Life Sciences BC News, July 25, 2024

As we prepare for our annual LSBC awards presented by Farris, Biofilm MEDIA has been busy capturing the stories behind this year’s winners. We’re excited to share these with you on September 10 at our awards gala. Don’t miss out on this once-a-year event where the ecosystem comes together to connect, reflect, and of course, celebrate! We sold out the event last year, secure your tickets today. 

LSBC offers opportunities for companies to prepare and present their innovation and story for an investment audience. We are excited to announce the companies selected to present at our Invest in BC event, that will feature well over 50 investors on October 29-30. Stay tuned for the announcement!

This is also the last call for early-stage companies to apply for our 2025 Investor Readiness Program. Apply by July 31 to join a cohort of emerging life sciences companies and experienced entrepreneurs-in-residence for 6 months of mentorship, goal setting, educational workshops, and a final pitch presentation. 

The provincial and federal governments have signed the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases (DRD) agreement. $195 million will be invested over three years to improve access to new and existing drugs for rare diseases and support early diagnosis and screening. This represents an important first step in allocating much-needed funding as promised under the National Strategy for Rare Diseases announced in March 2023. Read more. 

Member Highlights 

The School of Biomedical Engineering’s faculty member, Dr. Babak Shadgan, will serve as the Medical Director of Wrestling Competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Dr. Shadgan has developed a new approach to train referees that aims to reduce the rate and severity of musculoskeletal injuries during competitions. Read more. 

Zymeworks announces FDA clearance of IND application for SW191, the company’s novel folate receptor-⍺ (FR⍺) targeted topoisomerase I inhibitor (TOPO1i) antibody-drug conjugate. Read more. 

Gilead announces Health Canada approval for Trodelvy® in pre-treated HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer, providing an additional therapy for Canadian patients with limited treatment options. Read more. 

GSK receives approval from Health Canada for Jemperli for the treatment of patients with recurrent or advanced dMMR/MSI-H endometrial cancer. The conversion of this indication from Notice of Compliance (NOC/c) to full approval (NOC) is based on long term outcomes from the GARNET phase I trial. Read more.  

Industry Highlights

The Government of Canada and its partners are investing $19.3 million to support nine research teams to study ongoing, new, and emerging threats to lung health. A team led by Dr. Christopher Carlsten at the University of British Columbia will focus on the long-term health effects of wildfire smoke. Read more. 

The Government of Canada has launched two calls for proposals for the Climate Change and Health Capacity Building program. Up to $17.7 million in funding will be awarded to support work that advances climate action in the health sector and that helps to protect the health of people in Canada from extreme heat. Read more.

Kudos

Congratulations to the winners of the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Knowledge Translation Challenge Awards! The program, focused on capacity building, facilitates connection and knowledge sharing by helping healthcare providers work with experienced investigators. Read more. 

Stephanie Willerth of Axolotl Biosciences was named a recipient of the 2024 Misties Award. The award celebrates visionary leaders in intelligent and connected devices. Read more.  

Kudos to the recipients of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant: Spring 2024 competition! 373 grants for a total investment of $325 million were awarded, including 94 towards early career researchers and 12 to Indigenous health research projects. Read more. 

People on the Move

John Choi recently joined Frontage as the Vice President of Clinical Services. John joins Frontage from W Medical Strategy Group, where he was the Executive Clinical and Regulatory Advisor. Read more. 

Bausch Health welcomed Jean-Jacques Charhon (“JJ”) and Aimee Lenar to their executive leadership team. JJ joins Bausch as Chief Financial Officer, bringing 25 years of experience in financial leadership across healthcare, high tech and services. Aimee joins as Executive Vice President of US Pharma, bringing over 20 years of experience in pharmaceuticals. Read more. 

NervGen Pharma appointed Neil Klompas to their Board of Directors. Neil joins NervGen at a pivotal time as they prepare for future growth. He brings a wealth of experience as a life sciences and healthcare sector executive to the Board. Read more. 

Moderna announced that David Rubenstein of the Carlyle Group has joined their Board of Directors. Directors Robert Langer and Stephen Berenson will retire from the Board upon David’s appointment. Read more. 

Applications Open

The School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC announced that registration is open for their IP Strategy and Management course, part of their micro-certificate in Innovation Leadership: Medical and Bio-Innovations. Learn more. 

Applications are now open for the 2024 Canadian Consortium of Clinical Trial Training (CANTRAIN) clinical research internship program. Michael Smith Health Research BC is a proud partner of CANTRAIN. The internship program integrates online training with experiential, engaged learning opportunities and expert mentorship. Applications are open on a rolling basis until March 2025. Learn more. 

Join DeepTech’s Canada Mission to BIO Japan from October 7-11, 2024, with an additional mission to Singapore. Registration closes on July 26. Learn more. 

Join a partnering mission to Japan on December 2-5, 2024, focusing on connecting Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to Japanese corporations looking to integrate AI solutions for health technologies. Apply by August 7. Learn more.  

See our expanded list of current life sciences opportunities on our website.

Member Spotlight

Located in central Vancouver, Langara College is British Columbia’s second largest college. The Langara College Applied Research Centre is dedicated to assisting partnering firms in meeting their immediate R&D challenges quickly and cost-effectively, and to developing partner-owned intellectual property that will help BC life sciences companies secure their long-term success.

The Centre has a capable and flexible research platform. Our resources include faculty researchers, highly skilled technicians, capable students, state-of-the-art laboratories, and eligibility for federal funding that enables us to offer discounted services. Langara College’s Applied Research Centre is actively seeking innovative companies in the life sciences to develop partnerships that address their practical challenges. Learn more.

Until next week!

LSBC Team

September 10 - Join us on September 10, 2024, as we celebrate excellence in life sciences at the 26th Annual Life Sciences BC Awards, presented by Farris.

This distinguished occasion brings together British Columbia’s vibrant life sciences community to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our peers and recognize the tireless efforts of those who have devoted their careers to advancing health innovations.

October 29 & 30 - Life Sciences BC is pleased to announce the 9th annual Invest in BC presented by Lumira Ventures conference.

This highly anticipated event serves as a premier gathering for healthcare innovators in British Columbia, connecting them with global investors. This year we’ve reimagined the conference, offering attendees a dynamic two-day program featuring 30+ company pitches from pre-seed to public.

BIOTECanada’s Response to Bilateral Agreements Between the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia to Improve Patient Access to Drugs for Rare Diseases

BIOTECanada welcomes the announcement that the Government of Canada has entered into a bilateral agreement with the province of British Columbia which will improve access to drugs for rare diseases, early diagnosis, and screening for British Columbian rare disease patients...Read more.

WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. Files a Patent Application for its Manufacturing Process to Synthesize a Key Intermediate of Tetrodotoxin

WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company developing Halneuron®, announced that it has filed a patent application for its process of synthesizing a key intermediate in the manufacturing of Tetrodotoxin...Read more.

WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. Announces Abstract and Poster Presentation on Halneuron® at the IASP 2024 World Congress on Pain

WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, is pleased to announce that a poster presentation on the Company’s lead drug candidate Halneuron® was accepted for presentation at the International Association for the Study of Pain 2024 World Congress on Pain…Read more.

Research Approval Process Project Completes Process Mapping

The Research Approvals Processes Project has completed process mapping of the current state for privacy and operational streams of the research approval processes for all health authorities...Read more.

BC Among the First to Support New National Clinical Research Internships, Next Funding Call Now Open

Two clinical research professionals and investigators in British Columbia are among the first in Canada to begin a unique pathway to enhancing their skills through a new immersive, internship program…Read more.

Quebec’s Committee on Immunization (CIQ) Recommends Use of RSV Vaccines, Including AREXVY, for Older Adult Populations at Risk of Severe Outcomes

The Committee on Immunization of Quebec has recommended use of RSV vaccines, including AREXVY, for the prevention of RSV among older adults at increased risk of severe outcomes from the virus...Read more.

Health Canada Grants Full Approval to Jemperli for the Treatment of Patients with Recurrent or Advanced dMMR/MSI-H Endometrial Cancer

GSK announced that Health Canada granted full approval for Jemperli as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with dMMR/MSI-H recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer that has progressed on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing regimen...Read more.

Innovative Medicines Canada Welcomes Bilateral Agreements Between the Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia to Improve Patient Access to Drugs for Rare Diseases

Innovative Medicines Canada is encouraged by the announcement that the federal government and the province of British Columbia have reached an agreement to support increased access to drugs for rare diseases and action to improved diagnostic testing and screening...Read more.

David Rubenstein Joins Moderna’s Board of Directors

Moderna, Inc. announced that David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, will join Moderna’s Board of Directors, effective August 5, 2024. Upon Mr. Rubenstein’s appointment, directors Robert Langer and Stephen Berenson will also retire from the Board...Read more.

Knowledge Translation Challenge 2024 Recipients

Knowledge translation is the art and science of moving evidence into health care policy and practice. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute is proud to support health care professionals to effectively implement evidence-based practice changes to improve patient care…Read more.

UBC Medicine Researchers Awarded More than $25 Million in CIHR Project Grants

UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers are leading 38 projects awarded more than $25 million in combined funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant: Spring 2024 competition...Read more.

AbbVie’s EPKINLYTM Receives First-Ever Time-Limited Reimbursement Recommendation by Canada’s Drug Agency

AbbVie, announced that Canada’s Drug Agency has issued its first-ever Time-Limited Reimbursement recommendation for EPKINLY. This recommendation recognizes the unmet need of adult patients with Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma...Read more.

Gilead and the Elton John AIDS Foundation Announce Additional Five Years of RADIAN Partnership to Help Address the Growing HIV Crisis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Gilead Sciences, Inc. and the Elton John AIDS Foundation announced a five-year extension of the RADIAN ® partnership to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable key populations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia where the HIV epidemic is growing...Read more.

Health Canada Approves Trodelvy® (SACITUZUMAB GOVITECAN) in Pre-treated HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer

Gilead Sciences Canada, Inc. announced that Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance for TRODELVY® for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who have received endocrine-based therapy…Read more.

Zymeworks Announces FDA Clearance Of Investigational New Drug Application For ZW191, A Novel Folate Receptor-⍺ Targeted Topoisomerase I Inhibitor Antibody-Drug Conjugate

Zymeworks Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a diverse pipeline of novel, multifunctional biotherapeutics, announced that the US FDA has cleared the investigational new drug application for ZW191...Read more.

NervGen Pharma Appoints Neil Klompas To Board Of Directors

NervGen Pharma Corp., a clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to developing innovative solutions for the treatment of nervous system damage, announced the appointment of Mr. Neil Klompas to the company’s Board of Directors...Read more.

Johnson & Johnson Seeks U.S. FDA Approval of SPRAVATO® (esketamine) as the First and Only Monotherapy for Adults with Treatment-resistant Depression

Johnson & Johnson announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application to the U.S. FDA seeking approval of SPRAVATO® CIII nasal spray as a monotherapy for adults living with treatment-resistant depression…Read more.

John Choi, MS Joins Frontage as the Vice President of Clinical Services

John has over 30 years of experience in clinical project management, clinical and regulatory strategies, and clinical operations within CROs and sponsor companies. He is well experienced in all phases of clinical trials both in Asia and the US…Read more.

Bausch Health Welcomes Two New Members to the Executive Leadership Team

Bausch Health Companies Inc. today announced the appointment of two new members to its Executive Leadership Team. Jean-Jacques Charhon will join the Company as Chief Financial Officer, and Aimee Lenar joined the Company on July 15 as Executive Vice President, US Pharma…Read more.

Biomanufacturing Training

Brunel has a current opportunity for a Biomanufacturing Trainer on a permanent basis. The position will be based in Vancouver. For further information about this position please apply...Learn more

Research Technician 2, Resource Facility

Xenon is seeking a Research Technician 2, Resource Facility to join our animal care team. This position will provide husbandry and facility maintenance to support preclinical research in drug discovery...Learn more

Industrial Postdoctoral Fellow, Research Associate and Research Scientist Positions

Pharma Inventor, Inc. is seeking energetic, result-oriented individuals with proven track records of success to join our dynamic team. The successful candidate is expected to have extensive experience in modern organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry...Learn more

Scaling mRNA production for design validation

To unlock the next generation of mRNA therapeutics, we need to be able to test mRNAs designs generated via deep learning in vivo. Your work will enable the first step toward this goal by developing methods to produce mRNA at a scale and quality sufficient for testing ML-generated designs in vivo...Learn more

Building formulation capabilities for mRNA design validation

Your work will enable us to formulate mRNA designs into LNPs with the goal of enabling us to better understand and model the performance of our mRNA designs within in vivo settings...Learn more

Associate, Polymer Chemistry

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Biomaterials, you'll contribute to polymer development, formulation, and characterization of biomaterials used to manufacture bioprinted tissues for preclinical studies and clinical applications...Learn more

Senior Accountant

Reporting to the Controller, the Senior Accountant will play a leading role in the execution of all financial operations, including full cycle accounting, reporting, budgets, forecasting, client relationships, records maintenance, and developing a comprehensive set of controls to ensure accuracy...Learn more

Associate Scientist, Predictive Biology (14 Month Contract)

In this vital role you will focus on the development of an in vitro platform composed of patient derived cell lines and organoids that will allow us to better predict efficacy and safety liabilities in our Biologic drugs. Specifically, this role will involve the development, optimization, and maintenance of patient derived organoids...Learn more

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