development and commercial teams in Inflammation and Autoimmunity and portfolio of commercial and development stage products, Incyte is well positioned to translate this new science into valuable medicines for patients.” Under the terms of the agreement, Incyte will acquire Escient and its assets for $750 million plus Escient’s net cash remaining at the close of the transaction, subject to customary adjustments. The acquisition is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, among other customary conditions, and will become effective promptly following the satisfaction or waiver of these conditions which is currently anticipated to be by the third quarter of 2024. Centerview Partners LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC advised Escient on the transaction and Fenwick & West LLP acted as legal counsel for Escient. Covington & Burling LLP acted as legal counsel for Incyte.Incyte Conference Call and WebcastIncyte will hold a conference call and webcast this morning at 8:00 a.m. ET. To access the conference call, please dial 877-407-3042 for domestic callers or +1 201-389-0864 for international callers. When prompted, provide the conference identification number: 13746287. If you are unable to participate, a replay of the conference call will be available for 90 days. The replay dial-in number for the United States is 877-660-6853 and the dial-in number for international callers is +1 201-612-7415. To access the replay, you will need the conference identification number: 13746287. The conference call will also be webcast live and can be accessed at <a href="https://investor.incyte.com/events-presentations">investor.incyte.com. </a>About EP262EP262 is a potent, highly selective once-daily small molecule antagonist of MRGPRX2, a receptor expressed on mast cells that is activated by numerous ligands, including many peptides released from sensory neurons as well as other cell types. In response to MRGPRX2 activation, mast cells release histamine, tryptase, chymase, chemokines and cytokines, which can cause itchy hives, angioedema, type 2 inflammation (through engagement of the adaptive immune system) and chronic pruritus and pain. Preclinical data demonstrate that, by blocking activation of MRGPRX2, EP262 has the potential to effectively treat a broad range of mast cell-mediated conditions, with an initial focus on chronic urticarias and atopic dermatitis.About EP547EP547 is a potent, highly selective antagonist that blocks the activation of MRGPRX4 by various bile acids, bilirubin and urobilin. By virtue of this disease-specific mechanism of action, EP547 has the potential to be a highly targeted and efficacious treatment for cholestatic and uremic pruritus. About Chronic UrticariaChronic urticaria, defined as urticaria persisting for more than 6 weeks, manifests with very itchy hives that may vary in size and can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life by interfering with sleep and daily activities. Some patients with chronic urticaria may also develop swelling deeper under the skin or in other tissues (angioedema). There are two main forms of chronic urticaria. In chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), hives occur spontaneously, without known triggers. In chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU), hives are induced by specific triggers, such as cold exposure (cold urticaria) or touch (symptomatic dermographism), among others.About IncyteA global biopharmaceutical company on a mission to Solve On., Incyte follows the science to find solutions for patients with unmet medical needs. Through the discovery, development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics, Incyte has established a portfolio of first-in-class medicines for patients and a strong pipeline of products in Oncology and Inflammation & Autoimmunity. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Incyte has operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information on Incyte, please visit <a href="https://incyte.com/">Incyte.com</a> or follow us on social media: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/incyte/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Incyte">X</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/incyte/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Incyte/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQu_9fYXOTWn4q3h-c0sKCg">YouTube</a>.About Escient PharmaceuticalsEscient Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel therapeutics to address a broad range of neurosensory-inflammatory disorders. The company’s pipeline includes two first-in-class small molecule antagonists targeting MRGPRX2 for the treatment of various mast cell mediated disorders and MRGPRX4 for cholestatic pruritus. Based in San Diego, California, Escient is led by an experienced management and scientific team and funded by top-tier life science investors.Incyte Forward-looking StatementsExcept for the historical information set forth herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding the opportunities presented by this transaction; whether and when EP262 or EP547 will be approved for use; whether and when Incyte will bring EP262 or EP547 to market; the potential of EP262 or EP547 to treat patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) and chronic urticaria (CSU) or for any other indication; and the potential for Incyte to broaden its ability to bring new medicines to patients, contain predictions, estimates and other forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including unanticipated developments in and risks related to: unanticipated delays; further research and development and the results of clinical trials possibly being unsuccessful or insufficient to meet applicable regulatory standards or warrant continued development; the ability to enroll sufficient numbers of subjects in clinical trials; the Company’s dependence on its relationships with its collaboration partners; the efficacy or safety of the Company’s products and the products of the Company’s collaboration partners; the acceptance of the Company’s products and the products of the Company’s collaboration partners in the marketplace; market competition; sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution requirements; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report filed on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.ContactsIncyte Contacts:Media<a href="mailto:media@incyte.com">media@incyte.com</a>Investors<a href="mailto:ir@incyte.com">ir@incyte.com</a><div>Escient Contact:</div><a href="mailto:ir@escientpharma.com">ir@escientpharma.com</a> ]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:11:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>Wistar Scientists Identify Pro-aging ‘Sugar Signature’ in the Blood of People Living with HIV</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/669941/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/669941/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.wistar.org/press-releases/wistar-scientists-identify-pro-aging-sugar-signature-in-the-blood-of-people-living-with-hiv/">The Wistar Institute</a><a href="https://www.dtcc.edu/about/news/2021/09/23/delaware-bioscience-association-supports-student-scholarships-delaware-tech"></a>The Abdel-Mohsen lab findings shed light on how sugar molecules in the blood of people living with HIV may accelerate biological agingPHILADELPHIA — (April 10, 2024) — The Wistar Institute’s associate professor <a href="https://www.wistar.org/our-scientists/mohamed-abdel-mohsen/">Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Ph.D.</a>, along with his team and collaborators, has identified sugar abnormalities in the blood that may promote biological aging and inflammation in people living with HIV (PLWH). The findings, taken from a large data study comprising more than 1200 participants, are detailed in the new paper, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47279-4">“Immunoglobulin G N-glycan Markers of Accelerated Biological Aging During Chronic HIV Infection,”</a> published in the journal Nature Communications. Despite advances in HIV treatment, notably the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in suppressing the virus to undetectable levels, HIV remains incurable, with the virus persisting in a dormant state within the body. This chronic presence is linked to long-term health issues, including persistent inflammation and a higher prevalence of aging-related diseases such as cancer and neurocognitive disorders. These conditions tend to occur more frequently and at an earlier age in PLWH compared to the general population. Abdel-Mohsen seeks to understand how chronic viral infection causes this accelerated biological aging, which refers to the body aging faster than one’s chronological years would typically indicate. By understanding the molecular mechanisms behind accelerated biological aging in people living with chronic viral infections, scientists can begin to formulate strategies to mitigate the negative effects. While many factors in the body can contribute to accelerated biological aging, researchers focused on a novel factor: abnormalities of the human glycome — the totality of the various sugar structures circulating throughout the body. Previous studies have established a connection between aging and shifts in the glycan composition of immunoglobulins (IgGs), which are critical for immune regulation. As people age, their IgGs lose anti-inflammatory properties and gain pro-inflammatory characteristics.Abdel-Mohsen’s research investigates whether living with a chronic viral infection, such as HIV infection, exacerbates these changes, leading to premature aging and related diseases. By comparing glycan profiles in more than 1200 individuals, both with and without HIV, the team discovered that PLWH exhibit elevated levels of inflammatory and pro-aging IgG glycan signatures. In a remarkable step forward, the team developed a machine-learning model that uses these glycan signatures to estimate the biological age of PLWH and assess the rate of aging acceleration. This glycan signature also has the potential to predict the onset of comorbid conditions in PLWH, such as cancer, years in advance. To confirm that these glycan-associated disruptions were causal rather than merely correlative, the research team engineered HIV-specific antibodies designed to exhibit the same kind of aberrant IgG glycan modifications observed in PLWH. Testing these glycoengineered antibodies in vitro confirmed that the modified antibodies were less effective at mounting an immune response than their unmodified counterparts, suggesting that these sugar abnormalities might directly contribute to the worse clinical outcomes observed. Importantly, when they designed these antibodies to have glycans similar to those found in biologically younger individuals, these antibodies demonstrated a remarkable ability to enhance the immune system’s ability to fight virus-infected cells. “Utilizing glycan signatures to predict early onset of diseases in people living with HIV marks a pivotal shift towards proactive healthcare,” said Abdel-Mohsen. “This could significantly alter clinical outcomes, allowing for timely interventions and personalized treatment plans. The impact on treatment and management in the HIV community could be revolutionary. Beyond biomarkers, antibodies glycoengineered to mimic biologically younger glycans offer a new therapeutic avenue. This method could enhance immune responses, paving the way for innovative treatments.”Co-authors: Leila B Giron, Qin Liu, Opeyemi S Adeniji, Xiangfan Yin, Toshitha Kannan, Jianyi Ding, David Y. Lu, Joao L. L. C. Azevedo, Andrew Kossenkov, and Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen of The Wistar Institute; David Y. Lu of Cornell University; Susan Langan, Jinbing Zhang, Sabina Haberlen, Stephen Gange, Wendy S. Post, and Todd T. Brown of Johns Hopkins University; Shuk Hang Li and Ian Frank of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Sergei Shalygin and Parastoo Azadi of University of Georgia; David B Hanna of Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Igho Ofotokun of Emory University School of Medicine; Jason Lazar of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University; Margaret A. Fischl of University of Miami; Bernard Macatangay and Charles Rinaldo of University of Pittsburgh; Adaora A. Adimora of University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Beth D. Jamieson of University of California, Los Angeles; Daniel Merenstein of Georgetown University Medical Center; Nadia R. Roan of Gladstone Institutes and University of California, San Francisco; Phyllis C. Tien of University ofCalifornia, San Francisco; Olaf Kutsch of University of Alabama at Birmingham; Steven M. Wolinsky of Northwestern University; Mallory D. Witt of Lundquist Institute of Biomedical Research at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; and Alan Landay of Rush University.Work Supported by: This work is mainly supported by the NIH R01AG062383 and the NCI supplement to the Wistar Institute Cancer Center (P30 CA010815) to M.A-M. M.A-M is also funded by the NIH grants, R01AI165079, R01NS117458, R01DK123733, Penn Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI 045008), and the NIH-funded BEAT-HIV Martin Delaney Collaboratory to cure HIV-1 infection (1UM1Al126620). Mass spectrometry-based glycomic analyses was partially supported by NIH R24GM137782 and GlycoMIP, a National Science Foundation Materials Innovation Platform funded through Cooperative Agreement DMR-1933525. We would like to thank Drs. Michel Nussenzweig, Costin Tomescu, and Luis J. Montaner for providing the wild-type 10-1074 for the glycoengineering experiments and Dr. Daniel Kulp for providing HIV-1 Env trimer, BG505. Data in this manuscript were collected by the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS). The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). MWCCS (Principal Investigators): Atlanta CRS (Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Anandi Sheth, and Gina Wingood), U01-HL146241; Baltimore CRS (Todd Brown and Joseph Margolick), U01-HL146201; Bronx CRS (Kathryn Anastos, David Hanna, and Anjali Sharma), U01-HL146204; Brooklyn CRS (Deborah Gustafson and Tracey Wilson), U01-HL146202; Data Analysis and Coordination Center (Gypsyamber D’Souza, Stephen Gange and Elizabeth Topper), U01-HL146193; Chicago-Cook County CRS (Mardge Cohen and Audrey French), U01-HL146245; Chicago-Northwestern CRS (Steven Wolinsky, Frank Palella, and Valentina Stosor), U01-HL146240; Northern California CRS (Bradley Aouizerat, Jennifer Price, and Phyllis Tien), U01-HL146242; Los Angeles CRS (Roger Detels and Matthew Mimiaga), U01-HL146333; Metropolitan Washington CRS (Seble Kassaye and Daniel Merenstein), U01-HL146205; Miami CRS (Maria Alcaide, Margaret Fischl, and Deborah Jones), U01-HL146203; Pittsburgh CRS (Jeremy Martinson and Charles Rinaldo), U01-HL146208; UAB-MS CRS (Mirjam-Colette Kempf, Jodie Dionne-Odom, Deborah Konkle-Parker, and James B. Brock), U01-HL146192; UNC CRS (Adaora Adimora and Michelle Floris- Moore), U01-HL146194. The MWCCS is funded primarily by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), with additional co-funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), National Institute On Aging (NIA), National Institute Of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke (NINDS), National Institute Of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute Of Nursing Research (NINR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), and in coordination and alignment with the research priorities of the National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research (OAR). MWCCS data collection is also supported by UL1-TR000004 (UCSF CTSA), UL1-TR003098 (JHU ICTR), UL1TR001881 (UCLA CTSI), P30-AI-050409 (Atlanta CFAR), P30-AI-073961 (Miami CFAR), P30 AI-050410 (UNC CFAR), P30-AI-027767 (UAB CFAR), P30-MH-116867 (Miami CHARM), UL1 TR001409 (DC CTSA), KL2-TR001432 (DC CTSA), and TL1-TR001431 (DC CTSA). The MACS CVD2 study is funded by National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), R01 HL095129-01 (Wendy Post). The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of study participants and dedication of the staff at MWCCS sites.Publication information: “Immunoglobulin G N-glycan 1 Markers of Accelerated Biological Aging During Chronic HIV Infection,” from Nature Communications. For a printer-friendly version of this release, please click <a href="https://www.wistar.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AbdelMohsen_HIVlongitudinal.pdf">here.</a>About the Wistar Institute:The Wistar Institute is the nation’s first independent nonprofit institution devoted exclusively to foundational biomedical research and training. Since 1972, the Institute has held National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center status. Through a culture and commitment to biomedical collaboration and innovation, Wistar science leads to breakthrough early-stage discoveries and life science sector start-ups. Wistar scientists are dedicated to solving some of the world’s most challenging problems in the field of cancer and immunology, advancing human health through early-stage discovery and training the next generation of biomedical researchers. <a href="https://www.wistar.org/">wistar.org.</a><div> </div>]]></description>
<category>Press Releases</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 17:43:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Prelude Highlights Continued Strength of Discovery Engine at 2024 AACR Annual Meeting</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/669938/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/669938/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/04/09/2860397/0/en/Prelude-Highlights-Continued-Strength-of-Discovery-Engine-at-2024-AACR-Annual-Meeting.html">Prelude Therapeutics, Inc.</a><a href="https://www.dtcc.edu/about/news/2021/09/23/delaware-bioscience-association-supports-student-scholarships-delaware-tech"></a>Highly selective oral SMARCA2 degrader, PRT7732, shows robust anti-tumor activity in vivo as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy, at well-tolerated doses Potentially best-in-class CDK9 inhibitor, PRT2527, in Phase 1 development, is highly effective in preclinical hematological models as monotherapy and provides improved depth and duration of response in combination with BTK/BCL2 inhibition Next Generation CDK4/6 Inhibitor, PRT3645, is highly effective in combination with other targeted therapies in preclinical models of breast cancer, CRC and NSCLCWILMINGTON, Del., April 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- <a href="https://preludetx.com/">Prelude Therapeutics Incorporated</a> (Nasdaq: PRLD), a clinical-stage precision oncology company, today announced the presentation of new preclinical data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting for its highly selective oral SMARCA2 degrader, its potentially best-in-class CDK9 inhibitor and its next-generation oral CDK4/6 inhibitor. “These presentations demonstrate our core competencies in medicinal chemistry and cancer biology to optimize and deliver compounds to the clinic with the potential to succeed as differentiated first- and/or best-in-class new therapies,” said Andrew Combs, Ph.D., Chief Chemistry Officer at Prelude Therapeutics. Peggy Scherle, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Prelude, stated, “Advancement of our second highly selective SMARCA2 degrader strengthens Prelude’s leadership position in the emerging use of SMARCA2 protein degradation as a potential treatment option for underserved patients with cancer. With both a first-in-class IV SMARCA2 degrader, PRT3789, in Phase 1 clinical development and now our oral SMARCA2 degrader, PRT7732, expected to enter the clinic later this year, we believe these distinct modalities may offer new therapies for patients with SMARCA4 mutations.”Details on the poster presentations are as follows:Title: Preclinical Characterization of PRT7732: A Highly Potent, Selective, and Orally Bioavailable Targeted Protein Degrader of SMARCA2 Summary:<ul><li>Identified potent, selective, well-tolerated and orally bioavailable SMARCA2 degrader, PRT7732</li><li>PRT7732 exhibits >3000-fold selectivity for SMARCA2 over SMARCA4, with low nanomolar potency in cell based assays</li><li>Prelude completed IND-enabling studies for PRT7732 and is on track to enter Phase 1 clinical trials in the second half of 2024</li></ul>Link: <a href="http://investors.preludetx.com/static-files/7b590cab-9f51-4e87-9b13-844599099dbf">http://investors.preludetx.com/static-files/7b590cab-9f51-4e87-9b13-844599099dbf</a>Title: PRT2527, a Novel Highly Selective Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9 (CDK9) Inhibitor, Has Potent Antitumor Activity in Combination with BTK and BCL2 Inhibition in Various Lymphoid MalignanciesSummary:<ul><li>PRT2527 is efficacious as monotherapy in preclinical models of DLBCL, CLL and MCL, and combines with both BTK and BCL2 inhibition to improve depth and duration of responses</li><li>PRT2527 is currently being evaluated in a Phase I clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies as monotherapy and in combination with zanubrutinib (NCT05665530)</li></ul>Link: <a href="http://investors.preludetx.com/static-files/ffa3bc31-4e5c-4151-bff7-ebd161f3df85">http://investors.preludetx.com/static-files/ffa3bc31-4e5c-4151-bff7-ebd161f3df85</a>Title: The Brain Penetrant CDK4/6 Inhibitor, PRT3645, is Highly Effective in Combination with Other Targeted Therapies in Preclinical Models of Breast Cancer, CRC and NSCLCSummary:<ul><li>Next generation CDK4/6 inhibitor, PRT3645, demonstrates preclinical synergy with SERDs, as well as MEK1/2 and CDK2 inhibition</li><li>PRT3645 has the potential to improve patient outcomes when used in combination with other targeted therapies</li></ul>Link: <a href="http://investors.preludetx.com/static-files/8dd469c6-6652-41bc-a191-2dc1ef054a7a">http://investors.preludetx.com/static-files/8dd469c6-6652-41bc-a191-2dc1ef054a7a</a>About Prelude TherapeuticsPrelude Therapeutics is a clinical-stage precision oncology company developing innovative drug candidates targeting critical cancer cell pathways. Prelude’s diverse pipeline is comprised of highly differentiated, potentially best-in-class proprietary small molecule compounds aimed at addressing clinically validated pathways for cancers with selectable underserved patients. Prelude’s pipeline includes: an IV administered, potent and highly selective SMARCA2 degrader, PRT3789, a preclinical oral SMARCA2 selective degrader, PRT7732, a potent and highly selective CDK9 inhibitor, PRT2527, and a next generation CDK4/6 inhibitor, PRT3645. For more information, visit our <a href="https://preludetx.com/">website</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/prelude-therapeutics/?viewAsMember=true">LinkedIn</a>.Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, anticipated discovery, preclinical and clinical development activities for Prelude’s product candidates, the potential safety, efficacy, benefits, and the expected timeline for initiating clinical trials for Prelude’s product candidates. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. The words “believes,” “potential,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “likely,” “projects,” “continue,” “will,” “schedule,” and “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are predictions based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events and various assumptions. Although Prelude believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, Prelude cannot guarantee future events, results, actions, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and the timing and results of biotechnology development and potential regulatory approval is inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause Prelude's actual activities or results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement, including risks and uncertainties related to Prelude's ability to advance its product candidates, the receipt and timing of potential regulatory designations, approvals and commercialization of product candidates, clinical trial sites and our ability to enroll eligible patients, supply chain and manufacturing facilities, Prelude’s ability to maintain and recognize the benefits of certain designations received by product candidates, the timing and results of preclinical and clinical trials, Prelude's ability to fund development activities and achieve development goals, Prelude's ability to protect intellectual property, and other risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in Prelude’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents that Prelude files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Prelude undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as may be required by law.Investor Contact:Lindsey TrickettVice President, Investor Relations240.543.7970<a href="mailto:ltrickett@preludetx.com">ltrickett@preludetx.com</a>Media Contact:Helen ShikShik Communications617.510.4373<a href="mailto:Helen@ShikCommunications.com">Helen@ShikCommunications.com</a><a href="mailto:ltrickett@preludetx.com"></a> ]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 17:17:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>NIIMBL Announces $10M for 8 New Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Projects</title>
<link>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/669923/</link>
<guid>https://www.delawarebio.org/news/669923/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORIGINAL SOURCE: <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/niimbl-announces-10m-for-8-new-biopharmaceutical-manufacturing-projects-302112132.html">National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL)</a>


NEWARK, Del., April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) is pleased to announce approximately $10M in planned project activities through the Institute's Project Call 7.1 for eight new technology and workforce development projects that will help address key opportunities for innovation in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The projects align with areas of need identified by NIIMBL and industry stakeholders. "We are excited to expand our diverse project portfolio with these innovative new projects," said Chris Roberts, Associate Institute Director. "These collaborative projects will bring significant value to the biopharmaceutical industry in the key areas of intensified processing for monoclonal antibodies, viral vectors, and cell therapy, along with measurements of critical quality attributes." Among the eight projects are two workforce development projects focused on data analytics training and strengthening the pipeline of neurodiverse talent. "To help the biopharmaceutical industry meet its workforce needs, we must develop new training mechanisms and reach diverse populations. These two new additions to our workforce portfolio help us accomplish that goal," said John Balchunas, NIIMBL Workforce Director. Since the Institute's launch in 2017, NIIMBL has awarded 123 member-led technical, workforce development, and Global Health Fund projects with an approximate value of $111M. NIIMBL is composed of nearly 200 member organizations from academia, industry, government, and non-profit organization with a common goal to advance biopharmaceutical manufacturing. For a description of each project and to learn more about NIIMBL, please <a href="https://www.niimbl.org/projects-programs/project-call-7-1/">visit the Project Call 7.1 website.</a> 7.1 Project List* Project: Process Intensification for rAAV Manufacturing Using HIP-Vax® and Continuous Countercurrent Tangential Chromatography Technology Lead: Batavia Biosciences Inc. Participant(s): ChromaTan Corporation Project: Antibody Mix-and-Read Assays Based on Fluorescence Intensity Probes Lead: University of Houston Participant(s): Agilent, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech Project: Development of Small Molecule Formulations for Enhanced Production of CAR-T Cell Therapies Lead: Virica Biotech Inc. Participant(s): AstraZeneca, Sartorius Stedim Project: Commercial Deployment of Integrated PAT Technologies to Enable Continuous Upstream Production of Glycosylated Monoclonal Antibodies Lead: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Participant(s): Agilent, Endress + Hauser Optical Analysis, EnZene Biosciences Ltd, MilliporeSigma/EMD Serono, Pfizer, Inc. Project: Surrogate ADCs for Process Development and Quality Assessment Lead: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Participant(s): Carnegie Mellon University, Pfizer, Inc. Project: Isoelectric Point Purification (IPP) Technology Enables Truly Continuous, End-to-End Chromatography-free Manufacturing to Yield Ultra-high Purity mAbs Lead: Enquyst Technologies Inc. Participant(s): Lonza Biologics, Inc., MilliporeSigma/EMD Serono, University of Massachusetts Lowell Project: Creating a Neurodiverse Talent Pipeline for the Biomanufacturing Industry Lead: Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Participant(s): Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Pfizer, Inc., University of California, Los Angeles Project: BioCAD Data Programming for Biomanufacturing Scale-Up Lead: Santa Clara University Participant(s): Biocom California, Genentech, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC *All funding is subject to project agreement negotiations. About NIIMBL The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) is a public-private partnership whose mission is to accelerate biopharmaceutical innovation, support the development of standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing capabilities, and educate and train a world-leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce, fundamentally advancing U.S. competitiveness in this industry. NIIMBL is part of Manufacturing USA®, a diverse network of federally-sponsored manufacturing innovation institutes and is funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. Department of Commerce with significant additional support from its members. Contact: News Media Daniel Maiese Communications Manager 302-831-3824 <a href="mailto:dmaiese@udel.edu">dmaiese@udel.edu</a> SOURCE National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL)
 ]]></description>
<category>Bio Buzz</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 16:26:00 GMT</pubDate>
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