June 19, 2025 - Hello BioLinks Readers!

This week:

• On the Ground at BIO 2025
• Team BC Takes on BIO 2025
• Secure Your Spot to Pitch at LSBC’s 10th Annual Invest in BC
• Share Your Views: How Easy is Doing Business in BC?

On the Ground at BIO 2025

From the BIO convention floor in Boston, Endpoints reporters highlighted some of the major themes this year including Chinese biotech, the state of the market, and the U.S. regulatory environment. Although the market and outlooks remained bleak, with some even describing it as a “Game of Thrones winter”, a bit of the regulatory uncertainty has been alleviated. The FDA has begun a listening tour to get input from the industry and has announced a voucher program that could shorten the review time for a drug application to one to two months from the typical timeline of about 10-12 months. Watch the Endpoint’s report here.

Team BC Takes on BIO 2025

Another trend at BIO is AI-focused biotechs including Google DeepMind’s drug discovery spin-off Isomorphic Labs have gained traction. LSBC member Variational AI also announced some exciting news at the Canada pavilion with its collaboration with Korea-based ONCOCROSS Co., Ltd., to discover new treatments for chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Read more.

We kicked off the week with our international networking reception. Although it’s impossible to capture all the good work Team BC at BIO accomplished this year, our delegation of 40 companies represented why BC is the place where the future of life sciences is being built. Several of our thought leaders took to the stage at BIO including AbCellera’s Murray McCutcheon and Jake Beverage, who both moderated panels this week. LSBC members Zymeworks and CeraCura Nanotherapeutics presented, with HTuO biosciences competing in BIOTECanada’s Coast to Coast pitch competition. 

Secure Your Spot to Pitch at LSBC’s 10th Annual Invest in BC

Right here in BC, LSBC will host an opportunity to attract international partners and investors at our Invest in BC event this October. This is BC's premier investor-company matching platform, where you can unlock the partnerships and/or funding to accelerate your next growth phase. Last year, we had over 300 attendees, of which 100 were investors and 1/3 were from outside Metro Vancouver. This is your chance to get the attention of the right strategic partner. Tickets are available here. Applications to pitch are open until July 7, 2025, here.

Share Your Views: How Easy is Doing Business in BC?

On June 5, the Province launched its Ease of Doing Business Review, inviting businesses to share their ideas, challenges, and suggestions through an online portal open until fall. 

“We are listening to B.C. businesses as we work to ensure our province is an easy place to do business,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “This review will help us to continue to modernize our regulatory and permitting systems, as we secure B.C.’s position as the economic engine of Canada’s new economy.”

Member Highlights 

Stem Cell Network announces $33M to advance regenerative medicine research and clinical trials. As the only national funder dedicated exclusively to regenerative medicine, SCN saw a record-breaking 111 applications during this funding cycle. Of those, 36 high-potential projects were selected for funding. Read more.

ViewsML has announced a translational research agreement with Debiopharm, a Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company. This research aims to integrate ViewsML’s virtual antibody and immunohistochemistry (IHC) technology into Debiopharm’s drug development process to enhance biomarker detection and characterization. Read more.

Novartis announced Health Canada approval for KISQALI® for HR+/HER2- early breast cancer patients at high risk of recurrence. Read more.

Moderna has received Health Canada approval to manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine in Canada. Drug substance will be made in Laval, Quebec, with fill-finish in Cambridge, Ontario. Read more.

Industry Highlights

SEKISUI Diagnostics and the Government of Prince Edward Island announced a joint $16 million CAD capital investment in SEKISUI Diagnostics’ Charlottetown facilities to expand its reagent manufacturing capabilities for global clients. Read more.

Government of BC is expanding its health authority review to include regional health authorities, focusing on minimizing unnecessary administrative spending and ensuring resources support front-line patient care. Read more.

Kudos

Congratulations to IQVIA for winning the “Best Mobile App for Patient Engagement” in the MedTech Breakthrough Awards program. Read more.

Researchers from UBC’s Faculty of Medicine have received over $6.5 million through Brain Canada’s Platform Support Grants to advance two groundbreaking neuroscience research platforms. Congrats! Read more.

Kudos to Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust for being shortlisted for a HSJ Patient Safety Award, recognizing the Trust’s commitment to improving patient safety and driving innovation in healthcare. Read more.

People on the Move

Dr. Geoff Payne has been appointed President and CEO of Michael Smith Health Research BC (MSHRBC). Dr. Payne takes over the role from Dr. Bev Holmes, who announced her intention to step away from Health Research BC last year. Congratulations to Dr. Geoff Payne and thank you to Bev for her over 15 years of service at MSHRBC. Read more.

InMed appointed CBIZ as its new auditor following the CBIZ’s acquisition of Marcum’s attest business. Read more.

Leela Paris has been appointed as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at Aspect Biosystems. Leela brings extensive experience in advancing cell therapies. At Vertex Pharmaceuticals, she held several leadership roles, including Vice President of Manufacturing and Process Engineering. Read more.

Randall Kaye has become the Chief Medical Advisor at NervGen Pharma Corp. Read more.

Applications Open

Applications open for The MedTech Conference’s Pitch & Pour: Start-Up Pitch Competition, a platform for early-stage companies innovating in military health. Get the chance to receive all-access registration and a presentation slot for the MedTech Conference 2026 and $10,000. The deadline is July 18, 2025. Learn more.

GAC TAIPEI is recruiting exhibitors for the Healthcare+Expo Canada Pavilion. Join the webinar on June 23, 2025 at 6:00PM PT to learn more about Taiwan’s thriving life sciences ecosystem, present business-to-business collaboration opportunities, and benefits in participating in the Healthcare+ Expo in Taiwan. Learn more.

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

Member Spotlight

Berkley Canada is specialty commercial insurance company that delivers exceptional customer service and industry leading expertise in both underwriting and claims. We have local underwriting and claims authority in Canada with access to the strength and stability of the W.R. Berkley Corporation, a Fortune 500 commercial lines property casualty insurance provider. The Life Science and Healthcare team provides a comprehensive primary liability product to address the complex risks faced by life sciences companies of all sizes. Learn more.

Pivot Data Studio is a science-focused design studio dedicated to crafting digital data interfaces for the life sciences. By bringing together deep scientific knowledge with software engineering and interface design expertise, Pivot helps clients transform their complex data into effective data visualizations. Whether your organization needs an internal interface to streamline the interpretation of an analytical pipeline or a polished web application to share key findings with customers, Pivot will work closely with you from concept to deployment to unlock the full potential of your data. Learn more.

Shivani Mehta graduated from UBC with a degree in Biology and a minor from the Sauder School of Business. During her studies, she completed an exchange at NTU Singapore, worked at STEMCELL Technologies, and held roles in the labs of Dr. Fabio Rossi and Dr. Peter Zandstra. Currently, she works in Dr. Francis Lynn’s lab at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, pursuing her passion for regenerative medicine. Learn more.

Vishal Parekh, Business Development Manager at SGS Canada, supports BC’s life sciences community with advanced GMP analytical testing services. He collaborates with biotech, MedTech, pharma, and CGT companies to accelerate drug development, regulatory approval, and market readiness. With a strong understanding of scientific and business priorities, Vishal bridges innovation and compliance—helping LSBC members bring high-quality therapies from discovery to commercialization efficiently and with confidence. Learn more.

Until next week!

LSBC Team

May 27-30 - Join us for our 27th Annual Life Sciences BC Awards

This distinguished occasion brings together British Columbia’s vibrant life sciences community to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our peers and recognize the tireless efforts of those who have devoted their careers to advancing health innovations.

October 28 - 29 - Join us for our 10th Annual Invest in BC presented by Lumira Ventures

Life Sciences BC is pleased to announce the 10th 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.

Michael Smith Health Research BC Announces New CEO

Michael Smith Health Research BC (Health Research BC) is pleased to announce that Dr. Geoff Payne has been appointed President and CEO following an executive search process...Read more.

Variational AI and Oncocross to Collaborate on AI-Driven Drug Discovery Program in Atopic Dermatitis

Variational AI announced a co-development agreement with Oncocross to co-develop a novel small molecule inhibitor for chronic skin inflammation, with a focus on atopic dermatitis...Read more.

Health Canada Approves Novartis’ KISQALI® for HR+/HER2- Early Breast Cancer Patients at High Risk of Recurrence

Novartis Canada is pleased to announce that Health Canada has granted a Notice of Compliance (NOC) for KISQALI® (ribociclib tablets) in combination with an aromatase inhibitor...Read more.

NervGen Announces Appointment of Randall Kaye, MD to Chief Medical Advisor Role

NervGen Pharma Corp., a clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to developing neuroreparative therapeutics, announced the appointment of Randall Kaye, MD, to the role of Chief Medical Advisor...Read more.

Labcorp Launches Labcorp Whole Health Solutions to Support Holistic Care

Labcorp announced the launch of Labcorp Whole Health Solutions to support the growing needs of functional medicine, integrative medicine and primary care providers in delivering holistic care...Read more.

AbbVie Announces New Data Demonstrating Atogepant (QULIPTA® / AQUIPTA®) Achieves Superiority Across All Endpoints in Phase 3 Head-to-Head Study Compared to Topiramate for Migraine Prevention

AbbVie announced positive topline results from its Phase 3 TEMPLE multicenter, randomized, double-blind, head-to-head study evaluating the tolerability, safety and efficacy of atogepant...Read more.

UBC Researchers Awarded More Than $6.5 Million to Advance Neuroscience Research

UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers have been awarded more than $6.5 million from Brain Canada’s Platform Support Grants program to support two innovative neuroscience research platforms...Read more.

ViewsML and Debiopharm Collaborate to Advance Virtual Biomarker Technology in Drug Research

ViewsML has announced a translational research agreement with Debiopharm, a Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company...Read more.

GlycoNet Signs MOU with Japan’s Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Strengthening Global Glycomics Collaboration

GlycoNet signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan’s Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE) during the Glyco27 conference in Edmonton...Read more.

Aspect Biosystems Appoints Leela Paris as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations

Aspect Biosystems, a biotechnology company pioneering the development of Bioprinted Tissue Therapeutics, announced the appointment of Leela Paris as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations...Read more.

Canada’s Stem Cell Network Announces $33M to Advance Regenerative Medicine Research and Clinical Trials

The Stem Cell Network announced a $13.5 million investment in regenerative medicine research projects and clinical trials. This initiative, supported by 63 partner organizations contributing more than $19.5 million...Read more.

American Migraine Foundation Highlights HeadaTerm2 in Its Latest Device Recommendations, Backed by Clinical Evidence

WAT Medical Enterprise Ltd. is pleased to announce that its migraine relief device, HeadaTerm 2, is now featured on the American Migraine Foundation’s (AMF) updated Device Corner...Read more.

IQVIA Health Research Space Wins 2025 Medtech Breakthrough Award for ‘Best Mobile App for Patient Engagement’

IQVIA has been selected as the winner of the “Best Mobile App for Patient Engagement” in the ninth-annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards program...Read more.

InMed Appoints CBIZ as New Auditor in Connection with CBIZ’s Acquisition of Marcum’s Attest Business, Provides Update on Special Meeting and Makes Modifications to Existing SEPA

InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that Marcum LLP has resigned as InMed’s auditor following the acquisition of Marcum’s attest business by CBIZ...Read more.

Moderna Receives Health Canada Approval for Canadian Production of COVID-19 Vaccine

​Moderna announced it has received Health Canada approval, via a Supplemental New Drug Submission (SNDS), to manufacture its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in Canada...Read more.

Plant Engineer

This position is responsible for providing facility and process engineering support for the manufacturing of drug products. This role is part of the Site Engineering department at Vancouver whose responsibilities include maintaining and strategic improvement planning for plant and assets...Learn more.

Manager, Fianacial Planning & Analysis

You will be a key contributor to the budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning processes, delivering actionable insights to drive business performance. You will partner cross-functionally to support financial decision-making, prepare executive-level reports, and analyze financial trends...Learn more.

Corporate Relations Manager – Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR)

This role is one of the main cross-functional points of contact for: the agricultural and natural resources industries and corresponding provincial government representatives, as well as Genome BC Research & Innovation Director(s)...Learn more.

Scientist II, Discovery Biology

The successful candidate will play a key role in leading biological strategies and lab activities supporting platform development and preclinical drug discovery programs...Learn more.

Manager/Senior Manager, Quality Assurance, GMP

The selected candidate will work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and ensure adherence to GMP regulations and regulatory requirements in support of Xenon’s clinical development programs and NDA preparation...Learn more.

Director, IR and Corporate Communications

Responsible for the co-ordination & execution of all internal and external communication for the company. Key stakeholders include financial regulators, potential investors, shareholders, Board Members and employees...Learn more.

Manager, Strategic Initiatives

The Project Manager is responsible for overseeing a portfolio of strategic research, infrastructure, and training projects and cross-sector initiatives that enhance lab space, technology platforms, early-stage biomanufacturing, and clinical trials capacity....Learn more.

Clinical Supplies Manager

This role is responsible for coordinating the labeling, packaging, and global distribution of clinical trial materials to sites and depots across multiple countries, including both investigational medicinal products and ancillary supplies...Learn more.

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