September 1, 2026

Rockville, Md.—The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) today announced Dr. Stefanie Trop as the Vice President of Economic Competitiveness, a newly created role focused on expanding the organization’s research and business intelligence capabilities. In this role, Dr. Trop will serve as a key member of the MCEDC leadership team and lead the collection, analysis, and interpretation of economic and market data to generate actionable insights and forward-looking indicators, ensuring MCEDC can anticipate challenges, identify growth opportunities, and align strategies with evolving business and workforce needs.

Dr. Trop joins MCEDC from the Maryland Department of Commerce, where she served as Director of Life Sciences, having worked with companies, universities, government partners, and investors to strengthen Maryland’s life sciences ecosystem. Her achievements include leading the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board, co-founding the Maryland MedTech Summit, and leading the Maryland delegation at major industry events. During her tenure, the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, DC, Virginia) achieved and retained the #3 Biopharma hub ranking for three years.

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation is hosting a morning event on September 8 focused on how local employers are winning the competition for skilled workers. Held during Workforce Development Month at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, the program runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon and opens with networking and light refreshments before the main session at 10:00. Dr. Anne Khademian, Executive Director of The Universities at Shady Grove, moderates, with welcome remarks from MCEDC President and CEO Jared Smith and an opening from Anthony Featherstone of WorkSource Montgomery.

The panel brings together talent and workforce leaders from Lockheed Martin, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Thales Defense & Security, TrilliumBIO, and Montgomery College to talk about building pipelines through university and workforce partnerships, the regional trends shaping expansion decisions, and the economic development incentives available to companies hiring here. It's aimed at founders, executives, investors, and business leaders weighing where to grow. The event is complimentary, but seating is limited and registration is required.

The BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference returns September 17, bringing together companies seeking capital, visibility and strategic partners with investors looking for promising biohealth opportunities.

The partnering portal IS OPEN! In, giving registered companies and investors the opportunity to review profiles and begin making connections before the conference. If you have not registered yet, now is the time. Just as important, make sure your profile is complete so others can find you and understand what you are looking for.

Companies with stronger profiles will be better positioned for investor visibility, and investors will have more information to identify companies that fit their interests. If you want to take part in the partnering process, register and complete your profile before the portal opens.

LEIDEN, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bruker Corporation (Nasdaq: BRKR) today announced a majority investment in MIMETAS B.V., a developer of organ-on-a-chip platforms and advanced human tissue and disease models for drug discovery and development. The investment expands Bruker’s post-genomic solutions for disease biology research, as well as for drug discovery and development into Microphysiological Systems(MPS), also referred to as New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), and based on human physiology-relevant model systems.

In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Matt Adams, Chief Executive Officer of BrainScope, joins the conversation to discuss how the Rockville-based company is working to bring objective brain function measurement into real-world clinical care.



Matt shares how BrainScope is using EEG-based technology and artificial intelligence to help decode brain electrical activity and provide clinicians, patients, and care teams with simple, actionable information. He explains why objective data is especially important in brain health, where many assessments can still be subjective, difficult to scale, or dependent on more expensive infrastructure.

Listen via your favorite podcast platform:

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The 2026 Crab Trap Competition received a record 82 applications, the largest applicant pool in the competition’s history. The review committee is now evaluating the submissions and will select the five companies invited to pitch live during BioHealth Capital Region Week. Finalists will be announced this week.

The competition takes place September 16 during the BioHealth Capital Region Forum, giving attendees a chance to see some of the strongest emerging biohealth companies from this year’s applicant pool compete in front of investors, judges, industry leaders, and the regional community.

Crab Trap is just one part of two days of programming at the Forum, which will bring together leaders from across biotech, biopharma, medtech, academia, investment, government, and economic development to discuss the issues shaping the future of the BioHealth Capital Region. Registration for the Forum is free thanks to the support of our sponsors.

The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research will host its 2026 Technology Showcase on Wednesday, September 9, at the Advanced Technology Research Facility in Frederick, Maryland. The event brings together researchers, industry leaders, investors, and technology transfer professionals for an afternoon focused on innovation, commercialization, and collaboration. The program begins with networking, lunch, and one-on-one partnering, followed by a keynote address from Jeff Allen, Ph.D., President and CEO of Friends of Cancer Research.


Attendees will hear presentations highlighting research capabilities and technologies available through Frederick National Laboratory and the National Cancer Institute, along with funder pitches from organizations including Ecphora Capital, TEDCO, and Blood Cancer United. The agenda also features panels on best practices for partnering with NCI and FNL and strategies for moving technologies efficiently through FDA review, as well as presentations showcasing FNL research tools, software, and NCI technologies.

COLUMBIA, Md., (Aug. 25, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $750,000 dual investment in Astek Diagnostics. This investment came from both TEDCO’s Seed Funds, which back early-stage companies as they build toward becoming venture-fundable, and the Life Science Investment Fund, which supports milestone-based progress for Maryland life science companies. The funding will support continued development and validation of the company’s rapid diagnostic technology as it works toward regulatory clearance.

"Five years ago, TEDCO funded an idea for what sounded like a science fiction machine. This fall, that machine goes into its first clinical placement," said Mustafa Al-Adhami, CEO of Astek Diagnostics. "When I first pitched TEDCO, I said first step into success would be treating a single patient based on Jiddu's recommendation — and this fall, with this investment, we get there. In addition to financial support, we have utilized the SBIR Lab, Loaned Executive, and the Entrepreneur Expo and other programs. We are excited to be able to accelerate the program toward FDA clinical trials.”

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 12th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Week, September 15–17, 2026, at US Pharmacopeia in Rockville, Maryland.

Sponsors help keep BHCR Week free to attend while gaining visibility with biohealth leaders, investors, emerging companies, academic institutions, government partners, and regional collaborators across the BioHealth Capital Region Forum, Crab Trap Competition, and Investment Conference.

Sponsorship also provides access to one of the most valuable parts of the week: the VIP Leadership Dinner. This smaller, invite-only gathering brings together senior executives, investors, speakers, public-sector leaders, university partners, and key opinion leaders in a more focused setting than the daytime program. For sponsors, it is an opportunity to build relationships, have higher-value conversations, and connect directly with people who are helping shape the future of the BioHealth Capital Region.

BHCR Week sponsors are recognized across event materials, signage, the registration site, and BHI communications, providing visibility before and during the event. Sponsorship is a strong way to support regional collaboration while positioning your organization in front of the companies, investors, researchers, and partners driving biohealth growth.

To learn more, contact Rich Bendis at rbendis@biohealthinnovation.org and Andy Eckert at aeckert@biohealthinnovation.org.

Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures brought in nearly $100 million in fiscal 2026, with $65 million of that coming from licensing. Two products carried most of the weight. Pylarify, now the market leader in PET imaging for prostate cancer, and Voranigo, the first effective new drug for low-grade gliomas in three decades. Both trace back to Hopkins labs, one to a radiology professor's 25 years of work and the other to Bert Vogelstein's team mapping the mutated IDH gene in 2008.

The rest of the portfolio is deep. JHTV counts 142 active startups, 3,500 active patents, 98 corporate research partnerships, and 17 new companies launched last year. Startups raised $151 million in venture capital, and 77 percent of it stayed in Baltimore. Also worth watching, the Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship fielded more than 1,000 applications for its programs.

What's coming next looks just as varied. Muyinatu Bell's ultrasound technology can tell fluid-filled cysts from solid breast masses with near-perfect accuracy, which would spare patients unnecessary biopsies. Natalia Trayanova's team builds digital replicas of individual hearts so doctors can test arrhythmia procedures on the virtual version first. And Michael Tsapatsis discovered a chemical process that could push microchip circuits below the current 10-nanometer standard. As executive director Christy Wyskiel put it in the report, the returns are not only financial.

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Protaryx Medical, an innovative medical device company developing differentiated access solutions for minimally invasive left-heart procedures, today announced the successful completion of the first U.S. commercial cases using its FDA-cleared Protaryx Transseptal Puncture Device.

The procedures were performed at UC Davis Health in Sacramento, California, by interventional cardiologist Gagan D. Singh, M.D. The first two commercial cases were performed during left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) procedures and successfully achieved transseptal crossing on the first attempt.

The milestone marks the beginning of U.S. commercial use of the Protaryx Transseptal Puncture Device following FDA 510(k) clearance earlier this year.

IonQ and the Association of University Research Parks are hosting an invite-only reception on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at GrillMarx in College Park, Maryland, located in the lobby of The Hotel at 7777 Baltimore Avenue. The evening runs alongside Quantum World Congress but stands on its own. Conference registration is not required, so anyone in the research park, innovation district, or quantum technology community can attend. Doors open at 6:00 PM with check-in, followed by two hours of open networking.

The reception marks the launch of the AURP Quantum Tech Caucus, a new community for AURP members working inside quantum research hubs and across quantum and adjacent technologies throughout North America. The caucus gives research parks a shared forum as quantum moves from lab work toward commercial deployment, and the reception is the first chance for members to meet in person. Space is limited and attendance is by invitation.

TEDCO’s 12th Entrepreneur Expo will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, universities, and resource partners from across Maryland on October 27, 2026, at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor.

The full-day event will feature workshops, roundtable discussions, keynote conversations, live pitches, networking, and an exhibitor showcase. Sessions will focus on practical topics such as fundraising, investor expectations, startup financials, AI, leadership, and building a business in Maryland.

With more than 1,100 attendees at last year’s Expo, the event has become one of the state’s largest gatherings for the entrepreneurial and innovation community, offering attendees a chance to make new connections, discover resources, and hear directly from founders, investors, and business leaders.

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - AstraZeneca’s planned move into Albemarle County is expected to bring billions of dollars in investment and hundreds of new jobs.

CvilleBioHub is working to prepare potential employees for those jobs before AstraZeneca opens its doors.

Nikki Hastings, president of CvilleBioHub, said her organization is in conversations with AstraZeneca about its plans.

“We’re in conversations, aware of what AstraZeneca is looking to do and how they plan to grow here,” Hastings said.

Hastings said those conversations are helping her team understand the skills AstraZeneca and other companies will need as the industry expands.

According to CvilleBioHub, the bioscience industry now supports about 2,100 jobs across more than 250 establishments. CvilleBioHub says industrial bioscience jobs pay an average of about $121,000 a year.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: NVAX) partners have received approvals for the Nuvaxovid™ formulation to target the SARS-CoV-2 XFG variant for the 2026-2027 vaccination season in major markets including the U.S., European Union (EU) and Japan. These approvals position Novavax to continue earning royalties on net sales in these markets this season.

"We believe our partners Sanofi and Takeda are well-positioned for this commercial season. Sanofi has an expanded U.S. marketing campaign and launches in additional international markets, and under Takeda's leadership, Nuvaxovid^® has become the second-leading COVID-19 vaccine in one of the world's largest healthcare markets," said John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax. "With these approvals, Novavax is eligible for continued royalties on partner sales without carrying commercial infrastructure of our own, a testament to the value creation of our business model."



COVID-19 continues to present a meaningful public health challenge, particularly among older adults and other high-risk populations. Novavax is committed to working with its partners to ensure a protein-based, non-mRNA vaccine option is available for the fall season. Results from Sanofi's Phase 4 COMPARE study – a large head-to-head evaluation of Nuvaxovid and a next-generation mRNA COVID-19 vaccine – demonstrated Nuvaxovid's favorable tolerability profile, an important consideration for healthcare providers and patients when making informed vaccine choices. 

ASHBURN, Va., Aug. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: QNRX) (“Quoin” or the “Company”), a late clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on rare and orphan diseases, today announced positive interim results from CL-QRX003-004, its ongoing Phase 2/3 study of QRX003 4% lotion in patients with Netherton Syndrome.


Summary of CL-QRX003-004 Interim Results in Netherton Syndrome

• The primary endpoint of 1-grade improvement or greater for IGA on all of the treatment area met the pre-specified alpha-adjustment for interim analysis with statistical significance (p= 0.0087 vs. α=0.0215.) Four of six (66.7%) participants achieved the target 1-grade or greater improvement across all of the treatment area in Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) from baseline at Week 12, or 66.67% (95% CI: 22.28%, 95.67%), p=0.0087 against a pre-specified alpha of 0.0215.
• Two of those four (50%) participants achieved a 2-grade or greater IGA improvement across all of the treatment area.