Gemstone Biotherapeutics Wins Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Award

Baltimore – June 19, 2015 – Gemstone Biotherapeutics, a participant in the Johns Hopkins startup accelerator program FastForward East, has been named Best Life Sciences Company at the Maryland Incubator Company of the Year awards. The award recognizes achievements by current biotechnology or life sciences clients and graduates of Maryland incubators.

“We think we have something very special with our technology, and we’re excited about its possible applications for the chronic and acute wound-healing markets and beyond,” says George Davis, CEO of Gemstone Biotherapeutics. “This award is satisfying validation that we’re on the right track. We could not have reached this point without the support of our whole team, advisors, investors, and everyone involved at Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures and FastForward. The next year should be an exciting ride.”

The company was founded in 2013 by Gamma 3. Its wound-healing methods are based on technology developed by Sharon Gerecht, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, and is licensed from The John Hopkins University. The company’s core technology uses cell engineering methods and biomaterials to promote vascularization, a critical component in advanced tissue repair and regeneration. Gemstone Biotherapeutics is in the process of commercializing this technology, which has shown unprecedented results in the area of advanced wound healing.

FastForward East was also recognized during the awards ceremony, held on June 4, for providing the working space to the winning company.

“The Johns Hopkins University and FastForward are honored to have played a role in helping Gemstone Biotherapeutics develop into a highly promising startup,” says Christy Wyskiel, senior advisor to the president of The Johns Hopkins University. “Gemstone Biotherapeutics’ award confirms the efficacy of FastForward in fostering young companies and bringing new technologies to the marketplace.”

                                                          ####

About Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures
Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) is The Johns Hopkins University’s intellectual property administration center, serving Johns Hopkins researchers and inventors as a licensing, patent and technology commercialization office and acting as an active liaison to parties interested in leveraging university research or materials for academic or corporate endeavors. JHTV helps develop new discoveries and inventions into products and services that benefit society and transform the world. In 2014, JHTV secured more than $16 million in licensing revenue, possessed more than 2,000 active issued patents and created 13 new startup companies. For more information about Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, opportunities to collaborate, start a technology venture or license a technology, visit http://ventures.jhu.edu/.

About FastForward
FastForward is an accelerator at Johns Hopkins that serves as a catalyst for the advancement and commercialization of an array of innovations derived at the university and elsewhere. The program helps early ventures increase the probability of realizing their potential and bring innovative and life-changing technologies to market by providing companies with education, mentorship and affordable space. FastForward operates locations in East Baltimore, on the Homewood campus and in Montgomery County, and it offers virtual assistance for those ventures that are not ready to move into their own space or have secured space elsewhere. Corporate sponsors include AbbVie, Becton-Dickinson, Healthways, MedImmune, Microsoft, Premier and Roche.

About Gemstone Biotherapeutics
Gemstone Biotherapeutics LLC (Gemstone Bio), an award-winning biotechnology company based in Baltimore, is pioneering the field of regenerative medicine. The company’s core technologies utilize cell engineering methods and biomaterials to promote vascularization, a critical component in advanced tissue repair and regeneration. Gemstone is developing these technologies, originally created in laboratories within the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University, for advanced therapeutic applications in wound care and other chronic diseases. For more information, visit www.gemstonebio.com.