MicroRid Technologies Inc. has received a five year, $4 million, Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) Technology/Therapeutic Development Award, which is administered by the Department of Defense office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The company, founded by Center for Biotechnology BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence Dr. Brian McCarthy and Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine Professor Maurizio Del Poeta, is researching the development of small-molecule anti-fungal drugs.The Center for Biotechnology is also supporting company technology development efforts via our REACH program.

The company will work with Stony Brook University on aspects of the project, engaging with Dr. Del Poeta as well as Dr. Iwo Ojim from the department of Chemisty. The goal of the project, titled “The Research and Development of New Antifungals” is to develop / optimize compounds that inhibit fungal specific targets and perform preclinical development that will help prepare the company for their Investigational New Drug filing with the FDA.

ASPR/BARDA is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to assist in understanding the developmental landscape of next generation blood products that could be used to treat mechanical trauma and bleeding associated with acute radiation syndrome and potentially supplement the blood supply in the wake of a mass casualty event such as a nuclear or radiological scenario. BARDA intends to use responses to this RFI for planning potential future acquisitions. BARDA seeks pertinent marketplace data to strengthen BARDA’s understanding of the current and future marketplace as well as enhance its ability to obtain quality services and products economically, and to efficiently and lawfully establish potential vendor source files and listings. BARDA will not award any potential contracts under this notice. This is strictly for market research.

Link to the RFI: https://bit.ly/2LSjOEc .

The Federal SBIR/STTR programs award over $3 billion in high risk R&D funding annually to qualified small businesses. The process is complex but the impact of receiving millions in non-dilutive funding is worth the effort.

On January 15-16, 2020, the Center for Biotechnology will be hosting a intensive, 1.5 day workshop led by  well-known program expert and trainer, Becky Aistrup, M.B.A., Managing Partner of BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting LLC. This 1.5-day session focused on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will cover program essentials and how to compete for funding. Training is open to the public and will include:

• Current information on the SBIR/STTR programs
• Strategies for targeting your proposal to address the mission and requirements of the NIH
• How to approach each section of your proposal
• Planning your commercialization strategy
• Writing to meet the reviewers’ expectations

Dates & Times
Wed, Jan 15, 2020, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Thu, Jan 16, 2020 8:30 AM –12:00 PM EST

Location
Long Island High Technology Incubator
Main Conference Room
25 Health Sciences Drive
Stony Brook, NY 11794

Registration Fee: $60 Space is Limited. Pre-registration is required. REGISTER ONLINE

Interested participants have the opportunity to apply for partial-sponsored follow on counseling via one-on-one proposal mentoring with SBIR/STTR experts. More info here. PLEASE NOTE: This training is mandatory for those who will be submitting applications for the One-on-One proposal counseling.

A technology that manipulates microRNAs (miRNAs) developed by Jingfang Ju, PhD, a biochemist and Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, and colleagues has shown promise when used as anti-cancer therapeutic. The technology has been licensed to Curamir Therapeutics Inc.,

Research leading to the development of the miRNA drug platform was funded in part by grants from the Long Island Bioscience Hub, led by the Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University, under the National Institutes of Health REACH  program, as well as the National Cancer Institute.

An incubated company financed by Delos Capital, Curamir will begin developing these drugs for testing with an initial $10 million in financing from Delos Capital. The company was co-founded by Dr. Ju and Dr. James Watson, co-discoverer of the DNA structure; and Dr. Lan Bo Chen, Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Academician of the Academia Sinica of Taiwan.

As outlined by MarketWatch, a recent study shows that Stony Brook University as one of the top 10 U.S. colleges and universities that best promote upward mobility. The editorial further outlines many areas in which Stony Brook University is setting up its graduates for success noting that over the past five years, Stony Brook has improved graduation rates across the board. Read the full piece here.