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BioUtah's Weekly News & Events Re: Utah's Life Sciences Industry
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Featured News
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BIO 2025 International Convention Recap
BioUtah and its Utah consortium made their mark this week at the BIO International Conference, hosting a Utah Pavilion to promote the state's fast-growing life sciences industry. The conference, held in Boston, MA, drew over 20,000 attendees. The Utah delegation included BioUtah, the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), the University of Utah's Technology Licensing Office, World Trade Center Utah, Utah Inland Port Authority, Utah Innovation Fund, The Point Utah, Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development, and Utah Health Entrepreneurs.
"The conference provided a forum to raise the profile of Utah's growing pharma sector and make valuable connections," said Kelvyn Cullimore, president and CEO of BioUtah, who was on hand for the event. "The sessions provided insights on relevant topics, and the Utah exhibit helped broadcast to conference-goers our innovation story."
A number of Utah companies were in attendance and visited the Utah pavilion. They included Halia Therapeutics, Biolexis Therapeutics, Curza, Clene Nanomedicine, Renew Biotechnologies, Discgenics, 3Helix, Rebel Medicine, Sethera, Microvascular Therapeutics, Peel Therapeutics, Pain Relief International, Glafabra Therapeutics, Altitude Lab, BIOS, Avendium, Content Carnivores, Monere, Seek Labs, Ballard Spahr, Colliers, Bioglobal Consulting, Oliver Life Sciences, Gates Neurosciences, and many others (sorry if we forgot someone).
Special thanks to Lance Soffe of GOEO and Peter Given of WTC Utah, who did the heavy lifting assembling the exhibit booth. Thanks also to those who assisted, including Kelvyn Cullimore, Bruce Hunter, Audrey Taylor, and Caralynn Orbell.
View Event Image Gallery » |
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BioUtah Member Companies Present at BIO 2025
A special shout-out to several BioUtah members who were actually on stage in various capacities at BIO International 2025. Kelvyn Cullimore, BioUtah president and CEO, was featured on the Story Telling Stage where he told the BioUtah story. David Bearss, PhD, gave a special presentation on Biolexis Therapeutics. Dr. Josh Schiffman of Peel Therapeutics, Dr. Evan Unger of Microvascular Therapeutics, and Ryan Rust of Eli Lilly all participated in various panels during the event. Utah was well represented!
View Event Image Gallery »
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| Biolexis Co-Founder and Chairman David Bearss, PhD, presents on the company's breakthrough GLP-1 and AMPK programs at BIO International.
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Dr. Joshua Schiffman, CEO and Co-founder of Peel Therapeutics spoke on a panel about new approaches to cancer therapy.
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Microvascular Therapeutics founder and CEO, Evan Unger, MD, participated on the Commercializing SBIR/STTR Technologies Panel where he discussed his experience with non-dilutive funding.
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Kelvyn Cullimore telling the BioUtah story on the “Story Telling Stage” at BIO. |
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Utah resident Ryan Rust, Eli Lilly’s Sr. Director, Corporate Business Development, participates in a workforce panel at BIO. |
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BioUtah News
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Summit Bioservices Ribbon Cutting
BioUtah congratulates Summit Bioservices on a successful ribbon cutting on June 9 prior to initiating operations. Located in West Valley, in proximity to BioUtah member, Nusano, the company aims to support biotech and pharmaceutical industries with 36,000 square feet of secure, temperature-controlled storage, dispensing, packaging, labeling, and distribution—GMP-compliant and scalable.
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Nelson Labs to Double Cleanroom Capacity
Nelson Labs has doubled its cleanroom capacity at its global headquarters in Salt Lake City, supporting growing demand for sterility assurance testing and reinforcing Nelson Labs’ role as a trusted partner to pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers navigating evolving global regulations.
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Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative Launches at BIO 2025
BioUtah is proud to be a member of the recently launched Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) — a new, national nonprofit dedicated to building a competitive life sciences workforce. Formed from the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI), LSWC unites over 50 state, regional, and national life sciences organizations to advance the talent pipeline. BioUtah CEO, Kelvyn Cullimore, serves on the initial board of directors. Visit the website to explore:
- Workforce trends
- Best practice models
- How to get involved
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Nusano, Ratio Therapeutics, Enter Supply Agreement for Cancer Radiopharmaceuticals
Ratio Therapeutics and Nusano announced a long-term supply agreement designed to support Ratio’s product pipeline and enable innovation. The agreement gives Ratio access to reliable, high-volume, commercial-scale supplies of copper-64 (Cu-64) for PET imaging diagnostics produced by Nusano, as well as lutetium-177 (Lu-177) and actinium-225 (Ac-225) for therapeutic applications. Ratio had previously announced their intent to build a manufacturing facility in Utah proximal to Nusano.
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Nusano and dGenThera Sign Letter of Intent for Astatine-211 Supply
In more Nusano news, the company announced the signing of a letter of intent to provide dGenThera with access to high‑purity astatine‑211 (At‑211), a best‑in‑class alpha‑emitting isotope for cancer therapy. Nusano will supply dGenThera with At-211 in quantities sufficient to enable the company’s ongoing preclinical studies, first‑in‑human trials, and subsequent clinical development. The agreement supports dGenThera’s goal of rapidly advancing its proprietary pipeline of targeted alpha therapies (TATs).
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Utah to Sign $57M Settlement with Purdue Pharma Over its Role in Opioid Crisis
Utah is close to signing a settlement to receive $57M in an agreement with the Sackler family and its former pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, the manufacturers of OxyContin, over their role in the country’s opioid epidemic. According to the Utah Attorney General's Office, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories are soon to settle for $7.4B.
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University of Utah Breaks Ground on First Off-Campus Hospital
The University of Utah (U of U) and U of U Health, in partnership with the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, celebrated the groundbreaking of the U of U Eccles Health Campus and Eccles Hospital in West Valley. This project will expand access to world-class health care and create thousands of jobs in Utah’s west-side communities.
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University of Utah Founders Day Distinguished Alumni Awards
The University of Utah Office of Alumni Relations annually presents its Founders Day Distinguished Alumni Awards to alumni for their outstanding professional achievements, public service, and/or commitment to the U. Nominations are now being accepted. Click through for more information.
The award presentations will take place during the Founders Day celebration at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in February 2026.
Nominations due by 11:59 PM MT, Sept. 12, 2025.
Submit a Nomination » |
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Sound Waves and Second Chances: How Spire Therapeutics Is Redefining Brain Treatment
A recent article by University of Utah Technology Licensing Office features Spire Therapeutics. The article provides an overview of the unique technology Spire has licensed from the University of Utah and explains the motivations of founder, Jan Kubanek who was frustrated with medications that stop working, procedures that carry risks and medical options that feel out of reach for patients. The technology is now moving into clinical trials.
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Linder Delivers Keynote Address at CSI in Germany
Rich Linder, chairman & CEO of Xenter delivered the keynote address at CSI in Frankfurt, Germany.
"I've been attending CSI for more than 20 years," said Linder. "The course content, live case transmissions, global participation from renowned leaders in medicine, industry leadership, life science investors, and innovators is remarkable and intellectually stimulating."
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Utah Business: Nominations for Innovation Awards Open
The program recognizes the state’s vibrant community of innovators — from startups to established companies — and their breakthrough creations. The awards program aims to build the state’s economy by acknowledging and rewarding the creative minds fueling innovation within it.
Deadline for submissions is July 9.
Submit Nomination » |
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Featured New BioUtah Member
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Modelic is a full-service agency specializing in branding, interactive e-commerce, and web design and development. With a sharp focus on solving complex problems and delivering clean, conversion-driven experiences, Modelic helps companies elevate their digital presence and connect more effectively with their audiences.
More »
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Featured Events
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Immigration Compliance Under Pressure: Preparing for Audits and ICE Enforcement in the Life Sciences Sector
July 1, 2025
12:00 - 1:00 PM
in person + webinar
15 West South Temple, ste 950
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
free
As immigration enforcement and workplace inspections intensify under the current administration, companies in the life sciences sector, particularly those with manufacturing operations, must be proactive in strengthening compliance. This webinar will cover the essential components of I-9 compliance, strategies for responding to audits, how to respond if ICE shows up at your facility, and more.
Who Should Attend:
This webinar is designed for leaders and professionals in the life sciences industry who are responsible for workforce compliance, hiring practices and risk management.
Register » |
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Talent Ready Utah: OpenAI Academy
July 10, 2025
9:00 AM MT
Gardner Commons
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Salt Lake City, UT
Join OpenAI Academy and Talent Ready Utah for a special event designed to help leaders across government, industry, and education understand and apply the latest advancements in AI. This event offers practical tools, live demos, and hands-on learning.
- Session 1: Getting Started with AI: 9:00 - 10:00 AM MT
- Session 2: Build with OpenAI: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MT
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Podcasts
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Politicit Podcast: BioUtah's Kelvyn Cullimore | Legislation Update
BioUtah President and CEO, Kelvyn Cullimore, talks with Utah State Senator John Johnson about the Trump Administration's push for a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) drug pricing model, where drug prices in the U.S. would be tied to the lowest price in foreign countries. Cullimore notes that MFN pricing is a flawed approach that will undercut U.S. R&D in innovative new treatments and cures, while failing to reform the unique factors, like PBM rebates, that drive up the cost of drugs for patients.
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Good Medicine Podcast: Medical Devices & Strokes | Mark Paul
This week on Good Medicine, Mark Paul, executive director of the University of Utah Health Center for Medical Innovation, shares how innovations in medical devices are making high-quality care more accessible, especially for under-served populations. From cost-effective design to global distribution models, this podcast explore how medtech is changing lives.
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Exclusive BioUtah Member Deals
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PSC Biotech consultants act as a seamless extension of your company. PSC offers services in commissioning, qualification, and validation, document generation and execution support, computer system validation and assurance, IT Infrastructure support, regulatory affairs, and more. Contact PSC Biotech® now for project assistance.
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Policy Updates
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FDA to Issue National Priority Vouchers to Shorten Drug Reviews
The FDA is launching a new priority voucher program to shorten the drug review process from 10 to 12 months down to one or two months. The agency will use the following criteria to provide vouchers to companies aligned with national health priorities:
- Addressing a health crisis in the U.S.
- Delivering more innovative cures for the American people.
- Addressing unmet public health needs.
- Increasing domestic drug manufacturing as a national security issue.
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FDA Halts New Clinical Trials that Export Americans’ Cells to Foreign Labs in Hostile Countries for Genetic Engineering
The FDA is conducting an immediate review of new clinical trials that involve sending American citizens’ living cells to China and other hostile countries for genetic engineering and subsequent infusion back into U.S. patients, sometimes without their knowledge or consent. According to the FDA, this action follows mounting evidence that some of these trials failed to inform participants about the international transfer and manipulation of their biological material and may have exposed Americans’ sensitive genetic data to misuse by foreign governments.
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Senate Releases Its Version of One Big Beautiful Bill
Senate Committees have released their sections of a reconciliation package that will make up the Senate's version of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The bill currently includes certain tax and healthcare provisions that differ from the House-passed measure. For instance, the Senate proposal makes permanent the immediate and full expensing of R&D costs while the House bill provides a 4-year reprieve. In addition, while the House bill includes the ORPHAN Cures Act to incentivize R&D in rare disease drugs, the Senate bill does not.
A vote on the Senate bill could come next week. The House and Senate must reconcile differences before sending a final bill to the president's desk.
View Finance Committee Section-by-Section Summary » |
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BioUtah Legislative Policy Call
BioUtah held its monthly policy call on May 22 reviewing activity of the Utah state legislature as well as policy developments at the federal level.
To view the agenda from the May 22 call, click here.
To sign up for future calls in 2025, click here. |
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BioUtah Events
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U Startup Launchpad: Understanding Equity, Cap Tables, and Dilution
June 25, 2025
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Join corporate attorney Ryan Udell from Ballard Spahr as he breaks down equity, cap tables, and dilution. You'll learn what it means when someone offers you equity, how your ownership stake changes as the company raises funding, and what questions to ask before accepting any equity package. Whether you're thinking about splitting equity with co-founders for your own spinout or evaluating an offer to join an existing startup, this session will give you the foundational knowledge to make informed decisions about startup ownership.
Register » |
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Industry Events
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MedTech Conference 2025
October 5-8, 2025
San Diego, CA
The Medical Device industry will gather in San Diego in October. Registration for MedTech 2025 is now open. Featuring world-class speakers, a cross-cutting educational program, invaluable networking and next-level technology, this forum for transformational ideas is a can’t-miss event for the industry’s prominent and most promising companies.
Register »
Apply Now to Showcase Your Innovations at MedTech 2025
Apply for one of these exclusive opportunities to put your company and technologies in front of future partners the broader medtech community.
Company Presentations: Take the Stage: Startups, small companies, and commercial-stage companies can spotlight their cutting-edge technologies during 9-minute Company Presentations to potential partners and investors.
Learn More and Apply »
Innovation Pavilion: Turnkey Kiosk: Exhibiting in the Innovation Pavilion offers unmatched visibility to showcase your groundbreaking medtech solutions to global industry leaders.
Join the Pavilion » |
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Funding Opportunities
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VITAL Funding Opportunities & Accelerator Program
VITAL is an accelerator hub in the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Accelerator Network (BAN). The BAN fosters the growth of the global health security innovation ecosystem by supporting early-stage companies to overcome their business, marketing, and operational hurdles. VITAL supports the development of innovative therapeutics solutions in alignment with BARDA’s mission to promote health security, and is managed by Start2 Group, with partners Advise Connect Inspire (ACI) and BioLabs.
- Non-Dilutive Funding for DEV 6-Month Long Projects: $SOK - $200K per award
- Accelerator Program 6-Month Long: Individualized mentoring from subject matter experts and access to the BARDA network
- Non-Dilutive Funding for PrEP 3-Year Long Projects: $4M - $7.SM per award
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NCI SBIR Webinar on Biotech Funding & Entrepreneurial Resources
June 26, 2025
12:00 - 2:00 PM MT
This topic will feature speakers representing NCI SBIR-funded companies, state economic development groups, biotech accelerators, academic universities, and venture capital arms, focused on highlighting their experience and strategy in launching and stimulating emerging biotech in oncology.
Register » |
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Discuss Your SBIR/STTR Funding Needs with a Program Director
Are you seeking SBIR/STTR funding to help commercialize your cancer technology? Before you apply, we encourage you to schedule a one-on-one conversation with an NCI SBIR program director to:
- Get questions answered about SBIR/STTR funding and resources.
- Learn which opportunities can support your small business.
- Receive guidance on approaching the application process.
To get connected with a program director, email ncisbir@mail.nih.gov with an abstract, specific aims, or a quad chart describing your cancer technology.
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International Trade
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WTC Utah Webinar: Trade & Tariff Briefing
Every Friday
9:30 - 10:00 AM MT
Join WTC Utah every Friday for a webinar on tariffs and trade regulations. Whether you’re an exporter, importer, or just curious, this webinar equips businesses with the knowledge to protect their bottom line and seize new opportunities.
Register » |
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A Special Thanks To BioUtah's Elite Members:
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Legacy
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Platinum
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Gold
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Silver
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230 E. South Temple, Suite #100
Salt Lake City, UT 84111 |
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