May 19th, 2023

Life Sciences BC seeks to raise the profile of our members and supporters, highlight their achievements, and promote BC's dynamic life sciences ecosystem. If you have news or a story to share, let us know.

What do organ transplants, pig genes, and electric helicopters all share? To find out, join us for an extraordinary event featuring Dr. Martine Rothblatt, CEO of United Therapeutics and one of Forbes' "100 Greatest Business Minds" of the last century, as our keynote speaker at the upcoming McCarthy Spotlight Speaking Series on May 24. 

Experience the remarkable journey of an entrepreneurial pioneer who founded a biotech company to save her young daughter's life from a rare disease without approved treatments. Dr. Rothblatt also recently led efforts to create pigs with ten engineered genes whose organs have been used in the first human xenotransplants; to create a 3D-printed lung of 44 trillion voxels that is said to be the most complex 3D printed object; to create a GMP supply of 500 lung scaffolds annually; and to deliver for the first time by drone a lung for a life-saving transplant. And more! Register today

Our anticipated summer event—the LSBC Annual Summer Social – will take place this year on June 28th from 5-7 PM in the stunning Zymeworks offices! We hope you can join us for a lively evening of camaraderie as we gather as a community to celebrate the life sciences sector and kick off summer! Register now.

Until next week,

Wendy and the LSBC team

This Week in Pictures

New Clinical Study Suggests the Use of OraPharma’s ARESTIN® (minocycline HCl) Microspheres, 1mg May Decrease Certain Pathogens in Adults with Periodontitis

Bausch Health Companies Inc. and its oral health care business, OraPharma, announced the publication of a new study, which showed that ARESTIN® (minocycline HCI) microspheres, 1mg decreased certain pathogenic burdens, also known as infection burdens, in adults with periodontitis when applied immediately after scaling and root planning (SRP) and again at a three-month reapplication, versus SRP alone. ARESTIN is an FDA-approved antibiotic applied locally to gum pockets in adults with periodontitis following an SRP procedure and is used as part of an overall oral health program. ARESTIN should not be used in people who are allergic to minocycline or tetracyclines...READ MORE

Emerging Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Funding Opportunity Now Open

The window of opportunity to participate in a new initiative tackling major threats posed by emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance is now open and BC researchers interested in applying should register by May 30th. The Genomic Monitoring of Pathogens in Water (GeMPaW) initiative is a $10 million Genome Canada investment to help Canada defend its population, wildlife and environment from major threats posed by emerging pathogens (EPs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR)...READ MORE

InMed to Participate in Fireside Chat with Water Tower Research on May 23, 2023 at 1pm ET

InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a leader in the pharmaceutical research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of rare cannabinoids and cannabinoid analogs, announce Eric A. Adams, CEO of InMed, will be participating in the Water Tower Research Fireside Chat Series on May 23, 2023, at 1:00 pm ET...READ MORE

Pfizer Canada Launches National Initiative to Propel Startup Solutions for Key Challenges in Healthcare

Pfizer Canada ULC announces the launch of its Healthcare Hub, an initiative with Canadian tech and innovation startups to scale up health solutions, with the goal of enhancing outcomes and the patient experience in important areas of need in Canadian healthcare. Innovations will be brought to life through a partnership between Pfizer Canada and Canadian technology supercharger Communitech. The partnership combines Pfizer’s clinical development expertise with the proven entrepreneurial know-how of Communitech, which has helped tech talent launch and scale businesses for over 25 years...READ MORE

Zymeworks Announces Departure of Neil Klompas, President and Chief Operating Officer

Zymeworks Inc. announced the departure of Neil Klompas, President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Klompas joined Zymeworks in 2007 as Chief Financial Officer and served in multiple capacities until being named Chief Operating Officer and President in 2022. At various points throughout his tenure, he oversaw diverse areas within the Company including finance, legal, business development, human resources, clinical development, manufacturing, and other business functions, and played a central role in building the Company’s programs and leadership in novel multifunctional biotherapeutics during Zymeworks’ formative years...READ MORE

Gemina Labs Antibody Immobilization Chemistry Platform Demonstrates Major Lateral Flow Assay Performance Improvement

Gemina Laboratories Ltd. is delighted to announce that its patented chemistry for Antibody Immobilization allows for a massive reduction in antibody usage when used in lateral flow assay (“LFA”) diagnostic tests. This represents the confirmation of a major technical milestone on the LFA format for Gemina. The Antibody Immobilization Platform allows for the reduction of test line antibody requirements by 75% vs. standard physisorption, without impacting limit-of-detection...READ MORE

Chinook Therapeutics Announces Partnership with Ionis to Develop Antisense Therapy for Rare, Severe Chronic Kidney Disease

Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. announced it has entered a collaboration agreement with Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for the discovery, development and commercialization of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy for a rare, severe chronic kidney disease with significant unmet medical need. The companies will leverage Chinook’s precision medicine approach and deep expertise in nephrology and Ionis’ extensive expertise in RNA-targeted therapeutics...READ MORE

Nimbus Synergies Leads Investment in MetaOptima to Accelerate FDA Approval and US Market Adoption of its AI-Powered Skin Diagnostics Platform

Nimbus Synergies, a leading Canadian early-stage health technology investor, has led a $2.6 million investment in MetaOptima Technology, a digital health company that is revolutionizing the dermatology and skin care industry with affordable, effective, and intelligent AI-driven solutions. Existing investors, including Skip Capital and AirTree Ventures, also contributed to the funding round. In addition to this, MetaOptima also received a $2 million investment from WD Business Scale Up program ramping up the total capital raised to over $4.6 million...READ MORE

PharmAla Biotech and Shaman Pharma Granted First Ever Special Access Program Authorization for MDMA

PharmAla Biotech Holdings Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the research, development, and manufacturing of MDXX class molecules (including MDMA) and its distribution partner, CCrest Laboratories (operating as Shaman Pharma, “Shaman”) have received an authorization to provide a number of its LaNeo MDMA capsules to a Canadian physician for treatment of a patient under Health Canada’s Special Access Program. PharmAla has confirmed with Health Canada that this is the first-ever authorization of an MDMA-assisted therapy treatment under the Special Access Program...READ MORE

InMed Pharmaceuticals Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2023 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a leader in the pharmaceutical research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of rare cannabinoids and cannabinoid analogs, announced financial results for the third quarter of the fiscal year 2023 (“FY 3Q23”) which ended March 31, 2023

• Completed enrollment in Phase 2 Clinical Trial; data readout expected during calendar 3Q 2023
• 120% quarter-over-quarter revenue growth in the commercial BayMedica subsidiary
• Published a peer-reviewed study showing the anti-inflammatory potential of rare cannabinoids...READ MORE

NervGen Pharma Reports Q1 2023 Results and Provides Operational Update Including Clinical Trials of Proprietary NVG-291

NervGen Pharma Corp., a clinical stage biotech company dedicated to developing innovative solutions for the treatment of nervous system damage, reported its financial and operational results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. Operational highlights outlined below refer to NervGen’s proprietary lead drug candidate, NVG-291, which has been demonstrated in preclinical studies to enable functional recovery by promoting repair mechanisms in the nervous system, including axonal regeneration, remyelination and plasticity...READ MORE

Takeda Presents Real-World Clinical Effectiveness and Safety Results of Vedolizumab (ENTYVIO®) and Ustekinumab as First-Line Biologic Treatment for Crohn’s Disease

Takeda Canada Inc. announces results from the EVOLVE Expansion study, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of vedolizumab (ENTYVIO®), a gut-selective α4β7-integrin inhibitor and ustekinumab (UST), an IL-12/23 p40 inhibitor, as first-line biologic treatment for patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). The data were presented as an oral presentation at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2023 in Chicago, IL...READ MORE

Drug Discovered by SFU Researchers Shows Potential Life-Saving Results in Treating Cardiac Arrhythmias

Scientists at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) near Philadelphia have found that a drug discovered at SFU and patented several years ago may have potential lifesaving results in the treatment of conditions leading to sudden cardiac death. The drug, known as AR-787, was originally discovered and designed by former PhD student Mena Abdelsayed as a pharmacological solution for arrhythmias...READ MORE

EmeTerm Anti Fatigue & Car Sickness Wristband Wins the IF and IDA Design Awards

Improving the driving experience of drivers and passengers has been one of the directions of innovation in the automotive industry for many years. To address motion sickness and driving fatigue, automakers are working to develop a variety of technologies, aiming to provide users with experiences beyond expectations. Recently, the EmeTerm Anti Fatigue & Car Sickness Wristband, developed by WAT Medical for the automotive industry, has won the 2023 IF Design Award in Germany and the IDA Award in the United States for its aesthetic, innovative, and intelligent design...READ MORE

Dr. Katherine Frohlich appointed Scientific Director of CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health

Dr. Michael J. Strong, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), announced that Dr. Katherine Frohlich has been appointed Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health for a term of four years, effective September 1, 2023.

Dr. Frohlich is one of Canada’s leading public health researchers. She is a professor at Université de Montréal’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and School of Public Health, as well as an associate researcher at the Université de Montréal-affiliated Centre for Research in Public Health...READ MORE

Government of Canada Makes Important Investment to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, save lives every day. Without effective antimicrobials, common infections could become untreatable and even life-threatening for humans and animals.

While antimicrobials play a crucial role in the health of humans, animals, and plants, they can become less effective when the microbes that cause infections develop resistance to them. This process can be accelerated by the overuse of antimicrobials in humans and animals. Yet, despite their importance, most of the top pharmaceutical companies are no longer developing new antimicrobials, as the cost of investment in innovation heavily outweighs the financial return...READ MORE

Project Manager

Evonik Canada is seeking a Project Manager to work full-time in a hybrid role at their Burnaby location. The Project Manager manages a defined portfolio of projects from initiation stage in R&D to closing at the manufacturing stage. Oversees projects that are ready go into manufacturing, aligning between Process Development and Manufacturing to ensure equipment, consumables, and resources are available for internal tech transfer. Handles customer communication and collaboration, budget tracking, timeline and resource management.

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Bioinformatician

EYAM are seeking a bionformatician. The ideal candidate will have a PhD (within the last 3 years) and a background in bioinformatics, computer science, or another equivalent quantitative discipline. Candidates with a background in biological sciences and/or immunology and demonstrable equivalent experience in bioinformatics will be considered. Required skills are fluency in one or more mainstream programming languages used in bioinformatics, such as Python. Experience in shell programming and Unix/Linux, with possibly previous experience in HPC, is also a prerequisite.

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Quality Control Specialist

Response Biomedical are seeking a Quality Control Specialist. This position is responsible for the direct testing of incoming raw materials, completing in process inspections for manufacturing, and the analytical testing of components and finished products to ensure that quality standards and procedures are met and aligned with legislation and required specifications. The Quality Control Specialist is also responsible for monitoring QC specifications and metrics to identify trends in established controlled processes and procedures.

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Paladin Labs Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring or in-licensing innovative pharmaceutical products for the Canadian market.

Paladin has a focused marketing and sales organization that has helped it evolve into a well-known Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company with a breadth of products. Paladin is an operating company of Endo International plc (NASDAQ: ENDP), a highly focused generics and specialty branded pharmaceutical company delivering quality medicines to patients through excellence in development, manufacturing and commercialization.



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Omega Laboratories is the global leader in speciality testing for drugs of abuse, antigen, antibody, and PCR laboratory-based molecular tests, including Covid19. Omega provides exceptional software solutions for clinical and forensic operations, and laboratory licensing opportunities tailored to meet the unique needs and demands of programs and organizations around the globe.

Omega Laboratories is a multi-national, full-service provider offering drugs of abuse testing and molecular testing solutions to organizations committed to ensuring a safe, efficient, and healthy organization.

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