State Sen. Karen Spilka (left) presents a citation to Lykan Bioscience CEO Anthony Rotunno as part of Massachusetts’ Manufacturer of the Year program.

Massachusetts State Senate President Karen E. Spilka nominated Hopkinton-based Lykan Bioscience for a Manufacturer of the Year award, part of a series of awards given by the state legislature’s Manufacturing Caucus to promote “Made in Massachusetts.” The awards recognize companies across the commonwealth that support outstanding innovation in the field of manufacturing.

This year, the caucus is acknowledging the many manufacturers who have demonstrated an unprecedented response to the needs of Massachusetts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lykan Bioscience was selected from among many outstanding manufacturing firms located in the Second Middlesex and Norfolk district, which Spilka represents in the State House.

The company offers manufacturing services for autologous and  allogeneic cell-based therapies for individuals with serious health conditions, such as cancer. During the pandemic, the company constructed a 64,000 square foot purpose-built manufacturing facility on South Street, with plans to create more than 150 new jobs by 2022. The company is online and equipped to manufacture advanced therapy medicines for thousands of patients with unmet needs.

“Biotech is an exciting field and one of our strengths in Massachusetts — particularly in the MetroWest area. As the chair of the Biotech Legislative Caucus, I sought to bring the industry to the center of our conversations on Massachusetts’ economy, environment and health.” Spilka said in a press release. “I applaud Lykan Bioscience’s work, and I am grateful to Senator Eric Lesser and Representative Jeff Roy, joint chairs of the Manufacturing Caucus, for extending this opportunity to me to recognize one of our rising stars.”

“We are honored to have been nominated for this award and thrilled to have our brand-new facility available to meet clients’ demand,” Lykan CEO Anthony Rotunno said. “Being based in Massachusetts allows us to be able to efficiently and cost-effectively supply treatments to so many patients, starting in the Northeast region. As a company, offering treatments to as many patients and saving as many lives as possible is our passion.”

A ceremony to confer this and other manufacturing awards took place on Oct. 27 in a virtual forum.

Baldiga, Fine repeat as Super Lawyers

Hopkinton residents Joseph Baldiga and David L. Fine were selected to the 2020 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list. Each year no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.

Baldiga is a partner and co-chair of the Creditors’ Rights, Bankruptcy and Reorganization Group at Mirick O’Connell. He concentrates his practice on creditor and debtor rights, bankruptcy proceedings, out-of-court loan restructurings, and the purchase and sale of distressed businesses.

Fine is a partner and chair of the Construction Law Group at Mirick O’Connell. He represents and counsels clients in the construction industry, including commercial, institutional and residential owners and developers, general contractors, construction managers, specialty subcontractors, suppliers and manufacturers.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area.

Resident-owned Steady Steps open for business

Hopkinton has a new business in town, as Steady Steps Home Health & Rehab, a family-owned home health agency, opened its doors this summer at 34 Hayden Rowe St. (Suite 174). The company is led by resident Kunjal Dharod, BPTh, MSPT, post-professional DPT.

Dharod says his company’s mission is to “Bring independence a little closer.” Steady Steps (steadystepshhr.com) serves the Metrowest area with services including skilled nursing and physical therapy, and it has plans to add occupational therapy, speech language pathology, medical social work and home health aide.