March 19, 2026 - Hello BioLinks readers!

This week:

• Web Summit Venture Spotlight companies announced
• EyeCareX joins Google startup accelerator
• Federal pharmaceutical and life sciences task force announced

Web Summit Life Sciences Venture Spotlight

In collaboration with Innovate BC, we are excited to announce the companies selected for this year’s Web Summit Venture Spotlight. The companies will be featured on May 13, 2026. We look forward to supporting early-stage BC-based innovations on this exciting platform that will attract investors and industry leaders from around the world. LSBC members, Investor Readiness Program graduates, and Growth Catalyst Program cohort members selected for the spotlight include: Autochart.ai (Aya Health), Azor Biotek, D2Type, ediccare, eSense Health, EyeCareX, Focal Lines Technologies, Integrated Nanotherapeutics, and Salyx. Read more.

EyeCareX Joins 14 Canadian Companies in Google for Startups Accelerator

EyeCareX is an AI-enabled platform for at-home eye testing. LSBC supported the company through our Investor Readiness Program and EyeCareX is currently part of our Growth Catalyst Program. During the 10-week Google program, founders will collaborate with experts to sharpen their business models, scale their AI capabilities, and network with potential investors and partners. The cohort will also receive early access to Google AI products, world class mentorship and are eligible for Google resources to accelerate their machine learning research. Read more (Healthcare Technology).

New Federal Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Task Force

This joint federal initiative led by Health Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada will support reliable and sustainable access to pharmaceutical products for people in Canada. The task force will also bring together senior leaders and subject matter experts to identify made-in-Canada solutions that drive innovation, competitiveness and long-term growth in the life sciences sector. The task force is co-chaired by Martin LeBlanc, co-founder of CellCarta Biosciences and Michelle Boudreau, who has held various leadership roles including Associate Assistant Deputy Minister in Health Policy and legal counsel to Health Canada. Read more. 

Member Highlights 

Integrated Nanotherapeutics secures Genome Canada funding to advance its mRNA/LNP therapy for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). The lead candidate leverages a multi-cargo lipid nanoparticle platform, which enables the co-delivery of mRNA to target beta cells and modulators that restore immune tolerance of the cells. The approach aims to halt the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells that drives T1D. The project will be conducted in collaboration with UBC researchers. Integrated Nanotherapeutics is also part of LSBC’s Growth Catalyst Program, intended to enable high-growth companies to expand their networks, opportunities, skills, and knowledge to scale. Read more.

Genome BC announces funding from Genome Canada for eight research teams to receive a total of $8 million. The funding is for academia-industry collaborations, including collaborations with LSBC members Integrated Nanotherapeutics (mentioned above), Seragene Therapeutics, and AbCellera. Five of the 13 national projects were awarded to teams in British Columbia, a significant result for Genome BC. Read more.

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals reports six-month symptom data from its ongoing Phase 1b/2a clinical trial in eosinophilic esophagitis. Read more.

SFU's Faculty of Science gives local industry partners fast access to key research tools. They offer a number of facilities built for industry R&D. For example, the NMR Facility can provide precise, high-resolution molecular characterization of various products and materials, accelerating product development and ensuring quality control. The Centre for High-Throughput Chemical Biology offers an automated, high-throughput, image-based screening platform that can enable the rapid identification of bioactive small molecules using customized assays. For more information or to see a full list of Core Facilities, contact clay_braziller@sfu.ca. To learn more.

Ecosystem Highlights 

One year after the BC government launched a targeted campaign to recruit U.S.-trained health-care workers, more than 400 professionals have signed on to work in BC communities. This includes doctors and nurses to help strengthen the workforce and improve access to care across the province. Read more 

Medtech Canada commissioned a study to assess the economic impact of the Canadian Medical devices manufacturing sector in 2023. Canada’s medical device sector contributed $13.7B to GDP in 2023 and supported over 88,000 jobs, with strong investment in research and development. Read more 

A new urgent and primary care centre in Port Coquitlam opening March 26, 2026, will improve access to same-day care for Tri-Cities residents. Offering team-based services seven days a week, the centre aims to connect more people to primary care and ease demand on emergency departments. Read more

Kudos

Congratulations to Merck Canada on achieving Gold Level Parity Certification from Women in Governance, an important recognition of its commitment to advancing gender equality, diversity and inclusion across the organization. Read more

Congratulations to the UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers Dr. Amee R. Manges, Dr. Megan Levings, Dr. Marcel Bally, Dr. Patrick Tang, Dr. Paul Yong, Dr. Peter Zandstra and Dr. Steven Jones on securing new federal funding to accelerate genomics innovations through industry collaborations. Read more

Congratulations to UBC’s Conconi Family Biodevice Foundry for receiving major federal funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation to support advanced research infrastructure. The investment will enable researchers to design, prototype, and develop next-generation biomedical devices, strengthening collaboration across engineering, medicine and life sciences while advancing solutions to key health challenges. Read more

People on the Move

The Government of Canada has reappointed Dr. Paul J. Allison to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Governing Council, recognizing his continued leadership and expertise in health research and policy. The council plays a key role in guiding national health research priorities and strengthening Canada’s healthcare system. Read more

Applications Open

The UBC Faculty of Medicine is awarding three national prizes to experts who demonstrate research excellence and innovation in the areas of cancer, brain disorders and heart disorders. Submit a nomination to celebrate leading experts advancing health research. The deadline for application is March 31, 2026 Learn more

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

Membership Spotlight

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

Until next week!

LSBC Team

March 30 - The Life Sciences BC Showcase Series: Vancouver Island highlights the latest life sciences research and innovation on the Island, bringing together sector leaders, researchers, and industry professionals for an evening of insights and networking.



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.

Johnson & Johnson Highlights Promising First-in-human Erda-iDRS (formerly TAR-210) Results in Intermediate‑risk non–muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer
Johnson & Johnson shared early clinical results for ERDA-IDRS (formerly TAR-210), a targeted therapy that delivers treatment directly into the bladder for patients with intermediate-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Initial findings show promising response rates, suggesting potential as a new treatment option...Read more

How Reverb Therapeutics is Redefining Cytokine-based Immunotherapy

Reverb Therapeutics is developing a new type of immunotherapy that enhances the body’s natural immune signals (cytokines) to better target diseases like cancer, aiming to improve effectiveness while reducing side effects... Read more

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Reports Six-Month Symptom Data from the Highest Dose Cohort in its Ongoing Phase 1b/2a RESOLVE Trial in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eupraxia reported positive six-month trial results, with its treatment showing clear improvements in symptoms and esophageal health in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis... Read more

uBriGene Enables FDA IND Clearance for GT307 TIL Therapy

uBriGene helped secure FDA clearance for GT307, a next-generation cell therapy using immune cells to target solid tumors. This milestone allows the treatment to move into clinical trials, advancing a new approach to cancer care... Read more

BC researchers receive $8 million in Federal funding to fast-track Genomic solutions

BC researchers have secured $8 million in federal funding to speed up genomic solutions, advancing more precise diagnostics and treatments... Read more

Acuitas Therapeutics’ Lipid Nanoparticle Technology Supports Positive Phase I Data Published by AstraZeneca

Acuitas Therapeutics’ lipid nanoparticle technology supported positive Phase I results from an AstraZeneca study, showing strong potential for advancing mRNA-based therapies and vaccines... Read more

Integrated Nanotherapeutics Secures Genome Canada GAPP Funding to Advance Multi-Cargo mRNA/LNP Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Toward the Clinic

Integrated Nanotherapeutics has received Genome Canada funding to advance its mRNA therapy for type 1 diabetes, moving it closer to clinical trials... Read more

FDA Approval of ICOTYDE™ (icotrokinra) Ushers in new era for First-line Systemic treatment of Plaque Psoriasis with a targeted Oral peptide

FDA approval of ICOTYDE introduces a new oral treatment for plaque psoriasis, offering a targeted, once-daily alternative with strong results... Read more

Mintz Advises Sixth Street in $1.3 Billion Financing Supporting Paratek–Radius Combination

Mintz advised Sixth Street on a $1.3 billion financing deal supporting the combination of Paratek Pharmaceuticals and Radius Health, helping expand a diversified portfolio of specialty medicines and strengthen long-term growth in the biopharma sector... Read more

The Video Game the Body Plays Without Knowing It

An interactive, game-like technology is helping calm patients by gently engaging the brain, offering a non-drug approach to reduce stress and agitation—particularly for those with delirium or cognitive conditions...Read more

UBC researchers Advance next-generation sports Monitoring through Samsung Collaboration

UBC researchers, in collaboration with Samsung, are developing wearable tech that tracks muscle activity in real time to improve performance, prevent injuries, and support recovery... Read more

WELL Health Subsidiary WELLSTAR Expands National Billing Platform with Two Strategic Acquisitions, Now Serving Six Provinces

WELLSTAR has grown its national medical billing platform through two strategic acquisitions, expanding its services to six provinces and enhancing support for physicians with more efficient billing and administrative solutions... Read 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

Animal Care Contractor

The role includes monitoring animal health, maintaining facilities, and assisting with research activities... 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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