News from the life sciences and technology communities north of Boston |
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Yesterday, MassBio released its 2022 Biopharma Funding Report on VC investments, IPOS, and M&A activity. According to the report, though Massachusetts-headquartered companies received the second-highest amount of VC funding ever, there are signs that biopharma investors are acting more cautiously and seeking more data on a longer time horizon.
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“The VC funding that flowed into local biopharma companies in 2022 is proof that investors continue to want to be a part of the early-stage research and development happening here,” said MassBio CEO and president Kendalle Burlin O’Connell. “The Commonwealth’s innovation ecosystem is second to none, and with these investments comes new opportunities to spread the industry into new corners of the state and advance exciting science toward patients.”
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We are pleased to welcome medtech innovator Little Sparrows Technologies to Tower Office Park in Woburn. Committed to the care and well-being of newborns, the company has created bili-hut, a system to deliver high intensity phototherapy for treating infant jaundice in the home setting. Dr. Donna Brezinski, a Harvard trained neonatologist, is the founder and CEO.
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With hospitals damaged and neonatal medical equipment destroyed during the war in Ukraine, thousands of newborns are at risk for brain injury from untreated jaundice. Little Sparrows Technologies has responded to an urgent request from the Association of Neonatologists of Ukraine for bili-hut phototherapy and bili-ruler jaundice screening devices. The first devices are already in use. The Global AIM Lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School is now raising funds to send urgently needed bili-hut phototherapy and other life-saving neonatal medical equipment to the war-torn country.
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Congratulations to the team at BIOSS Antibodies on expanding to a larger suite at 300 TradeCenter, Woburn. BIOSS is a leading developer and manufacturer of top quality antibodies that accelerate biological research and discovery. Kevin Dong, Ph.D., is CEO of BIOSS.
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Tiba Biotech, a preclinical biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge with a lab facility in Woburn (78 Olympia Avenue), and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) yesterday announced a new partnership agreement to evaluate Tiba Biotech’s next-generation RNA vaccine platform technology. Tiba Biotech’s innovative platform, RNABL™, could offer substantial advantages over existing RNA vaccines when responding to future epidemic or pandemic diseases.
CEPI will provide $2 million to advance Tiba Biotech’s novel RNA nanoparticle delivery platform, to support the design, development, and preclinical evaluation of an RNA vaccine candidate against Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) – a flavivirus that causes human disease, related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses.
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"This initial focus on JEV is just the start to developing, expanding and enhancing RNA vaccine rapid-response capabilities against known and unknown threats. We are confident the collaboration with CEPI will demonstrate the unique advantages of our RNABL delivery platform in producing safe and effective mRNA vaccines for the global community.”
Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer
Tiba Biotech
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Scientists at work at the Tiba Biotech lab in Woburn. |
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Greenlight Biosciences (200 Boston Avenue, Medford) and Providence, RI-based EpiVax Therapeutics have signed an exclusive collaboration agreement to develop personalized cancer vaccines. Announced last week, t he effort will combine GreenLight's mRNA design and manufacturing expertise with EpiVax’s advanced Ancer® pipeline for personalized cancer vaccine design.
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"We are excited to combine our mRNA design and manufacturing expertise with EpiVax Therapeutics’ neoantigen discovery platform and oncology expertise to build towards a future of accessible and timely oncology vaccines.”
Founder and CEO
Greenlight Biosciences
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was recently featured in Boston Business Journal following an additional $9.7 million raised in an extension of its Series B round. The company also had positive results from an early-stage trial of its Mimix vaccine patch delivering flu vaccine through the skin.
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A major gift from Cummings Foundation will honor and amplify the late Dr. Paul Farmer’s vital work toward global health equity. The newly created Paul Farmer Collaborative of Harvard Medical School and University of Global Health Equity formalizes an inter-institutional alliance that Dr. Farmer himself orchestrated between a centuries-old, world-renowned local institution and a seven-year-old groundbreaking university in Rwanda.
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(L to r): Dr. Paul Farmer, Bill Cummings, Dr. Didi Bertrand Farmer, and Joyce Cummings at the 2019 dedication of the University of Global Health Equity. |
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The funding will be split equally between the universities and will support varied joint programming, including research and teaching fellowships, as well as faculty and student exchanges.
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The newly renovated Community Conference Room at Cummings Center in Beverly is now complete. Furnished to accommodate small or large groups, the 3,000-square-foot space offers a first-class setting for corporate meetings and events.
The conference room features free wireless Internet, courtesy of Prospeed; a ceiling-mounted projector and projection screen; a podium, microphone, and sound system; a convenient counter with sink; and on-site food and copy services.
Complimentary periodic use of this well-known amenity is offered exclusively to Cummings Center and Dunham Ridge firms. For more information, call the leasing office at 978-922-9000.
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10 N Roessler Road, Woburn
3,420 SF Lab - Available Spring 2023
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Representative lab shown. |
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Ideal lab space for a growing life sciences firm, chemistry lab, or clean tech company in the vibrant Woburn technology cluster. 10 Roessler Road is just moments from I-95 near the I-93 interchange and one mile from the Mishawum MBTA stop.
Lab features include:
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- Four 6’ fume hoods
- Two 5’ fume hoods
- Ample bench space
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- In-suite restrooms
- Dedicated tailgate loading
- Private offices and conference room
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The Rilas Incubator (400 West Cummings Park, Woburn) is now open and recently welcomed new members Microbial Machines, RexChem Research, and NanoMicro.
Rilas Incubator combines the traditional incubator model with the unique analytical and purification capabilities that Rilas has perfected over the decades, resulting in an optimized workflow and enabling biotechs to achieve results faster.
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Join North Shore Technology Council for a discussion on "Commercialization Strategies for Biotech: The Many Pathways for Realizing Clinical Success," featuring insights from Chris Mansur, president of Azzur Consulting, and Leslie Lippard, senior director, strategy & portfolio analytics, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Thursday, January 16, 5:00 - 7:00 PM, TradeCenter 128 Atrium, Woburn. Register.
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MassBio hosts an Insider Recap of the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, one of the largest and most informative healthcare investment symposiums in the industry. Hear a recap from three Conference insiders: Chris Garabedian, chairman and CEO, Xontogeny; Michal Preminger, head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, East North America; and Rowan Walrath, life sciences reporter, Boston Business Journal. Tuesday, January 17, 8:00 - 10:00 AM, MassBio Hub, 700 Technology Square, Cambridge and virtual. Register. |
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Meet representatives of Cummings Properties at
"Life After Incubator: Finding Your Own Place and Meeting Your Perfect Vendor Matches" hosted by MassBio. A panel of CEOs and lab and facilities managers will answer your questions, walk you through what the transition looks like, and help you avoid common missteps. Our lab specialists will also be on site to offer advice and share information on available lab space. Tuesday, February 14, 2:00 - 5:00 PM, MassBio Hub, 700 Technology Square, Cambridge and virtual. Register.
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We welcome your feedback on this newsletter and invite readers to share company news, personnel changes, product launches, funding updates, events, and more. Contact Sue Howland, client engagement manager, at svh@cummings.com to offer your news for upcoming newsletters. We look forward to hearing from you.
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