Company News

ReAlta Life Sciences (“ReAlta”), Inc., a company addressing life-threatening diseases through harnessing the power of the immune system, today announced that it has received a no objection letter (NOL) from Health Canada to an Amendment of the Company’s Phase 1 clinical trial of RLS-0071 in healthy volunteers. The study design has been modified to add …

A longtime pediatric anesthesiologist at Children’s National Hospital, Dr. Julia Finkel has long wanted a more objective way to measure how much pain patients are feeling. “For pain, we do it very empirically,” Dr. Finkel said. “The patient says they hurt, we give them a drug. They either feel better or they don’t…It’s done in …

Landos Biopharma, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of therapeutics for patients with autoimmune diseases, and LianBio, a biotechnology company dedicated to bringing paradigm-shifting medicines to patients in China and other major Asian markets, today announced an exclusive collaboration and license agreement for the development and commercialization of omilancor and NX-13 …

Landos Biopharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of therapeutics for patients with autoimmune diseases, announced that the Company has dosed the first patient in a Phase 2 study of omilancor, Landos’ novel, orally administered, gut-restricted LANCL2 agonist, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease (CD). “We are extremely proud of …

BIO-CAT, Inc., a biotechnology company that specializes in enzymes and other advanced microbial solutions, plans to add at least 30,000 square feet to its fermentation facilities in Zion Crossroads. The expansion is projected to start in 2022. The company will add several new jobs and is considering building another 30,000-square-foot section in a second phase. …

Contraline, Inc., a venture-backed medical device company devoted to providing men and couples with long-lasting, safe, and effective male contraception, has appointed medical device industry executive Martin Emerson to its Board of Directors.

AMPAC Fine Chemicals announced a $25 million expansion of its operations that is expected to add more than 150 new jobs. The California-based company is a top U.S. manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The plant in Petersburg previously was owned by Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals Inc., which closed it in 2014, but AMPAC reopened the site …

ivWatch, LLC has been awarded a group purchasing agreement for Patient Safety Solutions with Premier, Inc. to provide more than 4,000 Premier member hospitals with greater access to the only continuous peripheral IV (PIV) site monitoring technology available in the market. The three-year agreement underscores the importance of detecting IV infiltration and extravasation events early …

Aditxt (Aditx Therapeutics, Inc.) a biotech innovation company focused on improving the health of the immune system, announced plans to build a high-capacity AditxtScore™ Center in the Virginia Bio+Tech Park in Richmond, VA in the second half of 2021.

RIVANNA®, developers of world-first, imaging-based medical solutions, announced they have entered into a partnership with Tri-anim Health Services, a specialty distributor of respiratory, anesthesia, and critical-care supplies, to represent and distribute the Accuro® portfolio of products in the United States.

Aditxt (Aditx Therapeutics, Inc.) a biotech innovation company focused on improving the health of the immune system, announced plans to build a high-capacity AditxtScore™ Center in the Virginia Bio+Tech Park in Richmond, VA in the second half of 2021. Aditxt is targeting a capital investment of $31.5 million over three years to scale up its …

RIVANNA®, developers of world-first, imaging-based medical solutions, announced they have entered into a partnership with Tri-anim Health Services, a specialty distributor of respiratory, anesthesia, and critical-care supplies, to represent and distribute the Accuro® portfolio of products in the United States. RIVANNA announced a partnership with Tri-anim Health Services Tri-anim is a natural distribution choice for …

AlgometRx Inc., a Children’s National spinout company developing a handheld device to objectively measure pain by pupillary response, will relocate to Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ Washington, DC on the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus.

ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc., announced that the Company has successfully closed a Series A3 financing of $20 million. The financing was led by Marathon Pharma, with support from existing Series A investors and new, undisclosed investors.

The first cohort of the Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) will arrive at Old Dominion University this summer on their path to make a lasting impact in the field of biomedical research. G-RISE is designed increase the diversity of biomedical researchers by attracting underrepresented students from minority, military, socioeconomically disadvantaged and disability …

The Dominion Energy Innovation Center (“DEIC”) announced the eight startups that will make up the 2021 DEIC Accelerate cohort running from late May into September. “Clean energy products and technologies will benefit our communities and fast-track our endeavors to produce sustainable, green solutions,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Mark Webb. “DEIC’s Accelerate …

Office Space Available: Do you need a small office for your life science or advanced tech startup? The VA Bio+Tech Park in downtown Richmond has two offices available to fit 1-2 people. Find out more here or contact Heather.Allen@vabiotech.com. Shared Lab Space Available: Do you need to run a test but don’t have a dedicated lab? The VA …

Ceres Nanosciences announced it has been awarded an $8.2 million contract from the National Institutes of Health’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Initiative. The funding will support the development and implementation of wastewater-based surveillance systems for COVID-19. Manassas, Virginia-based Ceres plans to develop surveillance systems using its Nanotrap particle technology at a network of sites, with …

The Greater Richmond Partnership (“GRP”), the lead regional economic development organization serving the City of Richmond and counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico in Virginia, announces that Mitchel Allen-Rivera is the new Executive Vice President of Business Development. “I am thrilled to welcome Mitchel to Greater Richmond to lead business development,” said Jennifer Wakefield, President …

Case Western Reserve University and Atelerix Life Sciences Inc., a Charlottesville, Virginia-based biotechnology company, have signed a two-year option to license a novel family of small molecules called Active Thiol-Based Compounds (ATBC’s) to prevent or reverse life-threatening opioid-related side effects. The lead compound, ATLX–0199 (also called sudaxine), will be first targeted at opioid-induced respiratory depression …

HemoShear Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held clinical stage biotechnology company, has identified a second drug target for the treatment of gout under its collaboration with Horizon Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: HZNP) that was established in January 2019. Leveraging its proprietary REVEAL-TxTM disease modeling platform, HemoShear has earned two milestone payments to date in accordance with the …

Governor Ralph Northam announced that startup company Sunny Farms, LLC will invest $59.6 million to establish a state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse for production, workforce development, and research in the City of Virginia Beach. The company’s location at Taylor Farms will also house One Matters Inc., a new 501(c)(3), not-for-profit entity that will offer workforce development opportunities …

Grenova Inc., a Virginia-based sustainable biotech firm that designs, develops, and manufactures devices that wash and sterilize contaminated pipette tips for reuse, will invest $10.6 million to expand in the City of Richmond. The company will relocate its operations from Manchester to a larger facility in Scott’s Addition and increase capacity with new production lines …

SWARM Engineering, Inc, the next generation of cognitive software for the food supply chain, announced it has closed funding for a $2.7 million seed round. SWARM Engineering is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform specifically for the food supply chain, rapidly solving complex problems such as supply & demand forecasting, optimizing inbound and outbound logistics, or maximizing …