Recent BioUtah News & Events

Utah-based Mountain Pacific Venture Fund (MPVF) announced on Monday an investment in Xenocor, a Salt Lake City-based medical device company that has developed the XenoscopeTM, a single-use, multi-purpose HD laparoscope with an integrated light source. Designed to be fog proof, the Xenoscope minimizes common visualization challenges and provides consistent image quality through electrocautery smoke. MPVF’s […]

Johnson & Johnson recently announced that it’s joined 15 other companies in signing a Communiquie on Expanded Global Access to ensure that people everywhere – regardless of their income level – have access to COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics under development at these companies.  Each of the signing companies—AstraZeneca; Bayer; bioMérieux; Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol Myers […]

U of U President Ruth V. Watkins announced on September 30 that the U has formed the Partners for Innovation, Ventures, Outreach & Technology (PIVOT) Center. This new centralized office builds on the work by the Center for Technology & Venture Commercialization (TVC) and will facilitate the U’s efforts to drive technology commercialization and economic […]

Xenoscope New Disposable Fog-Free Laparoscopic System Made Available to 4,000 Healthcare Facilities in the USA SALT LAKE CITY, October 5, 2020–– Xenocor, Inc. offering the world’s first disposable articulating laparoscope, has received a group purchasing agreement with Premier Inc. for their single use Xenoscope™, in the surgical disposable scope category. The Xenocor disposable laparoscopic system […]

For Immediate Release Xenocor’s single-use laparoscope, Xenoscope, increases access to minimally invasive surgical care Salt Lake City, October 5, 2020 – Mountain Pacific Venture Fund (MPVF) announced an investment in Xenocor, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based medical device company that has developed the Xenoscope™, a single-use, multi-purpose HD laparoscope with an integrated light source. Designed […]

Recursion’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Tina Larson, and Civica’s Chief Commercial Officer, Heather Wall, were recently recognized by Utah Business Magazine as among Utah’s top C-Suite executives. In introducing the 2020 CXO of the Year honorees, the magazine notes that “now more than ever we need strong leaders to guide our businesses forward and […]

Salt Lake City-based Foldax® was a finalist in the recent Fierce Innovation Awards – Life Sciences Edition 2020, a peer-reviewed awards program from the publisher of Fierce Biotech and Fierce Pharma. The company was selected as a finalist for its innovative TriaTM heart valve. The Tria valve reimagines the heart valve by incorporating a new, […]

On September 24, the Trump Administration released a final rule to allow the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. The final rule follows a notice of proposed rule making last December, in which HHS outlined two potential pathways for importation. The first called the Section 804 Importation Program, is established under the final rule, while […]

Alucent Biomedical, a Salt Lake-City based company and BioUtah member, founded to transform the way vascular disease is treated, yesterday announced the close of a $35 million Series B financing round. The funding will support two clinical trials to evaluate Alucent’s novel treatment for peripheral artery disease (PAD) of the lower extremities. PAD is a […]

IONIQ Sciences, based in Salt Lake City, and a BioUtah member, announced September 20 that its IONIQ ProLung Test™ for lung cancer has been formally accepted for submission to China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), formerly known as the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA).  Mr. Jared Bauer, IONIQ Sciences CEO, stated, “We are excited […]

BioUtah member Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced that they’ve started the global phase 3 trial of Janssen’s single-dose vaccine candidate, following phase 1/2 studies that demonstrated safety and immunogenicity.  “As COVID-19 continues to impact the daily lives of people around the world, our goal remains the same – leveraging the global reach and scientific innovation […]

Lehi-based Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Oncology (SDP Oncology) and BioUtah member recently announced new data from the ongoing Phase 1 study evaluating dubermatinib (TP-0903) in patients with advanced solid tumors.  “These preliminary data presented at ESMO 2020 are encouraging as we learn more about how dubermatinib may inhibit the AXL kinase protein and sensitize cancer cells […]

During a campaign event yesterday in Charlotte, North Carolina, President Trump signed an executive order on a range of health issues, including protecting people with pre-existing medical conditions, lowering prescription drug costs, increasing consumer choice, and providing greater transparency. The order also directs HHS Secretary Alex Azar to work with Congress to pass legislation to […]

RenalytixAI – a BioUtah member – announced on Tuesday that it has received a California Clinical Laboratory License from the California Department of Health for its clinical laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah. This means that KidneyIntelX™ may now be used to report risk assessment of progressive decline in kidney function for patients in California with […]

BioUtah is pleased to provide the life sciences community with a current summary of state COVID-19 initiatives and grant programs managed by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Visit business.utah.gov/coronavirus to learn more. Coronavirus Prevention Messaging Grants Grants of up to $50,000, $75,000 or $250,000 for social media, targeted audience and mass media campaigns, respectively, […]

The Administration on Wednesday released a detailed plan for the distribution of free COVID-19 vaccines beginning next year. The plan would prioritze vaccines for healthcare workers, essential employees, and high-risk indiividuals. From there, distribution would be expanded to the broader population. The plan includes two documents: documents: A strategic distribution overview along with an interim […]

TestUtah has some new twists. Following the expiration of certain state contracts September 1, the Utah Department of Public Health has changed direction and contracted with a Los Angeles laboratory, Fulgent Genetics, to process COVID-19 testing for Utahns under the state’s coronavirus testing initiative. The test, which has received EUA from the FDA, will be […]

On Monday, government leaders, including Lt. Governor Spencer Cox, held a press conference announcing the launch of planning efforts to redevelop the site of the Utah State Prison (The Point) in Draper. Many of our industry leaders are participating on The Point’s Education, Research and Innovation working group – Randy Rasmussen (former BioFire CEO), Gary […]

Salt Lake City-based RenalytixAI, today announced the commercial launch of the KidneyIntelX clinical test reporting platform within the Mount Sinai Health System. This means that KidneyIntelX risk assessment of progressive decline in kidney function or kidney failure, including education support for treating clinicians, is now commercially available for patients with early stage diabetic kidney disease […]

Courtesy of University of Utah Academics & Research Postponed from its original in-person event last April, the annual medical innovation challenge has moved entirely online this year. Tuesday September 8, 2020 | Salt Lake City, UT Nearly five months after postponing the original in-person event in response to COVID-19, the 10th Annual Bench to Bedside competition […]

President Trump issued a new “Most-Favored-Nations” (MFN) executive order on September 13 that links U.S.-paid Medicare drug prices to those paid by other foreign countries. BIO President and CEO, Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, called the President’s action a “reckless scheme” that would hurt vulnerable seniors. The new order includes both Medicare Part B and Part D […]

In a double header of good news, Salt Lake City -based Recursion announced on Wednesday that the company has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with Bayer to discover and develop new treatments for fibrotic diseases of the lung, kidney, heart and more. The agreement leverages Recursion’s AI drug discovery platform and Bayer’s small molecule […]

Co-Diagnostics, a Salt Lake City company that was out of the gate early with a molecular COVID-19 test, announced this week that it has entered into an agreement with another Salt Lake City based company, Arches Research, a CLIA laboratory and subsidiary of PolarityTE to expand Arches’ COVID-19 testing services using Co-Diagnostics’ Logix Smart™ COVID-19 […]

Horizon Therapeutics has been named to PEOPLE’s 2020 “50 Companies That Care” list. Partnering with Great Place to Work, PEOPLE identified the top U.S. companies that went above and beyond in responding to the pandemic.The list, focused on employers with 1,000 or more employees, will be featured in the Sept. 14, 2020 print issue of […]