Thursday | September 24, 2020
CEO and President, LifeSciences BC
CEO REPORT
Last week, over 200 LifeSciences leaders gathered virtually for the 22nd Annual LifeSciences BC Awards, presented by FARRIS.  Thank you to everyone who joined - feedback from the presenters, award winners, and attendees has been resoundingly positive. It was a fun event, one where the Life Sciences community took a moment to pause, celebrate and be inspired by some incredible leaders and partners. If you were unable to attend, you can view a recording of the full event and/or the videos of each award recipient’s journey on our LifeSciences BC YouTube channel:

At our Annual General Meeting today, September 24th, we recognized the retirement of two LSBC Board Directors, Ian Heine, our long-time Treasurer, Chair of the Finance Committee and Board Member for eight years, and James Hatton Q.C., Partner at FARRIS, who was an integral Board member for the last six years serving as Chair of the Board for two of those years. They both served LifeSciences BC and the sector with diligence, commitment, and purpose, and we were most fortunate to have had them as wise and guided counsel, whenever we called upon them.

A key component of the AGM is to elect the Board. We would like to welcome Esther Falconer, David Helliwell and Lana Janes to the LSBC Board.

The full Board of Directors are listed here: 
 
  • Scott Phillips, Starfish Medical - President & CEO
  • Ali Ardakani, Novateur Ventures - Founder and Managing Director
  • Dr. James Taylor, Precision Nanosystems - Co-founder and CEO
  • Dr. Pieter Cullis, Faculty of Medicine, UBC - Professor, Inventor, Co-Founder
  • Nancy Harrison, Amplitude Venture Capital/ISED - Venture Partner/Co-Chair Therapeutics Task Force
  • Dr. Gavin Stuart, Faculty of Medicine, UBC - Dean/Vice Provost Health
  • Dr. Pascal Spothelfer, Genome BC - President & CEO
  • Peter Simpson, Third Quarter Consulting - Consultant
  • David Llewelyn, Stemcell - Sr VP Business Operations
  • Anne Stevens, Aequus Pharmaceuticals - COO and Director
  • Jennifer Cudlipp, LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services - SVP, BC & President, Excelleris
  • Michael Martin, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals - Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder
  • Rajveer Hundal, PWC Canada – Partner
  • Lana Janes, adMare Bioinnovations - Venture Partner
  • David Helliwell, Thrive - Co-Founder & CEO
  • Ester Falconer, AbCellera - Head of R&D

Thank you to all our Board members for volunteering their time and expertise to support and advance the BC life sciences sector.

We are thrilled to announce the publication of the 2020 Life Science Sector Report This first-time report has been written to identify the Life Sciences ecosystem in B.C. Contained in the report is information of the economic impact of the sector, profiles of B.C. innovation, life sciences companies and key academic and research assets. The development of this report has been a true team effort with extraordinary leadership from Dr. Cecile Lacombe from the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness. Thanks also goes to Global Affairs Canada, WD and ISED for their collaboration. The report can be found here.

Also announced by the Government of British Columbia last week is the new “InBC Investment Fund”, a $500 million strategic investment fund “to invest in high growth potential firms, growing and anchoring talent, intellectual property, innovation, investment and jobs in B.C., and driving economic growth in every region.” Here is the link to the Report initiative.
Platinum Sponsors
LSBC MEMBER NEWS
Kintara Therapeutics Announces Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Results and Recent Corporate Updates
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Kintara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTRA) (“Kintara” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new solid tumor cancer therapies, announced its financial results for the year ended June 30, 2020 and provided a corporate update. READ MORE
InMed Pharmaceuticals Announces Additional IntegraSynTM Patent Filing
Vancouver, BC – September 22, 2020 – InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“InMed” or the “Company”) (TSX:IN; OTCQX:IMLFF), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing medications targeting diseases with high unmet medical need and leading the way in the clinical development of cannabinol (“CBN”), today announced the filing of a patent application as part of a growing portfolio of intellectual property related to the IntegraSyn™ manufacturing approach for producing low-cost, pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids. READ MORE
Stirling Bryan inducted as Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Stirling Bryan, BC AHSN President, has been named as one of 77 Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) for 2020. READ MORE
Mary Ackenhusen announced as BC AHSN Board Director
Vancouver, BC, Canada (September 21, 2020) The British Columbia Academic Health Science Network (BC AHSN) is pleased to announce that Mary Ackenhusen has joined its Board of Directors, effective September 21, 2020. READ MORE
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE GAINS ACCESS TO NATIONAL STUDENT PLACEMENT PROGRAM
OTTAWA, September 22, 2020 – BioTalent Canada is expanding its successful national Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) to Canadian healthcare for the first time. READ MORE
Johnson & Johnson Initiates Pivotal Global Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Janssen’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate
First participants dosed in Phase 3 trial (ENSEMBLE) evaluating safety and efficacy of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, JNJ-78436735, also known as Ad26.COV2.S

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., September 23, 2020 – Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) (the Company) today announced the launch of its large-scale, pivotal, multi-country Phase 3 trial (ENSEMBLE) for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, JNJ-78436735, being developed by its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies. READ MORE
InMed Announces Completion of Subject Treatments in Second Phase 1 Clinical Trial of INM-755 CBN Cream in Healthy Subjects
Vancouver, BC – September 24, 2020 – InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“InMed” or the “Company”) (TSX:IN; OTCQX:IMLFF), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing medications targeting diseases with high unmet medical need and leading the way in the clinical development of cannabinol (“CBN”), today announced that all subjects participating in its second Phase 1 clinical trial with INM-755 have completed treatment. READ MORE
Praxis SCI Incubate Program
A six month program geared towards pre-prototype projects with an innovation to transform the lives of people living with SCI. The program provides targeted consumer and research validation and mentorship, as well as access to our commercialization network. READ MORE
LSBC SECTOR NEWS
How coronavirus took hold in North America and in Europe
September 10, 2020 | University of Arizona - Early interventions were effective at stamping out coronavirus infections before they spread, according to a new study. Combining virus genomics with epidemiologic simulations and travel records, the research shows that in both the United States and in Europe, sustained transmission networks became established only after separate introductions of the virus that went undetected. READ MORE
Female chromosomes offer resilience to Alzheimer's
Study reveals that females' second X chromosome confers protection
University of California - San Francisco | Women live longer than men with Alzheimer's because their sex chromosomes give them genetic protection from the ravages of the disease. Women get two 'doses' of a gene that only exists on the X chromosome. READ MORE
Can contact lenses deliver drugs? New research team aims to answer the not-so-new question
Could a common prosthetic device correct patients' sight and dispense eye meds at the same time? Researchers in India and Australia think so, and they've joined forces to explore an often studied—but little used—drug delivery route that could simplify treatments for allergies, pink eye and even vision loss. READ MORE
Gold Sponsors
Canaan Group is a fully integrated, all-inclusive transportation solution for all customers looking for supply chain management, logistics, import/export trading, freight forwarding, and business services. With headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, we are well positioned to handle all needs to and from Asia, Europe, South America, United States, and Africa. Within Canada, they maintain offices in Vancouver, Richmond, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal.


Since 1994, The High Technology Facilities Group (The HTFG) at CBRE has been Vancouver’s only tenant representation team that focuses exclusively on commercial real estate solutions for BC’s technology and life sciences sector. The HTFG goes beyond finding commercial space to support companies that make up the fabric of Vancouver’s tech and biotech industry – they are building B.C.’s tech ecosystem by helping companies find workspace environments that drive culture and attract top talent.

Silver Sponsors
LSBC Job Board
Update: Student Work Placement Program now open to healthcare placements
The Student Work Placement Program is now accepting applications for healthcare placements. Canada’s healthcare industry has a growing need to produce job-ready healthcare workers. There are 1,500 open spots available in 2020-21. WEBSITE
Bronze Sponsors
Posting A JOB on the LSBC Website
LSBC Membership Discounts on Job Postings
 
As an LSBC member, your first five job postings EARNS a free repost on BioTalent Canada's The Petri Dish After your first five reposts, you will also receive 25% off all job postings on The Petri Dish. Want more info? CONTACT: Sue Callaghan - talent@lifesciencesbc.ca
LSBC Member Benefits
Membership Benefits Program
COST SAVINGS FOR OUR MEMBERS

As a LifeSciences BC member, organizations and their employees can benefit from significant savings on a range of business and personal services, thanks to our Membership Benefits Program partnerships. You can locate the cost savings program suited to you needs here.