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What’s Inside: Latest News in Maternal and Reproductive Health; TRACON Receives Fast Track Designation for Envafolimab; Dr. Renee Wegrzyn to Lead ARPA-H; and more.
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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. We welcome all members to submit your story here for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue. |
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What’s Happening at Biocom California
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Accelerating the Pathway to Approval
Entrepreneurs at life science startup companies have many obstacles to overcome and navigating the patent and regulatory processes can be one of the most daunting, especially for first-time filers and those seeking regulatory approval. Last week, we co-hosted a nationwide webinar with the FDA and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to prepare our members before the application process begins. Our Washington, D.C. office Senior Director Laure Clark moderated the session and asked agency officials questions that uncovered best practices and top issues to help companies bring drugs and medical devices to market faster. A recording of the full event will be available soon.
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Prioritizing DE&I
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) should be at the forefront of company culture but how can it be woven into hiring processes and throughout work environments? We recently convened a discussion with several of our Purchasing Group endorsed suppliers, including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Marsh McLennan Agency, Cultura, and PIMCO (a partner of Retirement DNA) to reflect on how organizations can continuously improve DE&I efforts. Top takeaways from the group were to call on leaders to create honest conversations with all levels of employees, share knowledge obtained at DE&I workshops, and critically assess and measure progress.
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A Special Day on the Green
Our annual Charity Golf Tournament returned this week as we welcomed 132 golfers to the Del Mar Country Club for some fierce but friendly competition. All proceeds from the tournament support Biocom California Institute’s Veterans in Life Sciences program which provides invaluable resources, trainings, networking and mentoring to those who have served our country and are seeking careers in the life science industry. Thank you to lead sponsor Fisher Scientific and all additional sponsors for supporting the Biocom California Institute’s work to help Veterans maximize their employment opportunities.
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The Latest in Women’s, Maternal, and Reproductive Health
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The number of startup companies devoted to women’s healthcare, also known as FemTech, has been surging, and so has the funding going into them. A recent report shows that while the sector received practically no funding in 2008, FemTech startups received $2.5 billion in 2021, and a study from Frost & Sullivan a few years ago projected the market will reach $50 billion
by 2025. Companies are also making advances in maternal health using genomic testing to address a variety of health concerns including premature births, which affects one in ten pregnancies in the U.S. today. This month, we’re highlighting member companies who are innovating in women’s healthcare, and also in maternal and reproductive care. Featured members in this edition include: Cradle Genomics; Mirvie; Neurocrine Biosciences;
AbbVie; Evofem Biosciences; Daré Bioscience; NextGen Jane; and Hologic. |
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Member Moments & Industry Insight
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- Azzur Group appointed Adri Osman to vice president of corporate quality and compliance, who brings over two decades of experience in the life science industry.
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles received a $2M grant from the Carl F. Braun Trust to support a research study looking at pain treatment techniques for children.
- CILcare and its partner CBSET announced their nomination at the Hearing Technology Innovator Awards, highlighting their innovative auditory services accelerating R&D of novel therapeutics.
- eFFECTOR Therapeutics dosed its first patient in the second cohort of a Phase 1b clinical trial of Zotatifin for the treatment of COVID-19.
- Gilead Sciences presented the results of its phase III trial of Trodelvy, showing that the drug prolonged life in advanced breast cancer patients; Gilead Foundation awarded $20M to organizations advancing health through education equality.
- Illumina Accelerator invested in the fifth global funding cycle of startups advancing breakthrough therapeutics, diagnostics, women’s health, and sustainable agriculture applications.
- MedaSystems released a new feature that automatically scans incoming information for protected health information, helping biopharma companies speed up expanded access requests.
- RayzeBio received $160M in funding and plots to sprint through the clinic with its lead radiopharmaceutical program, building on Novartis’ success.
- Scripps Health was named one of the nation’s top employers, earning the No. 8 ranking in People magazine’s Companies That Care list for 2022.
- TRACON Pharmaceuticals announced Fast Track designation by the FDA for Envafolimab for the treatment of the soft tissue sarcoma subtypes of UPS and MFS.
- UC San Diego was awarded $150M and hopes to take stem cell research to new heights at its Sanford Stem Cell Institute; UC San Diego joins NIH ‘Bridge to Artificial Intelligence’ Program.
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Inaugural ARPA-H Director Tapped
Former DARPA scientist, Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, will be appointed by the Biden Administration to lead the newly established Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Dr. Wegrzyn will spearhead ARPA-H’s research portfolio and budget to support a variety of programs aimed at developing prevention, detection, and treatment capabilities for some of the most challenging diseases.
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NIH Launches Bridge to Artificial Intelligence Program
The Bridge2AI program, an agency-wide effort by the National Institute of Health (NIH), plans to address key artificial intelligence (AI) issues surrounding privacy, data trustworthiness, and reducing bias by creating best practices to inform the development of high-quality and ethically sourced AI datasets. The NIH anticipates a $130 million investment over four years to enhance AI resources for the biomedical and behavioral research communities.
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Governor Newsom Signs CARE Court Legislation
On Wednesday, Governor Newsom signed the California CARE Court bill that creates a mental health branch for the state court system with powers to hear petitions brought on behalf of persons suffering from certain mental health disorders. The court could order treatment plans and criminal convictions could be adjusted if certain circumstances are present. The approach is widely believed to be part of a broader package of solutions to address the state’s growing homelessness problems.
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Biocom California Supports Community Planning Group Reform Passage in San Diego
Biocom California policy staff testified at a September 13 San Diego City Council hearing in support of Councilmember Joe LaCava’s proposal to reform the city’s Community Planning Groups. We have been working with a broad coalition to support LaCava’s efforts to bring CPGs in line with the city charter and increase participation and diversity in these groups that provide input to the city on land use decisions and construction projects. City council approved the reform proposal by a 6-1 vote.
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San Francisco Policy Changes Aim at Adapting to Future of Work
San Francisco Mayor London Breed outlined her vision to revitalize downtown; in the coming months her office will bring forward policy proposals in five areas of focus aimed at adapting to the future of work in the city. Additionally, San Francisco Planning and Office of Economic and Workforce Development are working on a set of draft planning code amendments to support economic development related to laboratories and light industrial activities. If you’d like to give input on the forthcoming proposal, contact Melanie Cohn.
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Heather Hutt Becomes New District 10 Councilmember in LA
On September 2, Los Angeles City Council voted 12–2 to make political aide Heather Hutt the interim replacement for Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. Hutt had been serving as the seat’s non-voting caretaker and chief of staff since Ridley-Thomas stepped down in October. She previously served as state director for then-Senator Kamala Harris and as district director for former State Senator Isadore Hall.
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Biocom California
For over 27 years, Biocom California has helped move the life science industry forward with transformative resources that enable companies to make meaningful connections. With a membership base of over 1,600 companies, we connect our members to each other so they can collaborate and work stronger and smarter together. We connect organizations to capital investment and purchasing solutions so they can grow faster and work more efficiently. We’re their link to advocacy that fights for innovation and we provide an environment where their business and talent can thrive. Biocom California is how the life science industry gets connected.
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