Welcome to the first edition of the BioLines Weekender for 2019!  

2018 proved to me an exciting year for the industry with a record number of novel FDA drug approvals! In fact,  the FDA approved more than 50 new molecular entities in 2018, including 16 approvals for cancer drugs, as well as drugs for HIV, Hepatitis C and rare diseases. Twenty of the new drugs came from companies with a footprint in New Jersey!  

Just prior to the New Year, Governor Murphy unveiled eight picks -- including Debbie Hart, President and CEO, BioNJ; Joel Bloom, President, New Jersey Institute of Technology; and Robert Barchi, President, Rutgers University -- for the 17-member Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology, an advisory board reinstated in July to kick-start the State's innovation economy in the sectors of life sciences and technology.
 
Congratulations to BioNJ Members Bristol-Myers Squibb and Celgene on their impending merger. We look forward to seeing the promise of new hope that these innovative companies will be able to deliver together to Patients around the globe.

Because Patients Can't Wait®, please join us as we celebrate the innovation coming from New Jersey's life sciences community during BioNJ's 26th Annual Dinner Meeting & Innovation Celebration, taking place February 7, 2019 at the Hilton East Brunswick. Bringing together more than 700 biopharma professionals, you'll enjoy an evening of networking, business discussions and award presentations. Click here for details and to register. 

Finally, if you aren't a BioNJ Member, contact us today at [email protected] to learn about the many benefits of Membership.  Please join us in our mission to help our Members help Patients. Thank you  and cheers to a happy, healthy 2019 .  
 

Because Patients Can't Wait®,
The BioNJ Team
BioNJ Calendar

BioNJ's Annual Dinner Meeting & Innovation Celebration
Hilton East Brunswick, East Brunswick, NJ
February 7, 2019

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

Medical innovation enables longer and better quality lives and, in turn, reduces the costs of healthcare. Share with our community how your medical innovation is improving lives and impacting healthcare costs. Send us your Patient and related stories to [email protected]. Plus, click here for valuable tools and resources on the Value of Medical Innovation.


 
The Medicine Chest of the World: that is the title New Jersey has earned through more than 125 years of developing lifesaving drugs. In no other medical treatment area does this ring more true than oncology where, of the 1,120 new cancer drugs currently being developed across the country, 32 percent are being cultivated in the Garden State (second only to California), according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).


An op-ed by  Jim Greenwood  and   David Beier
   
As policy professionals from different sides of the aisle, we believe there is a right way to address these issues and a wrong way. The right way will reduce out-of-pocket costs for Americans, improve access to new medicines, and allow the United States to remain the global leader in medical innovation. The wrong way leads to price controls, weakened intellectual property protections, and restricted access to medicines, not to mention stifling innovation and doing little to make drugs more affordable.



Summit-based BioNJ Member  Celgene Corporation has released its annual Corporate Responsibility Report, "Bold Science to Benefit Patients".  The global bio-pharmaceutical corporation is focused on the discovery and  development of products for the treatment of cancer and other severe, immune, inflammatory conditions. It's responsibility report discusses its commitments to patients, the community and its own integrity. 



Legislation sponsored by Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee Chair James Beach, which would require the development of a national marketing campaign to promote the state's innovation economy, cleared the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. "Knowledge, entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and collaboration fuel economic development, which is why we hope to draw these passionate individuals to New Jersey," said Senator Beach (D-Burlington/Camden). "As we continue to improve the programs we offer for innovators and entrepreneurs it is important we publicize these programs so people in our state and across the country can take advantage of them."

BioNJ in the News


 
Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled eight picks for the 17-member  Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology --  an advisory board reinstated  in July  to kick-start the State's innovation economy in the sectors of life sciences and technology. Among his picks, Murphy chose Debbie Hart, President and CEO of BioNJ, a life sciences association aiming to boost the State's biotechnology industry. 

NJ Company News

Ever proud of our ecosystem, we are pleased to share our New Jersey Company News. Be sure to click on the article titles below to read the full release.

 
Cranbury-based BioNJ Member   Amicus Therapeutics  announced the dosing of the first patient in a global Phase 3 clinical study (ATB200-03, or PROPEL) of  AT-GAA  in adult patients with late onset  Pompe disease . PROPEL is a 52-week, double-blind randomized study designed to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of AT-GAA compared to the current standard of care, alglucosidase alfa, an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).




 
Titusville-based BioNJ Member  The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced the submission of a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval of STELARA® (ustekinumab) for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. STELARA is the first and only biologic targeting interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 cytokines, which evidence suggests play an important role in inflammation associated with auto-immune conditions, such as ulcerative colitis. 


 
Titusville-based BioNJ Member  The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation to provide healthcare professionals with the option to split the first infusion of Darzalex® (daratumumab) over two consecutive days. The decision was based on data from the Phase 1b EQUULEUS (MMY1001) clinical trial, which demonstrated daratumumab pharmacokinetics concentrations were comparable regardless of whether the first dose was administered as a split infusion or single first infusion in patients with multiple myeloma.



 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved VAXELIS™ (Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed, Inactivated Poliovirus, Haemophilus b Conjugate [Meningococcal Protein Conjugate] and Hepatitis B [Recombinant] Vaccine) for use in children from 6 weeks through 4 years of age (prior to the 5th birthday). VAXELIS was developed as part of a joint-partnership between Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Sanofi and Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member  Merck & Co.


 
Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member   Merck announced that KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, has simultaneously received five new approvals from the Japan Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), including three expanded uses in advanced non-small lung cancer (NSCLC), one in melanoma, as well as a new indication in advanced microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors. The following new approvals were all granted priority review by the PMDA:


 
Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member   Merck announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), based on the results of the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN)'s CITN-09/KEYNOTE-017 trial. 


 
Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member   Merck & Co. announced that the European Commission has approved KEYTRUDA, the company's anti-PD-1 therapy, for the adjuvant treatment of adults with stage III melanoma and lymph node involvement who have undergone complete resection. This approval is based on data from the pivotal Phase 3 EORTC1325/KEYNOTE-054 trial, conducted in collaboration with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).


 
Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member   Merck & Co. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the action date for the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose tumors express PD-L1 (tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥1%) without EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. 


 
Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member   Merck & Co. and AstraZeneca announced positive results from the randomized, open-label, controlled, Phase 3 SOLO-3 trial of LYNPARZA tablets in 266 patients with relapsed ovarian cancer after two or more lines of treatment. The trial was conducted as a post-approval commitment in agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is the fourth Phase 3 trial to demonstrate a positive result for LYNPARZA. 





 
Princeton -based Sandoz Inc., a division of BioNJ Member  Novartis, announced that it has entered into an agreement to commercialize biosimilar versions of insulins used in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. These medicines are currently in early and clinical stages of development for the European Union (EU), United States (US) and other key territories. The commercialization and supply agreement with Gan & Lee aims at bringing to market biosimilar versions of glargine, lispro and aspart, the three top insulin medicines by sales.


 
East Hanover -based BioNJ Member  Novartis  announced that the European Commission (EC) approved an expanded indication for Kisqali® (ribociclib), the CDK4/6 inhibitor with the largest body of first-line clinical trial evidence demonstrating consistent and sustained efficacy compared to endocrine therapy alone. Kisqali is now approved in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of women with hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative (HR+/HER2-) locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with fulvestrant as initial endocrine-based therapy and in women who have received prior endocrine therapy.


 
East Hanover -based BioNJ Member  Novartis announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Xolair® (omalizumab) prefilled syringe (PFS) for self-administration, allowing patients with severe allergic asthma (SAA) and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) to administer their own treatment. With this approval, Xolair is the first and only biologic to offer the option of self-administration for SAA and CSU.



East Hanover-based BioNJ Member Novartis  announced that it has completed the acquisition of Endocyte, Inc., a US-based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing radioligand and CAR-T therapies for cancer treatment.



East Hanover-based BioNJ Member Novartis has offered to acquire French company  CellforCure, a European-based contract development and manufacturing organization producing cell and gene therapies.  Subject to customary conditions, Novartis said the closing is expected for the first half of 2019; the company anticipates the deal to be funded via available cash.



BioNJ Member Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc, with offices in  Ewing,  announced that the  U.S. Food and Drug Administration  ( FDA ) has extended the review period for its new drug application (NDA) for solriamfetol as a treatment to improve wakefulness and reduce excessive daytime sleepiness in adult patients with narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The updated Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date is now  March 20, 2019 .


 
BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Madison, announced the initiation of a Phase 3 program for its 20-Valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (20vPnC) candidate, PF-06482077, for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae  serotypes in the vaccine in adults aged 18 years and older.


 
GlaxoSmithKline plc has reached agreement with BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Madison, to combine their consumer health businesses into a new world-leading Joint Venture, with combined sales of approximately £9.8 billion ($12.7 billion)[1]. GSK will have a majority controlling equity interest of 68% and Pfizer will have an equity interest of 32% in the Joint Venture. 


 
Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Eli Lilly and Company  announced Taltz® (ixekizumab) met the primary and all major secondary endpoints in the Phase 3b/4 SPIRIT-H2H study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of Taltz versus Humira® (adalimumab) in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who are biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)-naive. The SPIRIT-H2H trial is the first completed large head-to-head (H2H) superiority study in active PsA.



Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Eli Lilly and Company  and  Aduro Biotech, Inc.  announced a research collaboration and exclusive license agreement for Aduro's cGAS-STING Pathway Inhibitor program for the research and development of novel immunotherapies for autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases. Aduro's cGAS-STING Pathway Inhibitor program aims to discover and develop inhibitors of the intracellular stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway, which can modulate the immune response associated with various autoimmune diseases.


 
Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Eli Lilly and Company  announced npj Breast Cancer published results from exploratory subgroup analyses of the MONARCH 2 and MONARCH 3 trials reinforcing the clinical benefit of Verzenio® (abemaciclib) plus endocrine therapy in the treatment of women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer.


 
Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Eli Lilly and Company  and  Evidation Health , a health and measurement company that helps innovative life sciences and health care companies understand how everyday behavior and health interact, announced that they have expanded their collaboration with a multi-year agreement to provide Lilly with global access to Evidation's Andromeda data platform. mal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer.


 
Plainsboro-based BioNJ Member  Novo Nordisk and Staten Biotechnology B.V. announced that they have entered into a collaboration and exclusive option agreement to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of hypertriglyceridaemia. Under the collaboration agreement, Novo Nordisk will provide research and development (R&D) funding and support for Staten to develop its lead asset STT-5058 for treatment of dyslipidaemia.



Berkeley Heights-based Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.  announced that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has approved the anti-coagulation factor IXa/X humanized bispecific monoclonal antibody / coagulation factor VIII substitute, "HEMLIBRA ®  Subcutaneous Injection 30 mg, 60 mg, 90 mg, 105 mg, and 150 mg" [generic name: emicizumab (genetical recombination)], for routine prophylactic treatment for people with hemophilia A without inhibitors to factor VIII, administered once weekly, every two weeks, or every four weeks.


Berkeley Heights-based Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.  announced that it has obtained regulatory approval for its humanized anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, "TECENTRIQ®  Intravenous Infusion 1200 mg" (generic name: atezolizumab [genetical recombination]) from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for additional dosing for the treatment of "previously untreated unresectable advanced or recurrent non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)."


 
Rutherford-based BioNJ Member  Cancer Genetics Inc. announced it has terminated its  previously announced merger  with  NovellusDx Ltd. ,  a functional genomics company, effective immediately.  Cancer Genetics said it will pursue alternative strategic and financial transactions to enhance shareholder value. It will again work with Raymond James & Associates Inc., a financial advisor, to assist in any future acquisitions, strategic partnerships or mergers.



Bedminster-based  Mallinckrodt plc  confirmed enrollment of the first patient in the pivotal Phase 3 trial of  Xenon Gas  for Post Cardiac Arrest Syndrome ( PCAS ). Xenon gas for inhalation is an investigational drug, the safety and effectiveness of which have not yet been established.  Mallinckrodt  will pay NPXe  $5 million  as recognition of this milestone achievement per the terms of the License and Commercialization Agreement between the parties.



Parsippany-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ProAir® Digihaler™ (albuterol sulfate 117 mcg) inhalation powder, the first and only digital inhaler with built-in sensors which connects to a companion mobile application and provides inhaler use information to people with asthma and COPD. ProAir® Digihaler™ is indicated for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in patients aged four years and older with reversible obstructive airway disease, and for prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in patients aged four years and older.



The FDA has approved Parsippany-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Celltrion's Herzuma (trastuzumab-pkrb), a biosimilar trastuzumab referencing Herceptin, for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. Approval of the drug was based on a data package that included efficacy, safety, immunogenicity, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data from trials conducted in over 500 patients in 22 countries.



Parsippany-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced positive topline results from the Phase IIIb FOCUS study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of fremanezumab for the preventive treatment of migraine in adult patients who previously experienced inadequate responses to two to four classes of preventive treatments.



Bridgewater-based Foamix Pharmaceuticals Ltd.  announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the  U.S. Food and Drug Administration  ( FDA ) seeking approval for FMX101 for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris in patients 9 years of age and older. The NDA submission is supported by the previously communicated results from two Phase 3 trials, FX2014-05 and FX2017-22. 



Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., with offices in Basking Ridge, announced topline results from Phase 1 clinical studies of LX2761, an oral sodium-glucose cotransporter type 1 (SGLT1) inhibitor in development for the treatment of diabetes. "Results from our Phase 1 studies build on previously reported promising preclinical data for LX2761 and confirm the drug candidate's unique preclinical profile as a potent, gastrointestinal tract-selective SGLT1 inhibitor," said Praveen Tyle, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development, Lexicon. 



Hackensack-based BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin a clinical trial of its experimental stem cell treatment in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis.  BrainStorm said it expects to start the U.S. Phase 2 trial in the first quarter of 2019. The U.S.-Israeli company is already studying its treatment called NurOwn in patients with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and expects to have advanced Phase 3 trial results at the end of 2019 or early 2020.


 
Bridgewater-based Kashiv Pharma LLC, a pharmaceutical research and drug delivery company, announced it has acquired the assets of Adello Biologics LLC, a biotechnology company based in Piscataway.  Under the deal, Kashiv will be renamed to Kashiv BioSciences LLC and its company headquarters will be based in Bridgewater. "The acquisition of Adello will create a fully integrated biosciences company with a strong platform for growth," said Chintu Patel, who will become CEO of Kashiv BioSciences.


 
Woodcliff Lake-based Eisai Co., Ltd. announced that it has entered into an agreement to grant exclusive development and marketing rights for its anti-obesity agent lorcaserin hydrochloride in Brazil to Eurofarma Laboratórios S.A. (Headquarters: Sao Paulo, Brazil, President: Maurizio Billi, "Eurofarma").Under this agreement, Eisai will supply Eurofarma with lorcaserin. 


 
The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Woodcliff Lake-based  Eisai Co., Ltd. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, , with offices in East Windsor,  have signed an agreement for GARDP to access and screen components of Eisai and Takeda's chemical libraries. Both libraries will be tested by the Institut Pasteur Korea in the hope of discovering novel compounds with antibacterial activity. This multi-partner agreement supports GARDP's efforts to tackle serious bacterial infections by developing antibiotics while endeavouring to ensure their sustainable access.



Basking Ridge-based  Daiichi Sankyo Company announced that the first patient has been dosed in the first novel-novel combination study evaluating two investigational agents within its AML Franchise. The Phase 1 study will evaluate the safety and activity of the combination of a FLT3 inhibitor, quizartinib, and an MDM2 inhibitor, milademetan (DS-3032), in patients with relapsed/refractory FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or newly-diagnosed FLT3-ITD AML unfit for intensive chemotherapy, a very aggressive form of the disease associated with poor prognosis.



Basking Ridge-based  Daiichi Sankyo Company and AnHeart Therapeutics Inc. announced they have entered into a worldwide exclusive license agreement for DS-6051, Daiichi Sankyo's selective ROS1/NTRK inhibitor, currently in Phase 1 development in the United States and Japan. Under the terms of the agreement, Daiichi Sankyo grants AnHeart Therapeutics worldwide exclusive rights for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of DS-6051. 



Lawrence-based Lipocine Inc.  announced that it has been selected to present LPCN 1144 clinical results as part of the Keystone Symposia on Integrated Pathways of Disease in NASH and NAFLD. The presentation will highlight the association of hypogonadism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ("NAFLD") including LPCN 1144 clinical results in which liver fat was assessed via Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Proton Density Fat Fraction ("MRI-PDFF") in hypogonadal males.




Princeton-based Neurotrope Inc. announced that data from its Phase 2, multidose, exploratory trial evaluating Bryostatin-1 as a treatment of cognitive deficits in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease were published online in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 trial, which was completed in May 2017, randomized patients 1:1:1 into 20 μg Bryostatin-1, 40 μg Bryostatin-1, and placebo arms. 



People in the News


 
South Plainfield-based BioNJ Member  PTC Therapeutics, Inc.  announced the appointment of  Emma Reeve  and  Stephanie Okey  to the company's Board of Directors. Ms. Reeve currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of  Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc . Ms. Okey most recently served as the Senior Vice President,  Head of North America , Rare Diseases and U.S. General Manager, Rare Disease Business Unit at Genzyme and brings decades of experience launching and commercializing rare and orphan disease products.


 
Pennington-based BioNJ Member  OncoSec Medical Incorporated announced that Joon Kim, J.D., a partner at Lee & Ko, has been appointed to OncoSec's Board of Directors. The appointment was made in parallel to the investment by Alpha Holdings, Inc. of $15 million at $1.50 share, which was completed on December 7, 2018. The appointment was effective December 20, 2018.


 
East Hanover-based BioNJ Member Novartis announced the appointment of Dr. Klaus Moosmayer as Chief Ethics, Risk and Compliance Officer. He will report to Vas Narasimhan, M.D., CEO of Novartis and  become a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis. Dr. Moosmayer has been the Chief Compliance Officer of Siemens since January 1, 2014. Prior to that he served as the Chief Counsel Compliance at Siemens for four years. 


 
Cranbury-based BioNJ Member Amicus Therapeutics announced it has named Daphne Quimi to Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Quimi will succeed Chip Baird, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. The company also announced additional organizational updates and promotions, including David Clark appointed to Chief People Officer; Ellen Rosenberg promoted to Chief Legal Officer; Andrew E. Mulberg promoted to Senior Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs; Anthony Sileno promoted to Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations and Translational Science.


 
Bedminster-based BioNJ Member Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc. announced the appointment of Harold E. Bays, M.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Bays is Board Certified in Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology, and Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. 


 
Tragara Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced it has appointed Scott Megaffin as its new CEO and member of the board of directors, effective immediately. Mr.  Megaffin will replace Tom Estok, who will remain in an advisory capacity and continue in his role on the board of directors.  The addition of the company's new CEO comes during the company's name change to Adastra Pharmaceuticals Inc. As part of the new branding strategy, Adastra has expanded its operations beyond San Diego with a new Princeton-based office.


 
Clinical Genomics, a provider of cancer diagnostic solutions based in Bridgewater, has named Betsy Hanna its new CEO and President. Ms.  Hanna will also join the company's board of directors. She  will succeed Dr. Lawrence LaPointe as CEO, who is transitioning into a new role as Chief Innovation Officer. Dr. LaPointe will be responsible for developing solutions to improve clinical trials, research and development and scientific developments. He will also continue to serve as an advisor to the board.


 
Bedminster-based  Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  announced the appointment of  Ami Bavishi  as Director, Investor Relations, reporting to Richard Rubino , Aerie's Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Bavishi will drive all of Aerie's investor relations activities, and joins Aerie from Burns McClellan, a public relations and investor relations firm with which Aerie will maintain an ongoing relationship. 


Institution and Education News


 
Legislation sponsored by Senate Education Chair Teresa Ruiz, D-29th District, and Sen. James Beach, D-6th District, to establish a pilot program to provide grants for nontraditional STEM programs, cleared the Senate.  Senate Bill 688 , would establish the four-year New Jersey Early Innovation Inspiration School Grant Pilot Program in the  Department of Education  to award grants for nontraditional science, technology, engineering and math programs.


 
The New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) has officially launched the Educational Resource Directory in an effort to support manufacturers with the critical resources needed to train their employees in  New Jersey . Until now, New Jersey has not had a single source at its disposal which provides location reference information to assist manufacturers with the training of their employees.


 
BioNJ Member The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), an NJIT Corporation, in partnership with the Innovation Accelerator Foundation (IAF), has been awarded a $749.8 thousand grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), as part of its Regional Innovation Strategies i6 Program to lead the creation of the NJ Bio-Foundry. The NJ Bio-Foundry will bring together a network of partners to expand the growing innovation biopharmaceuticals cluster in New Jersey, with a focus on New Jersey cell and gene therapies and biologics.


 
A team from  New Jersey Institute of Technology  took top honors in the Second Annual Horizon Health Care Transformation Challenge. A total of $10,000 in prize money was awarded to the top teams. The winning team from NJIT won a $5,000 prize for its "RiseOn" project, an inclusive platform that simplifies disease management by combining transparent information with technology, specifically through the creation of a chatbot and a set of algorithms that can answer common questions and provide recommendations.



Two Princeton University  computer science professors will lead a new Google AI lab opening this month in the town of Princeton. The lab is expected to expand New Jersey's burgeoning innovation ecosystem by building a collaborative effort to advance research in artificial intelligence.


 
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education announced Rowan University received a Carnegie R2 classification (high research activity), naming it just one of 139 of more than 4,300 colleges and universities across the country with that distinction. "Rowan reached R2 status by rapidly expanding our research portfolio-while remaining committed to undergraduate education," according to Dr. Ali A. Houshmand, President.


 
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, and it can be deadly. Led by investigators at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, colleagues from across the country are conducting a research study to evaluate the reach and effectiveness of an online program targeted at skin cancer prevention in young adults. The goal is to improve skin cancer protection behaviors among those in this age group who are at moderate to high risk of developing skin cancer. 


 
Scientists at  Rutgers University  have taken an important step toward the goal of making diseased hearts heal themselves -- a new model that would reduce the need for bypass surgery, heart transplants or artificial pumping devices. The study, published in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, involved removing connective tissue cells from a human heart, "reverse-engineering" them into heart stem cells, then "re-engineering" them into heart muscle cells.


 
Scientists at  Rutgers University  have taken an important step toward the goal of making Research from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey shows improved overall survival at five years for pediatric patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma when treated with chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. The work, believed to be the largest retrospective study to date involving this population, is published in the January 3 online edition of JAMA Oncology.


 
Patrick Leahy will serve as  Monmouth University's 10th president, effective Aug. 1, the university's Board of Trustees announced. Mr.  Leahy will succeed Grey Dimenna in the role, who is set to leave the post at the end of July. Mr. Leahy has served as president of Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. since 2012.

Funding News



New Jersey is a national leader when it comes to delivering opportunities for investors with a positive economic, environmental and social impact. That is the finding of a new study released that ranks the 7,824 Opportunity Zones in all 50 states, rating Zones in New Jersey among the top in the nation. The zones selected share common characteristics, including a mix of building types and uses, diverse housing and transit options, and high performance on social equity and inclusiveness.

The NJBAC is a state agency offering free and confidential assistance to help your business grow. As a "one-stop shop," NJBAC can help businesses of all sizes and types to manage the state's regulatory processes, boost exports, gain access to financial resources where applicable and tackle other obstacles along the way. You can download the NJBAC guide by clicking here or contact their business advocates at 1-800 JERSEY 7. 
Special Programs from Our Partners for BioNJ Members


January 8, 2019 |  San Francisco

San Francisco's annual healthcare conference week starts in less than a month. Already, hundreds of investors have signed up to attend RESI San Francisco -- our largest event of the year, which serves as a dedicated venue for early stage investors to meet with start-ups in the biotech, medical device, diagnostic and digital health sectors. Would you like to book up to 16 face-to-face meetings with investors on January 8th? Click here to learn more. BioNJ Members enjoy a discount.


January 18-20, 2019 | The College of New Jersey

The College of New Jersey will be hosting the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics for the Mid-Atlantic states. The goal of the conference is to inspire, empower and enable young women scientists to pursue their career aspirations by equipping them with the skills and resources needed to achieve success in physics. The conference will host 200 undergraduate students and 50 high school students, and it will feature lectures by prominent women physicists, student research presentations, a networking fair featuring graduate schools, industries, and nonprofits, and workshops and panel discussions on professional development. For more information, please visit http://cuwip.tcnj.edu. 


January 23, 2019 | Princeton Innovation Center BioLabs

Steve Sun grew GENEWIZ from a two-person biotech startup to an international operation employing more than 1000 people across 12 facilities around the world. Genewiz was acquired in September 2018 for $450 MILLION. Steve will share the GENEWIZ story, followed by Q&A. Click here to register. 


February 1, 2019 | New Brunswick

Join us for the largest recruitment event targeting Rutgers Business School programs, including New Brunswick and Newark business students. We anticipate close to 100 employers in attendance recruiting for leadership programs, internships, co-ops and full-time opportunities. This event is hosted by the  Office of Career Management-New Brunswick .


June 3-6, 2019 | Philadelphia Convention Center

The BIO International Convention is hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), which represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. The key benefits of attending the 2019 BIO International Convention are access to global biotech and pharma leaders via BIO One-on-One Partnering, exposure to industry thought leaders with over 500 education sessions at your fingertips and unparalleled networking opportunities with 16,000+ attendees from 67 countries. 

BIO is offering BioNJ Members the opportunity to lock in a significant discount on two premier registration packages for the 2019 BIO International Convention and Convention Access & Partnering. Click here for details.