Life Sciences BC News, October 31, 2024

This year we reimagined Invest in BC to bring two days full of pitches, panels, and partnering, and proudly collaborated with BIO to bring its partnering platform to Canada for the first time. Upwards of 500 meetings were booked and we’re aware that many more meetings happened outside of the platform because of Invest in BC.

The next major conference in the calendar is the J.P. Morgan (JPM) Healthcare Conference on Jan 13-16 in San Francisco. LSBC will be promoting BC life sciences at this year’s conference, and we will also be hosting a webinar on November 14 with advice on navigating JMP Healthcare week. Learn more and register here. 

When attending events, it is helpful to have an underlying understanding of the science that drives our sector. For professionals working in life sciences who do not have a scientific background, LSBC offers a two-day master course with Biotech Primer. Join us on December 4-5 for BioBasics 101 and become more confident as you engage with sector leaders and scientists. Register today!

Member Highlights 

AbbVie acquires Aliada Therapeutics, strengthening its Alzheimer’s disease and neuroscience pipeline. This brings Aliada’s lead compound, ALIA-1758, a potential best-in-class antibody treatment for Alzheimer’s into AbbVie’s ownership. Read more.

WELL Health and HEALWELL AI announce the expansion of their multi-year collaboration to launch and manage clinical trial sites at WELL’s clinics across Canada. Read more.

Sanofi announces access to its infant long-acting antibody vaccine for RSV in Canada across Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon this fall. Read more.

Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics announces a strategic partnership with a global leader in animal health, a pivotal moment in the company’s commercial expansion. Read more.

UBC and SFU researchers in collaboration with the Medical Research Council Unit develop a tool to predict sepsis in babies, which causes an estimated 200,000 deaths worldwide per year. Read more.

Industry Highlights

Canada, the United States, and Mexico released the North American Preparedness for Animal and Human Pandemics Initiative, fulfilling commitments made during the 2021 and 2023 North American Leaders’ Summits to work together to mitigate and respond to public health threats. Read more.

Canada’s Minster of Health announces a $752,000 award to Queen’s University, Carleton University, the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, and The University of Waterloo for research in respiratory infectious diseases. Read more.

Government of Canada launches a call for projects to build capacity on climate-sensitive infectious diseases. Canada's climate is warming two times faster than the global average, and three times faster in the North. To date, the Infectious Disease and Climate Change Fund has invested in 41 projects, totaling $15.3 million. Read more.

Government of Canada invests $9.4M to drive innovation and economic growth in the City of Surrey. PacifiCan will soon open its headquarters in Surrey, expanding the agency’s presence and impact in this growing economic hub. Read more.

Canada’s Minister of Health announced $4.3M towards the Health System Impact Program, focusing on health system transformation. PhD trainees, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career researchers will collaborate with health organizations to lead projects aimed at improving Canada’s health systems, services, and policies. Read more.

New LSBC Members

[Individual] Landon Steele is an innovative senior executive, entrepreneur, board member, and angel investor. Learn more.

[Individual] Sue Evans is a dynamic executive with extensive global experience in regulatory affairs & program management. Learn more.

Kudos

Kudos to Mintz and Farris, who have been recognized by The Globe and Mail as one of Canada’s Best Law Firms for 2025. Mintz has gained distinction in the area of Private Equity and Investments (read more), while Farris has been noted in Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate & Commercial, Dispute Resolution, and Family Law. Read more.

Congratulations to the UBC Faculty of Medicine doctoral students who have been named to the 2024/2025 cohort of the UBC Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) Program. Selected for their potential for public impact, the scholars will advance collaborative research in areas like extreme heat, Indigenous health, and traumatic brain injuries. Read more.

BioTalent Canada is one of the recipients of the inaugural Magnet Awards for Pioneering Leadership in the Ecosystem (MAPLE) from Magnet Network Live. These awards recognize organizations that have made a significant impact on connectivity, inclusivity, and productivity in the future of work. Read more.

Canary Medical has been nominated for a 2024 Prix Galien award for Best Startup! These awards honour innovators in life sciences and bring together remarkable minds and groundbreaking discoveries that shape the future of healthcare. Congratulations! Read more.

Kudos to the 44 emerging researchers who have received funding from Michael Smith Health Research BC’s Research Trainee Competition. These awards support talented postdoctoral or health professional researchers to build their careers in British Columbia. Read more.

Molecular You has won the Digital Health Award in the Longevity category at this year’s HLTH Conference in Las Vegas against an impressive field of 1200 competitors. Congratulations to the talented team! Read more.

People on the Move

Daniel Quirk, MD, MPH, MBA has been named Biogen’s new Chief Medical Officer and Head of Medical Affairs. Dr. Quirk is a highly accomplished medical professional with a diverse background in medicine, public health, and business administration. Read more.

GlycoNet has announced that two new members have joined its Board of Directors: Drs. Kaley Wilson and Elizabeth Nanak. As members of the Board, they will be responsible for the overall stewardship of GlycoNet, including strategic planning and board governance. Read more.

Mintz attorney Adam Falconi has been appointed Chair of the Life Sciences Sector for Licensing Executives Society (USA & Canada). Adam is a Chambers-ranked lawyer who focuses his practice on corporate law, financing, and technology transactions in the life sciences and health technology industries. Read more.

Applications Open

Apply now for the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund! The fund will provide 10 women-owned small businesses with $10,000 CAD each plus access to a Priceless Experience. Apply by November 3! Learn more.

Dedicated funding is now available for at least one Canada-based Indigenous health research grant in the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) general funding pool. Register by November 6 and apply by December 11. Learn more.

Applications are open for CQDM’s Quantum Leap funding program. This program helps Canadian SMEs and universities undertake innovative translational R&D projects in collaboration with large biopharmaceutical organizations. Calls for projects are available year-round, and the next selection round is November 21! Learn more.

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

Member Spotlight

uBriGene Biosciences International Co. - uBriGene, your bridge from ATMPs concept to commercialization.

uBriGene Biosciences is a global leader for ATMPs PD, AD and GMP production. With four Centers of Excellence in North America, and Asia Pacific and more than 20 GMP clean room suites, uBriGene supports global CGT and mRNA product development. uBriGene features deep expertise in cell therapy potency tests for more than 6 products. Learn more.

Until next week!

LSBC Team

October 29 & 30 - Join us for the upcoming McCarthy Spotlight Speaking Series event.

Hear from our keynote speaker, Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan, Vice President of Life Sciences for National Research Council Canada.

This event also features the winners of LSBC’s 2024 Companies to Watch – Recognition Honour Roll! Meet the visionary leaders behind these companies as they share their success stories, achievements and what’s next.

December 4 & 5 - Life Sciences BC, in partnership with Biotech Primer, is pleased to present BioBasics 101: The Biology of Biotech for the Non-Scientist.

This intensive two-day ‘master course’ is designed to help non-scientists gain a foundational understanding of the science that forms the backbone of biopharma so that you can converse more effectively with colleagues, clients, regulators, and scientists.

Mintz Attorney Adam Falconi Appointed LES Chair of Life Sciences Sector

Mintz attorney Adam Falconi has been appointed Chair of the Life Sciences Sector for Licensing Executives Society (USA & Canada), Inc. (LES)...Read more.

Research Trainee Awards Fuel Health Innovation

Michael Smith Health Research BC is funding 44 emerging researchers from across BC through the 2024 Research Trainee competition...Read more.

Eyam Partners with Global Animal Health Leader to Expand Commercial Opportunities in Therapeutics

Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics is proud to announce a strategic partnership with a global leader in animal health, marking a pivotal moment in the company’s commercial expansion...Read more.

Engineers in Scrubs Team Creates a Surgical Trainer for InTerventions to Control Postpartum Hemorrhage (STITCH)

Dr. Esther Chin, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist from McMaster University, approached the School of Biomedical Engineering’s (SBME) Engineers in Scrubs (EiS) to work on a solution to solve...Read more.

CAN Health Network and LifeLabs Join Forces to Drive Canadian Innovation in Health Care

CAN Health Network and LifeLabs, Canada’s leading provider of medical laboratory services, have announced a new partnership aimed at advancing health care across the country through innovative technology...Read more.

WELL Health and HEALWELL AI Expand Strategic Alliance Agreement to Develop an AI-Enhanced Clinical Trials Program to Accelerate Innovation and Improve Patient Outcomes

WELL Health Technologies Corp. and HEALWELL AI Inc. are jointly pleased to announce the expansion of their multi-year strategic alliance agreement...Read more.

GlycoNet Announces Two New Members on the Board of Directors

GlycoNet is pleased to announce two new members have joined its Board of Directors: Drs. Kaley Wilson and Elizabeth Nanak. As members of the Board, they will be responsible for the overall stewardship of GlycoNet...Read more.

InMed Pharmaceuticals Files Additional Patent Application for INM-901 in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Conditions Including Alzheimer’s Disease

InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc.announced that it has filed an additional international patent application, under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)...Read more.

AbbVie to Acquire Aliada Therapeutics, Strengthening Focus in Alzheimer’s Disease and Neuroscience Pipeline

AbbVie and Aliada Therapeutics announced a definitive agreement under which AbbVie will acquire Aliada, a biotechnology company advancing therapies using a novel blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing technology...Read more.

Scientists Develop Tool to Predict Sepsis in Apparently Healthy Newborns

A genetic signature in newborns can predict neonatal sepsis before symptoms even start to show, according to a new study…Read more.

Beyfortus® Immunization to Protect Infants from RSV has Begun

Sanofi is pleased to announce Beyfortus® will be broadly available for babies born in Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon this fall. The administration of this immunization to infants has begun...Read more.

Zymeworks Presents New Preclinical Data on Antibody-Drug Conjugate Programs at EORTC-NCI-AACR Conference

Zymeworks Inc. announced new preclinical data for Zymeworks’ antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates ZW220 and ZW251 in presentations...Read more.

Vertex Provides Updates on Multiple Kidney Programs at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Annual Kidney Week Congress

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated provided updates on multiple kidney diseases in its pipeline including IgA nephropathy (IgAN), primary membranous nephropathy (pMN), and APOL1-mediated kidney disease (AMKD)...Read more.

Positive Partial 12-Week Blood Sugar Results from Lexaria’s GLP-1 Diabetes Animal Study

Lexaria Bioscience Corp., a global innovator in drug delivery platforms announces that it has received partial 12-week (final) blood sugar results from the recently completed animal study WEIGHT-A24-1 (the “Study”)…Read more.

AbbVie and Gedeon Richter Announce New Collaboration for the Discovery and Development of Novel Targets for Neuropsychiatric Conditions

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and Gedeon Richter Plc. (‘Richter’) announced a new discovery, co-development and license agreement to advance novel targets for the potential treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions...Read more.

Seven Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Students Named 2024 UBC Public Scholars

Seven UBC Faculty of Medicine doctoral students have been named to the 2024/2025 cohort of the UBC Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) Program...Read more.

Senior Human Resources Coordinator

The Senior Human Resources Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the entering and coordination of data, documents and processes into the various HR systems in an accurate and timely manner to ensure flawless execution...Learn more

Senior Director/Executive Director, Analytical Development

We are seeking a Senior Director/Executive Director, Analytical Development to join our CMC team. The incumbent will be responsible for leading a team of analytical development scientists and external FTEs and for ensuring that robust analytical methodology is developed and validated...Learn more

Data Science and Pharmacokinetic Modeling Scientist

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Data Science and Pharmacokinetic Modeling Scientist to cover a maternity period of not less than 12 months to maintain and evolve our programs designed to deliver appropriate, robust and defensible data in a readily understandable manner...Learn more

Industry Relations Associate

The industry relations associate reports to the manager, industry & business development and leads various pipelines of the society’s revenue generation activities such as ISCT Annual and Regional Conferences...Learn more

Research Associate 1 or 2, Biology

We are seeking Research Associate 1 or 2, Biology with experience in brain slice electrophysiology to join our team for a nine-month contract...Learn more

Training and Education Specialist

 The specialist is responsible for working with Global Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to plan, coordinate, and execute training programs for professionals within the cell and gene therapy sector...Learn more

Manager, Supply Chain

We are seeking a Manager, Supply Chain, who will be working directly with our VP Commercial Operations in leading Augurex’s manufacturing operations, optimizing supply chain processes and ensuring compliance with our Quality Management System...Learn more

Senior Animal Care Technician (18 month contract)

The Sr. Animal Care Technician reports to the Director, In Vivo Resources and is responsible for the various technical procedures that support the scientific research conducted during the execution of in vivo studies and the general husbandry and care of animals in Genevant’s Core Facility...Learn more

Vice President, Business Development

NanoVation Therapeutics (NTx) is looking for a collaborative and results-driven Vice President, Business Development to lead our business development and marketing portfolios...Learn more

[Individual] Landon Steele is an innovative senior executive, entrepreneur, board member, and angel investor.

Her consulting company, Steele Consulting, helps startups become “Silicon Valley Ready.” She provides fractional COO expertise, advisory services, market analysis, pitch feedback, fundraising, and business development consulting. More info at www.steeleconsultinggroup.com.

Landon spent 30 years working in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. She was co-founder and COO of a tech-enabled mobile healthcare diagnostics company that she expanded throughout California before a successful exit. Prior to that, she worked at a leading multi-national industrial biotech company. She is steeped in Bay Area startup culture.

Landon holds an M.A.Sc. and a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Learn more.

[Individual] Sue Evans, MBA, RAC is a dynamic executive with extensive experience in pharma & biotech sectors, with broad global expertise across regulatory affairs & program management. Accomplished career history in US, Canada & Europe within small-medium sized, early-stage biotech environment, successfully securing product development & regulatory milestones according to FDA, EMA & PMDA requirements. 

Led the Aurinia submission team to secure FDA & EMA approval for LUPKYNIS™ for Lupus Nephritis (rare autoimmune disease). Provides FDA Regulatory Affairs consulting support & interim/fractional regulatory leadership/expertise from early phase through to post-approval. Learn more.



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