NCBiotech News

With an aggregate of $11 million raised in an initial Series A funding round, Doron Therapeutics is advancing its lead biologic drug, MOTYS, into Phase 3 clinical studies for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. The funding signals a fresh chapter for the clinical-stage biotech company, which focuses on degenerative musculoskeletal conditions.

Upstream Biotechnology, a Durham-based developer of innovative crop varieties resilient to environmental stress, and Bene Seeds Inc., a California-based provider of high-quality tomato seed products, have announced a strategic business and R&D partnership.

Hippocrates, the “father of modern medicine,” is credited with the admonition that “Our food should be our medicine, and our medicine should be our food.”

Embracing that belief, a North Carolina State University spinout company founded in 2019 is launching a new kind of “boost” to foods and beverages that captures unique and elusive benefits in human breast milk, to maximize gut health.

Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: HRTX), a commercial-stage biotechnology company, will relocate its headquarters from San Diego, California, to Cary, North Carolina, effective Jan. 1, 2025, according to a recent company announcement. 

The first Clinical Outsourcing Group: CRO Summit was held in Raleigh on Dec. 3-4, 2024. The event brought together more than 200 attendees to explore opportunities for improving collaboration between sponsors and clinical research organizations (CROs).  

Durham-based Humacyte, founded by three female scientists in 2004, has received marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its first product – a groundbreaking bioengineered blood vessel designed to be universally implantable. 

In the spirit of the holiday season, I’d like to reflect upon my time as the Regional Economic Competitiveness Officer (RECO) for North Carolina’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC), offer my thanks to our entire coalition and the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and speak to the “Magic” of Accelerate NC. 

Oncurie Inc., an RTP company specializing in radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotope chelators for cancer diagnosis and treatment, has been awarded a $349,000 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Cancer Institute. The funding will support the preclinical development of its ovarian cancer product, solidifying its leadership in the state’s rapidly growing radiopharmaceutical industry. 

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center awarded 14 grants and loans totaling $1,287,335 to bioscience companies, universities and non-profit organizations in the first quarter of its fiscal year.

The awards, made in July, August and September, will support life science research, technology commercialization and entrepreneurship throughout North Carolina. The funding will also help companies attract follow-on funding from other sources.

An Asheville specialty pharmaceutical company is working to transform a century-old medical procedure into a treatment for migraine relief that patients can easily perform at home.

Olfax Medical has developed a nasally administered drug delivery technology, potentially allowing patients to treat themselves easily anytime, wherever they are. The company is using its device to create novel therapeutics for a range of central nervous system disorders beyond migraine.

Biopharmaceutical titan Amgen, one of the founding companies of the biotechnology industry, is planning a major expansion of its biomanufacturing site in Holly Springs, N.C., adding $1.018 billion to its initial investment and 370 more high-paying jobs.

Tune Therapeutics, an epigenome-editing company based in Durham and Seattle, will be the first to initiate a human clinical trial for an epigenetic therapy for a common infectious disease. The company has received approval from the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) to initiate a Phase 1b clinical trial for TUNE-401.

Atlantic Fish, an emerging Raleigh company developing cultivated seafood, has received a $50,000 SEED grant from North Carolina IDEA, a private foundation supporting the state’s entrepreneurial community. 

Durham-based CytexOrtho, a company working to advance orthopedic joint preservation, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a first-in-human clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its ReNew Hip Implant cartilage repair technology.

Jellatech, a woman-led innovator in sustainable protein production, has opened a new 9,000-square-foot R&D facility in Morrisville. The company will use the new facility to expand bio-identical collagen production, focusing on validation and helping its customers launch pre-clinical trials.