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Happy New Year to all our members and BioLinks subscribers!
We start this new year with some delightful and deserving news, Dr. Helen Burt, Associate Vice President Research & Innovation, University of British Columbia, was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 30, 2020. We are more than proud to congratulate her on this honour, as she has contributed to B.C.’s life sciences community throughout her entire professional career. It is because of scientists like Dr. Burt who have impacted our influence and extraordinary innovation not only here, but internationally. As a founding scientist with the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), now adMare BioInnovations, and a member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, her expertise in nanoparticulate drug delivery systems and its potential applications in a broad range of disease states, including cancer, arthritis, tissue regeneration, infectious diseases, has been outstanding.
For future innovators and startups, I would like to call attention to the Generator 11.0 Competition Call for Applications which has an application deadline of February 5, 2021. The annual Generator Challenge facilitated by Discovery Parks, awards free furnished office space for 12 months to startups deemed most likely to succeed and grow. Competition details can be found here.
LifeSciences BC is starting the year off with two events which we wanted to draw your attention to. On Wednesday, January 13, we are presenting the Canada Gairdner Public Lecture Series. Dr. Janet Rossant lecture is titled Science in the Time of COVID: International Collaboration and Canadian Success Stories. Following her talk, Dr. Gavin Stuart will moderate a Q&A. Please register for the virtual event here, by clicking this link.
On Friday, January 22, we are hosting the 2nd Annual LifeSciences BC Career Connect Day, presented by BioTalent Canada. Last year’s overwhelming success secured this event as a must in our annual calendar of life science events. To find out more and to register for this virtual event, please click this link.
Once again, I wish our entire life sciences community a very healthy, happy and prosperous 2021!
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Positive Signals for Endoscopic and Histologic Response in Patients with Crohn’s Disease Treated with Qu Biologics’ QBECO |
Vancouver, British Columbia – January 4, 2021 – Qu Biologics Inc., a private clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSIs), a novel platform of immunotherapies designed to restore innate immune function, is pleased to report positive signs of clinical, endoscopic and histologic response in subjects participating in Stage 1 of their Phase 2 RESTORE trial for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease. READ MORE
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iCo Therapeutics Announces Joint Development of iCo-019 with Skymount Medical |
December 31, 2020, Vancouver, Canada — iCo Therapeutics (“iCo” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: ICO) (OTCQB: ICOTF), iCo Therapeutics, Inc. (“iCo”) and Skymount Medical, Inc. (“Skymount”) announced today that they have entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to develop iCo-019, iCo’s oral Amphotericin B formulation. READ MORE
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Kintara Therapeutics to Present at the H.C. Wainwright Bioconnect 2021 Virtual Conference |
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Kintara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTRA) (“Kintara” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new solid tumor cancer therapies, today announced its President and CEO Saiid Zarrabian will present at the H.C. Wainwright Bioconnect 2021 Virtual Conference taking place January 11-14, 2021. READ MORE
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Generator 11.0 Competition Call for Applications! Apply by Feb 5th, 2021! |
January 5, 2021 – Vancouver, B.C. – Technology startup company in need of professional office space? The Generator Challenge awards free furnished office space for 12 months to startups deemed most-likely to succeed and grow. Application deadline: February 5, 2021. READ MORE
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InMed to Participate at Virtual Conferences in January 2021 |
Vancouver, BC – January 5th, 2021 – InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“InMed” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:INM) (TSX:IN), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing medications targeting diseases with high unmet medical need and leading the clinical development of cannabinol (“CBN”), today announced that InMed will be participating in the following virtual investor and partnering conferences in January 2021. READ MORE
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Symvivo Announcing Research Collaboration with Merck |
January 5, 2021 – Symvivo Corporation, a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing a proprietary bacTRL™ gene delivery platform, announced today that it has entered into a research collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck receives an option to take an exclusive license to Symvivo’s bacTRL™ platform technology for use in advancing delivery of oral vaccines. READ MORE
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Bold Therapeutics Secures Funding to Prepare BOLD-100 for COVID-19 Clinical Trials |
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Bold Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing BOLD-100, is pleased to announce that it is one of only four companies selected to receive advisory services and research and development funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) to support the company’s development of its antiviral asset, BOLD-100, as a novel antiviral therapy for SARS-CoV-2 (aka COVID-19). READ MORE
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Global Coalition for Adaptive Research, Kazia, and Kintara Announce Commencement of Kazia’s Paxalisib and Kintara’s VAL-083 in GBM AGILE Trial |
LOS ANGELES – (BUSINESS WIRE)–Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (LOS ANGELES, CA), Kazia Therapeutics Limited (ASX: KZA, NASDAQ: KZIA, SYDNEY, Australia), and Kintara Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTRA, SAN DIEGO, CA) — The Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) in collaboration with Kazia and Kintara, today announced the activation of Kazia’s paxalisib and Kintara’s VAL-083 in GBM AGILE (Glioblastoma Adaptive Global Innovative Learning Environment). READ MORE
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Sonic Incytes Introduces VelacurTM at 2021 Digital Medicine & Medtech Showcase |
Vancouver, Canada, January 6, 2021 – Sonic Incytes Medical Corp. is pleased to present its breakthrough liver health assessment solution, VelacurTM, at the Digital Medicine & Medtech Showcase 2021, part of Biotech Showcase™ 2021 and during the 39th Annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, taking place the second week of January. READ MORE
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Neoleukin Therapeutics to Present at J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference |
SEATTLE, Jan. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Neoleukin Therapeutics, Inc., “Neoleukin” (NASDAQ:NLTX), a biopharmaceutical company utilizing sophisticated computational methods to design de novo protein therapeutics, today announced that Jonathan Drachman, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 39th Annual J.P. Morgan Virtual Healthcare Conference on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. READ MORE
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New UBC research partnership connects patients with virtual health communities |
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COVID-19 virus enters the brain, research strongly suggests |
December 17, 2020 |University of Washington Health Sciences/UW Medicine| The SARS-CoV-2 virus, like many viruses before it, is bad news for the brain. In a new study, researchers found that the spike protein, often depicted as the red arms of the virus, can cross the blood-brain barrier in mice. The spike proteins alone can cause brain fog. Since the spike protein enters the brain, the virus also is likely to cross into the brain. READ MORE
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A Triumph of Science: How Pharmaceutical Innovation Helped Save Our World |
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Mesentech was founded by Dr. Robert Young — who led teams that discovered SingulAir, Vioxx, Arcoxia, ondanacatib, among others while leading medicinal chemistry at Merck. Mesentech lead compound is MES1007, a bone-targeted prodrug of a prostaglandin mimetic that has the potential to reverse bone-loss caused by diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and osteoporosis. They are also leveraging the bi-specific drug conjugate technology to develop new drugs for hematological and gastrointestinal diseases.
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Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI), a world leader in translational health research, is the research body of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. VCHRI includes three of BC’s largest academic and teaching health sciences centres — Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, and GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre — as well as many other hospitals and public health agencies across Vancouver Coastal Health.
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PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBAL HEALTHCARE INNOVATION |
What’s driving innovation in life science and healthcare? SVB is committed to serving the ecosystem by providing industry-leading reports featuring proprietary analysis and targeted outlooks to help companies and investors achieve their goals. Twice a year we publish deep-dive analyses describing fundraising, investment, M&A and IPO activity of private, venture-backed biopharma, medical device and diagnostic/tools companies. Our deep relationships with top life science and healthcare entrepreneurs and investors inform our insights and give us a vantage point unlike any other bank. To find out more about Silicon Valley Bank click here
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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
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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
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