Life Sciences Advisory Board Update

Newsletter highlighting Maryland LSAB progress and accomplishments.

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On behalf of Governor Larry Hogan, and Secretary Mike Gill, with the Maryland Department of Commerce, thank you again for your dedication of time, talents, and willingness to serve on the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board (LSAB). This is the first edition of a monthly newsletter on updates and progress of the LSAB.

Maryland is “moving the needle” and implementing efforts to become one of the world’s premier life science ecosystems. Maryland has the innovation assets, proximity to the nation's most important federal agencies in healthcare and life sciences innovation, premier colleges and universities and the attitude to achieve preeminence.

Our first edition newsletter highlights our top initiatives from April 2017 - November 2017, therefore it will be a tad lengthier than future editions. The initiatives below are categories within the four key objectives that were outlined by the LSAB as priorities. As always, we hope for our newsletter to be interactive and future editions will incorporate technological opportunities to provide input, comments and connectedness among the LSAB members.

Please don’t hesitate to drop us a line, let us know what you think, and share ideas to innovate, excel and improve our efforts to make the LSAB not just an advisory board, but a marketplace for ideas. As Mike Gill says, this is now the “Life Sciences ACTION Board.”

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Bret Schreiber, Senior Director
Office of BioHealth and Life Sciences
Maryland Department of Commerce

WORKING GROUP 1 - LEVERAGE AND GROW CURRENT ASSET BASE AND ACCELERATE COMMERCIALIZATION

OBJECTIVE 1 - STRATEGY 1: Asset Map

Commerce is coordinating with Breezio and Fearless Solutions to develop a crowd sourced asset map for the Life Sciences. The final product to become part of resource effort on Commerce website.

OBJ. 1 - STRATEGY 2: Recruit a pharma or medtech company

The Office of BioHealth and Life Sciences (BHLS) is implementing a Recruitment/Expansion/Retention opportunity plan that aligns with LSAB initiatives. Currently BHLS is engaged with seven key bio and life science companies seeking to expand their presence in Maryland. Should the expansion opportunities come to fruition, it would mean a total of 1,400 jobs for the State.

OBJ. 1 - STRATEGY 3: Availability of lab space

Opportunities exist to develop additional wet lab space at IMET and IBBR, and working with other resources and partners in the area. Potential cost of creating four wet labs in Baltimore and Montgomery County is $2 million. The Governor or Corporate capital support is required for implementation.

OBJ. 1 - RECOMMENDATION (A): Task Force to review barriers to commercialization

A Task Force to review and make recommendations to overcome barriers to commercializing federal technology is organized and meetings are underway.

OBJ. 1 - REC. (B): Multi-stakeholder medtech demonstration hub

Multiple efforts are underway to build a medtech ecosystem in Maryland. Efforts include:

The opening of the Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices.
A National Consortium on 3D and Additive Manufacturing which will support medical device initiatives.
The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing BioPharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) will support medical device efforts.
MedStar Institute for Innovation - build out of international pipeline and health system for prototypes and clinical trials.
LSAB efforts by member Bob Storey to build a medtech demonstration hub.

OBJ. 1 - REC. (C): Support existing COE’s at academic institutions for manufacturing of cell therapies for regenerative medicine and cancer indications

Commerce is working with several external partners on the The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing BioPharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). NIIMBL’s mission is to accelerate biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, support the development of standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing capabilities, and educate and train a world-leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce, fundamentally advancing U.S. competitiveness in this industry.

Governor Larry Hogan also announced an exciting new initiative to invest $17 million to establish the Maryland Center for Cell Therapy Manufacturing in Baltimore. This exciting partnership between the state, Johns Hopkins University, Cognate Bioservices, and Forest City will leverage Maryland’s clinical research base to become a world leader in regenerative medicine.

OBJ. 1 - REC. (D): Capital/operating support for innovation hubs

Maryland in partnership with the University of Maryland College Park, University of Maryland, Baltimore and the Center for Medical Technology Policy recently opened the Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices. Additional efforts are underway for the establishment of a consortium focused on the future of 3D and Additive Manufacturing called the Advanced Manufacturing, Materials and Processes Consortium (AMMP), NIIMBL, along with partnerships with the University of Maryland, Baltimore Center for Maryland Advanced Ventures, and USM Shady Grove Innovation Hub.

WORKING GROUP 2 - INCREASE CONNECTIVITY AMONG AND AWARENESS OF MARYLAND'S BIOHEALTH ASSETS AND RESOURCES

OBJECTIVE 2 - RECOMMENDATION (A): BioHealth Asset Map and interactive web site

See OBJECTIVE 1 - STRATEGY 1

OBJ. 2 - REC. (B): Leverage existing organization or create new organization focused on industry advocacy, connectivity and programs.

The Office of BioHealth and Life Sciences in the Maryland Department of Commerce has added additional resources and realigned its mission to support and enhance the buildout Maryland’s bio and life sciences ecosystem. Conversations about a new organization or hub for both the cyber and life sciences industries are taking place as part of the Excel Maryland initiative.

OBJ. 2 - REC. (C): Promote BioHealth globally through the use of a brand.

The Maryland Department of Commerce has officially launched the new marketing campaign, Open for Business, through the Maryland Marketing Partnership. The Maryland Marketing Partnership focuses on Maryland businesses and advocates to build awareness of the new commerce brand and begins to cultivate advocacy content. Eventually, it will be rolled out to key states and select industry sectors. The BioHealth and Life Sciences industry is one of the key sectors. Commerce is also revamping our BioHealth and Life Sciences web presence, developing a bio social media campaign, developing brochures and other content and staging a national and international awareness campaign through conferences and other gatherings.

WORKING GROUP 3 - INCREASE AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR EARLY THROUGH ADVANCED STAGE BIOHEALTH COMPANIES

OBJECTIVE 3 - RECOMMENDATION (A): Ensure existing BioHealth programs are adequately funded.

The Governor’s office is in the midst of preparing the FY 2019 budget for the State of Maryland. Additionally, Commerce is in the midst of launching several initiatives geared toward spurring commercialization and technology transfer initiatives. Additional efforts help to spur innovation and the increased presence of capital formation in the State. These efforts include AMMP, NIIMBL, collaboration initiatives with TEDCO, and the Maryland Innovation Connection Initiative (MICI). Commerce has also been in conversations with venture philanthropists (Robin Hood Foundation) to increase venture philanthropy and supplement similar efforts of the Abel Foundation.

OBJ. 3 - REC. (E): Establish a network of high-net individuals and experienced life science advisors.

The Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Strategic Industries and Entrepreneurship is assembling and curating a network of angel investors, venture capital firms and entities that seek to invest in and grow companies in Maryland. The LSAB effort should assist the existing effort underway.

OBJ. 3 - REC. (F): Establish an SBIR matching fund as new vehicle for additional early fund, and provide SBIR assistance reimbursement to companies.

The State is currently not developing a program to provide SBIR matching funds, nor SBIR assistance application assistance grants. The Maryland Department of Commerce is developing an initiative to provide assistance and guidance to companies seeking SBIR funding. Additionally, Commerce will seek to raise awareness and participation in the SBIR program as a source of funding for early stage technology development.

WORKING GROUP 4 - GROW TALENT POOL OF EXPERIENCED BIOHEALTH ENTREPRENEURS, BUSINESS LEADERS, GRADUATES AND SCIENTISTS WITH COMMERCIALLY RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

OBJECTIVE 4 - STRATEGIES 1, 3, 5 AND RECOMMENDATION (A): Develop and build the BioHealth and Life Sciences talent pipeline.

Several efforts are underway to support and enhance the bio and life science talent pipeline including:

Bridges to Biotech Fellows Program — Program developed by Commerce, NIH, UMCP and Johns Hopkins University to provide graduate students and post-docs in the life and medical sciences with insight into the types of careers and professions in the biotech industry.
The Mid-Atlantic Biology Research and Career (MABRC) network initiative is a proposed effort to rebrand MABRC as the Maryland Biology Research and Career Network. MABRC’s goal would be to organize four-year public and private colleges and universities with science and bio programs to become feeders for the BioHealth and Life Sciences industries. MABRC would work with industry to focus curriculums to meet industry specific needs. MABRC would also serve as a resource for small companies that need certain equipment to help their businesses. Several colleges and universities have equipment that can be shared with small startups in exchange for those companies working with colleges and universities to allow students and faculty to learn how industry is utilizing this equipment. College curriculum would be retooled to recognize these efforts.
Fischell Institute for BioMedical Devices —Working in conjunction with UMCP and UMB, the Institute will provide students pursuing the commercialization of a medical device technology one year to start a business. At the end of this one year, students will earn a Master of Engineering degree, with the added bonus of potentially starting a company. The COE will surround the students with the resources to help their efforts.
inMD (Internship Network of Maryland) — a statewide technology platform to connect industry with students for internships. inMD will be a marketplace for student/industry interaction including virtual training, mentorships, experiential learning opportunities and metrics to help colleges and universities make curriculum more industry relevant.
WorkSmart Maryland — a new collaborative effort among Maryland’s community colleges to create a single point of industry for training needs. Community colleges will work as a single network and system and import curriculum, faculty and training anywhere in the State to meet a company's needs. WorkSmart can be steered to provide training support for the BioHealth and Life Sciences industries in Maryland.
BIOTrain — a sector partnership of biotechnology companies, government and nonprofits led by Montgomery College to shape a technical workforce geared to meet industry needs.
Baltimore Underground Science Space (BUGSS) is a non-profit public laboratory offering classes, seminars and lab access so that anyone can safely and affordably investigate the living world. BUGGS is a community of amateurs, professionals, citizen scientists, activists, and artists exploring biotechnology through scientific and artistic investigations.
The BioTechnical Institute of Maryland, Inc. (BTI) was founded in 1998 as a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation, to fill a need for specialty scientific training of entry-level biotechnicians for employment in Maryland’s rapidly expanding biotechnology industry.

OBJ. 4 - STRATEGY 2: Centralize information on workforce in one location

Through the Commerce Cabinet, Commerce, DLLR, MHEC and other state agencies are collaborating to create a workforce dashboard. The dashboard would curate all statewide workforce initiatives (education, training, internships, apprenticeships, etc.) in one location to ease efficiency of the industry interactions.

OBJ. 4 - REC. (B): Create an incentive program to attract, retain, and support C-Level entrepreneurs

Working in conjunction with the Sellinger Business School at Loyola University and Betamore, Commerce is working to help develop a program for business school students to learn how to run small startups in the tech and biotech industries. This is an effort to train C-Level talent and create a pipeline of C-Level talent to help run startups in Maryland. Similar conversations have been started with the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park.