What’s Inside: Milestones in Precision Medicine; Unique Partnerships for Both Illumina and Novo Nordisk; House of Reps Holds Markup of Six Health Bills; and more.

We’re championing the progress made by California’s life science community and want to hear about your company’s latest scientific breakthrough, investment milestone, or commitment to creating positive change for our industry. Submit your story here for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue.

What’s Happening at Biocom California

Meet One-on-One with NCI SBIR/STTR Director

We are pleased to announce that Michael Weingarten, Director, SBIR, National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, will be in San Diego June 12-15 for the 2022 BIO International Convention and has offered to meet with Biocom California members one-on-one to provide counsel and insight into the SBIR/STTR program, including eligibility, process and strategic considerations. If you would like to schedule a meeting with Mr. Weingarten, please contact Laure Clark. Attendance at the BIO International Convention is not required.

California Pavilion at BIO 2022

After three years, the BIO International Convention is back in-person, returning to San Diego June 13–17. Demonstrate your commitment to California’s robust life sciences ecosystem by joining the best of the sector as a California Pavilion Sponsor. Situated in a premier location on the show floor (booth 3727), across from the Business Forum, we offer an incredible level of visibility with conference attendees at a fraction of the cost. Make sure to reserve your space today as only two spots remain. On Monday evening, attendees will gather in the Exhibit Hall for the BIO 2022 Welcome Reception. Join in on the fun by sponsoring the California Pavilion Reception and gain access to the most trafficked pavilion in the hall.

Meet the following California Pavilion Supporters/Exhibitors:

• AldenMC
• Aspen Biosciences
• Back Bay Life Science Advisors
• Biocom California
• BioscienceLA
• California Biotech Foundation
• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• City of Hope
• City of Vacaville
• CLS
• ICE Consulting
• IQVIA
• Larta Institute
• Longfellow
• Moss Adams
• Sysmex
• TeamCA
• Trefoil Therapeutics
• XiltriX

The Latest in Precision Medicine

Commitment for a Cure

Scribe Therapeutics and Biogen are ramping up their collaborative efforts to develop CRISPR-based treatments that target the underlying causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Bay Area molecular engineering company is expanding its original agreement with Biogen, which it signed back in October 2020, by adding another disease target.

ASFT Conference Preview

The 25th annual meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGT) is happening May 16-19, 2022, in Washington, D.C., and some California biotech companies will showcase their latest research and innovations. Tenaya Therapeutics, which specializes in therapies for heart disease, will present preclinical data for its TN-401 and DWORF gene therapy programs. TN-401 is being developed for the potential treatment of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) caused by gene mutations, while DWORF is a micropeptide gene therapy for heart failure. Caribou Biosciences will also share the latest on its next-generation CRISPR platform with hybrid RNA-DNA guides (chRDNAs). You can view the agenda and abstracts online before next week’s conference.

High Resolution

Scientists at Scripps Research developed a new way to see where drug molecules bind to their target in the body. Called CATCH, the method allows researchers to see why one drug may be more potent than another, and the research institute said in a release it could become a tool in drug development in the future. The findings were recently published in a paper in Cell.

Gearing Up for Clinical Trial

Researchers from Los Angeles’ City of Hope announced they are preparing for a Phase 1 clinical trial for its TAG72-targeting autologous CAR T-cell therapy for advanced ovarian cancer. The study is designed to evaluate how the potential treatment will help patients who have not responded to chemotherapy, and City of Hope plans to enroll patients for the trial later this year. These findings were recently presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) annual meeting.

Policy Perspective

House of Representatives Holds Markup on Food and Drug Amendments and Other Health Bills

On May 11, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a markup of six health bills, including the Food and Drug Amendments, which contain the critical user fee reauthorizations and other policy riders. The bill includes provisions for improving clinical trial diversity, research and development, supply chain improvements, cybersecurity of medical devices, regulatory improvements like supporting real-world evidence, and program changes to the Accelerated Approval Pathway. Overall, as amended, the bill is an improvement over what was initially offered. However, there are still enhancements that can be made. Biocom California will continue to work on improving the bill as it moves through the legislative process. For more information, please contact Rick White.

San Diego and Los Angeles Lab to Office Conversions Outpace Other Markets

The conversion of office space to lab space is a rapidly growing trend for real estate developers across the country as demand for lab space continues to increase. San Diego has the second-highest growth nationwide with 1.6 million square feet of office-to-lab conversions in progress in Q1 of 2022 (behind Boston). Los Angeles could be called the “busiest” market based on the percent increase in projects with 667,000 square feet of conversions in Q1 in 2022, growing by 339 percent from Q1 2021.

Featured Premium Members