December 4, 2025 - Two weeks left in the LSBC year!

This week:

• Breaking: The FDA to Lower Clinical Trial Requirement
• Wendy Hurlburt Advances BC Life Sciences Priorities in Ottawa
•  CanReview Replaces Multiple Ethics Reviews with Single National Process
•  Alpha-9 Oncology advances melanoma treatment to Phase 1
• Are You Ready for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference?
• Josie Osborne Makes Long-anticipated Changes to PHSA

FDA Commissioner Martin Makary Evan Vucci/AP

Breaking: The FDA to Lower Clinical Trial Requirement

The FDA is considering allowing approvals of new drugs and other medical products based on a single strong clinical trial instead of the usual two. The goal is to speed access to treatments, though some worry it could weaken safety and effectiveness standards. Read more. Source [STAT].

Wendy Hurlburt Advances BC Life Sciences Priorities in Ottawa

At the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Hill Day 2025 (December 1-2), LSBC President and CEO Wendy Hurlburt engaged with federal decision-makers on behalf of BC's life sciences ecosystem. The annual flagship event connects business leaders directly with government officials to shape economic policy. Wendy's meetings with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and the Ministry of Health focused on strengthening Canada's competitiveness in life sciences innovation and commercialization.

CanReview Replaces Multiple Ethics Reviews with Single National Process

The launch of CanReview will expedite clinical trials in Canada by replacing multiple provincial ethics reviews with a single, national process. Supported by the Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Consortium, this is a major step forward in making Canada more competitive on the global stage as a destination for clinical trials. While some studies will still require provincial review, the ACT Consortium will continue to provide proactive supports and advocate for legislative changes that support a single review in Canada. Read more.

Alpha-9 Oncology advances melanoma treatment to Phase 1 Clinical Trials

Exciting news for LSBC member Alpha-9 Oncology, which is advancing its melanoma treatment to Phase 1 clinical trials. The multi-center, open-label study will evaluate the safety, dosimetry, and dose escalation of A9-3408 in melanoma patients who have progressed on standard-of-care therapies. This milestone reinforces BC's position as an emerging global leader in radiopharmaceuticals. Read more.

Are You Ready for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference?

As we look to the new year, the LSBC team and our members are planning for the J.P. Morgan (JPM) Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, January 12–15, 2026. The JPM Healthcare Conference and adjacent events will draw leaders from around the world. If you plan on attending, please reach out to our team to ensure you are part of the BC delegation’s visibility and networking opportunities. Email: Niall Sendemir, Coordinator, Program & Partnerships at nsendemir@lifesciencesbc.ca. 

BC’s Health Minister Josie Osborne makes the long-anticipated changes to the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). The first steps of a review of the health authorities have been completed, which include reducing administrative costs, and work is underway to improve efficiencies and redirect savings to frontline services. Read more.

Member Highlights 

A Genome BC funded project aims to bring BC closer to ending HIV transmission. New data show Canada is losing ground in its fight against HIV-AIDS and cases are on the rise. This new project employs advanced genomic and AI-enabled tools to help to better understand transmission patterns in BC. This initiative will help public health teams identify the source of new infections and decide on actions that can help prevent further spread. Read more.

Health Research BC and partners launch a new initiative to advance research on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases. The funding opportunity supports interdisciplinary teams working to improve early diagnosis, strengthen treatment and care, and/or deepen the understanding of common approaches between the two conditions. Read more.

CASTL establishes national training advisory committee to strengthen Canada’s biomanufacturing workforce development. The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) is pleased to announce the formation of the CASTL National Training Advisory Committee (NTAC), an independent group of experts assembled to provide strategic advice on the direction of CASTL’s national training initiatives.

Ecosytem Highlights

Jobs and Economic Growth has announced $2.5 million to help early-stage businesses test and showcase new technologies, supporting innovation and job growth across the province. Read more.

Kudos

Three UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers, Peter Black, Lori Brotto, and Terrance Snutch, were named 2025 Distinguished University Scholars in recognition of their outstanding contributions to research, training and advancements in health and medicine. Read more

Novartis Canada awarded over $560,000 to three organizations through its 2025 Health Equity Initiative to support projects improving access to healthcare for communities facing barriers to care. Read more

People on the Move

Thryv Therapeutics appointed Matt Killeen, PhD, as Chief Business Officer to strengthen its leadership team as the company advances treatments for heart diseases. Read more

Benjamin Bergen has been announced as the new CEO of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, bringing leadership experience from the Council of Canadian Innovators to support the growth of Canada’s venture and private equity sectors. Read more

Applications Open

BioTalent Canada’s Student Work Placement Program connects post-secondary students with paid opportunities in biotechnology and health sectors, helping them gain hands-on experience while supporting employers to build early-career talent. Applications open Dec 1, 2025 – Feb 2, 2026, or until the program is full. Read more

The BioTalent Canada’s Science Horizon Youth Internship Program supports paid internships for recent graduates in environmental and bio-economy fields, covering up to 80% of wages ($25,000) for employers to build early career talent. The program has new additional openings for the 2025-2026 year and is now accepting application submissions. Read more

Advancing the Commercialization of Genomics Innovation program offers co-funding to support Canadian teams in moving genomics research from the lab to market. It focuses on helping develop practical health, environmental and resource-based solutions while strengthening Canada’s bio economy and global innovation presence. This program is currently open for Expression of Interest submissions. Read more

Innovate BC’s Early-Stage Demonstration Call 2025-26 offers BC SMEs up to $500,000 to pilot and validate home-grown technologies in real-world settings, helping innovators move closer to market readiness. Applications are open until December 21, 2025. Read more

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

Member Spotlight

Integrated Nanotherapeutics - Many valuable drugs do not possess the appropriate chemical and/or physical properties to be efficiently formulated and delivered to sites of disease. Integrated Nanotherapeutics (INT) is a preclinical stage biotech company in Vancouver, Canada. Their proprietary drug delivery technology can deliver any type of drug modality in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), either alone or in combination, to disease cells and tissues. Learn more

Until next week!

LSBC Team

January 23 - The Life Sciences BC’s 7th Annual Career Connect Day brings together life-sciences employers, students, and job-seekers for a full day of career talks, company training program previews, and networking. It includes presentations about jobs and leadership in the sector plus a job fair and exhibitor hall.

February 25 - The 11th Annual Access to Innovation conference brings together leaders from industry, research, government and health care to discuss how BC’s life-sciences innovations move from discovery to real-world impact. This year focuses on trends shaping the sector, including the growing role of AI, and offers talks, panels and networking opportunities.

Cytiva and Veeda Lifesciences drive Biopharma Innovation with New Host Cell Protein Services Center

Cytiva and Veeda Lifesciences launched a new HCP Services Center in Bengaluru to provide advanced testing that improves biologic drug quality, safety, and regulatory readiness... Read more

New Genome BC Funded Project Aims to Bring BC Closer to Ending HIV Transmission

A new Genome BC–funded project uses genomics and AI to track HIV transmission in British Columbia, helping target prevention efforts and move closer to ending new infections... Read more

New funding will Boost Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Research in BC

A new initiative will launch funding for Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s, an opportunity to support and improve early diagnosis, strengthen treatment and care... Read more

Grad Students STRIDE into Health Research Excellence

STRIDE is a competitive 10-month program that allows students to expand their research skills and mentorship from leading researchers in the field of aging and lifelong health... Read more

Acuitas Therapeutics and Partners Publish Comparative Study of AAV and mRNA-LNP Delivery With In Situ Sequencing for Spatial Genome Editing

Acuitas Therapeutics and partners compared AAV and mRNA-LNP gene-editing delivery using in situ sequencing. Results showed mRNA-LNP achieved more uniform and repeatable editing in the liver... Read more

New Data to be Presented at the 2025 SABCS Demonstrates Potential Expanded Utility of the Breast Cancer Index Test, the Leading Biomarker in Personalizing Endocrine Therapy Duration

New data at the 2025 SABCS suggests the Breast Cancer Index test can better personalize hormone therapy for early-stage breast cancer, helping identify who needs extended treatment and who can safely avoid overtreatment... Read more

UBC Research Project Aims to Bring B.C. Closer to Ending HIV Transmission

UBC-led research project aims to help end HIV transmission in B.C. by using advanced data analysis to track how the virus spreads. The goal is to give public-health teams better insights to target prevention and treatment more effectively... Read more

BIOTECanada Welcomes the Launch of CanReview

BIOTECanada welcomes the launch of CanReview, a national system that streamlines ethics approvals for multi-site clinical trials, helping speed up research and improve patient access across Canada... Read more

High-risk Early Breast Cancer Patients in Quebec Left Behind by Recent INESSS Recommendation

Quebec’s INESSS has limited access to KISQALI, leaving some high-risk early breast cancer patients without coverage despite evidence the treatment reduces recurrence... Read more

BD and ChemoGLO™ Collaborate to Expand Hazardous Drug Contamination Testing for Health Care Facilities and Laboratories

BD and ChemoGLO are partnering to expand hazardous drug contamination testing for hospitals and labs, combining rapid surface tests with detailed lab analysis to better track exposure and protect health-care workers... Read more

GSK and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) Successfully Finalize Negotiations for JEMPERLI plus Chemotherapy for all Adult Patients with Primary Advanced or first Recurrent Endometrial Cancer

GSK and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance have finalized negotiations to make Jemperli plus chemotherapy available for adult patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer in Canada... Read more

Research Associate I, Protein Science

The Research Associate I, Protein Science supports drug discovery by running and analyzing lab experiments using cell-based and protein assays, maintaining cell lines, documenting results, and collaborating with the research team to generate data that advances therapeutic development... Learn more

Chief Business Officer

This role involves leading TRIUMF’s commercialization and partnership strategy, guiding technology transfer, licensing, and new venture development. The Chief Business Officer will build industry and government relationships to translate research into real-world impact and support long-term organizational growth... Learn more

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