Friday | February 3rd, 2023

CEO MESSAGE

This week we had the privilege of a tour of Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby Campus from Dr. Angela Brooks-Wilson, Dean of Science, to see BC’s world-class innovation in action. We checked out Western Canada’s first Anatomage table - a 3D anatomy and virtual dissection platform - and visited the Centre for High-Throughput Chemical Biology, which is unique in Western Canada for supporting early-stage drug discovery. We also toured 4D labs, a materials science research institute focusing on developing and delivering advanced functional materials and nanoscale devices. Thanks to all who took the time to share their work with us, including SFU Venture Labs, the Beedie School of Business: Invention to Innovation, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, and more.

 

It was a sold-out crowd at yesterday’s Women in Life Sciences panel event, hosted in partnership with the Burnaby Board of Trade. Panelists Jennifer Arntorp of Corcym, Dr. Angela Brooks-Wilson of SFU, Beatriz Rodriguez of STEMCELL Technologies, and Erica Zarkovich of LifeLabs shared their experiences, stories, and views on leadership in the life science sector and the importance of including diversity of thought across the sector.

 

Our team also had the pleasure of attending CANZBA’s (Canada, Australia & New Zealand Business Association) exclusive Australia and Waitangi Day event hosted in collaboration with the Australian Consulate and New Zealand Consulate-General. We value the collaborative, cross-border relationships that support innovation and promote sector growth. 


Member News


David Helliwell, Co-Founder and Board Chair of Thrive Health, is featured in Investment Reports, discussing his vision for digital health and improved patient care. Bill Hunter, Canary Medical CEO, was recently featured in a PM3620 Magazine article on managing leadership responsibilities. Tim Richmond, Executive VP and Chief HR Officer of AbbVie shared his approach to building a strong company culture and attracting talent in the recent The HR Digest.

 

UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering has launched the SBME Synergy Summer Studentship Program in partnership with the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, the Genome Science and Technology Graduate Program, and the Life Sciences Institute. This undergraduate research program provides opportunities for hands-on research in world-class laboratories.

 

The UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences has launched catalyst for Change 2.0, a new strategic plan that will provide direction from now through to the end of 2026.

 

BCIT and Teck Resources have opened the Teck Copper Innovation Hub at BCIT’s Centre for Applied Research and Innovation. The facility will help researchers and students explore copper’s use in various healthcare devices, including prosthetics and orthotics.

 

AdMare BioInnovations has announced the launch of the Tx Accelerator, a national program to support Canada’s most promising and innovative early-stage therapeutics ventures with the potential for significant market impact.

 

The Gairdner Foundation will announce its 2023 laureates on Mar 30. You can register to see the live announcement at 9 a.m. ET.


Industry News


BC’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, has welcomed Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Dr. Martin Lavoie, and Dr. Andrew Larder to British Columbia’s public health leadership team to help strengthen BC’s preparedness and response to present and future public health emergencies.

 

Save the date! The 2023 Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference is on April 25-26 at the Metro Toronto Conventions Centre.

 

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has announced a call for applications for Human Frontier Science Program Postdoctoral Fellowships, which support frontier, transformative research in the life sciences. Applications for high-risk projects are particularly encouraged.

 

The Canadian Space Agency’s Health Beyond Initiative has shared a new funding opportunity with the Innovation Fund for Remote Healthcare in Space and on Earth. The goal is to redistribute a total of $1.8 million in funding to the Canadian biomedical sector and involves funding the development of healthcare technologies tailored to remote and deep space environments. The deadline to apply is Feb 20.


Kudos

 

Thomas J. Digby, a longtime and passionate advocate of the life sciences, has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) for a 5-year term. We congratulate Mr. Digby on this exciting new leadership role. 


People on the Move


Algernon Pharmaceuticals has appointed Dr. Peter Dicpinigaitis, Professor of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, as a medical consultant to their chronic cough research program.

 

The Last Word


Today is the last day to purchase early bird tickets to our Feb 23 Access to Innovation Conference, bringing together life sciences leaders from academia, research, health institutions, government, and industry to discuss emerging trends, innovation, economic impact, translational science, and policies to advance the sector. Register now! 


Until next week,  

Wendy and the LSBC team 

PLATINUM SPONSORS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

LifeLabs Launches Signatera, Offering Canadians an Innovative and Personalized Approach to Managing Cancer

LifeLabs is pleased to share the launch of SignateraTM, a highly sensitive, personalized molecular residual disease assay test developed by Natera for treatment monitoring and molecular residual disease assessment in patients previously diagnosed with cancer. The first of its kind, this innovative test uses circulating tumor DNA and is personalized for each patient to help assess recurrence risk and identify relapse up to two years earlier than the current standard of care tools...READ MORE

 

Numinus Receives Clinical Trial Application Approval from Health Canada for Experiential Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training using Psilocybe Cubensis Tea

Numinus Wellness Inc., a mental health care company advancing innovative treatments and safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, announced that it has received approval from Health Canada for its experiential training study that will test the safety and clinical efficacy of whole Psilocybe cubensis tea for therapeutic use, and enable practitioners to further their understanding of psychedelic-assisted therapy through experiential training...READ MORE

 

Ondine’s Nasal Photodisinfection Therapy (APDT) Improves Short-Term and Long-Term Immune Response While Significantly Reducing SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity

The study, published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology,1 met its primary endpoint, with a highly significant decrease in viral infectivity recorded as early as two days after treatment (p<0.0001). By contrast, patients in the placebo control arm, who underwent simulated treatment without the active components being applied, were non-responsive (p=0.24). No serious adverse events were reported...READ MORE

 

adMare BioInnovations Launches the adMare Tx Accelerator to Support Growth of Promising Early-stage Therapeutics Ventures Across Canada

adMare BioInnovations is pleased to announce the launch of the adMare Tx Accelerator that will support the most promising ventures across Canada and help them achieve essential milestones for successful development and commercialization of therapeutics (Tx). The 2020 adMare pilot accelerator program in Montreal, launched with support of the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) and the Ville de Montréal, generated significant results...READ MORE

 

Kite and Arcellx Close Agreement to Co-develop and Co-commercialize Late-stage Clinical CART-ddBCMA in Multiple Myeloma

Kite, a Gilead Company, and Arcellx, Inc., announced the closing of the companies’ previously announced global strategic collaboration to co-develop and co-commercialize Arcellx’s lead late-stage product candidate, CART-ddBCMA, for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is an incurable disease for most patients and the need remains for effective, safe and broadly accessible therapies...READ MORE

 

Sernova Announces Advancements with its Novel Cell Pouch SystemTM to Preserve Thyroid Function Following Total Thyroidectomy

Sernova Corp., a clinical-stage company and leader in cell therapeutics, announced advancements in its thyroid cell therapy program – one of three cell therapy development programs utilizing the Company’s proprietary Cell Pouch System™. In a preclinical proof of concept study, the Company demonstrated that auto-transplantation of thyroid tissue into the Cell Pouch can compensate for removal of the thyroid gland (total thyroidectomy), restoring normal thyroid hormone levels in an animal model...READ MORE

 

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC Launch Catalyst for Change 2.0

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC) launched Catalyst for Change 2.0, a new strategic plan that will provide direction from now through to the end of 2026. A catalyst is defined as an agent that initiates and accelerates significant action and change. Indeed, the Faculty has successfully initiated many projects outlined in the previous strategic plan Catalyst for Change: 2017–2022...READ MORE

 

Acuitas Therapeutics’ President & CEO Named a National Winner in the EY Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year Program

In recognition of his commitment to innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, Dr. Thomas Madden, President & CEO of Acuitas Therapeutics, has been named one of EY’s 10 Canadian National Winners in their Entrepreneur of the Year program. Dr. Madden accepted the award during a live show where he appeared with 35 elite entrepreneurs from across Canada on January 26, 2023...READ MORE

 

Deloitte Canada is Joined by Synergyx Consulting Leadership to Capture Growing Health Economics Market

Setting an objective of becoming a leader in health economics, Deloitte Canada announces it has welcomed the leadership from Synergyx, a Montreal-based consulting firm specializing in market access and pharmacoeconomics for the health industry. The Synergyx leadership will join Deloitte’s Economic Advisory practice to provide strategic counsel on pressing issues including the rising costs of health care, vaccine distribution, wait times, and more...READ MORE

INDUSTRY NEWS
 
 

Government of Canada Announces Appointment to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board

Following a merit-based selection process, Thomas J. Digby is appointed for a term of five years. Mr. Digby is a lawyer with expertise in intellectual property and has an extensive educational background in the Biological Sciences. He has over 25 years of experience working with the pharmaceutical sector and is highly knowledgeable regarding patented medicines...READ MORE

 

Provincial Health Officer’s Statement on New Public Health Officers

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO), has issued the following statement to welcome new doctors to British Columbia’s public health leadership team. "I’d like to welcome Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who joins on a six-month contract basis as a deputy provincial health officer. In her new role, Dr. Hinshaw will support the work of the office of the PHO, while Dr. Martin Lavoie, a deputy provincial health officer, is on temporary assignment. Dr. Hinshaw previously served as chief medical officer of health for Alberta and was a key leader in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in that province"...READ MORE

 
GOLD SPONSORS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Director, Biology




Gandeeva Therapeutics is seeking an exceptional, motivated Director, Biology to lead our Discovery Biology efforts. Reporting to the CSO, this person will help select, build, and grow our pipeline of protein targets and play a critical role in the growth of Gandeeva Therapeutics. The role holder will support and develop a compelling biological rationale, define winning target product profiles, and support the cross-functional teams as they move towards the clinic.





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Research Associate, Protein Biochemistry



Gandeeva Therapeutics is seeking a Research Associate as part of a team working in a world class state-of-the art laboratory who will be involved protein expression, purification, and analysis to support Gandeeva’s drug discovery efforts. The role holder is responsible for establishing and implementing gene-to-protein workflows to reliably express target proteins for structural biology and for use in drug discovery processes and to analyze purified proteins using biophysical and biochemical techniques.


  


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Industrial Technology Advisor – Lifesciences



The National Research Council of Canada are looking for a seasoned industry professional who is absolutely enthusiastic about helping innovative Canadian companies grow and prosper. They need people who see the potential in a business and are driven to nurture it to the next level. The National Research Council of Canada are increasing staff across the country and their clients need engaged professionals to provide innovative advisory services to help them grow.





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New Member Welcome
 
 

Lab Occupier Services is the only commercial real estate team in Toronto that works exclusively with tenants in biotech, medtech and life sciences. They have completed transactions for lab space from MaRS to MIP and currently have assignments underway in Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Waterloo, London and Ottawa. In addition to their experience, it is important to note they have no listings which means their team has no potential or real conflicts of interest when representing tenants in negotiations with landlords.


The Lab Occupier team at Lennard Commercial Real Estate has the experience, scope of services and depth of knowledge to assist scaling life sciences companies with their real estate needs in the Ontario Life Sciences Corridor.




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Member Spotlight
 
 
 

NervGen Pharma Corp. is a clinical stage biotech company dedicated to developing innovative treatments that enable the nervous system to repair itself following damage, whether due to injury or disease. NervGen’s lead drug candidate, NVG-291, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers. After completing our Phase 1 clinical trial, we plan to study the effectiveness and safety of NVG-291 initially in people with Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis.











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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 EARN a free repost on BioTalent Canada's The Petri Dish. After your first five posts, you will also receive 25% off all job postings on The Petri Dish. Want more info? Contact talent@lifesciencesbc.ca.

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