October 8, 2026 - Hello BioLinks Readers

This week:

• Meet with Merck and Pfizer ahead of Life Sciences Investment Week
• Wendy Hulburt interviewed in the Globe and Mail
• Companies selected for Investor Readiness Program announced

Photo: Vitaly Gariev | Pexels

Meet with Merck and Pfizer Before Life Sciences Investment Week

Life Sciences Investment Week is just around the corner. With the partnering app now open, we hope everyone is getting their calendars locked in. Ahead of the week, we’re excited

CQDM is inviting BC researchers and biotech companies to express interest in participating in an in-person CQDM Connect-Pharma Pitch Day with Merck and Pfizer on November 2, 2026. Summit your interest to participate before October 14, 2026. Learn more.

Photo: Pavel Danilyuk | Pexels

Wendy Hulburt Talks BC’s Life Sciences Sector in the Globe and Mail

“What we have happening in Vancouver is a very vibrant biotech sector that is clustered in areas around the Greater Vancouver area,” said Wendy Hurlburt, in The Globe and Mail.

As Vancouver’s life sciences ecosystem continues to grow, there are new demands for commercial real estate. However, building for biotech is complex and expensive. BC has the capacity to sustain further industry growth, provided policies, infrastructure and investments are put into place to foster a competitive environment for companies to remain and grow in Canada. As Wendy points out, this ecosystem is doing more than advancing innovation; it’s attracting and developing talent. Read more in The Globe and Mail. 

Selected Companies and Mentors for Seventh Annual Investor Readiness Program Announced

We’re excited to announce the companies selected for our 2027 Investor Readiness Program (IRP). The IRP is a six-month program designed to prepare emerging BC life sciences ventures for capital attraction and is aimed to accelerate company growth. The following companies been selected for the 2027 IRP cohort:



• Chondros Bio
• Core Motion Inc.
• ImmunoWell Labs
• Miha Biotech
• NellaDerm Therapeutics
• Novapars Discovery Inc.
• NTP R&D Services Ltd.
• Resilience Biosciences Inc.
• Total Life

Additionally, a stealth biotech company was also selected. We would like to welcome our exceptional mentors, known as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, this year and thank them for contributing both time and expertise to this initiative. Read more.

Member Highlights 

VoxCell BioInnovation and abc biopply partnered to bring human tissue models to European drug development. The Swiss company, abc biopply, is Europe’s first fully integrated organoid CRO and the partnership responds to growing demand for New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) that improve the human relevance of preclinical testing and reduce reliance on animal models. Read more.

CIEBH received $1.55M to advance Canada’s health security. Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH) received $1.55 million in new federal funding for its existing pandemic preparedness work and to support the integration of dual-use technologies. The three-year investment was announced September 18 as part of a 
$67-million investment through the Life Sciences Fund. Read more.

Well Health software spin-out Wellstar begins trading on the TSXV. Vancouver-based Well Health is now the proud parent of another publicly traded company. Wellstar, Well Health’s software-focused spin-out, began trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under the symbol $WSTR, a move that’s been planned since 2024. Read more.

Ecosystem Highlights

Health Canada announced more than $31 million in federal funding for six projects that will make it faster and easier for internationally educated health professionals to join Canada’s health workforce. Read more.

Watchtower BioSurveillance Inc. has emerged from stealth, unveiling its work on an autonomous biological defense platform for governments, defense organizations and critical infrastructure. Read more.

Kudos

Evonik won the 2026 CPHI Pharma Award in the “Digital Transformation” category for its Self Driving Labs. Read more.

People on the Move

BD announced that Ferass Abuzaina has been named worldwide president of the Surgery business unit at BD. Read more.

Applications Open

Leaders in the not-for-profit sector with knowledge of how Clinical Research Professional (CRP) roles are funded are invited to participate in a short Funding Models Survey. Complete the survey by October 15, 2026 to help Canada’s Clinical Research Workforce Strategy better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with existing funding models. Learn more.

Applications are now open for the Mobilize Award, a funding opportunity that supports more community-connected health research. Learn more.

The School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC is accepting nominations for the 2027 Dr. Connie Eaves Memorial Lectureship, recognizing exceptional international researchers in Biomedical Engineering. Learn more.

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

Membership Spotlight

Ediccare Inc. is a Vancouver-based oral care company focused on an overlooked site in daily oral care: the dentogingival interface (DGI), where the tooth surface meets living gingival tissue. This host–microbiome boundary is continuously exposed to microbial, mechanical, and inflammatory challenges, yet daily home care remains largely centered on cleaning the teeth. Few solutions are designed specifically for localized, leave-on care at this junction. Learn more.

Pramana Pharmaceuticals is focused on neuro-metabolic disease, developing oral therapies that target the gut–brain axis and the biological intersection of metabolic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Its lead program, PRM914, is a highly potent, low dose, near-term Phase 1-ready oral asset being developed for major indications including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other neurologic disorders. PRM914 is a gut brain axis oral therapy that selectively targets the metabolic dysfunction increasingly linked to disease progression.  Learn more.

New Members Welcome

BC Cancer Foundation is the philanthropic partner of BC Cancer, driving impact and powering breakthroughs in British Columbia. We bring together the people, expertise and investment needed to accelerate progress against cancer. What makes giving to the BC Cancer Foundation unique: every dollar you give stays in B.C., directly supporting the cancer research, innovation and care happening here. 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.

Three New BC Projects Strengthen the Tools Behind Cancer Research

Genome BC announced three new projects and collaborations that strengthen the infrastructure to support cancer research... Read more.

Efficacy of Aprocitentan in Patients across the Cardiometabolic Disease Spectrum Including Obesity to be Presented at AHA Hypertension

Idorsia reported positive Phase 3 PRECISION analyses highlighting endothelin pathway blockade in resistant hypertension and across the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic continuum... Read more.

Evonik Develops New Biodegradable Excipients for Oral Drug Delivery

Evonik announced that it is developing a novel biodegradable polymer platform that will form the basis for the next generation of its EUDRAGIT® functional excipients for oral drug delivery... Read more.

CIEBH Receives $1.55M to Advance Canada’s Health Security

Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub received $1.55 million in new federal funding to extend pandemic preparedness work and support the integration of dual-use technologies... Read more.

BD Strengthens Leadership in Peripheral Vascular Innovation with Positive AGILITY Trial Results

BD announced praising nine-month results from the iliac cohort of the AGILITY Investigational Device Exemption trial... Read more.

Well Health Software Spin-out Wellstar Begins Trading on the TSXV

Wellstar, Well Health’s software-focused spin-out, began trading on the TSX Venture Exchange... Read more.

argenx Announces Positive Topline Results from Phase 2 Study of FB102 in Celiac Disease

Argenx announced positive topline results from a study evaluating a first-in-class CD122 inhibitor in adults with celiac disease.... Read more.

VoxCell BioInnovation and abc biopply Partner to Bring Perfused Vascularized Human Tissue Models to European Drug Development

VoxCell and abc biopply announced a collaboration to bring vascularized human tissue models to drug developers in Europe... Read 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.

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.

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.

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.

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