April 14, 2026

THRiVE 2026 is bringing Virginia’s life sciences community together on April 30 in Richmond for a full day of conversation around innovation, investment, workforce, and growth across the bioscience sector. Hosted by Virginia Bio, the event will feature leaders from industry, government, research, and entrepreneurship, with sessions focused on startup momentum, funding in life sciences, workforce strategy, and the infrastructure needed to support long-term success.

With an opening reception on April 29 and a program designed to connect founders, executives, investors, and ecosystem partners, THRiVE 2026 is shaping up to be one of the state’s key gatherings for people working across biotech and health innovation. For anyone interested in where Virginia’s bioscience ecosystem is headed next, this is an event worth watching.

John Newby is the CEO of Virginia Bio, the nonprofit statewide trade association that serves and promotes the life sciences industry in Virginia. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Newby about recent major life sciences announcements in Virginia, the Commonwealth’s momentum in the biopharma manufacturing industry, and decisions and investments that led to Virginia’s biopharma success.

Jason El Koubi: We have had a lot going on in Virginia.

John Newby: In a good way, right?

El Koubi: In a great way. There’s so much happening in the life sciences. When I think about my 20-year career in economic development in different places, I have to say that last year is right up there with the most remarkable economic development stories in America right now. It’s a huge Virginia story. We had three major wins in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing. You were a huge part of making Virginia ready for this kind of opportunity.

Newby: As you know, this was an overnight success that took 20 years.

El Koubi: Exactly. Like so many. Can you give us the background on Virginia Bio — the mission, activities, what you’re working on?

By Kelly Murphy, BHI Life Sciences Business Strategist and Program Manager

At BioHealth Innovation, we have worked with hundreds of early-stage biohealth founders preparing for investor meetings, and increasingly, we are seeing AI tools enter the preparation process. When used well, AI can function like a “first-pass analyst” to quickly stress-test your narrative, identify gaps, and to help translate complex science into investor-friendly language. But while AI can accelerate early feedback cycles, it is not a substitute for deep domain expertise, investor insight, or strategic judgement that can be provided by experienced entrepreneurs and analysts. Knowing where it adds value and where it falls short is what separates founders who use it effectively from those who are lulled into a false sense of readiness.

TEDCO-backed JuneBrain, an early-stage medical technology company that makes portable, AI-driven retinal imaging headsets, has received a joint investment from The New Orleans BioFund and Gulf South Angels to accelerate its expansion into Louisiana and deepen clinical partnerships. Terms of the financing were not disclosed.

According to the New Orleans BioFund, the capital will help the Baltimore-based JuneBrain scale its optical coherence tomography (OCT) platform for remote monitoring of neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and build collaborations with regional health systems and universities.

Emerging Technology Centers (ETC) Baltimore, an initiative of the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), invested in JuneBrain in February. TEDCO invested $250,000 in the company last October, with the contribution coming from the Maryland state agency’s Social Impact Funds.

COLUMBIA, Md. and BALTIMORE, Md. – April 9, 2026 – Welldoc®, a leader in AI-powered cardiometabolic health solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with b.well Connected Health, whose health data management platform powers the nation’s largest consumer-mediated health data network, connecting nearly 2.4 million providers and 350 health plans. Through this partnership, Welldoc gains access to patient-authorized health data at an unprecedented scale, enabling more complete, personalized insights across the care journey.  

Through the collaboration, users will be able to authorize Welldoc to access their health information through b.well’s national health data network. b.well leverages a 13-step data refinery process that normalizes and de-duplicates fragmented data into a clean, longitudinal health record. This data further strengthens the experience within the Welldoc app, fueling AI-powered personalized insights and data-driven clinical decision support for patients living with complex conditions, like diabetes and obesity.

SILVER SPRING, Md. & RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- United Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: UTHR), a public benefit corporation, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation to the company’s investigational miroliverELAP®, an external liver assist product.

Developed by Miromatrix Medical Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of United Therapeutics, miroliverELAP consists of an external blood circuit and a single-use bioengineered liver sustained outside of the human body to provide temporary liver support to ALF patients. The bioengineered liver is manufactured by seeding a decellularized porcine liver scaffold with allogeneic human endothelial cells and human liver cells isolated from donated human livers. The donated human livers are not suitable for transplantation and are provided by organ procurement organizations.

In January, United Therapeutics announced positive results from its phase 1 study of...

The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer reauthorization has now been signed into law, extending both programs through FY2031. That gives startups, research-driven small businesses, and commercialization partners renewed certainty around one of the federal government’s most important sources of early-stage non-dilutive funding.

For the biotech, pharma, and life sciences industries, that matters because SBIR and STTR awards often help companies move promising science from the lab toward proof of concept, validation, and commercial readiness. The new law also reinforces the long-term role these programs play in supporting critical technologies, strengthening U.S. competitiveness, and helping emerging companies continue advancing diagnostics, therapeutics, platform technologies, and other health-related innovations.

Samsung Biologics (207940.KS) has appointed a chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) specialist to head its U.S. subsidiary. The move is seen as targeting process optimization and capacity expansion at the recently acquired U.S. production facility. The appointment is expected to accelerate plans to expand the current 60,000-liter Rockville plant to up to 100,000 liters.

According to industry sources on Thursday, Samsung Biologics recently named Senior Vice President Jin Yong-hwan, who had been heading the C-T/F division, as the new CEO of Samsung Biologics America. Jin moved from his previous role overseeing MSAT operations in the fourth quarter of last year, a preemptive step interpreted as preparation for his U.S. assignment.

As geopolitics bring reshoring interest to a fever pitch, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is adding to the impetus for local drug production with a warning that homes in on the pharmaceutical building blocks known as key starting materials. 

In its new supply chain vulnerabilities update (PDF), USP, a nonprofit that helps set quality standards for medicines, highlighted 100 acute and chronic medications that, while not necessarily all in current shortage, are at risk of supply gaps and other disruptions. This is due to bottlenecks in their production chains, especially in the upstream phase focused on activities like sourcing raw materials, according to USP. 

Looking at the broad trends, some 30% of the drugs on USP’s updated list are currently in shortage, per the U.S. FDA. Many of the therapeutics that have made it into the lineup are deemed essential by the World Health Organization or FDA, including multiple hospital drugs, chemotherapies, steroids and anesthetics, as well as drugs for chronic conditions like ADHD, diabetes and cardiac diseases, among many others.

COLLEGE PARK, MD, 9th April 2026 — IQM Quantum Computers, a global leader in superconducting quantum computing, and the Capital of Quantum (CoQ) announced today the establishment of IQM’s first U.S. Quantum Technology Center in Discovery District Maryland.

This strategic expansion strengthens IQM’s presence in one of the world’s most important quantum ecosystems and furthers the company’s global leadership in the quantum computing industry.

IQM’s new Quantum Technology Center highlights the company’s continued commitment to drive quantum education and research and collaborate with High-Performance Computing (HPC) service providers. By locating in the University of Maryland’s Discovery District, IQM is positioning itself closer to the federal research community, which includes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NASA Goddard, and the...

Register now for Georgetown University’s Research & Innovation Showcase on April 22, 2026. This year’s theme, Partnerships Power Possibilities, highlights how collaboration turns research into real-world impact.

Hosted by the Office of Technology Commercialization with the Office of Advancement and Georgetown Entrepreneurship, the event features a day of learning, networking, and recognition, including a panel, reverse pitch, awards, and a New Venture Showcase.

The afternoon showcase will feature startups backed by Georgetown research, students, and alumni, with a focus on sustainability, health equity, and artificial intelligence. Building on Georgetown breakthroughs such as the whole-body CT scanner, Allegra, and Gardasil, this year’s research points to the next generation of solutions.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lohrfink Auditorium in the Rafik B. Hariri Building on Georgetown’s campus. Read more about the showcase and agenda here.

AURP Brings Industry Leaders to Manassas for Immersive Innovation Experience

The Association of University Research Parks (AURP) will host its Insights Into Research Parks program in Manassas, Virginia, on April 22–23, 2026, offering a hands-on look at the innovation ecosystem anchored by George Mason University.

This two-day experience is designed for thought leaders, economic developers, research park professionals, and university and industry partners seeking practical insight into how research-driven communities grow and succeed. Attendees will explore the infrastructure, partnerships, and culture that support research, commercialization, and regional economic development.

Participants will gain direct exposure to the Innovation District surrounding George Mason University’s Science...

USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia) is pleased to host an upcoming public event, Advancing U.S. Health Security: Scaling Innovative Solutions for Medicines Supply Chain Resiliency, where we will evaluate levers and scalable, innovative solutions that build a more resilient pharmaceutical supply chain.

Building on USP’s recent launch of the USP Resiliency Center, where we grounded our understanding of the U.S. medicine supply chain in end-to-end data and visibility, our speakers and panelists will discuss next steps to solve challenges and scale solutions for U.S. medicine supply chain resiliency.

The event will be hosted in-person at USP’s Rockville office, with the option to attend virtually as well. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

Join USP and the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare on May 6, 2026, for the USP-EDQM Stakeholder Forum, a hybrid event from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT that will bring together stakeholders from industry, regulatory authorities, academia, and related sectors for discussion on high-impact topics shaping medicine quality worldwide.

The forum will spotlight insights and outcomes from USP-EDQM collaboration, including global efforts toward harmonization and shared quality goals, while creating space for meaningful dialogue across the stakeholder community. Complimentary registration is available for both in-person attendance at USP Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, and virtual participation.

FREDERICK, MD., April 8, 2026 — RoosterBio, Inc., a leading supplier of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSCs), highly engineered bioprocess media, and advanced therapy manufacturing solutions for hMSCs and exosomes, today announced an exclusive distributor partnership with MineBio Life Sciences Limited (MineBio), a trusted partner to China’s biopharmaceutical and advanced therapy community. Under the agreement, MineBio will distribute RoosterBio’s full platform of research-grade and CliniControl™ cGMP-grade MSC and exosome bioprocessing media throughout China. Critically, MineBio has already secured import approval for RoosterBio’s research use only and cGMP CliniControl™ MSC and exosome bioprocessing media platform, enabling orders to be fulfilled without delay.

Join us at the Beltway Infectious Diseases Innovation Showcase for a day packed with groundbreaking research and networking opportunities!

Join the Johns Hopkins Center for Innovative Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases for its inaugural Innovation Showcase, highlighting the latest advancements in point-of-care technologies for infectious disease diagnostics.

This event brings together innovators, investors, and industry leaders to explore cutting-edge solutions, connect with experts, and learn about emerging funding opportunities.

Whether you are a tech enthusiast, a student, or a professional in the industry, this event is perfect for you.