April 9, 2026 - Happy Spring from LSBC

This week:

• Tour of Amgen BC with life science and political leaders
• UBC's Transforming Health Symposium
• Blakes breakfast on biosecurity
• BDC's $150M life sciences fund announced
• Companies Selected for BC's Investor Showcase at Web Summit
• Wendy Hurlburt joins Canada's Clinical Research Workforce strategy advisory

Amgen Hosts Sector Leaders at its Burnaby Facility

BC’s life sciences sector continues to gain global momentum, highlighted by a recent visit to Amgen’s Burnaby facility. Minister Ravi Kahlon, MLA Rohini Arora, Minister Rick Glumac & Wendy Hurlburt toured the site alongside others to see the company’s science firsthand. Amgen’s BC presence drives research, investment, and talent to the Province and supports long-term economic growth. Read more.

UBC’s Transforming Health Symposium

LSBC’s President and CEO Wendy Hurlburt joined life sciences ecosystem leaders at The Transforming Health Symposium, hosted by the UBC Faculty of Medicine. The event brought together global thought leaders, clinicians, researchers, trainees and industry experts to explore how biomedical innovations become real-world health solutions. Read more.

Building Canada’s Biosecurity with Biotechnology

This morning with our friends at Blakes, we hosted a discussion on how life sciences fits into Canada’s national security. While countries like the US have long used defence budgets to drive innovation, Canada is exploring how to use policy and funding levers to advance strategic priorities such as life sciences, following the launch of our National Defence Industrial Strategy. Thank you to all who joined us, for those who missed it you can watch the event recording here.

BDC Announces $150 Million Life Sciences Fund

As part of the federal strategy, $150 million has been earmarked for life sciences, which will be administered through the BDC life sciences venture fund. The fund is designed to strengthen Canada’s life sciences ecosystem by addressing critical capital gaps throughout a company's growth journey. Read more.

Congratulations to Companies Selected for BC’s Investor Showcase

On May 11, twenty-five of British Columbia’s most promising tech companies will pitch their ventures to an audience of international investors at Innovate BC’s Investor Showcase: BC's Top 25 Investible Companies event. Congratulations to LSBC members who were selected: GuideStar Medical, Ikomed Technologies, Molecular You, Redwood AI, Total Flow Medical, Variational AI, and VoxCell! Read more.

Wendy Hurlburt Joins Canada’s Clinical Research Workforce Strategy Advisory

Canada’s Clinical Research Workforce Strategy is a national initiative focused on strengthening capacity, sustainability, and career pathways across the clinical research workforce. LSBC’s Wendy Hurlburt joins the external advisory group for the Workforce Strategy. Read more.

Member Highlights 

Variational AI releases Enki 4, a major update to its foundation model for small-molecule drug discovery. Enki 4 now supports the rapid generation of novel, potent, selective, and synthesizable lead-like structures pre-trained on 760 drug targets, a 28% increase over the previous version. The update also delivers enhanced performance across more than 12 target classes. Read more.

NervGen Pharma announced the successful completion of Phase 2 clinical trials and the beginning of Phase 3 registration for its investigational drug for chronic tetraplegia, or limb paralysis. NervGen is developing first-in-class therapeutics to repair nerves in cases of spinal cord injury and other neurotraumatic and neurologic conditions. This milestone marks a tangible step toward making the first pharmacologic treatment for chronic tetraplegia. Read more.

Kudos

Congratulations to Dr. Nicole Krentz, who has been awarded a prestigious Career Development Award from Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), a leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization. Read more

People on the Move

Congratulations to Dr. Peter Zandstra, who has been appointed as UBC’s new Vice-President, Research and Innovation, where he will provide strategic leadership in the development and administration of research and advance interdisciplinary research across both campuses. Read more

The Biologics Manufacturing Centre has appointed Andy Sheldon as Chief Executive Officer and Elizabeth Douville as Vice President, Corporate Development. Read more

Congratulations to Amer Joseph for being appointed as the Chief Medical Officer & Head of Global Clinical Development of Idorsia, succeeding Dr. Alberto Gimona following his retirement. Read more

Congratulations to Dr. Adam Schayowitz on stepping into the role of Executive Vice President and Head of Research & Development, and to Scott Platshon as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Zymeworks. Read more

Congratulations to BDC Capital on the launch of its $150 million Life Sciences Venture Fund, and to Parimal Nathwani for being appointed as the Managing Partner, where he will continue to strengthen Canada’s life sciences ecosystem and support early-stage innovators across the sector. Read more

Applications Open

Applications are now open to present at BIO 2026. This opportunity enables innovative biotech companies to showcase their work to a qualified audience of investors, partners and global industry leaders. Learn more

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

Membership Spotlight

Biofilm MEDIA is a science-focused digital media company that incorporates a strong basic science foundation with an agile team of creative and technical experts to generate video, animation and graphic design solutions for BC's life sciences sector. Select clients include: adMare BioInnovations, Life Sciences BC, Aspect Biosystems, SignalChem, SaNOtize, and Science Fair Foundation BC. Learn more.

Until next week!

LSBC Team

April 15 - The Life Sciences BC Showcase Series: Prince George highlights the latest innovations in the growing regional life sciences sector. We’ll be sharing updates on the lineup of speakers, including experts from research, industry, and academia, who will be sharing their experiences and insights.

May 11-14 - The Web Summit is one of the worlds largest and most influential technology gatherings. In collaboration with our partners, Life Sciences BC is supporting and initiating a range of activities around Web Summit Vancouver to facilitate connection, visibility, and engagement across the life sciences sector.

When Every Beat Matters, BD Helps Clinicians Eliminate Blind Spots with Continuous, Noninvasive Blood Pressure Insight

BD is advancing patient monitoring with continuous, noninvasive blood pressure tracking that delivers real-time, beat-to-beat insights; unlike traditional periodic checks, it enables clinicians to detect changes earlier, respond faster, and reduce risks during surgery and recovery, ultimately improving patient safety... Read more

Lexaria Applauds Eli Lilly’s Foundayo™ Drug Approval

Lexaria Bioscience highlights Eli Lilly and Company’s FDA approval of its oral GLP-1 therapy, Foundayo, as a key step forward for non-injectable obesity treatments, with growing demand for more accessible oral options... Read more

NervGen Pharma Announces Successful End-of-Phase 2 Meeting and FDA Alignment on RESTORE, a Phase 3 Registrational Study of NVG-291 for Chronic Tetraplegia

NervGen Pharma has aligned with the FDA to move its lead therapy, NVG-291, into a Phase 3 study for chronic tetraplegia. This marks a key step forward in developing a potential treatment aimed at repairing nerve damage after spinal cord injury... Read more

A National Vote of Confidence: $48 million Federal Investment in the Jim Pattison Medical Campus, home of the new St. Paul’s Hospital

A $48 million federal investment is supporting the Jim Pattison Medical Campus and the new St. Paul’s Hospital, strengthening clinical research, trials, and patient care while advancing health innovation in BC... Read more

Sino Biological ProPure™ Endotoxin-Free Proteins: The “Invisible Guardian” of Biopharmaceuticals

Sino Biological emphasizes the importance of endotoxin-free proteins in biopharmaceutical research, as contamination can impact safety and results. Its ProPure™ platform helps ensure ultra-low endotoxin levels, supporting more reliable research and drug development... Read more

Lexaria to Begin New Human Clinical Study in GLP-1

Lexaria Bioscience is set to begin a new human clinical study on GLP-1 drugs, using its DehydraTECH technology to explore improved oral delivery and evaluate safety and effectiveness... Read more

BD Delivers Next‑Generation TIPS Innovation to Advance Portal Hypertension Care Across the European Union

BD has received EU approval for its next-generation TIPS device to treat portal hypertension. The innovation allows for more precise, personalized care by improving blood flow and reducing pressure in patients with liver disease... Read more

Variational AI – Releases Enki 4: Major Update to Foundation Model for Small-Molecule Drug Discovery

Variational AI has released Enki™ 4, an updated AI platform for small molecule drug discovery. The upgrade expands target coverage and improves performance, helping researchers design drug candidates faster and more efficiently... Read more

A New Milestone in Robotic Cardiac Surgery: First Use of a Purpose-built Robotic Delivery System for Surgical Valve Implantation

A new milestone in cardiac care has been reached with the first use of a robotic delivery system for surgical valve implantation. The technology enables more precise, minimally invasive procedures, with the potential to improve outcomes and recovery times... Read more

WELL Health Partners with AliveCor to Bring AI-Powered Cardiac Monitoring and Cardiologist Oversight to Canadians

WELL Health has partnered with AliveCor to bring AI-powered heart monitoring to Canadians, combining at-home ECG technology with cardiologist review. The approach supports faster detection and improved access to care... Read more

Sales Representative, IVD Products

The role requires a mid-level professional who wants to build a career in the IVD raw material and diagnostic kits manufacturing space. The candidate must demonstrate initiative, accountability, and a strong a ‘get-things-done’ attitude... Learn more

Manager, Memberships & Sponsorships

The role also oversees membership operations, including CRM management and sponsorship delivery. Ideal candidates have 5–7 years of experience, strong Salesforce skills, and a proven ability to build partnerships within a fast-paced environment... Learn more.

Research Scientist, Biology

The ideal candidate will possess in-depth knowledge of cell signaling and extensive hands-on experience, design and execute laboratory experiments to support target identification and validation, compound screening, and lead identification and characterization in both in vitro and in vivo settings... Learn more

Executive Assistant

The role supports executive scheduling, communications, meeting coordination, document preparation, research, follow-up tracking, and related administrative activities that help leadership manage priorities efficiently and professionally... Learn more

Grant/Medical Writer

The position focuses on translating complex research into clear, compelling proposals, coordinating with researchers or clients, and supporting funding submissions in a life sciences setting... Learn more

Business Development and Sales Associate

This role requires supporting client outreach, build partnerships, and help grow business opportunities within the life sciences sector... Learn more

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