baltimore-biotech
(4)
Pearl Diagnostics, Inc.
Pearl Diagnostics is a Baltimore-based in vitro diagnostics company spun out of Johns Hopkins University that develops non-invasive urine tests to detect life-threatening lung infections. Its proprietary Smart Antibody technology identifies circulating microbial extracellular vesicles, and its lead product, the MycoMEIA Aspergillus Assay, became the first urine-based test to win FDA 510(k) clearance for aiding diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis. The company raised an $11.2M Series A in March 2026 to commercialize in the US and expand across Europe.
Eric Gornstein
Eric Gornstein is the Chief Executive Officer of Pearl Diagnostics, a Johns Hopkins spinout in Baltimore that makes MycoMEIA, the first FDA-cleared urine test for invasive aspergillosis. A biopharma commercialization veteran with more than 25 years leading product launches, partnering and deal-making across therapeutic areas, he joined Pearl in late 2025 to take the company from FDA clearance to the market and into Europe. Earlier he helped launch Radius Health's first product, Tymlos, and worked in business development and cell therapy partnerships at companies including bit.bio and Talaris Therapeutics.
Sean X. Hu
Sean X. Hu is the President and CEO of Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals, a Baltimore-based biotech spun out of Johns Hopkins that is building a library of natural-product-like macrocycles it calls RapaGlues. He is a genomics PhD turned Wharton MBA turned management consultant turned operator, with prior stops at Bristol Myers Squibb, CuraGen, Illumina, AT Kearney, IMS, Bionest, BioStrat, GlobalData, and Avotres. In September 2025 he closed an oversubscribed $44M Series A led by BioTrack Capital and Yonjin Capital to push RapaGlues into difficult-to-drug targets.
Robert Ross
Robert Ross is a medical oncologist turned biotech executive and the founding CEO of Clasp Therapeutics, a Baltimore-based clinical-stage immuno-oncology company building bispecific T cell engagers that target mutated cancer driver peptides presented by HLA with what the company calls absolute specificity. Launched in March 2024 with a $150 million Series A from Third Rock Ventures, Novo Holdings and Catalio Capital, Clasp is commercializing science from Johns Hopkins legends Bert Vogelstein and Drew Pardoll. Ross previously ran Surface Oncology through its acquisition by Coherus, led oncology at bluebird bio, and trained as a physician at Columbia, Harvard, Stanford and UCSF.