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.
Clasp Therapeutics is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company building off-the-shelf, antibody-like T cell engagers that target cancer driver mutations presented on tumor cells via HLA. Spun out of Johns Hopkins and co-founded by cancer-genetics pioneer Bert Vogelstein and immunotherapy leader Drew Pardoll, Clasp uses its proprietary pHLAre platform to redirect a patient's own T cells to kill tumors with what the company calls absolute specificity - hitting mutant peptides found only on cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. The company launched publicly in March 2024 with a $150 million Series A and dosed its first patient in April 2025.