Welcome to the newly designed BioLines Weekender. Our new format allows for easier reading on mobile devices. And, our user-friendly links allow you to easily register for BioNJ events, as well as add them to your Outlook calendar. To access full articles, please click on the article's title.

The Weekender continues to feature the meaningful work being done by New Jersey's vibrant life sciences community, such as TAXIS Pharmaceuticals' recent announcement that its lead clinical candidate, TXA709, received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as Novartis' announcement that the FDA granted three simultaneous approvals for the expanded use of Ilaris® (canakinumab) to treat three rare and distinct types of Periodic Fever Syndromes. (Many more exciting stories below!)

BioNJ continues to take pride in the work and commitment that our Members have made to developing therapies and cures for Patients while choosing to call New Jersey home.

This week biopharma leader Allergan released a study titled, "The Economic Impact of Allergan's Operations in New Jersey," which showed the operations of Allergan's facilities in New Jersey currently generate an estimated economic impact of $732 million each year. This commitment is important for the State, its citizens and for society.

Congratulations to Adare Pharmaceuticals on the official opening of its Corporate Headquarters in Lawrenceville. We are propelled by this news as it's so important to New Jersey's economy to keep innovative biopharmaceutical companies in New Jersey.

We hope to see you at a future BioNJ event, including our upcoming Second Annual Inspiring Women in STEM Conference on December 2 at Sanofi in Bridgewater. Please click here for our full listing of events.

Because Patients Can't WaitSM,
The BioNJ Team


BioNJ Calendar


BioNJ Manufacturing Workshop
Hyatt Regency, Jersey City, NJ		   Oct. 14, 2016
BioHUB Networking Mixer
Rider University, Lawrence Township, NJ		   Oct. 17, 2016
Foundations are the New VCs
CCIT Life Sciences Incubator, North Brunswick, NJ

October 18, 2016
 Register here
HR Forum
New Jersey Center of Excellence, Bridgewater , NJ
  Oct. 20, 2016
Patient Advocacy Summit
Celgene Corporation, Summit, NJ		   Nov. 4, 2016
Inspiring Women in STEM Conference
Sanofi, Bridgewater , NJ

Dec. 2, 2016

Putting Patients First: The Value of Medical Innovation
Brought to You by Celgene Corporation


Lymphoma survivor Ed Svec explains the motivation behind his participation.  You can see how far we've come in the treatment of blood cancer at the Light The Night events. The sheer number that participate in these walks today is inspiring. Survivors of every age and background come to share their journeys and to carry their white lanterns with pride. Hearing those stories and seeing those white lights is one of the most uplifting things that someone currently struggling with blood cancer can experience.

When doctors diagnosed Lori Bremner with  acute myelogenous leukemia  as a college student in 1977, patients with that disease only had a seven percent chance of living five years. The only hope came from several new therapies that would help her body fight the blood cancer. Last week, Ms. Bremner took that message to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as part of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network's (ACS CAN) annual Leadership Summit and Lobby Day.


 

BioNJ in the News



BioNJ is pleased to shine The Spotlight on one of our Innovation Members each month featuring their progress and work on behalf of Patients and their impact on the New Jersey life sciences ecosystem. This month's Emerging Company in The Spotlight is Photocure.

As featured in NJSpotlight

The discovery of antibiotics nearly a century ago is heralded as one of the great advances in modern medicine. But these wonder drugs have become less effective over time, and tens of thousands of Americans now die every year when physicians run out of ways to ward off deadly infections.  Pharmaceutical companies, including a number in the Garden State, are now responding, and at least three-dozen new antibiotics are now under development.

"There is a perfect storm right now given the combination of the need, the advances in the science, such as that underway at BioNJ Member TAXIS Pharmacueticals, and the increase in incentives and potential incentives," President and CEO, BioNJ, Debbie Hart said, "that is resulting in increased research in this important area." 

As featured in New Jersey Business Magazine

The Fourth Annual BioNJ CEO Summit that recently took place at the Bridgewater Marriott brought together some of the most influential leaders in the life sciences industry to share their knowledge, experiences and views on today's challenging and evolving market access and commercialization environment. The lineup of speakers dove into the issues and considerations that need to be addressed along the development continuum, including raising capital, pricing, post-launch and politics. 


Named for Dr. Sol J. Barer, former BioNJ Chairman and former Chairman of Celgene Corporation of Summit, New Jersey, the 2017 Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership will be presented at BioNJ's Annual Awards Dinner and Networking Event on Thursday, February 2, 2017, at the Hilton East Brunswick. Nominations are now being accepted.

The Award recognizes outstanding biotechnology industry business leaders who have made significant contributions to his or her own organization as well as to the growth and prosperity of the industry in New Jersey and beyond.  Friday, November 17, is the deadline for submissions .
 
Please click here for more information and submission guidelines.  

NJ Company News


Here is the most up-to-date news. Be sure to click on the article titles below to read the full release.


Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member  Insmed Incorporated , a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the unmet needs of patients with rare diseases, announced a licensing agreement with AstraZeneca  for global exclusive rights to AZD7986, a novel oral inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase I (DPP1, also known as cathepsin C). DPP1 is an enzyme that catalyzes the activation of neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs), which play a key role in pulmonary diseases such as non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (non-CF bronchiectasis). 



Madison-based BioNJ Member Allergan released a new study conducted by Econsult Solutions, Inc., a Philadelphia-based economic consulting firm. The study found that Allergan's current New Jersey operations generated a combined annual economic impact in the State of $732 million. The economic impact is a direct result of the Company's strong influence on employment in the State, generating more than 2,900 direct, indirect and induced jobs, with total employee compensation of $289 million annually. 



Lawrenceville-based BioNJ Member Adare Pharmaceuticals, a private global specialty pharmaceutical company, celebrated the official opening of its Corporate Headquarters located at 1200 Lenox Drive in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Building on a foundation of innovation, Adare has a strong growth trajectory through expansion of its marketed product portfolio, internal pipeline and expertise in adding value to existing molecules. Adare has more than 40 products incorporating its proprietary technologies that are commercialized around the world.


 
North Brunswick-based BioNJ Member TAXIS Pharmaceuticals, a development-stage drug-discovery company researching a new class of antibiotic agents to treat life-threatening, multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, announced that its lead clinical candidate, TXA709, received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). TXA709 targets acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains.



Bedminster-based BioNJ Member Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying and developing safe and effective broad spectrum therapeutics for the treatment of serious and life-threatening infections, announced that patient dosing has commenced in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Phase 2a clinical study of lead anti-infective product candidate MAT2203 for the treatment of refractory mucocutaneous candidiasis infection.



South Plainfield-based BioNJ Member PTC Therapeutics, Inc. announced new data supporting the potential benefit of ataluren in preserving lung function in non-ambulatory nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients (nmDMD). The results, which are being presented as part of a company-sponsored symposium, are based on PTC's analyses of lung function data from one of PTC's ongoing open-label extension studies (Study 019) versus natural history data from a comparable non-ambulatory cohort.



South Plainfield-based BioNJ Member PTC Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has published new results further validating Translarna's™ (ataluren) mechanism of action to promote readthrough of premature stop codons resulting from nonsense mutations in genetic disorders. The results reported in PNAS establish ataluren's ability to alter the protein production process at premature stop codons and to promote the insertion of specific amino acids and restore the production of a full-length functional protein.



Raritan-based BioNJ Member Janssen Biotech, Inc. announced findings from the first of three pivotal Phase 3 studies evaluating guselkumab, a subcutaneously administered anti-interleukin (IL)-23 monoclonal antibody in late-stage development for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Data from the VOYAGE 1 trial showed significantly higher proportions of patients receiving guselkumab achieved cleared/minimal disease compared with patients receiving placebo, as defined by at least a 90 percent improvement in the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI 90, near complete skin clearance) and an Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score of cleared (0) or minimal disease (1) at week 16, the study co-primary endpoints.  



Raritan-based BioNJ Member Janssen Biotech, Inc. announced the submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval of sirukumab for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is a chronic, systemic inflammatory condition that affects approximately 1.5 million Americans.



Raritan-based BioNJ Member Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved INVOKAMET® XR -- a once-daily, fixed-dose combination therapy of canagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride extended-release (XR) -- for first-line use as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes when treatment with the two medications is appropriate. INVOKAMET® XR combines INVOKANA® (canagliflozin), the most prescribed sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, with more than 9 million U.S. prescriptions since launch, and an XR formulation of metformin. 



Raritan-based BioNJ Member Janssen Research & Development, LLC announced that a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA®) has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) who require systemic therapy. The filing is based on data from the multi-center, open-label Phase 2 PCYC-1121 trial assessing the use of ibrutinib, a BTK inhibitor, in patients with MZL who have received at least one prior therapy. 



New Brunswick-based BioNJ Member Johnson & Johnson has a new indication for anti-inflammatory med Stelara -- and not a moment too soon. The  FDA green-lighted the med as a treatment for Crohn's disease, basing the approval on clinical trial data that showed Stelara could provide relief at the 6-week mark to a significant percentage of patients.



Rutherford-based BioNJ Member Cancer Genetics, Inc., a leader in enabling precision medicine for oncology through molecular markers and diagnostics, announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance and partnership with ApoCell, the developer of ApoStream™, a breakthrough, high-performance technology to detect, isolate and capture circulating tumor cells (CTC) and other rare cells without the need of labels or antibodies. 



Princeton-based BioNJ Member Evotec and Whippany-based Bayer have entered into a five-year, multi-target research partnership to develop multiple clinical candidates for the treatment of kidney diseases such as chronic kidney disease in diabetes patients. Both companies will contribute novel drug targets and a comprehensive set of high-quality technology platforms to jointly develop innovative treatment options for these severe conditions. The partners will share responsibilities during pre-clinical development of potential clinical candidates.



Princeton-based BioNJ Member Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. and H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the labeling update of REXULTI® (brexpiprazole) to reflect clinical data for maintenance treatment of schizophrenia. The approval was based on results from a long-term randomized withdrawal trial in adults with schizophrenia aged 18 to 65 years.



Parsippany-based BioNJ Member The Medicines Company announced that it has entered into a new strategic partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that will provide the company with up to $132 million to support the development of new antibiotics to fight drug-resistant, gram-negative infections. 



Morris Plains-based BioNJ Member Immunomedics, Inc., announced that it has priced an underwritten offering of 10,000,000 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase up to 10,000,000 shares of common stock with anticipated gross proceeds of $30 million. Immunomedics intends to use the proceeds from the offering primarily in continuing support of clinical and regulatory activities for IMMU-132, including submission of a NDA to FDA for accelerated approval in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. 



East Hanover-based BioNJ Member Novartis announced  that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted three simultaneous approvals for the expanded use of Ilaris ®  (canakinumab) to treat three rare and distinct types of Periodic Fever Syndromes.  Ilaris is the first and only FDA approved biologic treatment for Tumor Necrosis Factor-Receptor Associated Periodic Syndrome (TRAPS), Hyperimmunoglobulin D Syndrome (HIDS)/Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency (MKD) and Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). All three conditions are part of a group of rare autoinflammatory diseases called Periodic Fever Syndromes, which are also referred to as Hereditary Periodic Fevers (HPF). 



East Hanover-based BioNJ Member Novartis announced top-line results from its Phase III ASCEND-4 clinical study for Zykadia® (ceritinib) in patients with advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The multicenter, randomized trial (NCT01828099), which assessed the efficacy and safety of Zykadia in previously untreated adult patients, met its primary endpoint, demonstrating clinically significant improvement in progression free survival (PFS) compared to standard chemotherapy, including maintenance.



East Hanover-based BioNJ Member Novartis announced positive topline results from ARISE, the first Phase III study evaluating the efficacy and safety of monthly subcutaneous AMG 334 (erenumab) 70mg in episodic migraine prevention. The study met the primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction from baseline in monthly migraine days in patients treated with AMG 334 compared with placebo at 12 weeks. 



Princeton-based BioNJ Member Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Nektar Therapeutics announced a new clinical collaboration to evaluate Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo (nivolumab) with Nektar's investigational medicine, NKTR-214, as a potential combination treatment regimen in five tumor types and seven potential indications. Opdivo is a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor designed to overcome immune suppression. 



Jersey City-based BioNJ Member Allergan plc  announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with MedImmune,
AstraZeneca's global biologics research and development arm, for the global rights to MEDI2070. MEDI2070 is an anti-IL-23 monoclonal antibody currently in Phase IIb clinical development for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease and is Phase II ready for ulcerative colitis and other related conditions.



NJBIZ is pleased to announce the names of the 50 Fastest Growing Companies in New Jersey for 2016.  This award celebrates New Jersey businesses that have demonstrated dynamic growth over the past few years. Congratulations to BioNJ Members  ADMA Biologics Inc.,  Soligenix, Inc. and  Investors Bank for making the list.



Nine New Jersey companies have been named 2016 Working Mother 100 Best Companies by  Working Mother Magazine .  The companies were evaluated based on more than 400 submitted questions pertaining to how they lead in areas such as female workforce representation and advancement, benefits, paid time off and leave policies, company culture, work-life programming, child care offerings and flexibility policies. Congratulations to BioNJ Members  Accenture,  Arnold & Porter,  BDO,  Bristol-Myers Squibb,  Cardinal Health,  Deloitte, Eli  Lilly,  EY,  Grant Thornton,  Johnson & Johnson,  JP Morgan Chase,  McKinsey & Co,  Merck & Co.,  Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.,  Novo Nordisk and  PWC for making the list.



Abide Therapeutics announced that Summit-based BioNJ Member Celgene has exercised its option to obtain ex-U.S. rights to Abide's first-in-class endocannabinoid system modulator, ABX-1431, for the potential treatment of neurological diseases. Celgene will be responsible for development costs for all indications from Phase 2 clinical trials and beyond. Abide retains U.S. rights and will conduct a number of Phase 1b studies. 



Bridgewater-Based BioNJ Member Sanofi and Basking Ridge-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for priority review the Biologics License Application (BLA) for dupilumab for the treatment of adult patients with inadequately controlled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), a serious, chronic inflammatory skin disease. The application has been given a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of March 29, 2017. 



Basking Ridge-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced topline results from the Phase 2 CAPELLA study evaluating aflibercept co-formulated with rinucumab, an anti-platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (anti-PDGFR-beta) antibody, in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). The combination therapy did not demonstrate an improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) compared to intravitreal aflibercept injection monotherapy at 12 weeks, the primary endpoint of the study. 



Lawrenceville-based Asana BioSciences, LLC, an oncology focused, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that the FDA has accepted the IND application for ASN003, a selective RAF/PI3K inhibitor. The Phase 1, open-label, dose-finding and cohort expansion study will evaluate safety and tolerability of ASN003 as well as preliminary efficacy in patients with advanced solid tumors with RAF or PI3K pathway alterations.



Ewing-based Antares Pharma, Inc. announced safety results from the dose-blinded, multiple-dose, concentration-controlled, 26-week phase 3 study of QuickShot® Testosterone (QST) administered subcutaneously once each week to adult males with hypogonadism. The study, QST-15-005, included a screening phase, a titration phase and a treatment phase for evaluation of safety and tolerability, including laboratory assessments, adverse events and injection site assessments.



Woodcliff Lake-based Eisai Co., Ltd. announced that its U.S. subsidiary Eisai Inc. has launched BELVIQ XR® 20mg tablets, a new once-daily formulation of BELVIQ® (generic name: lorcaserin hydrochloride) for chronic weight management in the United States.  BELVIQ XR is an extended release formulation proven to be slowly absorbed in the body and to last throughout the day. The availability of once-daily BELVIQ XR (20mg) in a single tablet provides patients with another dosing option in addition to the conventional twice-daily BELVIQ (10mg).



Woodcliff Lake-based Eisai Co., Ltd. announced the initiation of a global Phase III Clinical Study (Study 307, CLEAR Study) of its in-house developed multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib mesylate (lenvatinib) in respective combination regimens with the anticancer agent everolimus and the anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab as a potential first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma.



Woodcliff Lake-based Eisai Co., Ltd. and AbbVie GK announced the additional approval for a new indication of HUMIRA® (generic name: adalimumab [recombinant], "HUMIRA"), a fully human anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody formulation, in the treatment of non-infectious intermediate, posterior and panuveitis. Through this approval, HUMIRA has become the first biologic treatment available for non-infectious intermediate, posterior and panuveitis regardless of underlying disease.



Woodcliff Lake-based Eisai Co., Ltd. has submitted a supplemental application for its in-house-discovered antiepileptic drug (AED) Fycompa (perampanel) proposing the inclusion in labelling of a description of use as monotherapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures with or without secondarily generalized seizures in patients with epilepsy 12 years of age and older to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on new FDA policy.



Bedminster-based Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals  announced the  presentation of final results from a Phase 2 study  evaluating the efficacy and safety of topical  diacerein 1%, an inhibitor of interleukin-1 β (IL-1 β ), compared with placebo in patients with  Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex (EBS). 



A year after becoming a tenant at the Trenton-based BioNJ Member New Jersey Economic Development Authority's (EDA) Commercialization Center for Innovative Technologies (CCIT) in North Brunswick, biopharmaceutical company SunGen Pharmaceuticals LLC will graduate from the life sciences incubator and move to a 12,000-square-foot facility within the College Road Research Park in Forrestal Village. The company currently employs 18 and expects to expand further in the coming years.



Parsippany-based  Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited  announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with Parsippany-based AgonOx, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing a pipeline of novel immunotherapy drugs targeting key regulators of the immune response to cancer, to develop an undisclosed immuno-oncology target.  Under terms of the agreement, Daiichi Sankyo and AgonOx will collaborate on pre-clinical development of the program. 



Parsippany-based Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited and Zymeworks Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing innovative multi-functional protein-based therapeutics including bi-specific antibodies and drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer, announced that they have entered into a cross-licensing and collaboration agreement to develop proprietary cancer immuno-oncology products.



Whippany-based Bayer and DelSiTech Ltd., a Finnish drug delivery technology and drug development company, have signed a Collaboration and Technology Licence Agreement for the worldwide application of DelSiTech's Silica Matrix drug delivery platform to a number of Bayer's compounds in ophthalmology.



East Rutherford-based life sciences company Cambrex Corporation has agreed to pay about $25 million to acquire a North Carolina firm that develops and manufactures pharmaceutical ingredients.  Cambrex said that its deal for PharmaCore Inc. will enhance its portfolio of small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredient services and complements its existing manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Europe. 



Funding News



Edison-based BioNJ Member ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of targeted antiviral therapies, announced that it received preliminary approval for a $2.0 million tax credit from the New Jersey Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer (NOL) Program for the tax year 2016. 



Continuing its commitment to bolster the Garden State's robust technology ecosystem, Trenton-based BioNJ Member New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) announced that 40 New Jersey technology and biotechnology companies have been approved to share over $35 million in Fiscal Year 2017 through the State's Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer (NOL) Program.



New Brunswick-based BioNJ Member New Jersey Health Foundation (NJHF) has awarded a $50,000 Innovation Grant to Mark C. Siracusa, Ph.D., to advance his work in the regulation of mast cell development. Dr. Siracusa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Center for Immunity and Inflammation at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. In 2014 when he joined New Jersey Medical School he earned the distinction of being the first Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Chancellor's Scholar, a university-wide appointment that recognizes and supports exemplary new faculty members.

Institution and Education News



A $250,000 grant awarded to New Brunswick-based BioNJ Member Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey surgical oncologist Darren R. Carpizo, M.D., Ph.D., will further aid the work of the physician-scientist in exploration of mechanisms behind the p53 gene -- which is the most commonly mutated gene in human cancer. The funding from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation will help Dr. Carpizo build upon previous research from his laboratory examining a drug compound that restores tumor suppressor function of p53, with an aim of providing a foundation for the development of a new type of anti-cancer drug.



A new partnership between New Brunswick-based BioNJ Member Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and University Hospital in Newark is resulting in the expansion of National Cancer Institute (NCI) -- designated Comprehensive Cancer Center services to the greater Essex region. 



BioNJ Member Rutgers' faculty members continue to generate an increasing amount of external support for research, and new data from the university show healthy growth over the past two years, including an 11 percent increase in federal funding for the second year in a row.  Rutgers' research grants and sponsored programs in fiscal year 2016 totaled $637.9 million, up more than $25 million from the prior year's figure of $612.5 million, a 4 percent increase. Over the past two years, the dollar value of grants and sponsored programs at Rutgers rose by 22 percent during a time of challenging grant support nationally.



Albert Dorman Honors College at BioNJ Member New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has been ranked among the Top 10 honors colleges and programs in the United States in the new book INSIDE HONORS: Ratings and Reviews of Sixty Public University Honors Programs, published by Public University Press. Inclusion in this Top 10 listing was based on many factors, including curricular requirements, co-curricular requirements, class size, SAT, GPA, merit scholarships, prestigious fellowships, honors housing and more. NJIT's Albert Dorman Honors College received the highest possible ranking of 5.0 "mortarboards," translating to Top 10 status, following the publication's data analysis of 60 public university honors programs across the country. 



The precision medicine approach involving DNA sequencing to pinpoint specific alterations that can be targeted with anti-cancer therapies is becoming an alternate treatment avenue for those with poor-responding cancers. But there are still some subsets of disease that are elusive to this approach.  Such is the case for triple-negative breast cancer, but investigators in the Precision Medicine Program at New Brunswick-based BioNJ Member Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey are on track to change that, thanks to a $50,000 gift from the Val Skinner Foundation. 

People in the News



Princeton-based BioNJ Member Advaxis, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, announced that Christopher Duke has joined the company as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Duke, a biotech veteran with more than 20 years of life sciences experience, will lead operations at Advaxis with a focus on overseeing the company's clinical development programs as well as managing early commercial planning activities.



Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Eli Lilly and Company announced that Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., a world leader in the analysis of cancer genomics and resistance to targeted therapies, will join Lilly as Senior Vice President, Global Development & Medical Affairs, for Lilly's Oncology business on January 1, 2017.  He will succeed Richard Gaynor, M.D., who will retire after a distinguished career at Lilly.



Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Insmed Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on patients with rare diseases, announced it has appointed Roger Adsett as its Chief Commercial Officer.  Prior to Insmed, Mr. Adsett was a Senior Vice President, Head of the Gastrointestinal and Internal Medicine Business Unit at Shire plc.



Lead New Jersey, a statewide leadership organization, named its "30 Leaders for 30 Years" at a gala event in Jersey City.
Congratulations to BioNJ Members  Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, Class of 1991, Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor, Rutgers University;  Thomas Bracken, President and CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce; Gwendolyn L. Harris, Class of 1988, Executive Director, Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs, Rutgers-Camden; and Bruce D. Stout, chair, Department of Criminology, The College of New Jersey, for being honored.



Parsippany-based GSK announced that Brian McNamara, is appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GSK's Consumer Healthcare division effective immediately.  He succeeds Emma Walmsley. Mr. McNamara will join GSK's Corporate Executive Team and will continue as a member of the Board of the Consumer Healthcare Joint Venture with Novartis. 



Bridgewater-based Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC announced it has appointed Sheldon Hirt its new Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Mr.  Hirt, according to the Bridgewater-based generics pharmaceutical manufacturer, will succeed Robert Loewenstein, who will be retiring.

Upcoming Programs from Our Partners for BioNJ Members


October 19 | The Park Avenue Club | Florham Park NJ

Learn from our exciting panel of experts the steps and process to getting past the gatekeepers to meet with your target clients. Our panel of business leaders will offer you a candid overview of procurement and supplier requirements.


November 2 | Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

The half-day event will bring together thought leaders and feature speakers ranging from successful venture capitalists to internationally recognized CEOs. The Summit will also highlight the different resources around our State as well as provide insights and networking opportunities with some of the top academic and industry leaders in the defense, life sciences and the technology industries. More details regarding registration and partnership opportunities are forthcoming.


November 18 | The Logan Philadelphia | Logan Square | Philadelphia, PA

Join NDRI for their Scientific Symposium and Service to Science Awards Dinner, featuring the real-life doctor who was first to discover and identify Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy as portrayed by Will Smith in the film,  Concussion . In his keynote address, Dr. Bennet Omalu will take a hard look at CTE in athletes, military veterans and others who have suffered multiple head traumas. 


November 30 | Canada House | Trafalgar Square | London, SW1Y 5BJ

Genesis 2016 will build on the previous 15 years of experience in assembling a forum where industry executives, investors, academic researchers, policymakers and the expert advisers can exchange and debate their collective insight in order to provide true thought leadership for the sector, themselves and their stakeholders. The overall theme of Genesis 2016 is "The Science, Technology and Business of 21st Century Biomedical Innovation".