January 18, 2024

Life Sciences BC seeks to raise the profile of our members and supporters, highlight their achievements, and promote BC's dynamic life sciences ecosystem. If you have news or a story to share, let us know.

You can find previous editions of BioLinks newsletters and other resources on our website at News/Publications.

Life Sciences BC News

Congratulations to the grads of this week’s BioBasics 201: Targeted Biologics for the Non-Scientist, a two-day course hosted by LSBC in partnership with Biotech Primer. 

Participants didn’t let a snow day stop them from attending this follow-up to BioBasics 101, which provides a more thorough understanding of advanced biologics, including disease defence mechanisms, fluency in vaccine platforms, insights into therapeutic antibody mechanisms, the ability to compare DNA- and RNA-based therapies, and a deeper knowledge of cell therapies, including CAR-based variations. This knowledge equips attendees to engage more meaningfully in the evolving biopharmaceutical landscape. Learn more about BioBasics 101 and 201 here. 

We're excitedly preparing to host next week's 5th annual Career Connect Day on January 26 at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel! This vibrant, full-day event facilitates connections between life sciences employers and individuals interested in job opportunities.



This year's job fair exhibitor hall will feature 24 of BC's most prominent life sciences organizations, providing a direct platform for prospective candidates to engage with potential employers, with dedicated spaces for on-site interviews and one-on-one discussions.

The event's program will feature company presentations and insights from influential leaders in the life sciences sector, covering crucial topics such as career development and training programs, funding initiatives, and innovative solutions for industry talent gaps. We hope to see you there! Learn more.

Member Highlights 

Health Research BC has released a 2023 report on the current strengths, weaknesses, and potential areas for improvement in BC's health research system, one of three studies initiated by Health Research BC. Learn more about these studies and download the 2023 British Columbia Health Research System Rapid Assessment report here. 

We are delighted to see so many BC companies participating in the upcoming 2024 OBIO Investment Summit in Toronto on February 14-16! Best of luck to all the participating companies, including the following LSBC members!

·        Bold Therapeutics

·        Clairvoyant Therapeutics

·        Difinity Solutions

·        Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics

·        HTuO Biosciences

·        Integrated Nanotherapeutics

·        Microbion Corporation

·        Molecular You

·        Rostrum Medical Innovations

·        SeraGene Therapeutics

·        Sonic Incytes Medical

·        Sustained Therapeutics

·        Variational AI

Axolotl Biosciences, NanoVation Therapeutics, and Platform Life Sciences were recently included in Best Startup Canada's article "Emerging Biotech Startups Thriving in British Columbia, Canada." Read the article here.

Pender Ventures has released its second annual report on funding and trends in Canada's health tech ecosystem, titled the "Canadian Health Tech Funding Report & Market Map." The report reveals technology's disruptive impact on healthcare, from drug discovery to patient care. Read it here.

BioTalent Canada has released its latest National Compensation Guide that reviews 50 job functions within the Canadian bioeconomy, exploring compensation, benefits, and bonus structures. This guide is an excellent tool for HR departments in the bio-sector! Learn more and purchase the guide here.

Michelle Sklar of entrepreneurship@UBC has published the article "BC's Startup Resilience: Navigating Economic Headwinds with Innovation and Optimism," in a recent edition of Techcouver, providing a positive outlook for BC's startup ecosystem. Read it here.

adMare President and CEO Gordon McCauley recently spoke with Research Money about the vital role anchor companies play in shaping Canada's life sciences sector and what is needed for Canada to compete on a global scale. In the interview, McCauley referenced adMare's recent white paper "Canada's Evolving Life Sciences Industry: Exploring Ecosystems, Clusters, and the Need for Anchor Companies." Read the article here. Find the white paper here.

New Members

PHC Corporation of North America is a global leader in developing, designing and manufacturing laboratory equipment for biopharmaceutical, life sciences, academic, healthcare and government markets.

DBIOMED is a Canada-based medical laboratory supply company offering a wide range of innovative, reliable and sustainable consumables at competitive prices.

Welcome both to the LSBC community!

Industry Highlights

BC is launching a province-wide cervix self-screening program, allowing individuals aged 25 to 69 to order at-home HPV test kits starting January 29, 2024. In a significant step towards eliminating cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer in women globally, the program aims to improve access and reduce barriers to screening. Learn more.

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) and the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) have renewed their collaboration to promote intellectual property (IP) awareness among Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The five-year memorandum of understanding, signed on January 9, focuses on developing digital tools for SMEs to manage IP globally, strengthening partnerships through the IP Village, and adopting a data-driven approach for more impactful IP program delivery. The initiative aligns with the Canadian government's commitment to supporting the protection of Canadian IP in foreign markets. Learn more.

Canada has announced new measures that aim to protect Canadian research from undue foreign influence and protect national security. These include implementing the new Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern, launching Canada's new Research Security Centre, and investing nearly $50 million in post-secondary institutions through the Research Support Fund. Learn more.

Quebec has proposed changes to Bill 96, the "Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French," which explicitly addresses language use in commerce and business. Businesses have been given a 45-day window to provide feedback to the Quebec government. Medtech Canada invites companies to provide feedback by Jan. 26, which they will consolidate and present to the government. Please send your comments and recommendations in writing to Olivier Bourbeau, Vice President Quebec, Medtech Canada. Learn more.

The 2024 MedTech Conference, a premier gathering that brings together top executives and innovators in medical devices, diagnostics, and digital technologies from around the globe, will be held in Toronto from October 15 to 17. The organizers have officially opened the call for sessions, providing a unique opportunity for MedTech companies to contribute to the discourse shaping the industry's future. Applications are due by Feb. 23. Learn more and explore the key session topics sought here. 

Kudos

Huge congratulations to Renaissance BioScience, which has been accepted into the 2024 cohort of the Foodtech Canadian Technology Accelerators program, which helps Canadian companies accelerate their growth in global markets! Learn more.

Congratulations to Dr. Tillie-Louise Hacket of UBC's Faculty of Medicine for receiving a 2024 Mentoring Excellence Award from The Allergy, Genes and Environment Network (AllerGen) for her outstanding work as an educator and researcher dedicated to improving the lives of patients living with asthma and COPD. Learn more.

Kudos to Chris Springate, CEO of Arc Medical, named by Insights Care Magazine as one of healthcare's most visionary leaders. Read about the important work ARC is doing to address surgical adhesions here.

Here's to our members included in this year's 2024 Forbes list of Canada's Best Startup Employers, including Microbiome Insights and Notch Therapeutics! See the complete list of honourees here. 

Life Sciences Ontario has announced its 21^st annual Celebration of Success Award winners, recognizing individuals and companies driving the success of Ontario Life Sciences. Congratulations to this year's, which you can find here! 

People on the Move

BC has announced a series of new provincial ministerial positions, including MLA George Chow as the Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials. This aligns with recently enacted legislation from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, which aims to reduce barriers for internationally trained professionals seeking employment in British Columbia. See the complete list of appointments here.

Applications Open

There is one day left to apply for Accelerate Okanagan’s 8-week Fundable program, a cohort-style accelerator program focused on educating entrepreneurs and early-stage companies on the principles of raising capital. Learn more.

World Trade Centre Vancouver is accepting applications from businesses in BC’s interior region for its Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) - BC Interior Cohort, a 5-day program in Kelowna in April designed to help SMEs tap into their full export potential. Learn more. 

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is participating in a call for research projects on antimicrobial resistance interventions in partnership with The Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR). JPIAMR will be hosting an info webinar on January 24. The pre-proposal deadline is March 14. Learn more.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, in partnership with Michael Smith Health Research BC, has a call for applications for its 2024 Health System Impact Fellowship, which supports candidates to embed research projects and programs that address the most pressing problems health system organizations face. Learn more about the 2023 awardees and key 2024 competition dates here.  

Johnson & Johnson Innovation invites applicants to its Singapore QuickFire Challenge, a platform for innovators from around the globe who have an active interest in the Singapore innovation ecosystem. Applicants are invited to submit groundbreaking ideas, technologies, or solutions to improve the trajectory of health outcomes for patients. The innovator(s) with the best potential solution can receive grant funding from a total pool of $100,000, access to the global Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS network, and mentorship from experts across Johnson & Johnson.  Applications are due Jan. 26. Learn more.

BioTalent Canada has opened applications for its 2024 Catalyst Award for Top New Hire, which recognizes young employees who participated in a wage subsidy program and made significant contributions to an organization in Canada’s health and biosciences sector in 2023. The winner receives a prize of $1,000. Nominations are due Jan 31. Learn more.

Applications are now open for Medtech Innovator, the world's largest medical technology accelerator and a premier showcase and competition for innovative medical device, digital health, and diagnostic companies. Applications are due Jan. 31. Learn more.

BCIT seeks to fill three positions on its Board of Governors, which links the Institute’s senior leadership with BC’s government. Applications are now open for individuals to help BCIT fulfill its mission of partnering learners with industry through workforce development. Applications are due January 31, 2024. Learn more. 

We invite you to explore our expanded list of current life sciences application opportunities by clicking the button below.

Upcoming LSBC events and programs at-a-glance

Until next week,

The LSBC team

Takeda Recognized as a Top Employer in Canada for Second Consecutive Year

Takeda Canada Inc. announced that, for the second consecutive year, it has received Top Employer® certification for 2024. Takeda is one of just 17 companies that received global recognition, and it was additionally certified as a Top Employer across 24 countries. The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey...READ MORE

Filament Health Completes The First Export Of Botanical Psilocybin To Australia

Filament Health Corp. announced that it successfully completed an export of PEX010, the Company’s botanical psilocybin drug candidate, to Perth, Western Australia. The shipment is believed to be the first botanical psilocybin to be exported to Australia and was received by Reset Mind Sciences Ltd. Reset will use Filament’s drug product for research purposes...READ MORE

WELL Health Provides Business Update Demonstrating Focus on Profitable and Capital Efficient Growth

WELL Health Technologies Corp., a digital healthcare company focused on positively impacting health outcomes, is pleased to announce multiple updates to its business. WELL’s clinic recruitment and absorption program has demonstrated substantial growth and capital efficiency...READ MORE

Genevant Sciences to Collaborate with Tome Biosciences to Develop Gene Editing Therapeutic for Rare Liver Disorder

Genevant Sciences announced it has entered into a collaboration and nonexclusive license agreement with Tome Biosciences to combine its proprietary LNP technology with Tome’s programmable genomic integration technology to develop an in vivo gene editing treatment for an undisclosed rare monogenic liver disorder...READ MORE

InMed Pharmaceuticals Provides Business Update and Milestones for 2024

InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a leader in the manufacturing, development and commercialization of rare cannabinoids and proprietary cannabinoid analogs, outlines key accomplishments from 2023 and provides key strategic priorities for 2024...READ MORE

‘Smart Glove’ Can Boost Hand Mobility of Stroke Patients

This month, a group of stroke survivors in B.C. will test a new technology designed to aid their recovery, and ultimately restore use of their limbs and hands. Participants will wear a groundbreaking “smart glove” capable of tracking their hand and finger movements during rehabilitation exercises supervised by Dr. Janice Eng, a leading stroke rehabilitation specialist...READ MORE

Numinus Wellness Inc. Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2024 Results

Numinus Wellness Inc., a mental health care company advancing traditional and innovative behavioral health treatments with a focus on safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, announced its financial results for the three months ended November 30, 2023 (“Q1 2024”)...READ MORE

Getinge Invites Fund Managers, Analysts, and Media to Year-End Report 2023 Conference Call

Getinge will issue its Year-End Report 2023 on February 1, 2024, at 08:00 a.m. CET, followed by a conference call at 10:00 a.m. CET, hosted by Mattias Perjos, President & CEO, and Lars Sandström, CFO. Fund managers, analysts and media are invited to participate in the conference call...READ MORE

New National Compensation Report Raises Recruitment and Retention Efforts in Canada’s Health and Biosciences Sector

With the release of their National Compensation Guide, BioTalent Canada is helping health and biosciences employers develop a robust talent management strategy to improve their recruitment and retention capabilities. The national compensation guide includes National Occupational Standards, base salary information, and benefits data...READ MORE

UBC Medical Student Navjit Moore Receives BC Medal of Good Citizenship

Moore, a third-year MD student in the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Vancouver Fraser Medical Program, was among 21 awardees who received this honour from the B.C. government. Since 2015, she has been a dedicated volunteer with the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Fraser Valley East Chapter, and currently serves as the Chapter’s president...READ MORE

LifeLabs and Klinrisk Join Forces to Revolutionize Chronic Kidney Disease Care

LifeLabs proudly announces an exclusive partnership with Klinrisk, a Canadian AI-based medical device company focused on improving early detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease through the groundbreaking Klinrisk Score...READ MORE

Roche Canada and McKesson Canada Inaugural Innovation Challenge Enhances the Patient Experience

Hoffmann-La Roche Limited is proud to announce a dynamic collaboration with McKesson Canada, which has resulted in solutions that will optimize the patient journey and potentially shorten overall time to therapy. It can be challenging to navigate complex healthcare systems; Patient Support Programs work to simplify the process and ease the patient’s experience...READ MORE

IKOMED Technologies Inc. is a dynamic medical device company, based in Vancouver BC, engaged in the research-and-development of several ground-breaking technologies.

Our AEGIS combines a high-speed electro-mechanical shutter with image-processing and machine-learning, to reduce X-ray radiation in fluoroscopy, by over 70%, with no degradation in image quality. Fluoroscopy is widely used in minimally invasive procedures in cardiac, gastrointestinal and other treatments. AEGIS received FDA clearance in 2019 and is now being sold commercially in the US, together with our partner, Omega Medical Imaging.

We are also developing ATMOS, a novel medical-device for the treatment of emphysema, a type of COPD (Chronic-Obstructive-Pulmonary-Disease). Emphysema is a debilitating, progressive lung-disease caused by smoking and environmental factors. While it is one of the leading causes of death, with millions of patients worldwide, there is currently no cure and treatment is focused on alleviating symptoms. Our device applies RF (Radio-Frequency) radiation in a non-invasive treatment which could cure the disease and improve the life quality of millions of patients worldwide. LEARN MORE

Statement from Minister Champagne, Minister Holland and Minister LeBlanc on New Measures to Protect Canadian Research

In Minister Champagne, Minister Holland, and Minister LeBlanc's statement, they address the need to safeguard Canadian research through number of measures that include the new Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern, and the launch of a new Research Security Centre. Protecting Canadian research remains a top priority...READ MORE

Readout from Minister of Health’s Discussions with U.S. Officials on Bulk Importation of Drugs

Since the statement issued by Health Canada last week, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, has spoken to senior U.S. officials to express Canada’s disappointment with the FDA decision and to advise that Canada will take all necessary measures to protect the Canadian drug supply. Minister Holland has been clear that Canada’s drug supply is safe and that the Government of Canada has the strong regulatory tools to protect Canada’s drug supply...READ MORE

Export Development Canada Reaches Record $12 billion in Support for Cleantech Businesses, Achieves Goal 2 Years Early

In 2022, EDC set the goal of providing $10 billion in support for cleantech businesses in 2025. As of December 31, 2023, EDC had exceeded its target by providing more than $12 billion in financing and insurance solutions to more than 440 cleantech businesses—up from $8.8 billion and 392 companies in 2022. EDC provides support for businesses across all subsectors, including renewable power generation, biofuels, energy efficiency and green buildings...READ MORE

CIPO and the Trade Commissioner Service to Promote Canadian Intellectual Property Protection Abroad

On January 9, 2024, CIPO and the TCS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the goals of developing digital education tools to help Canadian SMEs manage IP effectively when doing business abroad; strengthening key partnerships through the IP Village to better inform and support exporting SMEs and underrepresented groups as they seek support on IP-related issues; and developing a data-driven and evidence-based approach to ensure higher impact of IP program delivery...READ MORE

New Self-Screening Program will Help Detect Cervical Cancer Sooner

People in B.C. will have improved access to cervical cancer screening as a provincewide cervix self-screening program launches, including the option to screen at home, a first in Canada. Beginning Jan. 29, 2024, women and individuals from 25 to 69 with a cervix can choose to order a kit to self-screen for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, or have their screening sample collected by a health-care provider...READ MORE

Manager, Marketing and Communications

The Manager, Marketing and Communications implements marketing and communications strategies and plans, in support of Life Sciences BC’s strategies and objectives. Responsibilities include raising the profile of the organization and our members, managing its corporate reputation, and telling our story through social media, newsletters, and other tools...LEARN MORE

Research Technician 1, Resource Facility

This position will provide husbandry and facility maintenance to support preclinical research in drug discovery. You will be working in an accredited research facility holding Good Animal Practices certification from the Canadian Council on Animal Care. This position reports to the Manager, Resource Facility and will be in the Vancouver, BC location. The level of the position will be commensurate with the candidate’s education and experience...LEARN MORE

Head of Quality Control

The Head of Quality Control's duties include: establishing departmental goals and effectively communicating direction, objectives, and results as needed to the department, plant site, and Evonik; developing and managing team conformance to departmental budget, and driving improved efficiencies in departmental operations...LEARN MORE

Senior Project Manager

Reporting to the CSO, the Senior Project Manager will work closely with the NanoVation Team and will be responsible for managing multiple and concurrent projects in support of our corporate goals and objectives.You will also be responsible for ensuring projects are successfully completed on time and on budget, reaching desired outcomes, milestones, and deliverables, using a consistent, company-wide project management framework and methodology...LEARN MORE

Post Doctoral Fellow – Synthetic Organic Chemistry

We are seeking postdoctoral fellows with a passion for synthetic organic chemistry and/or medicinal chemistry to join our Vancouver site. The fellow will become integrated within our medicinal chemistry team and take part in a drug discovery project, gaining experience in modern medicinal chemistry techniques and strategies...LEARN MORE

Internal Operations Auditor

The Internal Operations Auditor is responsible for ensuring Business Units comply with company policies and applicable laws. In this role you will support risk management in establishing streamlined processes and be a supportive link for operations to understand corporate and legal requirements. This role will ensure internal practices and operational SOPs comply with federal regulations and regulations...LEARN MORE

Coordinator, Operations

Coordinator, Operations will be responsible for providing core lab and operations support for adMare & resident companies, as well as shipping and receiving services. Reporting to Senior Director, Operations & Innovation Centres, this role is based in our Vancouver Innovations Center. This is a maternity leave - contract 12 months position...LEARN MORE

Director, Immunology

The Director is responsible for supporting design and development of innovative antibody-based therapeutics in fields of immuno-oncology, autoimmunity and/or inflammation from inception to IND and into early clinical development, expanding the cutting-edge expertise and the breadth/depth of knowledge in Immunology based research and biologic drug development within eRnD...LEARN MORE

Senior Research Associate I, Protein Engineering

The Senior Research Associate is responsible for independently planning, performing, and optimizing protein purification of multispecific antibodies to support research programs, characterizing protein therapeutics by analytical and biophysical methods for quality control, stability, and developability studies...LEARN MORE

General Application for Thrive Health (Remote)

We’re looking for our next great Thriver, and the unique perspective you bring to make Thrive a stronger, more diverse organization. If you don't see the role you're looking for on the Careers page, you can submit a general application for future consideration for their departments, and Thrive will reach out if and when they have a role available that may be a good fit...LEARN MORE

Research Associate, Preclinical

The role holder will be responsible for executing and supporting studies assessing the pharmacology, immunology, mechanism of action, distribution and safety profile of our LNP, executing analyses and data interpretation, and presenting results to the team and company...LEARN MORE

Animal Technician, Preclinical

The Animal Technician will be responsible for conducting and supporting in vivo/in vitro studies to characterize the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics/distribution and safety of lipid nanoparticles-nucleic acid formulations. The Animal Technician will be proficient/expert in routine procedures required for in vivo studies/in vitro assays and will be able to generate and follow standard operating procedures...LEARN MORE

Account Manager, proXimity

Reporting to the VP, proXimity, you possess a unique blend of clinical trial industry knowledge and general business acumen; a hard worker striving to enhance the experience of our existing customers and drive new business within our current customer base forward. You are part of the proXimity team ensuring we are reaching our business goals and targets for the proXimity software and ensuring the current proXimity customers are receiving an exception level of customer service...LEARN MORE

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