Each of us plays an important role in helping our life sciences sector thrive. Across Canada, life sciences organizations continue to attract investment, such as Ontario’s announcement yesterday highlighting the province’s strategy and vision to become a global biomanufacturing and life sciences hub. Closer to home, I had the pleasure of attending an event this week where the Government of Canada announced an investment of $92 million towards adMare BioInnovations. It was exciting to learn how this investment will facilitate more training opportunities and create additional pathways for commercially promising research to translate into innovative new therapies. Investments like this have turned BC into a life sciences centre of excellence. In our province alone, there are more than 2,000 organizations within the sector, employing over 18,000 people. We are growing at an unprecedented rate, and it truly is because of the extraordinary people within our community.
On this note, we’d like to congratulate a couple of individuals who are paving the way within the sector. First, BC Cancer’s Dr. Connie Eaves who has been elected to the 2022 class of Fellows of the AACR Academy. The mission of the Academy is to honour distinguished scientists whose scientific contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer. Congratulations to all of our members who were recognized by Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association with a Rising Stars Award. What an inspiration to see the achievements of these impactful women being celebrated!
Congratulations also to Dr. Kendall Ho, who was awarded British Columbia’s Medal of Good Citizenship. Dr. Ho received this well-deserved recognition for his work as a medical spokesperson throughout COVID-19 to provide information to Chinese communities and address language barriers.
We’d also like to congratulate Arbutus Medical’s team for being recognized as a runner-up for the 2022 BC Business of Good Awards in the “Community Involvement” category. ScienceDaily highlighted another example of incredible innovation with an article on UBC scientists, led by Dr. Ryan Flannigan, reaching a major breakthrough for treating male infertility.
We’d like to extend a warm welcome to David Main as he joins the Board of Directors of Orum Therapeutics. Congratulations also to Laura Cassin, who has been promoted to the role of Investment Associate at Nimbus Synergies. And kudos to Eric Whitters, Ph.D., Response Biomedical Corp.’s new Chief Operating Officer.
We also want to highlight some additional member news - in case you missed it. Amplitude Ventures is supporting Celsius Therapeutics to advance its lead clinical candidate through early-stage clinical trials to improve upon its world-leading SCOPE (Single Cell Observations for Precision Effect) platform. Also, Sanofi has been granted marketing authorization for Xenpozyme® (olipudase alfa) in Japan, the only approved therapy indicated to treat acid sphingomyelinase deficiency. Additionally, Qu Biologics Inc. announced the closing of a USD$12M equity financing to enable expansion of its team, initiation of an additional three Phase 2 clinical studies, and the acceleration of the company’s novel immunomodulation platform.
Finally, to wrap things up, we’d like to share some upcoming industry events and resources. Today marks the deadline for CELS Valley Ready cohort Spring 2022 applications. This virtual program helps companies from Pre-Seed to Series A navigate the best of Silicon Valley. And, companies have until April 8th to register for the upcoming BC MedTech UK Trade Mission in association with GTM Global and VITA Healthcare. The focus will be on helping export-ready Canadian medical technology and healthcare companies in pharma, mobile, big data and hardware expand into the UK. On April 6th, we are proud to host our Showcase Series: Vancouver Island event, and similarly, on May 11th, we will host our Showcase Series: Surrey event.
Lastly, Deloitte has released its 2022 Life Sciences Industry Accounting Guide, which is intended to be an additional resource by providing insights and guidance on life sciences accounting practices.
Wendy and the LSBC team
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Zymeworks Announces Participation In Upcoming Investor Conferences
Zymeworks Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation multifunctional biotherapeutics, announced that management will participate in upcoming investor conferences: Wells Fargo 2022 Biotech Forum. Zymeworks will participate in one-on-one meetings on April 12th in Palm Beach Gardens, FL... READ MORE
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Genome BC’s Pilot Innovation Fund Offers Investment and Provides Mentorship
Genome BC has funded several unique projects as part of a commitment to support innovation. This means the practical translation of ideas and research outcomes into new or improved products, services, processes, systems, or social interactions... READ MORE
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Innovations Get Lab-to-Market Support in Crucial Early Stage
Starting this month, UVic biomedical engineering student Milena Restan Perez will begin researching the commercial potential of 3D-printed tissue models of the human heart, which are designed to improve disease modelling and screening for cardiac drugs... READ MORE
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Qu Biologics Closes US $12M Financing
Qu Biologics Inc. has announced the closing of a US $12 million equity financing. Qu Biologics did not disclose the names of the investors. The company has been backed by Canadian and international private investors and international corporate investors... READ MORE
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Government of Canada Invests $92 Million in adMare to Help Translate Health Research Into Innovative New Therapies in Canada
Protecting the health and safety of Canadians and making sure we have the domestic capacity to respond to future health crises are top priorities of the Government of Canada. With the guidance of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, the government is actively supporting the growth of a strong, competitive domestic life sciences sector, with cutting-edge biomanufacturing capabilities... READ MORE
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Pfizer and BioNTech Receive Expanded U.S. Emergency Use Authorization for an Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Booster in Individuals Aged 50 Years and Older
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine to include a second booster dose in adults ages 50 years and older who have previously received a first booster of any authorized COVID-19 vaccine... READ MORE
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Breakthrough 3D Breast Cancer Imaging Company Establishing New R&D Facility and Partners with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
In a sign that women’s health may be about to see the biggest technological boost in a century, an upstart medical device company is establishing a new R&D facility in Sacramento, California, after entering into an agreement with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to revolutionize how women undergo breast diagnostic imaging... READ MORE
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St. Paul’s Hospital Working to Offer Indigenous Meals to Patients
A project at Providence Health Care aims to take the hospital food tray and turn it into a platform for culturally appropriate care for Indigenous patients. The objective of the project, called Exploring Indigenous Foodways at PHC, is to better understand the food experience of Indigenous patients and learn how to improve it... READ MORE
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UBC Scientists Lead Breakthrough Research Around Male Infertility by 3D Printing Testicular Cells
UBC scientists that have managed to 3D print human testicular cells are being hailed for their major breakthrough when it comes to treating male infertility. The printed cells show early signs of sperm-producing capabilities. Dr. Ryan Flannigan is an assistant professor of urology at UBC who’s been working on a program for about three years to understand “why these cells are not producing sperm? [And] what can we do about it?"... READ MORE
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New spesolimab Data Show Clinically Significant Improvement in Patients with Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP) Flares
Boehringer Ingelheim announced new data from the pivotal Effisayil™ 1 trial presented at the 2022 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Boston. The Effisayil™ 1 trial, recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed significant clearance of skin pustules in patients with GPP flares within the first week after treatment with a single intravenous dose of spesolimab versus placebo... READ MORE
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IP Transactions in Life Sciences: Data Transfer, Sharing and Exclusivity in China and Canada
Data and technology transfer play a vital role in many IP transactions, especially in life sciences. That said, very little time is usually spent on the details of operational provisions in this area, as well as on territorial legal/regulatory provisions concerning data sharing among regulatory authorities... READ MORE
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CHMP Recommends EU Approval of Roche’s Polivy Combination for People with Previously Untreated Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma
Roche announced that the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has recommended the approval of Polivy® (polatuzumab vedotin) in combination with MabThera® (rituximab) plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (R-CHP) for the treatment of previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)... READ MORE
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Merck Receives Positive EU CHMP Opinion for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for Patients With Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) or Mismatch Repair Deficient (dMMR) Tumors in Five Different Types of Cancer
Merck announced the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy for the treatment of the following microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) tumors in adults with: unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer after previous fluoropyrimidine-based combination therapy... READ MORE
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NervGen Pharma: Dr Harold Punnett’s Big Idea that Might Change the World
Harold Punnett, DMD, co-founder of NervGen Pharma, is an accomplished angel investor who has been the director of multiple start-up companies. As a recently retired dental surgeon with a practice in British Columbia, Canada, he has an extensive knowledge of medicine and physiology, including cell biology. Along with this knowledge, he has a deep passion for those suffering from spinal cord injury and other nerve-related challenges... READ MORE
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Xenpozyme® (olipudase alfa) Approved in Japan, First and Only Approved Therapy Indicated to Treat Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) has granted marketing authorization for Xenpozyme® (olipudase alfa) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with non-central nervous system (non-CNS) manifestations of acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD), a rare, progressive, and potentially life-threatening genetic disease... READ MORE
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Celsius Therapeutics: Bringing Further Precision to Precision Medicine — The Promise of Single-Cell Sequencing
Celsius Therapeutics announced an additional $83M USD in financing and we are excited to be a part of this syndicate. Amplitude decided to support the company to advance its lead clinical candidate through early-stage clinical trials and continue to improve on its world-leading SCOPE (Single Cell Observations for Precision Effect) platform... READ MORE
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Invitation to Join the Canadian Delegation Participating at Medical Fair India
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service in Mumbai and its partners in India invite Canadian companies to participate at the 27th edition of Medical Fair India to promote Canadian capabilities in the life sciences sector. Medical Fair India (https://www.medicalfair-india.com/) is a signature event for the Indian healthcare sector focused on medical technologies, digital health, diagnostics, laboratory technology, hospital and health centre infrastructure ...READ MORE
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Victoria-Based Cognito Health Closes a $1.1M Pre-seed Round Led by Garage Capital
The investment round was led by Garage Capital’s Mike McCauley. Other high-profile investors include Rasool Rayani, Andrew Wilkinson of Tiny, Shopify co-founder Scott Lake, Redbrick’s Tobyn Sowden, endūr’s Rob Fraser and Jason Warner, the former CTO of Git-Hub... READ MORE
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US SEC Proposes New Rules on Climate-Related Disclosures
On March 21, 2022, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) proposed new rules that would require domestic and foreign registrants to provide climate-related disclosures in their registration statements and annual reports (the Proposed Rules). The Proposed Rules would require registrants to disclose... READ MORE
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WHO Refuses to Accept Quebec’s Medicago COVID-19 Vaccine Over Company’s Tobacco Ties
The World Health Organization has decided not to accept Quebec’s Medicago COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, citing the company’s ties to big tobacco. The decision was anticipated, as the WHO paused the process for pre-qualification of the company’s new Covifenz shot last week... READ MORE
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Government of Canada Launches Fund to Support Research Trainees from Ukraine
Scientists, academics and researchers are crucial to expanding our basic understanding of the world, not only by generating new ideas but also by speaking out to defend freedom from tyranny. The Government of Canada understands the value of scientific freedom and is working with its partners to provide support to researchers and students affected by Vladimir Putin’s unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine... READ MORE
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Conversations That Matter: The Future of Medical and Life Sciences in B.C.
“Imagine having a positive impact on the brains of a billion people,” says HealthTech President and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Ryan D’Arcy. “That is our bold vision.” The company develops transformative innovations in brain health. One such instrument is the “neurocatch platform, the world’s first deployable, objective and rapid measuring tool of brain function”...READ MORE
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ImmunoPrecise Antibodies (IPA) is a full-service, therapeutic antibody discovery company offering species agnostic advancements. IPA is focused on the next generation of antibody discovery, to deliver therapeutically relevant antibodies, in a short period of time, with high probability of succeeding to clinical trials. With over 30 years of experience in the custom antibody business, they have completed roughly 4000 projects for hundreds of clients across the globe, including a majority of the top 20 largest pharmaceutical companies.
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Electromate specializes in Motion Control, Robotic & Mechatronic Solutions for the Industrial Automation marketplace. They are respected as a premier source for High Performance Automation and Motion Control Solutions. Their Core Purpose is to help Manufacturers compete globally by building better machines using differentiated automation technology. They support their customers with extensive product selection, just-in-time delivery, dedicated customer service, and technical engineering support.
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Lab Animal Technician
Amgen British Columbia is seeking a Lab Animal Technician who will support animal-based studies, husbandry, and vivarium operations and also act as a back-up for technical and lab support for in-vivo research.
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Quality Assurance Analyst II
Phyton Biotech is seeking a Quality Assurance Analyst II who will provide oversight on API manufacturing activities according to the ICH/FDA/Health Canada GMP guidelines and support continuous improvement of quality systems.
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LSBC Job Board
Jobs posted to our Job Board automatically post out to all our social media accounts for wider sharing. Make sure you include your company name in the first line of your job ad for maximum exposure!
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Post A Job on the LSBC Website! |
LSBC Membership Discounts on Job Postings
As an LSBC member, your first five job postings EARNS a free repost on BioTalent Canada's The Petri Dish. After your first five reposts, you will also receive 25% off all job postings on The Petri Dish. Want more info? Contact Megan Pan -talent@lifesciencesbc.ca
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