|
|
May Beer & BiotechsTomorrow night, we'll be in Nashville at the Flying Saucer for our final Beer & Biotech of the season, (at least in Music City). We'll hear from State Senator Jeff Yarbro about achievements during this past legislative session. These events, convened by Life Science Tennessee in partnership with our Academic Alliance chapters, are a great opportunity to meet industry peers and hear about the latest technology and developments in markets across Tennessee. RSVP for a Beer & Biotech in a city near you:
| |
Early Bird Tickets on Sale 5/15Next week, we'll open registration for our 2019 conference with major discounted pricing. Save money and attend the largest gathering of life science industry leaders in the state.
| |
Policy Update: SBIR/STTR Matching Fund We're pleased to report that the Tennessee General Assembly included an increase for the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Matching Fund grant program in the 2019-2020 budget that passed last week. The budget includes $3 million for the program, up from $1.5 million last year. As Rep. Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said: “This program is very successful in helping Tennessee small businesses hire additional employees, build better technologies and obtain capital to increase growth. In 2017, 27 grants were unmatched. Additional funding for this program makes Tennessee more competitive in attracting innovative entrepreneurs to our great state.” Click here to read a statement from our executive director Abby Trotter on the increase, as well as statements from our partners at Launch Tennessee, AgLaunch Initiative and the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council. And thank you to our legislators and everyone in our network who advocated alongside us!
| |
Scipreneur Challenge Winner Readers: we don't often make mistakes, but sometimes our wires cross. Last week, we told you the winner of the Memphis Scipreneur Challenge was Team Chito-Armor. While that team did win another pitch competition, they did not win Scipreneur. That honor goes to TL Biomedics. Congratulations!
Team TL Biomedics
TL Biomedics created Polysulin, a biodegradable drug delivery system for long-acting insulin. This drug provides the best solution for diabetic patients to improve their quality of life and offers a competitive advantage over current pharmaceutical companies. Polysulin delivers insulin at a stable consistent level for at least 2 weeks with just one injection, making it more cost effective and increasing patient compliance resulting in healthier lives. Team members include Chidi Zacheaus, CEO; Lee Pribyl, CFO; Mohammed Sikander, CSO; and Ian Dover, COO. Advisory members are Dr. Tao Lowe, Scientific Mentor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UT Health Science Center; and Elizabeth Lemmonds, Business Mentor, Director of Talent Programs, Epicenter.
| |
|
LST Member Opportunities
Apply - AgLaunch365 Bootcamps: AgLaunch365 is AgLaunch's flagship accelerator program that runs in three phases starting in October and finishing in early March, with field trials running through the summer. AgLaunch will be supporting three bootcamps in 2019 for Tennessee companies. Applications for the Knoxville Bootcamp are due by May 15. Apply here.
Attend - *NEW* Davos on the Delta: The Global Food System is being disrupted. Producers are pushing for more efficiency. Consumer demands are changing. Costs are climbing. And today’s legacy ag companies aren’t prepared to meet these challenges on their own. Davos on the Delta is where those in the middle of this massive change meet to share challenges, debate strategies and discuss solutions. It’s where the 300 leaders closest to this massive shift in the food system come together. Davos on the Delta takes place May 14-15 with additional deep dive trips. Register today!
- *LAST CALL* SBIR/STTR Workshops: Launch Tennessee is hosting a series of workshops covering the full portfolio of resources available to early-stage companies commercializing technology in Tennessee. These workshops will provide an in-depth look at SBIR/STTR federal grant opportunities, plus an abbreviated version of the Resource Overview content. The last workshop will be May 13 in Chattanooga. RSVP here.
- 2019 BIO International Convention: The BIO International Convention (BIO) attracts 16,000+ biotechnology and pharma leaders for one week of intensive networking to discover new opportunities and promising partnerships. We bring together a wide spectrum of life science and application areas including drug discovery, biomanufacturing, genomics, biofuels, nanotechnology and cell therapy. BIO will be held June 3-6 in Philadelphia. Register now.
- Genetic Technologies for All Classrooms (GTAC): GTAC is a five-day national professional development academy at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology that prepares science educators to address high school level genetics, genomics, and biotech content such as cancer and clinical genomics, common complex disease, and agricultural genomics. The 2019 GTAC: National will be held July 22-26. Register now.
- 36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival: 36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival brings together the best innovators and difference-makers for two days of networking, programming, and entertainment on the latest in technology and entrepreneurship. By design, 36|86 is a launching point to greater things for you and your business. Join us in downtown Nashville, Aug. 28-29, and make your next move. Get your ticket today.
| |
|
Save Money with LST One of LST's most popular member benefits is our BIO Business Solutions program offering valuable cost savings and purchasing discounts from more than two dozen industry-leading vendors like VWR and Office Depot.
Are you a member but not using these savings? Contact LST staff to learn how you can take advantage of the program.
Not a member but want to start saving money? Become a member today!
| |
LST News
Vanderbilt researchers say they’re one step closer to building a brain in a dish. Creating 3D models of human organs like the brain is the goal of Leon Bellan, Assistant Professor of Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering, and Ethan Lippmann, Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. They say having a 3D model that mimics the body’s vasculature would help propel the future of drug testing and disease research.
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s Medicare cuts to 340B hospitals, saying the new rates aren’t lawful for 2018 and 2019. However, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras did not grant hospitals permanent injunction against the cuts that they wanted. Instead, he ordered the department to take a “first crack” at a remedial measure with a status update due August 5.
Venture capital dollars are flooding into biotech, totaling $8.5 billion in 2017 alone. Biotech’s boom has given rise to disparate funding and investment models within the venture capital world, and those nuances have an outsized impact on exactly what kinds of scientific advancements will progress, what kinds will flounder and how fast any potential treatments can come to market.
What patients want: FDA lists top preference-sensitive areas for medical device development
The FDA is polling the industry and the public for ideas on where the agency should focus when it comes to addressing patient preferences for medical devices, to help build out its new list of priorities that could impact the structure of premarket clinical studies, risk-benefit assessments and post-market reviews. Awareness of patient preferences can also be applied in the design of the device itself, of course, and the FDA hopes to identify the key areas where deeper knowledge would have the largest impacts—such as in how patients may value the benefits and risks of a certain technology or treatment differently from healthcare professionals and caregivers.
| |
If you have company news or events to share with us, please send to:
| |
|
|
|
|
