September 24, 2026 - Hello BioLinks Readers

This week:

• BIONATION and Wendy Hurlburt at the Health Data Summit
• ICYMI: Watch our Blakes Breakfast event recording

BIONATION and Wendy Hurlburt at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Health Data Summit

Congratulations to our friends at BIOTECanada for hosting a successful BIONATION event during Global Biotech Week. Several of our BC leaders were featured as speakers including Xenon’s Ian Mortimer, Louis-Philippe Bernier from CeraCura, and Handol Kim from Variational AI to name a few. Congratulations to the Gold Leaf Award winners this year including Xenon and Dr. Allen Eaves. Read more.

In the same week, LSBC’s Wendy Hurlburt hosted panels at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Health Data Summit in Ottawa. Together, leaders from government, healthcare, and industry, including federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, tackled questions that will shape the future of care in Canada. Read more.

ICYMI: Watch our Latest Blakes Breakfast Event

We convened the conversation about capital across the country at our Blakes Breakfast Speaking Series this week. It is an exciting time for life sciences in Canada with the increased activities in biopharma M&A and movement of capital into the sector. Our experts provided more insight into industry trends and what to watch out for.


View the event recording here.

Member Highlights 

STEMCELL Technologies will receive up to $2.8 million to establish domestic manufacturing capacity for custom cell culture media and Avivo Biomedical will receive up to $10.9 million toward its $33.9 million project that will advance its platform which converts different blood types into the universal blood Type O, making more transfusion and transplant options available to more patients. The funding was announced by the federal government as part of the $67 million investment in the life sciences sector through the Life Sciences Fund. Read more.

WELL Health launched an end-to-end clinical trial platform built on Canada’s largest outpatient network. The platform, called WELL Research, addresses the challenge of patient enrollment by delivering the full clinical trial value chain through its CRO, SMO, and bioanalytical capabilities. Read more.

Zymeworks completed the acquisition of Theravance Biopharma. Theravance Biopharma is now part of Zymeworks, further advancing Zymeworks’ strategy to build a diversified revenue-generating biotechnology company. Read more.

Xenon announced Azetukalner NDA submission to the FDA for focal seizures and provided an update on the psychiatry clinical program. Read more.

Ecosystem Highlights

The Government of Canada announced a $67 million investment in the life sciences sector through the Life Sciences Fund to strengthen Canada’s dual-use technologies. Read more.

Kudos

Roche Canada, in equal partnership with Patient Partners, has been nominated for the inaugural 2026 Prix Galien Patient First Award. Read more.

Congratulations to TRIUMF’s Allison Selinger, who has been awarded the 2026 Alice Wilson Award by the Royal Society of Canada. Read more.

People on the Move

Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. announced the appointment of Dr. Ranjit Bindra, MD, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board. Read more.

Avantor appointed Todd Garner as Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer. Read more.

Aon appointed Jane Drummond as Global Chief Commercial Officer. Read more.

BD announced that Arthur Hu has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer. Read more.

Applications Open

Applications are now open for the 2026 Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Health Startup Portfolio, hosted by World Business Chicago. The summit will take place on October 20, 2026, bringing together founders, investors, healthcare organizations, corporate leaders, and innovation ecosystem partners. Learn more.

Pathway to Silicon Valley is opening Earlybird applications for its next cohort, designed for women founders and women-led executive teams preparing for U.S. growth, applications close September 25, 2026. Learn more.

Apply to pitch to global investors at the 2027 OBIO Investment Summit, submissions for early consideration close October 13, 2026. Learn more.

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

Membership Spotlight

Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV), provide companies with access to equity capital and the benefits of being listed on a leading global exchange with integrity, liquidity and opportunity. Companies listed on TSX and TSXV have access to North American capital markets, one of the world’s largest capital pools. With a wide investor base providing liquidity, its Exchanges also serve as access points to the international pools of capital for companies seeking growth and expansion capital Learn more.

AMR Law Corporation provides sharp, strategic legal counsel tailored to the complex needs of high-growth and global companies. The firm focuses on corporate transactions, M&A, AI governance, privacy law, commercial contracting, and fractional General Counsel services, advising clients across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Learn more.

New Members Welcome

Ifeanyi Offor a pharmaceutical science professional with 10+ years of experience spanning pharmaceutical product management, medical marketing, HCP/KOL engagement, clinical research operations, and healthcare management. Lead author of three peer-reviewed scientific publications. Learn more.

Pamela Yoon leads The Pamela Yoon Group at RBC Dominion Securities. For over 30 years, she has been dedicated to providing comprehensive wealth management advice to affluent multi-generational families, entrepreneurs, business executives, foundations, and non-profits. Her work is driven by a passion for making a meaningful difference in the lives of her clients, their families, and the communities they support. Learn more.

Procogia builds private AI for regulated, data-heavy organizations. It was founded in 2013, is based in Vancouver, and spent 13 years as a data solutions provider before becoming an end-to-end AI provider. Every prompt, record and model weight stays inside the client's systems: on premises, air-gapped or in their own cloud. Learn more.

Until next week!

LSBC Team

November 3-4 - Life Sciences BC is pleased to announce the 11th annual Invest in BC presented by Lumira Ventures. This highly anticipated event serves as a premier gathering for life sciences innovators in British Columbia, connecting them with investors and potential partners locally, nationally, and around the world.

November 26-27 - Life Sciences BC, in partnership with BCIT, is relaunching our science for non-scientists courses, Bio Essentials: Foundational Science, a micro-credential that will teach the fundamental science that underpins the biotech industry with Canadian context and relevant BC-specific ecosystem examples.

Augurex Announces Mayo Clinic Laboratories Now Offering 14-3-3eta Testing for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Augurex announced that Mayo Clinic Laboratories is now offering 14-3-3eta serum testing for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the United States... Read more.

The Long Road to mRNA Therapeutics R&D: Why Fast Synthesis Is Only the Beginning

Creative Biolabs is examining the interconnected challenges that continue to shape the path from mRNA design to preclinical development... Read more.

Avivo awarded up to $10.9M from Innovation Science & Economic Development Canada

Avivo announced it will receive up to $10.9 million toward advancing the development of its technology to expand blood transfusion and organ transplant capabilities... Read more.

Creative Destruction Lab and OpenAI Partner to Accelerate AI Innovation Across a Global Network of Science-Based Startups

Creative Destruction Lab announced a new partnership with OpenAI to support the next generation of AI-enabled companies across CDL’s global network of science-based startups... Read more.

CAPLYTA® (lumateperone) Shows Significant and Rapid Improvement in Bipolar Mania in Pivotal Phase 3 Study

Johnson & Johnson shared positive topline results from the pivotal Phase 3 study evaluating CAPLYTA® (lumateperone) for the treatment of manic episodes... Read more.

Health Canada Authorizes Pfizer and BioNTech’s Omicron XFG-Adapted COVID-19 Vaccine

Pfizer Canada and BioNTech announced that Health Canada has authorized an updated version of COMIRNATY® to help protect people aged 6 months and older against COVID-19... Read more.

Xenon Announces Azetukalner NDA Submission to FDA for Focal Seizures and Provides Update on Psychiatry Clinical Program

Xenon Pharmaceuticals submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) for azetukalner in focal seizures to the FDA... Read more.

GSK Canada and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance sign Letter of Intent for Blenrep for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

GSK Canada completed negotiations with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance to move forward with coverage discussions for Blenrep... Read more.

Onco-Innovations and Redwood AI Secure Terry Fox Research Institute Grant to Advance AI-Powered SynoGraph™ Oncology Platform

Redwood AI and Onco have been awarded a grant, administered by the Terry Fox Research Institute, to incorporate federated learning and causal AI to predict first-in-human clinical outcomes... Read more.

Vertex Announces Positive Results From Phase 2b AMPLIFIED Study of Inaxaplin in Additional Populations of People With APOL1-Mediated Kidney Disease (AMKD) and Completion of Enrollment in the Phase 2/3 AMPLITUDE Trial

Vertex announced positive results from a Phase 2b clinical trial of inaxaplin, a potential treatment for people with mediated kidney disease... Read more.

WELL Health Launches WELL Research, an End-to-End Clinical Trial Platform Built on Canada’s Largest Outpatient Network

WELL Health Technologies announced the launch of WELL Research, WELL’s consolidated clinical research brand... Read more.

Novo's CagriSema Delivers Superior Weight Loss versus Tirzepatide in REIMAGINE 5 Trial

Novo Nordisk announced initial results from two Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating CagriSema, an investigational treatment being developed for weight management and type 2 diabetes... Read more.

Roche Canada and Health Data Research Network Canada Announce First-of-its-Kind Partnership Focused on Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Care

Roche Canada and HDRN Canada announced a partnership that uses health data from multiple provinces to understand pediatric multiple sclerosis treatments better... Read more.

Government of Canada invests $80 million to expand precision oncology across Canada through the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network

The Terry Fox Research Institute and Terry Fox Foundation welcomed an $80 million investment from the Government of Canada to expand access to precision oncology and accelerate cancer research... Read more.

Zymeworks Completes Acquisition of Theravance Biopharma

Zymeworks Inc. completed the acquisition of Theravance Biopharma, advancing Zymeworks’ strategy to build a diversified biotechnology company... Read more



Research and Innovation Manager, Fisheries and Aquaculture

The role contributes to implementing the organization’s strategic goals, engages external partners, and pursues collaborative opportunities as part of the Research and Innovation team... Learn more.

Scientist I, Protein Biophysics and Biochemistry

The role supports Protein Biophysics and Biochemistry teams developing and implementing assays, screening compounds, and executing gene-to-protein workflows... Learn more.

Coordinator, Research Program & Operations

The role supports the planning, coordination, and delivery of Canada's Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH) programs, partnerships, and strategic initiatives... Learn more.

Manufacturing Engineering Technologist

The role will be responsible for providing technical support for the manufacturing, assembly, testing, calibration, and troubleshooting of electronic instrument systems... Learn more.

Coordinator, Education Programs & Communications

The role is responsible for the planning, organizing, and delivery of communications and leads in the development of initiatives that advance training and talent development programs in alignment with research, partnerships, and talent development priorities... Learn more.

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