Company Spotlight

News about PABC-member companies

10/02/2024

Emergex T Cell-Priming Vaccine Candidate for Betacoronaviruses selected by NIH/NIAID Project NextGen for Inclusion in Clinical Trials

Emergex Vaccines, a clinical-stage biotechnology company addressing major global infectious diseases through the development of synthetic T cell-priming vaccine candidates,  today announced that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),  part of the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA), has selected Emergex for inclusion in its Project NextGen. More here. 

9/24/2024

FCTDI is pleased to report that troriluzole has achieved positive topline results in a pivotal study for the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia 

Troriluzole was designed and prepared at FCTDI funded originally by multiple SBIR grants from the National Institutes of Health.  Biohaven acquired the rights to troriluzole and related prodrugs of riluzole in Aug., 2015. More here. 

9/15/2024

Drugs Targeting Sirtuin 2 Exhibit Broad-Spectrum Anti-Infective Activity

PABC members, Evrys Bio and Conifer Point Pharmaceuticals, recently were featured in a special issue on sirtuins in Pharmaceuticals. More here. 

 9/02/2024

Merlin Biotech, a Pennsylvania startup and PABC-member company focused on hard-to-treat cancers, announces major milestones

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has conditionally designated Merlin Biotech Inc.’s marketing application for MER-101 as a “rare pediatric disease product application” pending the final determination whether the application meets all of the eligibility criteria set forth in section529(a)(4) of the FD&C Act at the time of approval or licensure.  With this designation and upon approval of MER-101, Merlin would receive a Priority Review Voucher (PRV).  A PRV is transferable and salable, have recently sold between $108M to $158M. More here.

 6/24/2024

Aprea Therapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed in ACESOT-1051 Phase 1 Trial Evaluating Oral WEE1 Inhibitor APR-1051 

Aprea Therapeutics Inc. [a PABC-resident company] announced the first patient has been dosed in the ACESOT-1051 Phase 1 study evaluating daily oral WEE1 inhibitor APR-1051 as monotherapy in advanced solid tumor patients with unmet medical need. APR-1051 was discovered and preclinically evaluated by Aprea’s team of chemists and scientists. More here.

3/11/2024

Aprea Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of IND for APR-1051, its Next Generation WEE1 Kinase Inhibitor for Cyclin E Overexpressing Cancers - Aprea Therapeutics

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the FDA has cleared its Investigational New Drug application for APR-1051. “APR-1051 is a next-generation inhibitor of WEE1 kinase and, based on its unique characteristics, we believe it will be best in class,” said Dr. Oren Gilad, President and CEO of Aprea. “The FDA's clearance of our IND is a critical step in the APR-1051 development program. We look forward to evaluating therapeutic activity in patients, focusing on Cyclin E overexpressing cancers, including ovarian and breast cancers.” More here. 

3/7/2024

BriaCell Receives and Executes Letter of Intent to Advance Clinical Development of Breast and Prostate Cancer Immunotherapies - GlobeNewswire

BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (a resident company in B+labs at Cira Centre) announces that it has received and executed a letter of intent with Paula Pohlmann, MD, MSc, PhD, to advance the clinical development of Bria-OTS+ and Bria-PROS+, BriaCell’s personalized off-the-shelf cellular cancer vaccines in advanced breast cancer and prostate cancer, respectively. More here. 

2/6/2024

Aprea Therapeutics Announces Submission of IND Application for APR-1051, a Next Generation WEE1 Kinase Inhibitor

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on precision oncology through synthetic lethality, today announced that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate clinical trials of APR-1051. APR-1051 is an oral inhibitor of WEE1 kinase, which plays important role in cell cycle regulation and DNA damage repair. More here. 

 1/17/2024

Newtown Resident Chari Cohen Wants to Help Eliminate Hepatitis B

“We are commanded to repair the world and make it a better place for everyone,” Cohen said. Since 1999, Cohen has done that. That was the year when the then-24-year-old got an internship at the Hepatitis B Foundation, the world’s only organization dedicated solely to fighting Hepatitis B. More here.

1/7/2024

Merlin Biotech to Present at Biotech Showcase™ 2024

Merlin Biotech Inc. announced that it is presenting at Biotech Showcase™ 2024. This year, registered attendees can view Merlin’s presentation live, and with 24x7 on-demand access, attendees can view recorded presentations at their convenience when scheduling does not allow viewing during the main event week. More here. 

1/4/2024

Aprea Therapeutics Provides Corporate Update and Announces Development Plans for 2024

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on precision oncology through synthetic lethality, today provided a corporate update highlighting recent developments and plans for advancement of its pipeline of DNA Damage Response (DDR) anti-cancer agents in 2024. More here. 

12/13/2023

Creating Space & Equitable Opportunities for Philadelphia's Next Generation of Life Sciences Professionals

In June of 2023, B+labs welcomed seniors from Murrell Dobbins Career & Technical Education High School for a field trip. The students toured the facility, took part in a panel discussion around career pathways, and attended a networking luncheon. Crisbel Baez, Associate Director of Community Experience + Partner Relations at B+labs, noted the importance of exposing students to spaces and opportunities, especially within their own city, that may be unfamiliar to them.  More here.

11/14/2023

 

Incite Health, Inc. Introduces Pharmacogenomics Services to Improve the Safety, Efficacy, and Efficiency of Clinical Trials

Incite Health, Inc., a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited, high-complexity Contract Research Organization, announces the expansion of its services with the launch of its pharmacogenomics platform to support the drug development initiatives of its pharmaceutical and biotech partners. More here.

 

7/18/2023 

Advent Therapeutics Awarded $3 Million NIH Grant for Novel Neonatal Lung Therapy

Advent Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering an optimized retinol palmitate (vitamin A) drug product as a breakthrough non-invasive inhaled neonatal lung therapy, has been awarded a $3 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IIB grant. This grant allows the Company to position its novel aerosolized vitamin A formulation for commercialization in 2025 to prevent Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). More here. 

5/23/2023

VIAS Partners, LLC is pleased to report the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 11,654,428 B2, entitled: “Methods, Systems and Apparatus for Separating Components of a Biological Sample”. This is the Company’s first patent in the United States and evidences the pioneering work being done by the VIAS lab.  The patent, which issued on May 23, 2023, covers – inter alia – methods for increasing the number of platelets available for administration to a subject, which is a game-changer for both clinicians and patients. VIAS continues to prosecute additional patent applications in the United States and abroad related to its regenerative technologies.

 2/17/2023

 MERLIN Biotech CEO Randall N. Hyer delivers details – and a comprehensive strategic plan – for the company’s promising mRNA technologyMERLIN Biotech, a spinout from the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, presented its first asset last month at the 15^th Annual Biotech Showcase, an investor conference focused on driving advances in biotechnology and life sciences. “MER-101 triggers multiple anti-cancer pathways in one therapy that inhibits the growth of both the injected tumor as well as distant, non-treated lesions,” said CEO Randall N. Hyer, MD, PhD, MPH. “It’s the first of many highly innovative therapeutics we intend to develop for diseases in which few currently exist.” More here.

1/9/2023

Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center in Doylestown is epicenter of startups, investment

Timely state investment and cutting-edge laboratories and support has positioned the Doylestown-based Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center as crucial cog in Bucks County's burgeoning scientific industry. The center looks to maintain its pace by maximizing the investments it receives and improving upon its academic offerings. It recently received a $5 million investment from the state for the center's Academic Innovation Zone program. It will directly support early-stage companies and academic technologies in the life sciences at both its Doylestown and Philadelphia incubators. More here. 

1/1/2023

Pennsylvania Drug Discovery Institute (PDDI) Chemical Compound Collection (PC³)  

The PDDI is a non-profit organization dedicated to support entrepreneurs in biotechnology and non-profit research organizations (www.padrugdiscovery.org).  One of the activities of the PDDI has been to re-purpose assets from pharmaceutical companies in the region as they have downsized to that those assets are available to the broader scientific community. Please read more  here. 

9/29/2022

Couple’s complementary skill sets help local company bring products to market

WeThrivv is one of the more than 80 companies comprising the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), a life sciences incubator, in Buckingham Township. While most of the member companies are involved only in research and development, WeThrivv already has products on the market and has set up two-pronged marketing with one channel directed to physicians and another to consumers. Please read more  here.

9/21/2022 

Thermo Fisher Scientific Partners with Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center to Support Life Sciences Growth in Philadelphia 

The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC) announced that Thermo Fisher Scientific has become a founding sponsor supporting the PABC campus in Doylestown, Pa., and their new B+Labs incubator in Philadelphia, where emerging life science companies can accelerate their journey to commercialization. Philadelphia recently ranked as one of the top markets in the U.S. for life sciences, with continuous growth and $4B in new construction that supports the industry’s expansion. Please read more here.

9/19/2022 

Antengene announces ATG101 granted orphan drug state designation by the U.S. FDA – Antengene

Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene" SEHK: 6996.HK), a leading innovative, commercial-stage global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class medicines for hematology and oncology, today announced that ATG-101, the company's in-house developed novel PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific antibody, has been granted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This ODD will help Antengene facilitate regulatory communication with the FDA, accelerate the clinical development and the future registration of ATG-101. Please read more here. 

8/23/2022

VeraDermics Inc. secures licensing of first-in-class antiviral targeting the treatment of molluscum contagiosum, other poxviruses

VeraDermics Inc., developer of drugs for dermatology, today announced that it has entered into a definitive license agreement with the University of Pennsylvania for patent rights covering a newly developed compound for the specific treatment of molluscum contagiosum developed by Penn and Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center Inc. – adding to VeraDermic’s growing dermatology portfolio. The lead compound identification reflects nearly a decade of research by leading experts in poxvirus replication led by Robert Ricciardi, PhD, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and Allen Reitz, PhD, and Rick Scott, PhD, of FCCDC. Please read more here.

7/14/2022

Local startups receive $25,000 investments and $5,000 grants from Bucks Built startup fund

 Five high-potential, early-stage startups have been selected to receive a total of $125,000 in investment funded by the Bucks County Industrial Development Authority along with 12 months of advisory support from Startup Bucks. Also this round, seven additional applicants were awarded a total of $25,000 in grants sponsored by Penn Community Bank. More here.

7/13/2022

Eliksa Therapeutics launched with investments  from the University of Utah’s Commercial and Clinical-Stage Regenerative Medicine Technology

Eliksa Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine company developing novel therapeutics for a range of debilitating diseases, announced today it has launched with investments from the University of Utah (U) and Militia Hill Ventures (MHV) to develop and commercialize multiple clinical programs using the regenerative medicine technology developed at the U. More here.

4/27/2022

Basilea announces licensing of a novel first-in-class antifungal program from Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to meeting the needs of patients with bacterial and fungal infections and cancer, announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with the U.S.-based company, Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc. (FCCDC), for a preclinical program on novel first-in-class broad spectrum antifungals with activity against difficult-to-treat mold infections. More here. 

4/26/2022

Antios Therapeutics Announces Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent on Phosphoramidates for the Treatment of Hepatitis B Virus

Antios Therapeutics, Inc. (Antios), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies to treat and cure chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 16/312,756, titled, "Phosphoramidates for the Treatment of Hepatitis B Virus," covering compositions containing Antios' novel Active Site Polymerase Inhibitor Nucleotide (ASPIN), ATI-2173, in combination with other therapies and mechanisms of action. More here.

2/7/2022

KCAS Acquires FlowMetric

Continuing to deliver against both growth objectives and more integrated customer service offerings, KCAS has acquired FlowMetric, LLC, a provider of flow cytometry and cellular assay R&D services to biotech, pharmaceutical and cell/ gene therapy industries. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More here. 

 1/13/2022

WETHRIVV™ - A Beauty and Wellness Brand Launches REVIVV™ Hair Growth Serum for Men & Women 

THRIVV LLC, under the WETHRIVV brand, is methodically creating a portfolio of professional and consumer products that are poised to elevate customer experience and satisfaction in the facial aesthetics and hair growth markets. With a research laboratory at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, all of our products are made with best-in-class science, and are sold directly to consumers and professionals on our websites, www.revivv.co and www.maskad.co.  More here.

12/15/2021

Bucks County medical device firm to be acquired in deal valued at up to $160M

Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC) is the company's birthplace. A Bucks County medical device developer focused on treating new pain has entered into a deal to be acquired by a publicly traded medical technology company in a deal valued at up to $160 million. Founded in 2012, OrthogenRx specializes in what are known as visco supplementation therapies used to treat knee osteoarthritis pain. More here.

12/09/2021

Arbutus Biopharma, X-Chem and Proteros biostructures Achieve First Milestone Under COVID-19 Discovery Research and License Agreement

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ: ABUS), X-Chem, Inc. (X-Chem) and Proteros biostructures GmbH (Proteros) announced today that Arbutus Biopharma has identified several molecules that inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 nsp5 main protease (Mpro), a validated target for the treatment of COVID-19 and potential future coronavirus outbreaks. Upon achievement of this milestone, as part of their discovery and research agreement, Arbutus has obtained a worldwide exclusive license to the identified molecules. The parties will continue to accelerate the development of pan-coronavirus agents to treat COVID-19 and potential future coronavirus outbreaks. Please read more here.  

11/15/2021

Emergex announces approval to initiate Phase I clinical trial of its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate 

Emergex Vaccines Holding Limited a company tackling major global infectious disease threats through the development of 100% synthetic T Cell priming vaccines today announces that it has received the necessary regulatory approvals to initiate a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of its vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. Please read more here. 

10/28/2021 

Doylestown Business Gets $1M In State Funding

Governor Tom Wolf has announced his approval of $3 million in funds for investments towards start-up companies in Pennsylvania, including $1 million for a Doylestown business. One of the companies receiving this funding will be Hatch BioFund, a Doylestown-based early stage life sciences venture fund. Please read more here. 

9/28/2021

Neuropathix, Inc. wholly owned subsidiary kannalife sciences, inc. awarded $3 Million phase 2 study grant from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Neuropathix, Inc. ('Neuropathix' or the 'Company') (OTCQB:NPTX), a socially responsible pain management life sciences company, today announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, Kannalife Sciences, Inc. Please read more here. 

9/10/2021

Exios Bio and its International Partners Discover Human MicroRNA Biomarkers as a Novel Approach for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Exios Bio LLC, a greater Philadelphia biotech startup specializing in infectious diseases, announced today the publication of a pilot study in the open-access medical journal PLOS Pathogens. The clinical study discovered novel human small RNA biomarkers that can detect COVID-19 disease. Please read more here. 

8/26/2021

Neuropathix, Inc. forms Dermique Incorporated it's new wholly owned subsidiary for the ownership and commercialization of the company's over-the-counter cosmeceutical assets

Dermique is a cosmeceutical company focused on the research and development of a pipeline of patented antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients for over-the-counter (OTC) use. Dermique is a subsidiary of Neuropathix, Inc. which conducts its research and development efforts at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County in Doylestown, Pa. Please read more here.

7/14/2021

Bucks County Biotech Company Launches Innovative COVID-19 Vaccine Test 

 A COVID-19 Vaccine efficacy test created by Bucks County biotechnology firm FlowMetric got a boost from $750,000 in state funding secured by state Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10).  “If the last year and a half or so has taught us anything it’s that having data and information is critically important,” said Sen. Santarsiero during a press conference on Tuesday.  Please read more here.

7/13/2021

Evrys Bio awarded $34 million from DOD to develop a single drug simultaneously effective against multiple viruses

Evrys Bio, a biotech company developing Next Gen Antivirals, was awarded a $34.3 million contract from the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a drug, simultaneously effective against multiple high-risk viral agents. The proposed drug intends to improve disease survival after exposure to one or more viruses from three families: alphaviruses, arenaviruses and filoviruses. Please read more here.

7/13/2021

FlowMetric Life Sciences Inc. Introduces the Breakthrough VaxEffect™ COVID-19 Vaccine Immune Response Test

FlowMetric Life Sciences Inc., a globally recognized life sciences company, announces the launch of VaxEffect™ COVID-19 Vaccine Immune Response Test, a unique and powerful platform exclusively created to quantitatively assess and track, now and over time, an individual's immune response to any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States. Please  read more here.

6/29/2021

WeThrivv™ how our patches are made! 

6/03/2021

 OrthogenRx® Surpasses Sales of 1 Million in Syringes (Units)

OrthogenRx®, Inc., a medical device company focused on the development and commercialization of treatments for knee pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA), today announced the company has surpassed 1 million in syringe distribution. Additionally, they continue to exceed revenue targets via multiple sales channels and partnerships. Please read more here.

 5/05/2021

Temple scientists: Drug derived from cannabis shows promising pain-halting effects in mice

KLS-13019, developed by the Pennsylvania-based bio-pharmaceutical and phyto-medical company Neuropathix Inc. (a PABC-member company), is among the most promising neuroprotective CBD analogs currently under investigation. In previous work in cell models, it was found to be more potent than CBD, and studies in animals suggested it had improved bioavailability. Please read more here.

4/20/2021

Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center announces Grants

The Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center announces it has been awarded a phase I STTR grant entitled "Development of a Peptide-Drug Conjugate for Topically Treating the Viral Skin Disease Molluscum Contagiosum" and on  March 8, 2021: The Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center announces it has been awarded a Phase II STTR grant entitled "Development of Small Molecule Therapeutics Targeting Hemorrhagic Fever Virus". Please read more here.

4/20/2021

Arbutus Biopharma, X-Chem and Proteros biostructures Enter into a Pan-Coronavirus Discovery Research and License Agreement

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (a PABC-member company), X-Chem, Inc. (X-Chem) and Proteros biostructures GmbH (Proteros) announced today that they have entered into a discovery research and license agreement focused on the discovery of novel inhibitors targeting the SARS-CoV-2 nsp5 main protease (Mpro). The agreement is designed to accelerate the development of pan-coronavirus agents to treat COVID-19 and potential future coronavirus outbreaks. Please read more here.

4/14/2021

OrthoGenRx Announces Annual Company Highlights, Exceeding Revenue Targets

OrthogenRx Inc., (a PABC-member company and) a medical device company focused on the development and commercialization of treatments focused on the development and commercialization of treatments for knee pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA), recently announced company highlights for 2020 which have exceeded revenue targets.  Among many accomplishments, OrthogenRx is proud to have launched new pricing options to facilitate access to affordable healthcare products, needed more than ever during the health and financial crisis of 2020. Please read more here.

3/03/2021

FlowMetric: Neumann University Tests Resident Students for Virus

 All of Neumann’s more than 500 students who moved into residence facilities for the spring semester were asked to present evidence of a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 72 hours of their return to campus in Aston, or take a self-administered test upon arrival. The rapid testing on site was possible because of a mobile testing lab from FlowMetric Life Sciences in Doylestown. Read more here.

2/23/2021

Antengene Announces NDA for ATG-010 (Selinexor) Granted Priority Review by China's NMPA

Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene", SEHK: 6996.HK), a leading innovative biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing global first-in-class and/or best-in class therapeutics in hematology and oncology, today announced that China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has granted priority review to the New Drug Application. Please read more here.

1/04/2021

IO Biosciences Awarded U.S. Patent for GEMSTM Technology, Promising Breakthrough for Those Engineering Antibody Therapies and Therapeutic Gene-modified Immune Cells

Patented GEMS™ technology converts stable cell lines and therapeutic cells into a plug-and-play development system for the expression of single or multiple therapeutic genes, allowing for rapid portfolio development for antibody and gene-modified cell therapies, reducing time between therapeutic discovery and availability to patients. Please read more here.