October 15, 2026 - Hello BioLinks Readers

This week:

• LSBC makes connections in the Asia Pacific Region
• Bio Essentials is back: foundational science for non-scientists

Photo: Mathew Schwartz | Unsplash

LSBC Travel to the Asia Pacific Region at the End of October

Our team is excited to participate with our partners at Invest Vancouver in building relationships in Japan as well as at BIOPLUS-INTERPHEX KOREA (BIX). At the end of October, our team will explore opportunities in Japan and Korea, promoting BC’s life sciences sector in the Asia Pacific Region. 

The BC Korea Office, in collaboration with the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), Health Emergency Readiness Canada (HERC), and other provincial offices, will support BC participants during BIX Korea, from October 27–30, 2026. Canada is confirmed as the Country of Honour for BIX 2026, positioning Canada at the centre of the conference program and providing enhanced visibility. The BC Korea Office is also organizing a series of BC Week activities to strengthen engagement with Korean stakeholders and create additional opportunities for the BC delegation. Learn more about BIX Korea here.

Bio Essentials is Back: Foundational Science for Non-scientists

Attain a BCIT micro-credential with this two-day introductory course for professionals in life sciences without a scientific background. This course provides an overview of the basic science that underpins the biotechnology industry. The course includes Canadian context and BC-specific examples. Register before the October 31 Early-bird deadline here.

Member Highlights 

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals reached enrollment target for Phase 2b clinical trial investigating EP-104GI for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. Interim analysis of the Phase 2b portion of the study is on track for December 2026. Read more.

The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) announced over $135 million invested in defence and dual-use technologies since launching Defence Industry Assist (DI Assist). The initiative helps Canadian businesses understand the defence market and procurement processes, explore early-stage R&D ideas and refine, test or validate technologies that are closer to completion. Read more.

Sino Biological launched a precisely characterized full-length p-Tau217 protein to advance next-generation alzheimer’s biomarker assay development. The p-Tau217 protein supports a wide range of applications, including biomarker assay development, antibody screening and specificity validation, assay control optimization, and mechanistic studies on Tau phosphorylation and biology. Read more.

Ecosystem Highlights

The Government of Canada announced a Strategic Response Fund (SRF) investment of $23.8 million in Jubilant Radiopharma Inc. to modernize and expand its biomanufacturing facility in Kirkland, Quebec, to help meet the growing demand for radiopharmaceutical products. Read more.

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) recognized six distinguished Canadians as inductees for their outstanding contributions to health and health care: The Honourable Yvonne Boyer, Don Cockcroft, Bartha Maria Knoppers, Anthony Lang, Fred Possmayer, and Frances A. Shepherd. Read more.

Health Canada announced the appointment of Dr. George Mutwiri to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Governing Council. Read more.

Kudos

(L:R) Dr. Wendy Norman, Dr. Hamed Umedaly, Coralie Tcheune, and Avery McNair

The UBC Medical Alumni Association recognized outstanding faculty members and students from the UBC medical community with the 2026 UBC Medical Alumni Awards: Dr. Wendy Norman, Dr. Hamed Umedaly, Coralie Tcheune, and Avery McNair. Read more.

People on the Move

Response Biomedical announced the appointment of Taso Tsonis as Chief Executive Officer. Read more.

Aon announced that Leonora Siccardi has been appointed Global Chief Execution Officer, Risk Capital and Human Capital. Read more. Read more.

Bausch Health announced the appointment of Thomas J. Appio as interim CEO of Bausch + Lomb. Read more.

Applications Open

Applications for Bio Greater Montreal’s Excellence in Canadian Board Governance (ECBG) program have been extended. Apply by October 23, 2026. Learn more.

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

Membership Spotlight

GuideStar Medical Devices is a med-tech start-up based in Victoria, British Columbia. Their team is committed to delivering world-class solutions to real medical problems, transforming how doctors use technology. Their goal is to design and manufacture ingenious medical devices that transform medical procedures, improve safety, and reduce cost, with accessible solutions available to practitioners around the world. Learn more.

Colliers Life Science Practice Group provides specialized real estate advisory services to companies across British Columbia’s growing life sciences ecosystem. We help organizations secure the right facilities to support innovation, attract and retain talent, scale operations and achieve their business objectives, while maintaining a strong focus on cost efficiency. Learn more.

New Members Welcome

Naegis Pharmaceuticals is a British Columbia-based biotechnology company developing novel therapies for diseases involving chronic inflammation by targeting the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX)/leukotriene pathway. The company is initially focused on retinal disease, where leukotriene signaling may amplify chronic inflammation and contribute to disease progression. Its lead program, N0651, is a small-molecule topical therapy being developed for diabetic macular edema (DME) and other retinal diseases. Learn more.

SOZO Intuition is a real-time intelligence platform that is designed to make sense of the ever evolving developments in biotechnology, bringing company news, enabling technology tracking, and mapping therapeutic pipelines by disease indication in a single application you can access the way you want, on the web or on your mobile device. In short, SOZO helps biotechnology professionals make better decisions with personalized biotech intelligence. Learn more.

Dr. Madelane Teran is a life sciences strategy expert and thought leader with extensive experience advising pharmaceutical and biotech companies on global launch strategy, commercialization, pricing, and market access. She brings deep expertise across the US, Canada, Europe, and Latin America, grounded in a strong scientific background in biochemistry. Learn more.

Richard Steiner brings more than 30 years of experience advancing pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, with a focus on continuous manufacturing (CM). Based in Vancouver, he serves as Pharmaceutical Continuous Manufacturing Practice Lead at Pharmatech Associates, a U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) company, helping pharmaceutical companies, contract development, and manufacturing organizations translate manufacturing strategies into practical implementation. 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.

Sino Biological Launches Precisely Characterized Full-Length p-Tau217 Protein to Advance Next-Generation Alzheimer’s Biomarker Assay Development

Sino announced the launch of its tag-free Tau reagent to support Alzheimer biomarker assay development, antibody evaluation, and research... Read more.

Six-Month Pilot Study Demonstrates Improved Guideline Adherence Following Implementation of Standardized Cirrhosis Clinical Pathway

Bausch Health announced results from a multicenter pilot study demonstrating improved adherence to evidence-based monitoring and treatment practice... Read more.

New Johnson & Johnson ICOTYDE® (icotrokinra) Long-term Data Demonstrate Robust 2-year Results in the Treatment of Adults and Adolescents with Plaque Psoriasis

Johnson & Johnson announced two-year clinical trial results showing that ICOTYDE (icotrokinra) sustained high rates of skin clearance and symptom improvement... Read more.

Building a Stronger Evidence Base for Immuno-Oncology Drug Discovery

Creative Biolabs explores how tumour biology, non-coding RNA research and early candidate profiling can inform more connected development decisions... Read more.

Over $135 million Invested through NRC IRAP Defence Industry Assist to help Canadian Businesses Develop Defence and Dual-use Technologies

The Government of Canada announced that NRC IRAP has invested over $135 million to help Canadian businesses develop defence and dual-use technologies, supporting more than 2,300 jobs and advancing innovation... Read more.

New TREMFYA® (guselkumab) Study Shows Consistent Perianal Fistula Remission across Key Crohn’s Disease Patient Subgroups

Johnson & Johnson announced new Phase 3 data showing consistent combined fistula remission outcomes across clinically important subgroups of adults with Crohn’s disease... Read more.

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Reaches its Enrollment Target for the RESOLVE Trial Investigating EP-104GI for the Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals shared that the ongoing RESOLVE study has reached its enrollment target of 120 patients... Read more. 

Sanofi and pCPA Sign Letter of Intent for Dupixent® Across Four Indications in Dermatology and Respiratory Care

Sanofi announced the successful completion of negotiations between the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) and Sanofi with a signed Letter of Intent (LOI) for Dupixent... Read more.

Aprocitentan Efficacy Data Reinforce Endothelin Pathway Blockade as a Distinct Therapeutic Approach Across the Cardiometabolic Disease Spectrum including Obesity

Idorsia shared positive findings from the pivotal Phase 3 PRECISION study of aprocitentan in patients with resistant hypertension... Read more.

Director, Intellectual Property

This role is responsible for managing intellectual property matters, counselling senior business leaders, and developing and implementing patent portfolio strategies... Learn more.

Technician, Protein Expression & Purification

This role supports biologics discovery and preclinical research programs by leading the expression, purification, and characterization of biologic reagents.... Learn more.

Scientist/Assistant Professor - Proteomics

The role will develop an independent research program in the general areas of biological mass spectrometry and proteomics for biomarker and target identification, or protein function analysis in cancer... Learn more.

Molecular Biology & Cell Culture Technician

This role will split time between molecular biology assays (such as PCR, qPCR, and nucleic acid extractions) and maintaining mammalian cell cultures... Learn more.

Scientist/Assistant Professor - Cancer Biology

The role will develop research programs in cancer biology, foster collaborations in biomedical research, and teach molecular biology and science-related courses within the department... Learn more.

Regulatory Affairs Associate

This role supports EBC's clients with regulatory strategy, submissions, and lifecycle documentation for medical devices and related life sciences products.... Learn more.

Research Projects Coordinator

This role will assist in the coordination and administration of the Quality Management System for the Cancer Immunotherapy Program at the BC Cancer's Deeley Research Centre... Learn more.

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