News
04/02/2025
VCU startup wins $800k grant to propel its infection-fighting surgical gel
With an innovation that could advance brain and spinal surgeries, a Virginia Commonwealth University startup has received an $800,000 state grant to support development of its infection-fighting gel. Pascal Medical Corp. is one of four grant recipients to receive awards from Virginia Catalyst, a nonprofit created by the General Assembly and funded by the state’s general …
04/02/2025
Quoin Pharmaceuticals Announces Additional Positive ‘Whole Body’ Clinical Data from Ongoing Pediatric Netherton Syndrome Study and Approval to Initiate Testing of a Second Pediatric Patient
Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: QNRX) (the “Company” or “Quoin”), a late clinical stage, specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutic products that treat rare and orphan diseases, today announces additional highly positive clinical data from its ongoing Investigator Pediatric Netherton Syndrome (NS) study. After 6 weeks of continued whole body application …
04/02/2025
Charlottesville Angel Network Celebrates 10 Years, Surpasses $20 Million in Investments
The Charlottesville Angel Network (CAN), a group of accredited investors dedicated to supporting early-stage ventures, proudly marks its 10th anniversary this month. Since its inception, CAN angel investor members have invested more than $20 million in nearly 80 startups, fostering innovation both locally and beyond. Reflecting on a decade of achievements, CAN has realized returns …
04/02/2025
BACE credential helps Virginia Western Biotechnology students show readiness for employment
In a short time, Virginia Western’s Biotechnology Program has established a reputation as an accessible place for students to start from any point of their science journey and get thorough, hands-on experience with equipment and techniques required to work as lab technicians. But for those who decide that yes, this is the field for them, …
04/01/2025
ReAlta Life Sciences Announces Appointment of Distinguished Immunologist, Laurie Glimcher, M.D., to Board of Directors
ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. (“ReAlta” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to saving lives by rebalancing the inflammatory response to address rare and acute inflammatory diseases, announced the appointment of Laurie Glimcher, M.D., to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Dr. Glimcher is a distinguished immunologist widely renowned for her work in cancer …
03/31/2025
Allozymes and Bonumose Collaborate to Accelerate Enzyme Innovations for Beneficial Food & Supplement Ingredients
Allozymes, a leader in protein engineering, and Bonumose, a leader in innovative enzyme combinations enabling the production of high-volume, healthy, naturally occurring monosaccharides from commodity feedstocks such as starch and sugar, announce the preliminary results of improvements to key enzymes for Bonumose’s ingredient production process. Bonumose enzyme breakthroughs include unique combinations converting plant-based starch and …
03/26/2025
New survey: U.S. biotechs warn tariffs could impede access to cures, stifle innovation
Today, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) released results from a membership survey that underscores the significant, global integration of the biomedical supply chain. According to the findings, nearly 90% of U.S. biotech companies rely on imported components for at least half of their FDA-approved products — making the supply of medicines for US patients and …
03/25/2025
AgroSpheres Named on Both the World’s Top GreenTech Companies 2025 and America’s Top GreenTech Companies 2025 Lists by TIME Magazine
AgroSpheres has been named on both the World’s Top GreenTech Companies 2025 and America’s Top GreenTech Companies 2025 lists. These prestigious awards are presented by TIME and Statista Inc., the leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The award lists were announced on March 25th, 2025, and can be viewed on TIME’s website. Statista ranked …
03/21/2025
Luna Labs to Expand Research and Development Operations in Charlottesville
Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that Luna Labs USA, LLC, a product development company accelerating breakthrough solutions to multiple industries, will invest $200,000 to expand its operations in the City of Charlottesville. The company will create 20 new jobs. “Luna Labs’ expansion demonstrates Virginia’s ability to cultivate and retain innovative technology companies,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. …
03/18/2025
Committed to Innovation: Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance Replaces Verge
The Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance, formerly Verge, unveiled a major rebrand to reflect their ongoing commitment to tech-based economic advancement and their leadership in a portfolio of organizations dedicated to developing the Roanoke Blacksburg innovation ecosystem. The elements of the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA) include: A new name that reflects the commitment of Roanoke Blacksburg …
03/14/2025
CEL-SCI’s Head and Neck Cancer Study Clears FDA Review, Eyes Commercialization Partners
CEL-SCI Corporation announced that a third-party study published on March 6, 2025 in JAMA Oncology titled “Neoadjuvant Nivolumab Plus Chemotherapy Followed by Response-Stratified Chemoradiation Therapy in HPV-Negative Head and Neck Cancer: The DEPEND Phase 2 Non-randomized Clinical Trial” provided data that support Multikine’s use as a neoadjuvant treatment in patients with tumors having low PD-L1 expression …
03/13/2025
Zynext Ventures invests in Illexcor Therapeutics to advance novel oral therapy for sickle cell disease
Zynext Ventures USA LLC (Zynext Ventures), the venture capital arm of Zydus Lifesciences (Zydus), today announced its investment in Illexcor Therapeutics (Illexcor), a pioneering biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation oral therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD). This investment underscores Zynext Ventures’ commitment to supporting disruptive healthcare innovations that address significant unmet medical needs. Illexcor is developing …
03/06/2025
Biocon Biologics and Civica, Inc. Collaborate to Expand Insulin Aspart Access in the United States
Biocon Biologics Ltd (BBL), a fully integrated global biosimilars company and subsidiary of Biocon Ltd (BSE code: 532523, NSE: BIOCON), and Civica, Inc. (Civica), a not-for-profit generic drug and pharmaceutical company founded in 2018 to address and resolve life-saving drug shortages and affordability, today announced a strategic collaboration agreement to expand access and affordability of Insulin Aspart in …
03/05/2025
Virginia Catalyst Awards $3.2 Million in Grants to Support Life Sciences in the Commonwealth
The Virginia Catalyst, also known as the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC), today announced that it has awarded $3.2 million in grants to four life and bioscience projects in the Commonwealth of Virginia. These projects were awarded in Grant Round 17. “The Catalyst works to help industry partners and academic investigators to raise follow-on …
02/27/2025
Hourigan Strengthens Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing and Data Centers with Key Appointments
Hourigan is expanding its leadership team to support the firm’s growing presence in two of the region’s most technical and high-demand industries: advanced manufacturing and data centers. Hourigan has named Mark Hourigan, Jr. to lead its advanced manufacturing and logistics sector and Mark Rainey to oversee its mission-critical and data center expansion. These appointments build …
02/27/2025
The Estée Lauder Companies Partners with Serpin Pharma, Inc to Develop Breakthrough Skin Care Ingredients to Advance Longevity
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) (ELC) announced a collaboration with biotechnology company, Serpin Pharma, that aims to explore how their anti-inflammatory research can be applied in cosmetics to deliver significant skin care longevity benefits to consumers around the world. The exclusive partnership will accelerate ELC’s focus on transformative product innovation by applying insights …
02/20/2025
Council of State Biotechnology Associations says NIH funds are a critical component of innovation ecosystem
“Today, the US biotech industry employs nearly 2.3 million people across the US and is making positive contributions to economic impact and national security across all 50 states. In fact, for every dollar the National Institutes of Health (NIH) contributes to a successful drug, the private sector invests over $65, underscoring the agency’s unparalleled return …
02/11/2025
Oragenics, Inc. Announces Partnership with BRAINBox Solutions to Revolutionize Concussion Diagnosis and Treatment
Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE American: OGEN), a biotechnology company advancing innovative treatments for concussion and brain-related health conditions, announced a strategic partnership with BRAINBox Solutions, a leader in multi-modality diagnostics for traumatic brain injury (TBI). This collaboration seeks to develop the first intranasal therapy for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) aka concussion, creating a comprehensive trigger-to-treat …
02/11/2025
Children’s National and Compremium partner on pediatric medtech innovation
Children’s National Hospital announced a new collaboration with Swiss medical device company Compremium AG to co-develop and commercialize innovative medical technologies designed specifically for pediatric patients. This first-of-its-kind agreement leverages the expertise of Children’s National in pediatric healthcare innovation and Compremium’s non-invasive platform technology for diagnosing pressure-related conditions, accelerating advancements in pediatric medicine. Diagnosing pressure-related …
02/10/2025
AIN Ventures and VIPC Invest in Cerbrec to Accelerate AI Innovation
Cerbrec, a leading Virginia-based AI platform provider, announced that AIN Ventures has invested in its seed funding round. This investment will enable Cerbrec to accelerate its mission of equipping biotech and pharmaceutical companies, along with those in other industries, with cutting-edge tools for creating tailored AI solutions. Cerbrec’s flagship product, Graphbook, is an innovative drag-and-drop …
02/05/2025
Project Vital bringing millions in funding to Roanoke-Blacksburg’s life sciences
The Roanoke-Blacksburg region is establishing itself as a biomedical research hub and medical device innovation center. About $5 million from the state could help move that work from labs to markets. Those millions will fund Project Vital: Virginia Innovations and Technology Advancements in Life Sciences. It’s a collaboration among the Roanoke-Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (formerly Verge), …
02/04/2025
Children’s National Hospital, Virginia Tech expand research partnership to advance pediatric health
Children’s National Hospital and Virginia Tech are expanding their research partnership, building on a successful collaboration established in 2019. This partnership will advance pediatric health through innovative discoveries and therapies with an initial focus on pediatric cancers, including brain tumors. The partnership brings together Children’s National, ranked among the nation’s top pediatric hospitals by U.S. …
01/31/2025
AGC Pharma Chemicals announces expansion of HPAPI capabilities in Barcelona
AGC Pharma Chemicals, a leading innovator in pharmaceutical manufacturing with over 40 years of expertise in Contract Development Manufacturing Operations (CDMO) for small molecule APIs based in Barcelona (Spain) and Japan, announces a significant expansion of its High Potency Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPI) capabilities, enabling seamless scale-up from grams to tons within a single integrated …
01/30/2025
OrthoPreserve Receives Both FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and Prestigious TAP Enrollment for Meniscus Implant to Revolutionize Knee Pain Treatment
OrthoPreserve, a company developing orthopedic implant solutions, announced today it has been granted both a Breakthrough Device Designation and Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program (TAP) enrollment from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for Defender, a meniscus replacement implant. The designation covers the use of the therapeutic medical device to treat patients who …
01/27/2025
Haleon Expands Richmond Research and Development Facility
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Haleon, a leading global consumer health company, will invest $54.2 million to upgrade its research & development facility in the City of Richmond. The modernization will enable the company to accommodate innovative technologies and expand its research capabilities. Governor Youngkin met with Haleon leadership in London in July 2024 …