Welcome to the latest edition of the  BioLines Weekender . 

We are pleased to report that a key BioNJ policy priority has passed the Legislation and been signed by the Governor. A-5604/S-2298, which increases the State's Angel Investor Tax Credit (AITC) for qualified investors from 10 to 20% with an additional 5% to women and minority-owned companies or companies located in Opportunity Zones, passed both houses and was signed by Governor Murphy on June 30.  Click here for details.

In additional news, BioNJ recently unveiled its new " Protecting Medical Innovation: Ensuring Patient Access to Cures " web portal featuring information and tools that can be used to advocate for policies and solutions that help Patients access the medicines they need and promote a thriving life sciences industry in New Jersey and beyond. 

Because Patients Can't Wait®, BioNJ is asking industry, health advocates, payers, policymakers and the full community to help us protect medical innovation and the Patient voice in drug value assessment. Visit  www.BioNJ.org/Protect-Medical-Innovation to learn more and to sign up to receive email opportunities to take action online and in your community. 

As we head into the long holiday weekend, we wish you a Happy, Healthy and Safe Fourth of July! Thank you to all of those who have fought for our great country's freedom and for all of you who fight for Patients each and every day!

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

New X2 BioCruise with NewYorkBIO
New York Harbor
World Yacht at Pier 81, Manhattan
July 18, 2019

Manufacturing Briefing
New Jersey Innovation Institute, Newark, NJ
Register today!
September 20, 2019
Patient Advocacy Summit 
Celgene, Summit, NJ
SAVE THE DATE!
October 4, 2019
C-Suite Summit
Bridgewater Marriott, Bridgewater, NJ
SAVE THE DATE!
November 8, 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.


 
BioNJ, New Jersey's life sciences trade association, unveiled its new "Protecting Medical Innovation: Ensuring Patient Access to Cures " web portal at  www.BioNJ.org/Protect-Medical-Innovation , launched in concert with a full digital marketing campaign. BioNJ's campaign focuses on the value of medical innovation and the threat that one-size-fits-all approaches to drug value assessments, such as those advocated by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review's (ICER), will restrict Patient access to the right medicine at the right time. 


 
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review's (ICER) recently made a call for suggestions and feedback on how to improve its value assessment framework and methods. We are a strong supporter of value-driven health care, including the use of rigorous value frameworks and evidence to support health care decision-making. Here are five improvements we recommend ICER make to its value framework to ensure that it is patient-centered, methodologically rigorous, and aligns with 21 st  century health care.


 
Pioneer Institute released a new report,  Looming Challenges for ICER in Assessing the Value of Rare Disease Therapies,  that examines why the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) and the Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) approach to value assessment is particularly ill-suited to assess the cost-effectiveness of orphan and rare disease treatments, which represent a rapidly growing sector of the biopharmaceutical marketplace. In the report, lead author and Pioneer Institute Visiting Fellow in Life Sciences, Dr. William Smith illustrates a number of reasons why ICER is unfit to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rare disease treatments.


 
A survey of allied think tanks summarizes what 23 nations and the EU are doing best when it comes to innovation policy, and where there are the greatest opportunities to improve. In many cases, the successes can serve as model policies for other countries to adopt. 

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.

 
South Plainfield-based BioNJ Member  PTC Therapeutics, Inc.  and Odylia Therapeutics announced a strategic collaboration to develop novel gene therapies in rare inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) utilizing the Anc80 vector system developed by researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. The collaboration augments PTC's existing expertise in localized gene therapy applications in the Central Nervous System (CNS) with the deep ophthalmic experience at Odylia across a broad portfolio of IRD targets. 


 
Edison-based BioNJ Member  ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  announced positive feedback from the  U.S. Food and Drug Administration  ("FDA") in response to ContraVir's pre-Investigational New Drug ("pre-IND") meeting with respect to the development of CRV431 in NASH. The  FDA  provided positive feedback on ContraVir's existing preclinical data of CRV431 and supports the study design for the NASH IND opening study. 


 
Edison-based BioNJ Member  ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  announced the filing of an Investigational New Drug application with the  U.S. Food and Drug Administration  for CRV431 for the treatment of NASH. ContraVir's proposed IND opening study is entitled, "An Open-Label Study to Investigate the Effect of Hepatic Impairment on the Pharmacokinetics of CRV431.


 
Cranbury-based BioNJ Member  Amicus Therapeutics, Inc.  has entered into a strategic manufacturing agreement with Paragon Gene Therapy, a unit of Catalent Biologics, for clinical manufacturing capabilities and capacity for multiple active preclinical lysosomal disorder programs that are currently in development in collaboration with the  University of Pennsylvania  ( Penn ).  Penn  has transferred technology to Paragon in the past and will collaborate with Amicus throughout the process.


 
Cranbury-based BioNJ Member  Amicus Therapeutics, Inc.  has entered into a strategic manufacturing collaboration with  Thermo Fisher Scientific . Thermo Fisher, a best-in-class contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with late-stage clinical and commercial-scale capabilities provides Amicus with immediate clinical and commercial manufacturing capabilities and capacity for the Amicus intrathecal AAV Batten disease gene therapy programs. 


 
Pennington-based BioNJ Member OncoSec Medical Incorporated  announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a world-leading cancer research and treatment institution, and The Marasco Laboratory, a cutting-edge CAR T-cell research laboratory led by Wayne Marasco, M.D., Ph.D., a renowned cancer immunology researcher, to develop CAR T-cell therapies for triple-negative breast cancer and other solid tumor cancers.



 
Princeton-based BioNJ Member Photocure ASA announced that it has entered into a License Agreement providing Asieris Meditech Co., Ltd with a world-wide license to develop and commercialize Cevira® for the treatment of HPV induced cervical precancerous lesions. Under the agreement, Photocure will receive signing fees, development- and approval milestones, in addition to sales royalties. Cevira® is in development as a treatment for high grade cervical dysplasia. It consists of a convenient, fully integrated drug delivery and light device to be applied intravaginally by the gynecologist. 


 
Cranbury-based BioNJ Member  Rafael Pharmaceuticals Inc.  announced it has entered into an out-licensing agreement with  Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. , a pharmaceutical company.  The exclusive license agreement is for the development and commercialization of CPI-613 (devimistat), Rafael's first-in-class clinical lead compound, which targets cancer metabolism enzymes, as well as its other related compounds.


 
Edison-based BioNJ Member Advaxis, Inc. announced that it is increasing its focus on neoantigen-directed immunotherapies and closing the AIM2CERV Phase 3 clinical trial with axalimogene filolisbac (AXAL) in high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer. Advaxis intends to continue to support the clinical development of AXAL, its single-antigen construct, in other HPV-related cancers while redirecting resources towards advancing its neoantigen-directed programs. 


 
The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion for Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Sanofi's Dupixent® (dupilumab) recommending extending its approval in the European Union (EU) to also include adolescents 12 to 17 years of age with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who are candidates for systemic therapy.


 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Sanofi's Dupixent® (dupilumab) for use with other medicines to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) in adults whose disease is not controlled. CRSwNP can be a debilitating condition, with many patients opting for systemic steroids or nasal surgery which often cannot control this disease. Moreover, CRSwNP often occurs in combination with severe asthma.


 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Sanofi's MenQuadfiTM Meningococcal (Groups A, C, Y, W) Polysaccharide Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine candidate to help prevent meningococcal meningitis. The target action date for the FDA decision is April 25, 2020. The recently submitted BLA includes positive data from Phase II and Phase III clinical trials held in the U.S. to seek an indication for use of the vaccine in persons 2 years of age and older. 


 
Bridgewater-based BioNJ Member Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial evaluating the investigational IL-33 antibody REGN3500 (SAR440340) met the primary endpoint of improvement in loss of asthma control when comparing REGN3500 monotherapy to placebo. The trial also met a key secondary endpoint, demonstrating REGN3500 monotherapy significantly improved lung function compared to placebo. 






Sandoz Launches Oncology Generic Gefitinib in 13 EU Countries at Loss of Market Exclusivity, Expanding Access to Essential Medicine
 
East Hanover-based BioNJ Member Sandoz, a Novartis division and a global leader in biosimilars, announced the launch of the generic oncology medicine gefitinib indicated for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with activating mutations of EGFR-TK, which is recommended by ESMO as first-line treatment. The medicine will become available immediately in 13 countries across Europe on the day the reference medicine loses market exclusivity. Sandoz will continue to expand to other countries through a phased rollout.


 
Sam Khalil, Worldwide Head of Medical Affairs Immunology, Hepatology and Dermatology at East Hanover-based BioNJ Member Novartis said: "The results of the study highlight the importance of a direct inhibition of IL-17A. We are excited about this gene expression data which is adding value to the scientific understanding of psoriatic disease. We reimagine science to help improve patients' quality of life." The article was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI).


 
Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member Merck & Co. announced the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend HPV vaccination with GARDASIL®9 (Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Vaccine, Recombinant) based on shared clinical decision making for individuals 27 through 45 years of age who are not adequately vaccinated. The ACIP also voted to expand routine and catch-up recommendations for males through 26 years of age who are not adequately vaccinated.


 
Raritan-based BioNJ Member  The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of DARZALEX® (daratumumab) in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). The approval is based on results from the Phase 3 MAIA (MMY3008) clinical study, which showed that DARZALEX-Rd significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 44 percent compared to treatment with Rd alone.


 
BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Madison,  announced the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ZIRABEV™ (bevacizumab-bvzr), a biosimilar to Avastin® (bevacizumab), for the treatment of five types of cancer: metastatic colorectal cancer; unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); recurrent glioblastoma; metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC); and persistent, recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer.


 
BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Madison,  announced that a Phase 3 study to assess the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) sildenafil when added to inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) for the treatment of newborns with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN) did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint. Treatment with IV sildenafil when added to iNO did not result in a statistically significant reduction in treatment failure rate or time on iNO compared to treatment with iNO alone. 


 
BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Madison,  announced top-line results from a Phase 4 study (CrisADe CARE 1) which showed that crisaborole ointment, 2%, was well-tolerated in children aged 3 months to less than 24 months with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema. The data from the trial are supportive of the primary study objective to examine the safety of crisaborole ointment, 2%, in this patient population, and are consistent with previous clinical trial experience.


 
Updated preliminary follow-up data from the Phase I/II trial assessing the gene therapy candidate SB-525, being jointly developed by BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Madison,  and Sangamo Therapeutics, shows clinically relevant and stable improvements in eight patients with hemophilia A, who subsequently experienced a notably reduced need for replacement therapy. 


 
BioNJ Member Pfizer Inc., with offices in Madison,  announced that the European Commission approved TALZENNA® (talazoparib), an oral poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with germline breast cancer susceptibility gene (gBRCA)1/2-mutations, who have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) locally advanced (LA) or metastatic breast cancer (MBC). 





 
Bedminster-based  Mallinckrodt plc  confirmed it has achieved 50 percent patient enrollment in the company's Phase 2B study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of Acthar® Gel (repository corticotropin injection) as an investigational treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration  ( FDA ) previously granted the company's request for a Fast Track designation and orphan status for its Acthar Gel Investigational New Drug application in patients with ALS. 



Paramus -based Epygenix Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the company has submitted Investigational New Drug Application (IND) and Fast Track Designation Request for EPX-100 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with Dravet syndrome. Epygenix anticipates that Phase 1 will be initiated in August 2019. Dravet Syndrome is a rare, catastrophic, lifelong form of epilepsy which begins in the first year of life with frequent or prolonged seizures. 



Hanover -based Bayer HealthCare  has received  orphan drug designation  for its use of human monoclonal IgG2 antibody against tissue factor pathway inhibitor, for the treatment of Hemophilia B. The company had received a similar designation in March for using the approach to treat Hemophilia A.



BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., with offices in  Hackensack,  announced that the company has contracted with the  Keck School of Medicine  of  The  University of Southern California  and its academic medical center,  Keck Medicine of  USC  as the third clinical study site for the Company's Phase 2 open-label, multicenter study of repeated intrathecal administration of autologous MSC-NTF cells in participants with progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS). 



ERYTECH Pharma announced the opening of its new Princeton GMP manufacturing facility. The facility will support production capacity needs for eryaspase, the company's lead product candidate for patients in the United States. The facility will support production capacity needs for eryaspase, the company's lead product candidate for patients in the United States. Eryaspase is in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of second-line pancreatic cancer. 



SOFIE Inc. expands its footprint in Totowa, NJ. The acquired space is being used for the construction of a new Radiopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Center of Excellence (COE). This development follows the completion of a strategic transaction in early 2019 with the divestiture of SOFIE's contract manufacturing facility in Somerset, NJ. The new facility is designed to be suitable for efficient manufacturing of multiple therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals for numerous customers at a significantly larger scale than the previous Somerset facility. 


 
Piscataway-based Aucta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the Company has entered into an agreement with Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to License U.S. marketing rights for AUC025. AUC025 is an innovative patent-pending formulation of lamotrigine that will be delivered to patients as an oral liquid form. Aucta submitted the product's New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA in early 2019 and is seeking approval as an epilepsy treatment to be used as an adjunct therapy for partial seizures, primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and generalized seizures of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in patients two years of age and older.


 
Boehringer Ingelheim, with offices in New Brunswick, and Yuhan Corporation today announced a collaboration and license agreement for the development of a first-in-class dual agonist for the treatment of NASH and related liver diseases that combines GLP-1 and FGF21 activity in one molecule. The collaboration brings together Yuhan Corporation's expertise in FGF21 biology, obesity and NASH with Boehringer Ingelheim's pharmaceutical expertise and commitment to bringing innovative medicines to patients with cardiometabolic diseases.


 
Princeton -based SunGen Pharma announced to launch Bivalirudin for Injection in the near future through their joint venture Peterson Athenex with Athenex Pharmaceuticals. This tentatively approved U.S. ANDA is exclusively licensed from the current ANDA holder, Hainan Shuangcheng Pharmaceuticals. U.S. Market Sales of Bivalirudin for Injection were $81.8M for the year ending December 2018 according to IQVIA data. Bivalirudin is an anticoagulant (thrombin inhibitor) that helps prevent the formation of blood clots.  



Parsippany-based The Medicines Company announced the pricing of a public offering of 4,545,455 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $33.00 per share. Gross proceeds of the offering are expected to be approximately $150 million, before underwriting discounts and commissions and other transaction expenses. In addition, the underwriters have been granted a 30-day option to purchase from the company up to an additional 681,818 shares of common stock.


 
BeiGene, Ltd., with offices in Ridgefield Park, announced that, following its application to the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (HKEX), the Company has been approved for listing under Rule 8.05(3) as a company that meets specified revenue and market capitalization thresholds. BeiGene initially listed on the HKEX on August 8, 2018 under the biotech chapter (Chapter 18A) of the Listing Rules.


 
Somerset-based Catalent Biologics announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Catalent Pharma Solutions, Inc., priced a private offering of $500.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.00% senior unsecured notes due 2027 at par. The Operating Subsidiary intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Offering to (i) repay in full the outstanding borrowings under its U.S. dollar-denominated term loans that mature in May 2024 under its senior secured credit facilities, plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, (ii) pay related fees and expenses and (iii) provide cash on its balance sheet for general corporate purposes.



Berkely Heights-based CorMedix Inc. announced that it is set to join the U.S. small-cap Russell 2000® Index. Membership in the Russell 2000 Index, which remains in place for one year, is based on membership in the broad-market Russell 3000® Index. The company will also be automatically added to the appropriate growth and value indexes. Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment management strategies.



Theranica Bioelectronics announced it has established a new subsidiary, Theranica USA, based in Montclair.  Theranica is a biomedical technology company based in Netanya, Israel, which develops electroceuticals for migraine and other pain disorders. The company also announced it has appointed Scott Szymanski as President of Theranica USA, David Warshawsky as Vice President of Business Development and Pperations, and Alix Bennett as Senior Director of Medical Affairs.



Funding News


 
A combination of resources from the  New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) , a growth equity investment from three venture capital firms including  Edison Partners , and proximity to numerous global pharmaceutical giants has helped Hudson County-based  TrialScope  support pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials around the world.

People in the News


 
The 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives program (previously 50 Most Influential Physicians Executives and Leaders) honors physician and nurse leaders working in the health care industry who are deemed by their peers and an expert panel to be the most influential in terms of demonstrating leadership and impact. It took power to make reform happen; now, it will take influential leaders to make reform work. Congratulations to BioNJ Board Advisor Dr. Andrew Pecora,  formerly President of Physician Services and Chief Innovation Officer,  Hackensack Meridian Health for making the list.



BioNJ Member EY announced its 2019 winners for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in New Jersey. Winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges comprised of prior winners, chief executives, investors and other regional business leaders, according to EY. Congratulations to John Thero from Bedminster-based BioNJ Member  Amarin Corp. for making the list.


 
Jersey City-based BioNJ Member SCYNEXIS, Inc. announced the appointment of Nkechi Azie, M.D., MBA, FIDSA, as Vice President of Clinical Development. Dr. Azie will lead clinical development activities and strengthen medical affairs efforts in anticipation of ibrexafungerp's potential approval and commercial launch. Dr. Azie will report to SCYNEXIS' Chief Medical Officer, David Angulo, M.D. Dr. Azie was most recently Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at The Medicines Company, where she managed the infectious disease franchise.


 
Hampton-based  Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.  announced the appointment of  Diane C. Young , M.D., as Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, effective  July 8, 2019 . Over the span of a 30 year career, Dr. Young, a medical oncologist, has led clinical and cross-functional research and development teams responsible for the global development of numerous novel therapies from Phase 1 through successful product registrations. 


 
East Rutherford-based Cambrex Corp. announced it has made three senior-level appointments.The appointments will support the company's strategy to create a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization for small molecules. The appointments are: Bruno Biscaro has been named President, Drug Products; Joe Nettleton has been named President, Drug Substance; and Simon Edwards has been named as President, CDMO Sales and Marketing.


 
East Rutherford-based Cambrex Corp. announced it has named Dottie Donnelly-Brienza its new Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.  In this role, she will be responsible for the company's global human resource function and will join the executive management team. Ms. Brienza most recently served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Cantel Medical. Before that, she held several leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb.


 
Plainsboro-based Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp. announced it has promoted one employee and hired another. The company announced Glenn Coleman has been named to the newly-created role of Chief Operating Officer and Carrie Anderson has been hired as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Coleman will be responsible for overseeing the company's operations and approximately 60% of Integra's talent force. Ms. Anderson is tasked with overseeing accounting and financial reporting, budgeting, internal audit, tax, treasury and investor relations.


Institution and Education News


 
Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, D-N.J., announced the awarding of $1,684,277 in federal funding from the National Science Foundation to  Kean University to develop a program aimed to increase the retention and completion rates of students studying computer science and information technology.  This program will help prepare students to enter the STEM workforce by providing curriculum support and innovative faculty development, revising several computer science courses to integrate material from Google and the Computing Alliance for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and developing career building activities to ensure students are prepared for life after graduation. 


 
Anxiety and depression related to childhood cancer survivorship, as well as stress management, can be challenging for this population. That is why Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey consistently educates pediatric cancer survivors about this and other topics through its LITE (Long-term, Information, Treatment effects and Evaluation) Program. Part of this education effort includes an annual Survivor's Family Education Night, which for the past four years received support through a 'Beyond the Cure' grant from the National Children's Cancer Society (NCCS). A $2,000 grant from NCCSsupported the most recent event held last week.


 
Inspired by a pressing need for comprehensive mental health services for New Jersey's young people, Rutgers University alumna Marlene Brandt has committed $30 million to the school, launching an initiative leveraging Rutgers' resources in the field. The Rutgers Initiative for Youth Behavioral Health and Well-Being will provide comprehensive mental health care and support to young people -- including youth in underserved and underrepresented communities -- who have behavioral health disorders, and it will foster innovation, research and learning in the field.


 
The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a $7,996,530 grant to New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Pennsylvania College of Technology to develop industry-driven strategies for apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing fields. The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Labor's awarding of $183.8 million in grants to 23 academic institutions and consortia nationwide. The ultimate aim is to satisfy industry's enormous demand for trained American workers.


 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have selected New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), an NJIT corporation, as a Prime Awardee of the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors, (NQIIC). This designation will allow NQIICs to bid on Task Orders over the next five years. As a Prime NQIIC awardee partnering with other Quality Improvement Contractors under the new CMS Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract mechanism to support quality improvement efforts, each NQIIC may serve as quality improvement experts, facilitators/change agents for healthcare transformation by achieving bold aims at a high value.


 
Recent growth at Rowan University -- from new academic buildings to increased housing options and added programs and faculty -- did more than impact students and the campuses in Gloucester and Camden counties. They are also bolstering the economy of Glassboro, South Jersey and the State. A  recent economic impact analysis by private research firm  Econsult Solutions  pegs that impact at $1.53 billion. Rowan directly supports 4,460 jobs at the university and close to 7,000 jobs indirectly in New Jersey each year, making it a major driver of economic development in the region and the State.


 
Rowan  College at Gloucester County  and  Cumberland County College  merged Monday, becoming Rowan College of South Jersey.  State and local government officials, administrators, educators, civic and business leaders, and members of the Gloucester and Cumberland communities gathered on the Deptford Township campus to witness the joining of these two community colleges -- the first of its kind in the State. The merger is in conjunction with an expanded 10-year premier partnership agreement with Rowan University and leads the way to a future filled with diverse, one-of-a-kind educational opportunities. 


 
Princeton-based  Certara  and Monash University based in Australia announced the recipients of the inaugural Certara-Monash University-Industry Drug Development Fellowships - Katrina Hui, Yu-Wei Lin and Zheng Liu. This fellowship program was designed by Certara and Monash University to help prepare the next generation of industry-experienced drug development scientists through training in clinical pharmacology, pharmacometrics and regulatory science.



Judith Persichilli, acting President and Chief Executive Officer of University Hospital in Newark  since last December, will be named State Health Commissioner, according to sources. Ms.  Persichilli will replace current Commissioner Shereef Elnahal  who will take over  as president and CEO of University Hospital on July 22.


 
RWJBarnabas Health announced the appointment of a new Chair, Vice Chair and Founding Chair, and three new trustees to the health system's corporate board. The new members will serve three-year terms, with opportunity for two additional terms.  Marc Berson was named Chair of the Corporate Board. Lester Owens, who was named Vice Chair, has served on the corporate board since its inception in 2016 and is a long-time trustee of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Wilfredo "Fred" Caraballo, is the new Corporate Board Trustee. 

Special Programs from Our Partners for BioNJ Members


July 16, 2019 l  Whippany
 
Join NJBIA to celebrate 13 New Jersey companies, including BioNJ Member SCYNEXIS,  who have recently built outstanding commercial or industrial facilities, improved the economy as well as the landscape of New Jersey. Don't miss this opportunity to network with New Jersey's top builders, developers, architects and contractors. 


 
The New Jersey Innovation Institute provides Strategic Doing 301, a 2.5-day training in the deep skills, tools and frameworks of agile strategy and collaboration. Called Strategic Doing, this discipline teaches participants how to design and guide complex collaborations by following simple rules. The training is ideally suited to anyone interested in developing the skills to lead complex collaborations and to innovate in open, loosely connected networks. The course has inspired hundreds of collaborative initiatives for communities, regions, businesses, health systems, government agencies and universities.


 
This year's Governor's Conference on Housing and Economic Development will gather industry experts and decision makers in business and government, housing and economic development, and the nonprofit community from throughout the State for two days of informed discussion, empowering ideas and engaging trade and industry exhibitors.


September 18, 2019 l New Brunswick
 
The  U.S. Small Business Administration  is hitting the road and Middlesex County's own New Brunswick has been announced as a stop on the 16 spot tour. The SBA's excursion aims to connect entrepreneurs to its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, according to the organization the largest source of early stage funding in the country. The SIBR Road Tour will arrive in New Brunswick on Sept. 18 to be hosted by an as yet unnamed local organization. The SBA said host groups will be involved in next-generation research and development and supporting entrepreneurs.


October 11, 2019 l Rutgers University - Busch Campus, Piscataway
 
Explore the extensive research capabilities available in New Jersey to researchers in industry and academia. 


November 14, 2019 | Princeton

Save the date! Annual evening reception highlighting the innovative research  emerging from our labs and working spaces and the translation of that research through entrepreneurship, technology transfer and engagement with industry. We invite you to join us as we strengthen connections, exchange ideas and build our innovation ecosystem among our external partners and our world-renowned faculty, research teams, students and alumni. The reception will be held at the Frick Chemistry Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08544. See technologies from previous events at Celebrate Princeton Innovation.

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. 

Please contact BioNJ at [email protected] or call 609-890-3185 
with any questions.