Editor’s note: Joan Siefert Rose is CEO of LaunchBio, an entrepreneurial organization helping life science firms grow and entrepreneurs to find  resources to launch new companies. 

DURHAM – As 2018 ends, we’re giving thanks to all those who help advance medical science to create better lives for others, and for those who support them – in other words, the LaunchBio community.

Let’s start with Ribometrix, a resident company in BioLabs North Carolina, which is developing small molecule drugs targeting RNA involved in diseases like cancer, ALS and Parkinson’s Disease. The UNC spinout recently netted $30 million in its Series A round, and you can read about it here.

We also thank our sponsors, who help support our monthly networking programs in San Diego, Durham and  Boston, and soon New York City. Their contributions help keep these programs free and open to all. (If you’re interested in learning more about LaunchBio sponsorships for 2019, please contact me at joan@launchbio.org.)

Our December 6 Larger Than Life Science program in Durham will be a celebration of our first year hosting programs at The Chesterfield. I hope you will join us for our Big Holiday Party, an evening that includes a science comedian (yes, there are such people), a walk-through planetarium provided by our friends at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, and a panel on building great teams hosted by Claire Cormier of Full Scale Solutions.  There also will be glitter beer from Durty Bull Brewing, something you’ll have to check out for yourself.

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In San Diego this fall, LaunchBio has hosted workshops for high school students interested in careers in biomedical sciences – our next generation of innovators and, in many cases, students from low- and moderate-income families. The sessions, led by LaunchBio’s Becky Beattie and held in partnership with the San Diego Unified School District and the City of San Diego, included tours of a working lab and a chance to interact with scientist entrepreneurs based at BioLabs. The students worked in teams to “pitch” a company idea to a panel of biotech professionals, who provided feedback and encouraged their interest in pursuing STEM careers.

Representatives from 9 disease foundations seeking cures for conditions ranging from multiple sclerosis to dementia to retinal blindness met in Durham this month to meet with individual companies and investors. They spoke to a sold-out audience at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center about their investment strategies and how they are supporting innovators pursuing technologies from drug discovery to digital health, which you can read about here, and check out pictures below. I personally want to thank the LaunchBio team and volunteer Doreen Grech for putting together a high-impact day of programs, and to our colleagues at the Biotechnology Center, CED, BioLabs and NCBIO for providing great partnership support.

LaunchBio will host additional programs with disease foundations, called Invest in Cures, next year in New York and on the west coast. We are excited to embrace this emerging sector of investors in technology commercialization and look forward to providing continued support for life science innovators.