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Weekly Newsletter

March 19th, 2025

Upcoming SoCalBio Events

SOCALBIO Networking Mixer in Irvine

Thursday, March 27 · 4 - 7 pm PST

@ UCI


Join us for an evening of networking! Connect with professionals from Orange County’s biotech, medtech, and digital health sectors while enjoying great food and drinks. Learn how SoCalBio can support your company and discover cost-saving opportunities through our Group Purchasing Program. Enjoy great food, drinks, and valuable conversations with industry peers!

Register now!
Register now!

SOCALBIO Networking Mixer in Pasadena

Thursday, April 17 · 4 - 7 pm PST

@ Pasadena Bio Collaborative


Join us for an evening of networking! Connect with professionals from Pasandena's biotech, medtech, and digital health sectors while enjoying great food and drinks.

The Pasadena Bio Collaborative Incubator is a non-profit organization created to support the growing number of life science start-ups in the Los Angeles area. 

News Updates

These 10 biotech companies are changing how we discover new drugs and treat complex diseases | Fast Company

The 10 most innovative biotech companies of 2025 are leveraging AI to find new drugs, match patients with the best treatments, and even support biodiversity research.


Why these 10 medical device makers are the most innovative in the world | Fast Company

Whether improving cardio care or reducing surgery recovery time, these medical device companies stand out.


How biotechs are using AI to rescue failed drugs | LABiotech

Despite the time and money invested by biotech and pharma companies in the drug development process, statistics show that 90% of drugs fail in clinical trials.


European VC shop Sofinnova closes €165M biotech acceleration fund with support from Amgen, BMS and Pfizer Ventures | Fierce Biotech

Japan's Ono Pharmaceutical is handing over $280 million upfront to acquire Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ phase 2-stage antisense oligonucleotide for a rare type of blood cancer.


A cell pulls off one of the 'Holy Grails' of biotechnology | NPR

A group of researchers has won a large science prize for a discovery not quite two decades in the making.


Insulet expands Omnipod 5 to more countries, prices $450M offering | MassDevice

Insulet today announced that it’s bringing its automated insulin delivery technology to a range of new geographies.


AstraZeneca adds ‘in vivo’ cell therapy capabilities with EsoBiotech deal | BioPharmaDive

The British drugmaker is paying up to $1 billion to buy the Belgian startup, whose technology it sees as useful in treating cancer as well as autoimmune conditions.


Big pharma fears best-selling drugs in crosshairs of US-EU tariff spat | Reuters

Drugmakers are urging the Trump administration and European Union officials to exclude medical goods from expanding tariff wars, hoping to avert price spikes on top-selling medicines made in Europe from Novo Nordisk's Wegovy for weight loss to Merck's cancer immunotherapy Keytruda.


Tariff uncertainty sparks manufacturing anxiety, especially among small firms | MedTechDive

Shifting foreign suppliers could become more difficult as the Trump administration continues to enact new widespread tariff policies.

Applications Now Open for the 2025 SoCalBio Annual Investor Conference!


Showcase your company to a network of angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry leaders at the 2025 SoCalBio Annual Investor Conference. In 2024, we had over 20 investors and over 200 one-on-one meetings scheduled.


Applicants will undergo a screening process with our Innovation Catalysts Committee. Selected companies will receive complimentary admission to the conference to present, as well as early registration for 1:1 networking meetings with investors.



Apply to today!

Join us in supporting the next generation of innovators.


The SoCalBio STEM College Bound Support Initiative (CBSI) team is excited to announce that applications for our 2025 program are now open. For over 20 years, SoCalBio's CBSI initiative has supported high school STEM education statewide by providing financial awards based on scientific proposals submitted to the California Science Fair.

 

By donating to our program, you can help fund awards, plaques, and certificates for the student winners and runners-up and their high schools. Your generous support will enable us to assist even more students in pursuing STEM education.

Donate Online

Patient advocates urge PPRV renewal

The Pediatric Priority Review Voucher (PPRV) Program to encourage treatments for rare diseases must be reauthorized, said panelists during BIO’s March Patient Advocacy Coffee Chat.


What it is: Companies gaining approval for rare pediatric disease drugs can receive a voucher granting expedited review of another drug in the future; the voucher can also be sold to another company to fund research. Renewed with bipartisan backing since its initiation in 2012, the program sunset at the end of last year.


Why it matters: As many as 60 drugs have earned a voucher to date—the vast majority for rare pediatric diseases without treatment options before the program’s inception, Bio.News reports. And the program costs taxpayers nothing.


Why delayed reauthorization is bad: “It’s creating uncertainty. And this means that people aren’t getting resources, and then it means that children are going to have to wait longer to get important medicines,” said Duke University's Dr. David Ridley, who was instrumental in developing the program.


“Last year, the House passed unanimously a bill called the Give Kids a Chance Act,” which included PPRV reauthorization and other beneficial legislation, but it was dropped at the last minute from December’s spending package, said Jamie Sullivan of EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases.


“One thing that we can all agree on is the need to give our children a fighting chance,” BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley wrote to Congress. “This program will provide greater certainty to small biotech companies, but more importantly, hope to children and families living with rare diseases.”


Read more on Bio.News.

Special Saving on Lab Supplies

Become a member of SoCalBio and enjoy fantastic savings on lab supplies from Avantor's extensive catalog through SoCalBio's Group Purchasing.

Learn More!

SoCalBio's Partner Events

11th Annual

American Biomanufacturing Summit

April 15-16, 2025 - San Francisco, CA


The American Biomanufacturing Summit is taking place April 15-16, 2025, in San Francisco, CA. The summit brings together over 200 biopharma and biotech executive leaders for 2 days of sessions, workshops, and networking. 

With sessions led by top biotech executives, the agenda is designed to discuss current trends, strategic insights, and best practices in key topics like manufacturing, cell and gene therapy, capacity management, quality assurance, quality control, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, supply chain and logistics. Network with your fellow biopharma leaders as we explore strategies to maximize efficiency while remaining compliant within the biomanufacturing space.

Learn more
Learn more

MDMA 2025 Annual Meeting

April 30-May 2nd, 2025 - Washington, DC


We are proud to partner with Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) to support their upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting being held  April 30-May 2nd  in Washington, DC. SoCalBio members receive a discount on registration. Attendees at this year's conference will hear from Congressional, Federal Agency and industry leaders on current and upcoming issues impacting our industry. Attendees also have an opportunity to visit Capitol Hill and meet with our Congressional delegation during MDMA's popular Congressional Fly-In.

Email membership@socalbio.org to request a discount code.


LABEST Week 2025

UCLA Luskin Conference Center

Monday, May 19, 2025 to Thursday, May 22 2025


The UCLA Technology Development Group (UCLA TDG) is taking innovation to the next level by merging two premier events—the UCLA MedTech Conference and the LA Bioscience Ecosystem Summit (LABEST)—under the unified banner of LABEST Week. This strategic integration aims to foster deeper collaboration across biotech, MedTech, therapeutics, AI, andmore, engaging key stakeholders in the Los Angeles ecosystem.

Learn more

Local Highlights

Do you have a recent scientific breakthrough, investment milestone, or commitment you would like to share? We are always looking to share our member's stories Submit your stories to scbc@socalbio.org

Tandem Diabetes Care Announces NEJM Publication of Positive Pivotal Study Outcomes with Control-IQ+ AID Technology in Type 2 Diabetes


ChromaDex Evolves Into Niagen Bioscience, Marking a New Era of Uncovering the Potential of NAD+ With Precision Science


Ark Clinical Research at the Forefront of Advancing Non-Opioid Pain Research


Arthrosi Announces First Patient Dosed in Replicate Pivotal Phase 3 REDUCE 1 Trial of Lead Compound AR882


Neurocrine Biosciences Presents New KINECT®-HD Data Showing Significant Reduction in Chorea Across Body Regions With INGREZZA® (valbenazine) Capsules


Capricor Therapeutics Announces Positive Data Demonstrating Long-Term Efficacy of Deramiocel for the Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy


Circular Genomics Joins Lilly Gateway Labs in San Diego to Develop Its Best-In-Class Circular RNA Platform for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Alzheimer’s Disease


Travere Therapeutics Submits sNDA to FDA for Approval of FILSPARI® (sparsentan) for the Treatment of FSGS


Cidara Therapeutics Announces Publication of CD388 Preclinical Data in Nature Microbiology


Gemini Priming Attenuates Inflammation in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells


Palisade Bio Commences Dosing in First Ulcerative Colitis Patient Cohort in Ongoing Phase 1a/b Study of PALI-2108


Uplizna® (Inebilizumab-Cdon) Significantly Improves Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Symptoms In Acetylcholine Receptor Autoantibody-Positive Patients Over 52 Weeks


HSS Presents Innovative Research Aimed at Faster Recovery After Knee Surgery at AAOS Annual Meeting


ChromaDex Corp. Announces Name Change to Niagen Bioscience, Inc. and New Ticker Symbol “NAGE” Effective March 19, 2025

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