Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sept   Oct   Nov   Dec 

February

Novavax Appoints Mervyn L. Hamer, Vice President of Manufacturing
Globe Newswire
Novavax, Inc. announced today the appointment of Mr. Mervyn L. Hamer to the position of Vice President of Manufacturing. In this role, Mr. Hamer will have responsibility for manufacturing at both the Rockville and Gaithersburg, MD locations. Read More...

January

Rockville’s Micromet agrees to $1.16B takeover by Amgen
Gazette.net
In a show of faith in an experimental cancer treatment now in clinical trials, California biotech giant Amgen has agreed to acquire Rockville’s Micromet for $1.16 billion in cash. Read More...

Tech Council of Maryland names interim CEO
Washington Business Journal
The Tech Council of Maryland has named Art Jacoby, a Catonsville, Md.-based small business consultant, as its interim CEO. Read More...

EntreMed Secures $10 Million Strategic Financing
Fierce Biotech
EntreMed, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, announced today that is has secured $10 million in financing with strategic accredited investors.
Read More...

As rivals loom, state hopes to expand biotech presence
Gazette.net
A decade ago, Maryland's chief competition in the bioscience industry came from the coasts: New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts on the East and California on the West.  Read More...

Paragon Bioservices Awarded Multi-Million $ DoD Contract
Press Release
Paragon Bioservices, Inc., a Baltimore-based CMO focused on the process development and manufacturing of biologics, announced that it has been awarded a JVAP-CBMS contract from the Department of Defense (DoD) for the vaccine development and subsequent GMP manufacturing of the "VEE Replicon Particle Trivalent Filovirus Vaccine".  Read More.....

Labs Size Up New Guidelines For Rodent Cages
NPR.org
Scientists do experiments with millions of rats and mice each year, to study everything from heart disease to cancer to diabetes. Recently, some new recommendations about how to house female lab rodents and their babies caused an uproar, with experts at major research institutions now saying they're unsure of what they'll have to do to keep their government funding. Read More...

Cerecor Appoints Dr. Sol Barer Chairman of the Board
Citybizlist.com
Cerecor Inc today announced that Sol J. Barer, Ph.D., a current board member, has been elected the Chairman of Cerecor's Board of Directors, effective immediately. Read More...

BioReliance acquired again
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based BioReliance Corp. is being sold for the third time since 2005. Read More...

Emergent BioSolutions sets 2012 revenue forecast as high as $300 million
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions Inc. which recently learned that one revenue stream will soon be ending, expects the rest will allow for modest revenue gain in 2012. Read More...

Human Genome Sciences to cut 150 jobs amid modest Benlysta growth
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences Inc. announced Monday it would cut about 150 jobs in manufacturing, administration and research and development. Read More...

Supernus raises $42M
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc., whose initial public offering remains stuck at the starting gate, says it raised $42 million in December in two separate transactions. Read More...

Hopkins grants nanotechnology license to NexImmune 
Baltimore Business Journal
Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer has licensed a new nanotechnology to a Gaithersburg startup for the development of cancer therapies.
Read More...

Noble Life Sciences' Ken Carter takes helm at startup NexImmune
Washington Business Journal
Ken Carter, co-founder and CEO of Gaithersburg-based Noble Life Sciences Inc., has departed as chief of his own startup to take the helm of another. Read More...

December

France OKs United Therapeutics IV treatment
Gazette.net
Recovering from the failure of an oral supplement to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, United Therapeutics has received approval in France for an intravenous treatment. Read More...

$1M Raised by Virxsys Corp. from $30M Offering
Citybizlist
VIRxSYS Corp. has raised $1 million of an offering of $30 million from 10 investors so far. Read More... 

NeuralStem Inc.'s NSI-189 Trial in Major Depressive Disorder Receives FDA Approval to Advance to Phase Ib
BioSpace.com
Neuralstem, Inc. announced that it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to advance to Phase Ib in its ongoing clinical trial to test its novel neuroregenerative compound,NSI-189, for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Read More...

Abbott ends drug development deal with Emergent Biosolutions
Washington Business Journal
Abbott Laboratories has pulled the plug on a cancer drug development partnership with Rockville’s Emergent BioSolutions Inc., a setback for the vaccine maker’s oncology aspirations. Read More...

Director departs struggling Nabi Biopharmaceuticals
Washington Business Journal
Timothy Lynch, who joined the board of Nabi Biopharmaceuticals amid a feud between management and activist hedge fund investors, will leave his position as a director at the struggling biotech at year’s end.
Read More...

MacroGenics, BrainScope among bioscience winners
Gazette.net
Among the state’s bioscience companies that announced significant deals this month, the big winner was Rockville's MacroGenics. Read More...

United Therapeutics gets go-ahead for hypertension treatment in Europe
Gazette.net
Recovering from the failure of an oral supplement to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, United Therapeutics has received approval in France for an intravenous treatment. Read More...

Emergent BioSolutions Fuad El-Hibri to retire as CEO
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced that Fuad El-Hibri will retire as CEO effective April 1, 2012. Read More...

Tech Council of Maryland CEO Renée Winsky resigns
Washington Business Journal
The Tech Council of Maryland said Friday that CEO Renée Winsky has resigned. Read More...

United Therapeutics CEO Rothblatt Buys $1.6M in December – cbl
Citybizlist.com
Martine Rothblatt has bought $1.62 million in United Therapeutics stock since the beginning of December as part of a pre-arranged trading plan. Read More... 

Progress of GlycoMimetics’ Novel Compounds Highlighted at 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology
Press Release
GlycoMimetics, Inc. (GMI), a clinical-­‐stage biotechnology company developing a new class of glycobiology-­‐based therapies for a broad range of indications, today announced that its collaborators delivered three oral presentations at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).  The presentations highlighted data on GMI-1070, GMI’s lead investigational compound for the treatment of vaso-­‐occlusive crises associated sickle cell disease which is under an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), as well as data from a novel family of compounds being developed to treat AML and other cancers. Read More...

Profectus wins $5.4M grant for Nipah, Hendra vaccine
Baltimore Business Journal
Profectus BioSciences Inc. has won a $5.4 million grant to develop a vaccine for the closely related Nipah and Hendra virus infections.
Read More...

Vanda Pharmaceuticals signs marketing deal in Israel
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Vanda Pharmaceuticals, looking for ways to boost sales of its schizophrenia drug Fanapt, has signed a marketing agreement for sales in Israel with Megapharm Ltd. Read More...

GenVec searches for new CEO
Washington Business Journal
Gaithersburg-based GenVec Inc. is searching for a new chief executive, after current CEO Paul Fischer announced plans to retire. Read More...

India trade mission bears more fruit for Maryland
Gazette.net
More than 100 jobs could be coming to Maryland, as an Indian manufacturer and exporter of organic food products has announced plans to build a $10 million facility in the state. Read More...

MedImmune Ventures lands $100 million funding, invests in NeuProtect Pty Ltd
Washington Business Journal
The venture capital arm of Gaithersburg-based MedImmune, has secured $100 million in funding from MedImmune's parent AstraZenca. 
Read More...

MacroGenics and Servier Enter Development and Commercializatin Agreement for Novel Anti-Cancer Drug
FierceBiotech
MacroGenics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company that develops next generation antibody therapeutics, and Servier, France's largest privately-held pharmaceutical company, announced today that they have entered into an option for a license agreement for the development and commercialization of MGA271, MacroGenics' proprietary product candidate.
Read More...

November

EntreMed faces Nasdaq delisting
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based EntreMed Inc., whose stock has lost 65 percent of its value this year, is at risk of losing its Nasdaq stock market listing.
Read More...

Novavax grows, plans move to Gaithersburg
Gazette.net
Driven by its recent $179 million federal contract to develop seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines, Novavax is expanding its operations with its move from Rockville to Gaithersburg next year. Read More...

Montgomery County looking at incentives to retain biotech firm
Washington Business Journal
Montgomery County officials are considering cash incentives and tax breaks to keep biotech company Meso Scale Diagnostics LLC from leaving the county, the Washington Examiner reports. Read More...

Montgomery panel favors $500,000 for biotech tax credit
Gazette.net
Biotech executives are applauding Montgomery County officials for following through on another key recommendation of the county’s Biosciences Task Force. Read More...

India mission’s early fruits include road deal, Prince George’s call center
Gazette.net
A new health care call center in Prince George’s County and a Rockville company’s $3.7 million management contract for a highway project are among the early deals announced in the state’s trade mission to India. Read More...

Ulman Cancer Fund, 4K for Cancer to merger
Baltimore Business Journal
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults said Monday it is merging with Baltimore nonprofit 4K for Cancer. Read More...

IZI Medical Products acquired by Landauer for $93M
Baltimore Business Journal
Owings Mills medical device manufacturer IZI Medical Products has been acquired by publicly held Landauer Inc. for $93 million in cash.
Read More...

Montgomery County, MedImmune, others fund new bio initiative
Washington Business Journal
Officials have been quietly laying the groundwork for BioHealth Innovation Inc. (BHI) since 2009, although its goals are far older. The regional nonprofit is envisioned as a sort of intermediary between biotech, academia, government and investors — with the hopes of multiplying life sciences investment, commercializing more scientific discoveries, and linking scientific and business talent, among other goals. Read More...

EntreMed narrows loss as cash runs low
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based EntreMed Inc. narrowed its quarterly loss in the third quarter as overall cash on hand dwindled. Read More...

GenVec narrows loss with cost cuts
Washington Business Journal
Drug development company GenVec Inc. narrowed its loss last quarter, despite lower revenues, as it reduced expenses. Read More...

Micromet loss widens
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Micromet Inc., developing a drug to counter a form of leukemia relapse, reports a wider loss in its latest quarter as costs to advance the drug in clinical trials rose. Read More...

Human Genome Sciences sells $494.5 million in convertible notes
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences Inc. encountered solid demand for its previously announced sale of convertible notes, placing $494.5 million of the securities. The total includes an option for the underwriters to purchase $64.5 million of the notes. Read More...

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals cigarette vaccine fails again
Washington Business Journal
Hopes for a vaccine that can help people quit smoking were dashed again, as Rockville-based Nabi Biopharmaceuticals confirmed its experimental vaccine failed to show any benefits in a second Phase 3 clinical trial.
Read More...

Human Genome Sciences falls on note offering
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences Inc. stock briefly touched to a two-year low in Wednesday trading after the company said it would sell $400 million in new debt that could be converted to company stock.
Read More...

Sensors for Medicine and Science gets $54M funding for glucose monitoring device
Washington Business Journal
Germantown-based Sensors for Medicine and Science Inc., developing an implantable continuous glucose monitoring device for diabetics, has received $54.1 million in new venture capital funding to continue its research and development. Read More...

October

Armed with fresh millions, Maryland biotechs target rare conditions
Gazette.net
Two Maryland biotechs scored major deals this week, with GlycoMimetics of Gaithersburg potentially earning $340 million to tackle a painful manifestation of sickle cell disease and Silver Spring’s United Therapeutics eligible for up to $45 million to come up with a treatment for dengue fever. Read More...

Human Genome Sciences stock revived on takeover talk
Washington Business Journal
Two months ago, a slumping share price was all analysts needed to revive Human Genome Sciences Inc. buyout talk. On Tuesday, buyout talk was all Human Genome Sciences needed to revive its share price.
Read More...

Genomics offers a world of promise — and data, bioscience leaders say
Gazette.net
Bioscience leaders from the mid-Atlantic region, including two from Maryland, gathered Wednesday at the 2011 Mid-Atlantic Bio Symposium, which almost 300 people attended at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C. Read More... 

United Therapeutics prices $250 million note sale at 1%
Washington Business Journal
Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics Corp. has priced its previously announced sale of $210 million of five-year, senior convertible notes with a coupon rate of 1 percent per year. Read More...

United Therapeutics debt sale will fund stock buyback
Washington Business Journal
Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics Corp. plans to sell up to $250 million in convertible debt to fund a stock buyback program. Read More...

United Therapeutics to add jobs after NIH award
Washington Business Journal
A unit of Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics Corp. will create approximately 20 new jobs to tackle a drug development project for the National Institutes of Health. Read More...

EntreMed's ENMD-2076 Demonstrates Promising Activity in a Phase 2 Study in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Patients
Fierce Biotech
EntreMed, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for the treatment of cancer today announced the final data for the primary endpoint of progression free survival rate at 6 months for its Phase 2 study with ENMD-2076 in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients. Data from all 64 patients showed a six-month progression free survival rate of 22 percent. Four patients achieved a partial response as measured by RECIST v1.1. Median overall survival has not yet been reached. The side effect profile was consistent with activity against ENMD-2076's targets, in particular, VEGFR2 and Aurora A. Read More...

GlycoMimetics and Pfizer Enter into Licensing Agreement for Drug Candidate Currently in Development to Treat Patients Experiencing Vaso-occlusive Crisis Associated with Sickle Cell Disease
Press Release
GlycoMimetics, Inc. announced today that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Pfizer Inc. for the GlycoMimetics investigational compound GMI-1070. GMI-1070 is a pan‐selectin antagonist currently in Phase 2 development for the treatment of vaso‐occlusive crisis associated with sickle cell disease. GMI‐1070 has received Orphan Drug and Fast Track status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read More... 

Emergent BioSolutions Snags $1.25B Contract to Provide Anthrax Vaccine to Feds
BioSpace
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced that, it has received an award to supply the U.S. government with 44.75 million doses of BioThrax® (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) over a period of five years for a total value of up to $1.25 billion. BioThrax is the only vaccine licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect against anthrax infection.  More Info

Gliknik nabs $1.5M from National Cancer Institute
Baltimore Business Journal
Baltimore’s Gliknik Inc. has won a National Cancer Institute contract for up to $1.5 million.  Read More...

September

MedImmune works with Merck in Frederick
Gazette.net
MedImmune of Gaithersburg has agreed to use space in its Frederick facility for bulk product manufacturing for pharma giant Merck.
Read More... 

Qiagen Acquires License to Orion’s MethylScreen Platform for Use in Epigenetics Kits
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Qiagen negotiated a nonexclusive license to Orion Genomics’ MethylScreen™ technology for research use in its EpiTect™ Methyl qPCR Array System reagent kits. The kits are used to analyze DNA methylation status of genes using qPCR. Qiagen says the MethylScreen technology has proven to be an essential component of its epigenetics tools including the EpiTect Methyl qPCR system. Read More...

Four Maryland Life Sciences Companies Look For New Business Opportunities At European Cancer Clustering Event in France
DBED
Four Maryland life sciences companies – A & G Pharmaceutical, Valens Therapeutics, Amarex Clinical Research and rel-MD Inc. – have each been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Maryland Biotechnology Center (MBC) to support their attendance at the European Cancer Cluster Partnering (ECCP) event, which begins today and runs through Friday in Toulouse, France. Dr. Judith Britz, MBC’s Executive Director and Elise Lyons, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development’s European representative, are also attending the event, which is the premier oncology partnering meeting in Europe for biotech, pharma, investors, clinicians and academia to build partnerships to accelerate innovation in cancer treatment. Read More... 

MedImmune scientists named among "100 Most Inspiring People in Life Sciences Industry"
MedImmune.com
MedImmune announced that two of its scientists—Tristan John Vaughan, Ph.D., senior director of lead generation and Gail Wasserman, Ph.D., senior vice president of biopharmaceutical development—have been recognized in the PharmaVOICE 100, an annual list of the most inspiring people in the life sciences industry. Read More...

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Numab AG sign drug discovery collaboration
BioSpace.com
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. an international pharmaceutical company, and Numab AG today announced that Sucampo’s wholly owned subsidiary, Sucampo AG, and Numab AG, have entered into a research and development collaboration that provides Sucampo with access to Numab’s proprietary technology for the discovery of high-affinity antibodies against certain selected targets.
Read More...

August

United Therapeutics shares tumble on clinical trial failure
Washington Business Journal
Shares of Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics Corp. were sharply lower Wednesday after the company announced that its experimental drug to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension failed in a late-stage clinical trial. Read More...

MedImmune sues Abbott over drug development deal
Washington Business Journal
MedImmune has sued Abbott International LLC in federal court in Baltimore over a deal to market a new drug developed for preventing serious lower respiratory tract infections in infants. Read More...

Baltimore's BioMarker Strategies seeks to raise $4M
Baltimore Business Journal
A Baltimore biotechnology startup hopes to raise $4 million from private investors in its second round of fundraising through Maryland’s biotechnology tax credit program in as many years. Read More...

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals receives $5 million milestone payment
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, has received a $5 million milestone payment due to the ongoing development and commercialization of a drug the company sold almost five years ago. Read More...

Tech transfer report finds barriers still rampant
Gazette.net
A new federal report on commercialization and technology transfer efforts from federal labs to the private sector shows inconsistent procedures, from licensing to payments to researchers and even measuring the success of programs.
Read More...

EntreMed posts $1.7M loss
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based EntreMed Inc., which is developing a treatment for ovarian cancer, posted a smaller loss for its latest quarter as it spent less on research and development. Read More...

Aeras and Emergent BioSolutions advance TB vaccine to phase II trials
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based biotechs Aeras and Emergent BioSolutions Inc., along with their clinical partners, are beginning a phase 2b clinical trial of a tuberculosis vaccine, the first such trial for people infected with HIV.
Read More...

GenVec narrows loss on higher revenue
Washington Business Journal
Gaithersburg-based GenVec Inc. narrowed its loss in its latest quarter as expenses declined and revenue rose. Read More...

Vanda aims for Argentina
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. has signed a licensing agreement for its schizophrenia drug, Fanapt, with Biotoscana Farma SA to commercialize the drug in Argentina. Read More...

July

United Therapeutics net income nearly doubles
Washington Business Journal
Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics nearly doubled its net income in its latest quarter as revenue rose 36 percent. Read More...

Vanda Pharmaceuticals to move headquarters to D.C.
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. plans to move its headquarters to the District in April 2012. Read More...

15 Maryland Startups Awarded Technology Transfer Funds
MDbizMedia
The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) awarded fifteen Maryland technology startups $75,000 each through TEDCO’s Maryland Technology Transfer and Commercialization Fund.  The Fund’s goal is to foster greater collaboration between businesses, Maryland universities and federal laboratories to bring technology into the marketplace. Read More...

At Noble, Carter continues to pursue passion for bioscience
Gazette.net
Kenneth C. Carter has gone from being at the epicenter of the nascent bioscience industry to seeing that science pay off in medical advancements that help people every day. Read More...

Two Maryland biotechs leaving state
Gazette.net
Two biotechs are leaving Maryland: Celsion, which is developing cancer treatments, plans to leave Columbia for Lawrenceville, N.J., by the end of December, while Vanda Pharmaceuticals of Rockville, which focuses on schizophrenia and sleep disorders, expects to set up shop in Washington, D.C., on April 1. Read More...

Vanda seeks EU approval for schizophrenia drug
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. says the European Medicines Agency is reviewing its application to market its schizophrenia drug.
Read More...

Human Genome Sciences losses widen
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences Inc, which won approval in March to sell its lupus drug, saw losses widen on higher costs associated with beginning to sell the drug. Read More...

Five Baltimore-area startups nab Tedco seed money
Baltimore Business Journal
Five Baltimore-area start-up companies are among 15 in Maryland to receive a total of $1.1 million from the state’s Technology Development Corp.  Read More...

Biotech Zyngenia sees growth with MedImmune vets at helm
FierceBiotech
Zyngenia has graduated from a virtual biotech to a very real R&D operation under the leadership of former MedImmune R&D chief Peter Kiener, who is CEO of the early-stage researcher of antibody-derived treatments. The firm's drugs are supposed to be able to address multiple targets of disease with a single molecule.  Read More...

After Decades in the Industry, Ex MedImmune and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) Biotech Veteran Kiener leads Gaithersburg Zyngenia
Biospace
Peter A. Kiener took quite a journey to get to his present position as CEO and president of Gaithersburg biotech Zyngenia, one that took him from his native England to the East Coast, Texas and the West Coast before returning east. Read More...

Micromet Inks Cancer Drug Deal With Amgen (AMGN) Worth Up to $1.01 Billion
Biospace
Micromet, Inc. /quotes/zigman/100922/quotes/nls/miti MITI +5.21% announced today that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Amgen Inc. for the research of BiTE antibodies against three undisclosed solid tumor targets. Amgen will have the right to pursue development and commercialization of BiTE antibodies against up to two of these targets, to be selected by Amgen. Read More...


Rockville biotech Micromet deal worth up to $1B
Gazette.net
Micromet of Rockville stands to break into the state’s upper echelon of biotechs, having announced a cancer treatment agreement Monday with a California biotech giant that could be worth close to $1 billion.
Read More...

Vanda schizophrenia drug eyes Mexican market
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with Mexican pharmaceutical company Probiomed S.A. de C.V. for the commercialization of its schizophrenia drug in Mexico. Read More...

Micromet deal with Amgen could reap $976 million
Washington Business Jounal
Rockville-based Micromet Inc. has inked a cancer drug development deal with Amgen Inc. that could be worth an eye-popping $976 million.
Read More...

Maryland biotech investment tax credit program draws a slew of applicants
Gazette.net
Maryland’s popular biotechnology investment tax credit program attracted more than 180 applicants in the first three minutes it opened on July 1 for fiscal 2012, more than the 115 applicants on the first day last year, state officials said Thursday. Read More...

Watkins takes global leadership role
Gazette.net
On Tuesday, H. Thomas Watkins, president and CEO of Human Genome Sciences in Rockville and chairman of the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board, was voted chairman of the Biotechnology Industry Organization for the next two years. Read More...

Bioscience firms in Baltimore are hiring
Baltimore Business Journal
In our July 8 print edition, you’ll find our ‘top 25’ List of the “Largest bioscience companies in the Baltimore area.” While surveying to collect the information for that List, we also asked which companies are hiring in the next few months. Read More...

Maryland receives 180 applications for $8M in biotech tax credits
Washington Business Journal
Maryland received more than 180 applications on July 1 for the $8 million up for grabs through the state’s Biotechnology Investment Incentive Tax Credit program. Read More...

Rockville biotechs report hopeful news for depression patients
Gazette.net
Two Rockville biotechs working on treatments for depression have reported promising developments. Read More...

Report: Maryland biotech industry leads to big chunk of job growth
Baltimore Business Journal
Maryland’s life sciences sector accounted for one-third of all state job gains between 2002 and 2010, and generates 6 percent, or $17.6 billion of the state’s gross domestic product, according to a new study released Tuesday. Read More...

Maryland makes a bio-splash at international convention
Gazette.net
Positioning itself as a major partner in the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s annual four-day international convention, the state ensured that 15,000 attendees with 37 percent from other countries - would be inundated with stories of Maryland’s biotech success. Read More...

June

Human Genome Sciences CEO Tom Watkins now chairman of BIO
Washington Business Journal
Tom Watkins, the chief executive of Human Genome Sciences Inc. has been elected chairman of his industry’s biggest trade group during its convention in D.C. Read More...

Emergent gets entry to Singapore
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions Inc. , which sells the U.S. government the only Food and Drug Administration-licensed vaccine to protect against anthrax infection, may have the government of Singapore as a customer soon.
Read More...

2011 BIO International Convention Kicks Off Today in Washington, D.C.
BusinessWire
The 2011 BIO International Convention, the world’s largest biotechnology event, kicks off today at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the event is expected to attract more than 15,000 attendees from 48 states and 65 countries. More than 70 percent of those attendees are senior-level leaders from industry, academia and government. Read More...

Glen Burnie's NovaSom lands $35M in financing
Baltimore Business Journal
A Glen Burnie company that enables home diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea said Monday it secured $35 million financing.
Read More...

Extraordinary Measures: NCI Develops World’s Only Pediatric Neuroblastoma Drug
MDbizMedia
MDBizMedia recently sat down with Dr. Malcolm Smith, Associate Branch Chief of Pediatrics in the Division of Cancer Treatment & Diagnosis Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program at the National Cancer Institute. Read More...

Montgomery County plays major role in trials at National Institutes of Health in Bethesda
Gazette.net
NIH relies on people who are willing to give researchers a shot at curing their ailments, as well as healthy people to volunteer for clinical trials to accomplish what the institutes do best provide cutting-edge disease research too risky and potentially unprofitable to interest private companies. Read More... 

United Therapeutics to develop drug based on cells of a placenta
Washington Business Journal
Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics Corp. plans to develop a new treatment for pulmonary hypertension based on the cells of a placenta.
Read More...

UMBC spin off Plasmonix raises $1.5M
Baltimore Business Journal
A Baltimore County life sciences startup has raised $1.5 million in a Series A round of financing led by Maryland Healthcare Development Corp.
Read More...

Postdocs seek jobs in a still-lean Maryland market
Gazette.net
Sean Grullon hit a career fair for the highly educated Wednesday in North Bethesda, hoping to land a new job when his postdoctoral position as a bioinformatics research scientist at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda ends in a few months. Read More... 

Martek Biosciences part of Dutch conglomerate's vision
Baltimore Sun
Wearing a purple-and-white tie and a gray suit, Feike Sijbesma, head of Dutch multinational conglomerate Royal DSM, was whisked from meeting to meeting at the Columbia headquarters of Martek Biosciences Corp. on a recent weekday. Read More...

BioWatch: Maryland biotechs show clinical, financial progress in oncology
Gazette.net
A half-dozen Maryland bioscience companies that are working on various cancer therapies recently have reported promising advances, on both the financial and scientific fronts. Read More...

Celsion raises $8.6M in stock offering
Baltimore Business Journal
Celsion Corp. raised $8.5 million in a recent stock sale to investors, the Columbia developer of cancer drugs said in a June 14 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Read More...

Study: Cancer Drugs Approved in U.S. Before Europe
FoxNews.com
New cancer medicines typically reach the U.S. market several months before they go on sale in Europe, according to a study published amid a debate about access to new drugs. Read More...

NIH expands reach of national clinical and translational research consortium
Fierce Biotech
The National Institutes of Health announced that it will provide $200 million over five years to five health research centers to speed scientific discoveries into treatments for patients. The grants were awarded as part of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, which is led by the NIH's National Center for Research Resources (NCRR).
Read More...

Emergent BioSolutions CEO joins board of U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions will have to share its boss with a few other businesses soon. The vaccine and drug development company announced Monday that Chairman and CEO Fuad El-Hibri has been appointed to serve on the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Read More...

PharmAthene plans $6.5M offering
Baltimore Business Journal
PharmAthene Inc. plans to raise roughly $6.5 million of its common stock and warrants through a direct offering. Read More...

Emergent BioSolutions’ Investigational Anthrax Vaccine, NuThrax, Granted Fast Track Designation
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced today that its investigational anthrax vaccine, NuThrax^TM (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed with CPG 7909 Adjuvant), has been granted Fast Track Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA's Fast Track Development Program provides for expedited regulatory review of drugs and biologics that treat serious or life threatening diseases and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs. Read More... 

EmpiriStat runs the numbers for bioscience
Gazette.net
Nicole C. Close has gone from wanting to work with the Pittsburgh Steelers to helping the public and private sectors tackle diseases such as malaria and HIV. Read More...

Northwest Biotherapeutics names new CEO, COO
Washington Business Journal
Bethesda-based Northwest Biotherapeutics, which Monday announced a major infusion of funds, has a revamped management team to oversee spending it. Read More...

Northwest Biotherapeutics lands funding
Washington Business Journal
Bethesda-based biotechnology firm Northwest Biotherapeutics, which develops drugs to treat cancer, has signed a series of financing deals that will give it access to up to $28 million in funds. Read More...

United Therapeutics lung drug results
Washington Business Journal
Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics Corp. said a pill version of its Remodulin drug, used to treat pulmonary hypertension, met its primary endpoint in a late-stage study. Read More...

Emergent buys blood cancer therapy
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions Inc., whose sales have soared as the government stocks up on its anthrax vaccine, has acquired rights to a cancer therapy targeting T-cell lymphomas. Read More...

Chinese drugmaker Tasly coming to Rockville
Gazette.net
The state's trade mission to Asia this week is already bearing fruit, as a Chinese biopharmaceutical company has announced that it plans to invest $40 million in a U.S. operation in Montgomery County and two Maryland companies — Martek Biosciences in Columbia and RTKL in Baltimore — have secured deals worth more than $45 million. Read More...

Profectus BioSciences starts HIV vaccine study
Baltimore Business Journal
Profectus BioSciences Inc. is launching the first phase of an HIV vaccine study alongside an international panel of scientists researching the disease. Read More...


May

Emergent soars on more BioThrax
Washington Business Journal
Stock in Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions Inc. soared as much as 23 percent in Thursday trading after the company said it was in talks to provide the U.S. government with an additional 44.75 million doses of its anthrax vaccine, BioThrax. Read More...

Osiris profit increase 67 percent in 1Q
Baltimore Business Journal
The Columbia-based stem cell research company posted earnings of $4 million, or 12 cents per share, compared with $2.4 million, or 7 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.  Read More...

Clinical, regulatory jobs top biotech's "must-hire" list
FierceBiotech
Which jobs are the most sought-after in the biotech world? Clinical development and regulatory affairs jobs.  Read More...

Noble Life Sciences Inc. Opens New Facility in Maryland
BioSpace
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett joined this morning with Dr. Ken Carter, President & CEO, Noble Life Sciences, Jennie M. Forehand, Maryland State Senator, District 17, Dr. Judith Britz, Executive Director, Maryland Biotechnology Center, and Ms. Ann Humphrey, on behalf of U.S. Congressman Chris Van Hollen and other public and private sectors guests to celebrate the official opening of Noble Life Sciences' new 6,000 square foot office and laboratory facility at 22 Firstfield Road in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Read More...

April

United Therapeutics eyes $1B in revenue
Washington Business Journal
Sales rose for drugmaker United Therapeutics Corp. even as research, development and sales costs dragged down earnings. Read More...

Human Genome Sciences losses widen, revenue falls
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences Inc., which will begin seeing revenue from its newly approved lupus drug this year, got no benefit from Benlysta sales last quarter. Revenue fell and losses widened. Read More...

The University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) and Paragon Bioservices, Inc. Announce the Formation of a Public-Private Stem Cell Technology Consortium
FierceBiotech
UMB's Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Paragon Bioservices, Inc., a contract research and GMP manufacturing organization with its headquarters at the University of Maryland BioPark, announced today the formation of a public-private partnership for developing and manufacturing stem cell therapies.  Read More...

Telaprevir nearly doubles chances of a cure
Reuters
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX.O) won a U.S. advisory panel's overwhelming support for a potential blockbuster drug seen transforming hepatitis C treatment by nearly doubling the chances of curing the serious liver disease.  Read More...

Intrexon Corporation Launches Animal Science Division
BioSpace
Intrexon Corporation, a next generation synthetic biology company, today announced the launch of its Animal Science Division and appointment of Thomas R. Kasser, Ph.D. as Division President and a Senior Vice President of the Corporation.  Read More...

FDA Approves Zytiga for Late-Stage Prostate Cancer
FierceBiotech
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) in combination with prednisone (a steroid) to treat patients with late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior docetaxel (chemotherapy). Read More...

United Therapeutics plans smartphone heart monitor
Washington Business Journal
Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics plans to build a smartphone application to detect heart arrhythmia, the company discosed in a quarterly SEC filing Thursday. Read More...

Qiagen donates HPV tests to Rwanda
Washington Business Journal
Germantown-based Qiagen, which makes DNA-based tests for HPV, a virus that causes cervical cancer, is donating 250,000 tests and the equipment to run them to the government of Rwanda. Read More...

Sequella scores potential $50M tuberculosis deal
Gazette.net
Sequella has agreed with a Russian venture fund to develop a treatment for tuberculosis in the Russian Federation and neighboring countries in a deal that could be worth as much as $50 million to the Rockville biotechnology company, executives said today. Read More...

Whiting-Turner picked for $16M East Baltimore biotech project
Baltimore Business Journal
Emergent BioSolutions has chosen Baltimore's Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. for a $16.1 million renovation project at its East Baltimore biotechnology manufacturing facility.  Read More....

From Russia With Millions
Gazette
Sequella has agreed with a Russian venture fund to develop a treatment for tuberculosis in the Russian Federation and neighboring countries in a deal that could be worth as much as $50 million.  Read More...

Sequella, Inc. Licenses Rights to Commercialize SQ109
BioSpace
Sequella, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing novel antibiotics to treat life-threatening infectious diseases.  Read More...

Celsion Corporation Announces Issuance of Japanese Patent Covering ThermoDox(R) Technologies
BioSpace
Celsion Corporation, a leading oncology drug development company, today announced that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) has granted the Japanese counterpart of the "Needham" composition of matter patent, "Temperature-Sensitive Liposomal Formulation," which is issued in various regions around the world, including the U.S. and European Union.
Read More...

NeuralStem Inc. Signs Memorandum of Understanding for Ischemic Stroke Program in China
BioSpace
Neuralstem, Inc. announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BaYi Brain Hospital in Beijing, China. Under the agreement, BaYi Brain and Neuralstem will jointly prepare a clinical protocol for treatment of motor deficits due to ischemic stroke. Read More...

FDA Approves Genentech (RHHBY)'s Actemra to Treat Rare Form of Juvenile Arthritis
BioSpace
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Actemra (tocilizumab), given alone or in combination with methotrexate, for the treatment of active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) in children ages 2 years and older.  Read More...

FDA Approves Genentech (RHHBY)'s Rituxan to Treat Two Rare Disorders BioSpace
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Rituxan (rituximab), in combination with glucocorticoids (steroids), to treat patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), two rare disorders that cause blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis).  Read More...

Novovax replaces CEO
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Novavax Inc. has named Stanley Erck, who joined the company in 2010 and currently serves as chairman, its new chief executive, replacing Rahul Singhvi, who had served as CEO for the past six years.     Read More...

GenVec falls after reverse split
Washington Business Journal
GenVec shares fell in Tuesday trading after its 1-for-10 reverse stock split took effect. Read More...

RegeneRx Focuses Immediate Clinical Development on Dry Eye Indication with RGN-259, Provides Update on AMI Phase 2 Study
Fierce Biotech
RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has shifted its near-term clinical development focus to RGN-259, its preservative-free topical eye drop, for the treatment of symptomatic dry eye. Read More...

Human Genome Sciences sees profits in 2013
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences, whose lupus treatment won Food and Drug Administration approval in March, says it expects to reach profitability in 2013. Read More...

855 Wolfe Tops 80 Percent Occupancy with Four New Tenants
Citibizlist
Four new tenants are joining the John G. Rangos Building at 855 North Wolfe St, a research office property at The Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Read More...

BioMarker Strategies nabs $1M grant
Baltimore Business Journal
BioMarker Strategies has won the second wave of a two-part grant from the National Cancer Institute worth $1 million.  Read More...

Teavolve, biotech firms take space at Hopkins research park
Baltimore Business Journal
New life sciences companies coming to the East Baltimore complex are Personal Genome Diagnostics, a cancer diagnostics company focused on personalized medicine, and Inostics, a German diagnostics company focused on improving cancer drug development. Read More...

RegeneRx sets sights on dry-eye treatment
FierceBiotech
RegeneRx, a Rockville, MD-based biopharmaceutical company, has decided to put most of its resources for the near term into its dry eye treatment, RGN-259, the company announced in a news release.  Read More...


SAIC cancer work supports other biotechs
Gazette.com
SAIC-Frederick's work as prime contractor for the National Cancer Institute at Fort Detrick is paying dividends for other businesses, from Frederick to San Francisco. Read More...

Vanda Pharmaceuticals begins schizophrenia drug trials
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based biopharmaceutical company Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VNDA) has announced that Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., an affiliate of Vanda's sub-licensor Novartis Pharma AG, has initiated a clinical study to evaluate the long-acting injectable formulation of Fanapt (iloperidone). Read More...

Montgomery, Korea executives forge stronger links
Gazette.net
Executives and politicians from Montgomery County and Chungbuk, South Korea, toured county incubators and companies Monday, working to strengthen their commercial ties, including partnerships in the bioscience and other industries that have linked the regions since 2004.  Read More...


FDA approves Astrazenca
BioSpace
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved vandetanib to treat adult patients with late-stage (metastatic) medullary thyroid cancer who are ineligible for surgery and who have disease that is growing or causing symptoms. Read More...

Montgomery looks to bioscience ‘road map' for growth
Gazette.net
A plan to boost Montgomery County's bioscience industry that a consultant outlined today before the County Council is different from past reports because it more concretely offers a "road map" to achieving its goals, say business leaders and county officials. Read More...

Champions Oncology raises $9.4M in stock sale
Baltimore Business Journal
Champions Oncology Inc., a biotechnology startup at the Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins, has raised $9.4 million in a private stock sale. Read More...

Reverse stock split for GenVec
Washington Business Journal
Gaithersburg-based GenVec Inc. plans a 1-for-10 reverse stock split in a bid to keep its Nasdaq listing. Read More...

Champions Oncology, Inc. Completes $9.4 Million Financing
BioSpace
Champions Oncology, Inc. announced today it has completed the private placement of 12.5 million shares of its common stock at a price of $0.75 per share, resulting in gross proceeds to the company of $9.4 million.
Read More... 

Sequella Awarded $4.6 million in New NIH Grants to Expand Anti-Infectives Pipeline
Press Release
Sequella, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing novel antibiotics to treat life-threatening infectious diseases, today announced that it received a $3.8 million 5-year R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to identify and develop new ethylenediamine-based antibiotics for Clostridium difficile, an emerging infectious pathogen causing life-threatening gastrointestinal disease. Read More...

March

Noble Life Sciences Inc. Announces Appointment of Kenneth Carter, PhD, as President and CEO
BioSpace.com
Noble Life Sciences, a provider of preclinical research services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announced today the appointment of Dr. Kenneth Carter, PhD, as the company's President and Chief Executive Officer. Read More...

Tech council award ‘a fantastic recognition' for Frederick company
Gazette.net
Data Management provides information technology support and infrastructure services, plus biostatistic and other scientific programming services, according to Chairman and CEO James R. Racheff. Annual revenues have grown 10 percent, he said, and are expected to reach $8 million this year. Read More...

With VC scarce, where's the money?
Gazette.net
As Human Genome Sciences prepares to rake in its anticipated billions from sales of its newly approved lupus drug, the Rockville biotech's smaller brethren strive to duplicate that success. Read More...

EntreMed earns $800,000, second profitable quarter in 7 years
Washington Business Journal
Rockville drug development company EntreMed Inc. posted just its second profit in the past seven years in its latest quarter as royalty revenue moved it back in the black. Read More...

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals raises $10M for research
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, searching for a new chief executive, has new funding from investors. Read More...

Novavax narrows loss, restates earnings
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Novavax Inc. narrowed its loss in the fourth quarter of 2010 and restated its results for prior quarters stretching back to the third quarter of 2008. Read More...

Telcare Wins Two First Place Awards at CTIA
Telcare
Telcare, first place winner of two 2011 CTIA E-Tech Awards in the categories of Mobile Applications: Health, Wellness & Fitness and Enterprise & Vertical Market Solution: Healthcare & Wellness, connects the last mile between patient and caregiver using wireless M2M technology.  Read More... 

Company Develops Natural Way to Fight E. coli
Food & Safety News
In the ongoing battle to keep the potentially deadly E. coli O157:H7 pathogen out of hamburger, a range of "killer strategies" has been proposed, among them: zap the meat with irradiation, test the hell out of it, check every carcass for surface contamination, and vaccinate every beef cow against E. coli.  Read More... 

Champions Biotechnology, Inc. Announces Potential $27 Million Technology Collaboration with Cephalon, Inc.
BioSpace.com
Champions Biotechnology, Inc. announced today the signing of a technology collaboration agreement with Cephalon, Inc. in which Champions will conduct low passage Tumorgraft™ studies on two proprietary chemical compounds, CEP-32496, an inhibitor of mutant B-Raf, and CEP-37440, a selective dual ALK-FAK inhibitor, provided by Cephalon to determine the activity or response in potential clinical indications. The results of these studies will be used to inform the future clinical development path of these compounds. Read More... 

Frederick incubator seeks expansion to keep firms in county
Gazette.net
Michael J. Dailey wants more space so some of his larger incubator tenants aren't working on top of each other. Read More...

BioWatch: Vanda and Celsion win orphan status in Europe
Gazette.net
Two Maryland biotechs, Vanda Pharmaceuticals of Rockville and Celsion of Columbia, have received orphan drug designation in Europe for their treatments now in phase 3 clinical trials. Read More...

Human Genome Sciences and FivePrime Therapeutics Announce Development and Commercialization Agreement
Fierce Biotech
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) and FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that they have entered into an agreement to develop and commercialize FivePrime’s FP-1039 product for multiple cancers. FP-1039 is a first-in-class biologic discovered by FivePrime that targets multiple fibroblast growth factor (FGF) ligands.  Read More... 

Quanta Biosciences And IDT Partner To Develop And Produce MicroRNA PCR
BioResearch Online
Quanta Biosciences has developed hundreds of assays for quantifying microRNAs, and has entered into a partnership with Integrated DNA Technologies (Coralville, IA) to custom manufacture them. Read More...

GenVec cuts losses
Washington Business Journal
Gaithersburg-based GenVec, which dropped plans to sell itself last year, reports a smaller quarterly loss and higher revenue. Read More...

Human Genome Sciences surges on FDA approval
Washington Business Journal
Stock in Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences rallied as much as 14 percent on ten times its normal trading volume after the company received final FDA approval for its new lupus drug. Read More...

Human Genome Sciences and Glaxosmithkline announce FDA approval of Benlysta® (Belimumab) for treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus
Human Genome Sciences
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BENLYSTA® (belimumab) for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy. Read More...

Rexahn searches for CEO
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Inc. says Dr. Chang Ahn will give up his CEO title and serve as the company's chief science officer.
Read More...

Day of reckoning for HGS?
Gazette.net
Company officials, investors, analysts and patients are eagerly awaiting word from the Food and Drug Administration this week as to whether it will approve Human Genome Sciences' lupus drug, potentially worth billions to the Rockville biotech. Read More...

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Reports Q4 2010 Financial Results
Citybizlist.com
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SPI) today reported its consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2010. Read More...

Rockville Startup BoneGrafix Gets Boost from Global Biotech
Citybizlist.com
BoneGrafix Inc., a privately-held medical device and biomaterials company, today announced that Global Biotech Corporation of Wilmington, Delaware signed a Letter of Intent to take a minority stake in BoneGrafix through an equity investment.
Read More...

Micromet narrows loss on higher revenue
Washington Business Journal
Bethesda-based Micromet Inc. narrowed its loss in the latest quarter as revenues improved. Read More... 

Novavax gets $97M for new flu vaccines
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Novavax Inc. is one of two companies that will develop next-generation flu vaccines for the Department of Health and Human Services under contracts worth as much as $215 million. Read More...

February

MacroGenics hits winning target
Drug Discovery News
The year 2010 ended with a bang as MacroGenics, a private, venture-backed biotechnology company specializing in novel biologics for autoimmune disorders, cancer and infectious diseases, signed a deal with German pharma Boehringer Ingelheim that could be worth more than $2.1 billion. Read More...

WellDoc^® Accelerates mHealth Portfolio Expansion through Acquisition and Growth of Oncology Care Home Health, LLC
BusinessWire.com
WellDoc^®, a healthcare technology company that enables positive behavior change and supports clinical decision makeing to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs, today announced the acquisition of Oncology Care Home Health Specialists Inc., the nation's only home health consulting company dedicated to, and focused solely on oncology. Read More...

Collaboration the key as FiberCell lands state grant
Gazette.net
Collaborating with academia has worked out well for John Cadwell's company, FiberCell Systems of Frederick. The firm is now getting help from a state grant to create a prototype for creating proteins and cells for the biotech industry. Read More...

Emergent looks to cut animal testing
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions Inc. is seeking federal approval to cut animal testing at its Michigan campus, a longstanding point of conflict between the anthrax vaccine maker and animal rights activists.
Read More...

BioWatch: BioElectronics eyes growth in U.S., international patch market
Gazette.net
BioElectronics, which makes drug-free skin patches for a variety of medical conditions, wants to expand its small domestic presence while also continuing to improve its larger international sales. Read More...

PDL will pay Gaithersburg-based MedImmune $92.5M in patent settlement
The Daily Record
PDL BioPharma Inc. said Wednesday it will pay a total of $92.5 million to settle a patent dispute with AstraZeneca PLC’s MedImmune unit, and added that MedImmune will not pay any further royalties on sales of its virus treatment Synagis. Read More...

Vanda Pharmaceuticals reports profits
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based biopharmaceutical company Vanda Pharmaceuticals reported a positive fourth quarter. The company's fourth quarter net income was $2.2 million, or 8 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $9.2 million, or net loss of 34 cents per share a year earlier. Read More...

Neuralstem gets FDA boost
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based stem cell researcher Neuralstem Inc. got a boost Wednesday from the Food and Drug Administration, which granted "orphan" status to its stem cell-based treatment for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS.   
Read More...

MacroGenics sells $12 million in equity
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based biotechnology company MacroGenics Inc. has more cash to work with after selling $12 million in equity. Read More...

January

Vanda Pharmaceuticals files for $50 million securities sale
Washington Business Journal
Vanda announced Monday that it had filed a universal shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which, once approved, would allow the company to offer and sell, from time to time, up to $50 million of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, or warrants.
Read More...

Neuralstem settles ReNeuron dispute
Washington Business Journal
Rockville-based Neuralstem Inc. says it has reached a settlement with U.K.-based stem cell research company ReNeuron Ltd. and has dropped its lawsuit against the company. Read More...

MedImmune sued for patent infringement
Washington Business Journal
Gaithersburg-based MedImmune LLC, owned by London's AstraZeneca PLC, is one of three drugmakers accused of patent infringement by Novartis AG.
Read More...

BioWatch: New year brings new clinical trials for biotechs
Gazette.net
A half-dozen Maryland biotechs are kicking off the new year by launching clinical trials of candidates designed to treat a range of illnesses, from constipation to cancer. Read More...

Novavax starts RSV clinical trials
Washington Business Journal
Less than a month after MedImmune dropped its marketing application for a drug to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease, Rockville-based Novavax Inc. has begun enrolling patients for Phase I trials of its experimental drug to prevent RSV. Read More...

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