The Maryland Biotechnology Center, the State of Maryland's portal to programs and resources intended to grow and strengthen the state's bioscience community, has awarded $270,000 through the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program to six biotechnology companies to their product development projects .
MIPS teams Maryland companies with faculty from the University System of Maryland to help the companies develop high technology, biotechnology, or technology-related agricultural products. Companies provide matching funds to help pay for the projects. All funding goes to participating faculty.
The Center recently signed off on initial funding for three projects. Each was in the second year of a two-year (phase 2) project. Three additional first-year projects were also made possible by freeing up MIPS funds to support them.
"As Maryland's resource center for growing and strengthening the state's bioscience community, one of the Maryland Biotechnology Center's charters outlined by Governor Martin O'Malley in his 2009 BioMaryland 2020 strategic plan is to provide funding to assist companies with late-stage commercialization objectives," says Judy Britz, the Center's executive director. "MIPS has a proven process for evaluating viable research projects and a strong history of successfully helping biotechnology companies develop commercial products, so by supporting MIPS, we are fulfilling part of our charter and are boosting key contributors to the growth of the state's bioscience cluster."
The phase 2 projects that the Center will directly support include Rockville-based Aparna Biosciences Corporation that has teamed with A. James Mixson, associate professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore to develop therapeutics to treat a variety of fungal infections; Encore Path Inc., based in Baltimore has, and Appa Anjanappa, professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who are developing a new rehabilitative TREADTRAC Device to enable stroke patients to regain walking skills; and another Rockville-based company, VectorLogics Inc. and Vikram Vakharia, professor, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, who are working on a treatment for the hepatitis C virus that uses viral vectors to deliver therapeutic proteins.
MIPS was able to support three additional projects thanks to the Center funding, including, Rockville-based Celek Pharmaceuticals LLC and Susan Keay, professor, University of Baltimore, to evaluate the efficacy of a novel therapeutic for interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, a chronic and debilitating bladder disorder; Cellphire Inc., also in Rockville that has teamed with the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute MDBioproSM (GMP Biomanufacturing Program) to establish a quality system and manufacturing processes for the current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) production of the company's freeze-dried platelet products for both diagnostic and therapeutic indications; and College Park's Zymetis Inc. that is working with Robert M. Briber, professor, University of Maryland, College Park, in the development of low-cost solvent systems to reduce the crystallinity of native cellulose, reducing the need for enzymes in biomass digestion for the production of ethanol and other biofuels.
"MIPS has helped three of the most successful biotechnology companies in Maryland�MedImmune [part of AstraZeneca], Martek Biosciences, and Digene Corporation [now part of Qiagen]�develop products," says MIPS director Martha Connolly. "These companies have generated thousands of jobs, brought in millions in revenue and contributed tax dollars to the economy. The Maryland Biotechnology Center funding allows us to bolster what could be the leading biotechnology companies of tomorrow."
The Maryland Biotechnology Center contract with MIPS is for one year.
Source: The Maryland Biotechnology Center
Writer: Walaika Haskins