Thursday | April 14th, 2022
CEO MESSAGE
Our sector is a significant contributor to Canada’s innovation economy and a recognized global leader in biotechnology. Our contributions continue to showcase our value through scientific breakthroughs, novel health care solutions, and venture capital investment.
 
As part of Budget 2022, the federal government will be providing $1.2 billion to support life sciences and bio-manufacturing, and $1 billion to the Strategic Innovation Fund to support life sciences and bio-manufacturing firms and develop more resilient supply chains, among other things. This is great news in terms of providing support to the sector, as well as access and awareness.

At LSBC, we proudly use our platforms to shine spotlights on many incredible milestones and developments. In this week’s edition of Biolinks, we’d like to highlight that Engitix and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. have recently expanded their partnership to include the discovery and development of new therapies for fibrostenotic inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. GlaxoSmithKline has also recently announced it is acquiring Sierra Oncology, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on targeted therapies for the treatment of rare forms of cancer.
 
Also, LifeLabs’ President and CEO, Charles Brown, is featured in an upcoming book entitled ‘Unprecedented: Canada’s Top CEOs on Leadership During COVID-19” - a testament to his incredible leadership over the past couple years!
 
We also want to highlight a recent historic investment made by VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation - in the form of a 1.4 acre property in the heart of Vancouver, directly across from VGH. The investment and expansion of the VGH health care precinct is incredible and was made possible by generous donors and an ongoing partnership between the Foundation and Vancouver Coastal Health. In a nearby neighbourhood, MCMP Architects has designed a new, mixed-use biotech lab and office building on the False Creek Flats.

Innovations around heart disturbances such as atrial fibrillation have also been in the news this week: the FDA cleared Fitbit’s photoplethysmography (PPG)-based algorithm to detect atrial fibrillation in wearers of its devices. Additionally, Kardium recently announced a successful first-in-BC investigational clinical procedure using the Globe® Mapping and Ablation System to diagnose electrical disturbances in the heart and rapidly treat them.

We’d like to also congratulate Arpita Chatterjee, who has recently become the first CFO at StarFish Medical! At the Managing Intellectual Property Americas Awards 2022, Gowling WLG was named the Canadian “Patent Contentious Firm of the Year” - congratulations!

On the events and opportunities front, applications for Health Research BC’s C² Award and Reach Award are open now. These awards fund research teams whose activities support knowledge transition activities, foster collaboration, and help ensure research has the maximum impact on health and the health system. The Neglected Global Diseases Initiative at the University of British Columbia is also raising awareness around developing interventions for neglected global diseases through a donation matching program. We also want to take this opportunity to remind you of our upcoming Showcase Series: Surrey event on May 11th. We’d love to connect with you there!

In closing, here are some notable recent industry headlines: a new partnership between the Province of BC, Innovation Asset Collective and Innovate BC now gives business owners and entrepreneurs in the province better access to intellectual property resources to protect and develop their ideas - which is key in BC’s rapidly growing innovation economy. And this past week, at the 2022 American Association for Cancer Research Annual meeting, several of our members presented research highlighting data and progress on the development of therapies for the treatment of numerous cancer types. 
 

Wishing everyone a restful long weekend.
 
Wendy and the LSBC team
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Evusheld™ Receives Health Canada Approval for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prevention) of COVID-19 in Immune-Compromised Individuals
AstraZeneca’s Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab), a long-acting antibody combination has received a Notice of Compliance from Health Canada for the pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of COVID-19 in adults and adolescents (≥12 years of age weighing at least 40kg), who have not had a known recent exposure to an individual infected with SARS-CoV-2 and who are immune-compromised and unlikely to mount an adequate immune response to COVID‐19 vaccination or for whom COVID-19 vaccination is not recommended...READ MORE
AbbVie and Genmab Announce Topline Results for Epcoritamab (DuoBody®-CD3xCD20) from Phase 1/2 Trial in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Large B-cell Lymphoma (LBCL)
AbbVie and Genmab A/S announced topline results from the first cohort of the EPCORE™ NHL-1 phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating epcoritamab (DuoBody®-CD3xCD20), an investigational subcutaneous bispecific antibody. The study cohort includes 157 patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma who received at least two prior lines of systemic therapy...READ MORE
GSK Reaches Agreement to Acquire Late-Stage Biopharmaceutical Company Sierra Oncology for $1.9bn
GlaxoSmithKline plc and Sierra Oncology, Inc announced that the companies have entered into an agreement under which GSK will acquire Sierra Oncology, a California-based, late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on targeted therapies for the treatment of rare forms of cancer, for $55 per share of common stock in cash representing an approximate total equity value of $1.9 billion (£1.5 billion)...READ MORE
Kardium’s Globe® System Begins Clinical Trial at St. Paul’s Hospital
Kardium Inc. announced a successful first-in-BC investigational* clinical procedure using the Globe® Mapping and Ablation System. Dr. Marc Deyell of St. Paul’s Hospital leads the study using the Globe System to navigate inside the heart and diagnose where the rhythm disturbances occur. Once identified, the same device can then deliver immediate treatment to restore the normal heart rhythm and confirm successful treatment...READ MORE
Chinook Therapeutics Announces Initiation of Phase 1 Healthy Volunteer Trial of Chk-336, a First-In-Class Ldha Inhibitor to Treat Hyperoxalurias
Chinook Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of precision medicines for kidney diseases, announced that dosing has been initiated in a phase 1 clinical trial evaluating CHK-336 in adult healthy volunteers. CHK-336 is an oral small molecule lactate dehydrogenase A inhibitor with liver-targeted tissue distribution being developed for the treatment of patients with primary hyperoxaluria and secondary hyperoxaluria due to increased endogenous oxalate production...READ MORE
Izotropic Announces Investor Conference Schedule
Izotropic Corporation, a company commercializing a dedicated breast CT (computed tomography) imaging platform, IzoView, for the more accurate detection and diagnosis of breast cancers, announced the Company’s attendance at the following investor conferences: NobleCon18, Date: April 19 – 21, 2022, Location: Miami, FL...READ MORE
Engitix Announces Expanded Collaboration and Licensing Agreement with Takeda to Develop New Anti-Fibrotic Therapies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Engitix Ltd, a biotechnology company developing a portfolio of programmes in fibrosis and solid tumours using its proprietary human extracellular matrix platform, entered into an agreement with Takeda to expand an existing collaboration to now include the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for fibrostenotic inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis...READ MORE
LifeLabs Shines the Spotlight on its Employees for the 37th Annual National Medical Laboratory Week
This week marks the 37th annual National Medical Laboratory Week in Canada. Organized by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science, it celebrates the important professionals who work in the medical laboratory industry. LifeLabs is among the many organizations participating in the national week-long event, dedicated to honouring its valued employees for all they do to support Canadians in making informed decisions...READ MORE
Lumakras® (Sotorasib) Codebreak 100 Study Shows Two-Year Overall Survival of 32.5% in Patients with Kras G12c-Mutated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Amgen announced the presentation of long-term efficacy and safety data from the CodeBreaK 100 Phase 1/2 trial in patients with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received LUMAKRAS® (sotorasib)*. The two-year follow-up data will be presented orally as part of a clinical trials plenary session at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting on April 10, 2022. LUMAKRAS is the first and only KRASG12C inhibitor to-date to show long-term clinical benefit and overall survival in patients with NSCLC harboring the KRAS G12C mutation...READ MORE
ESSA Pharma Announces the Presentation of Preclinical Data for its First Generation of Androgen Receptor N-Terminal Domain Degraders
ESSA Pharma Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for the treatment of prostate cancer, announced the presentation of preclinical data for its first generation of androgen receptor ANITen bAsed Chimera (ANITAC™) N-terminal domain degraders at the 2022 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting...READ MORE
Fireside Chat with Roth Capital: InMed’s CEO, Eric A. Adams Sits Down with Roth Analyst Scott Henry
At the 2022 Roth Conference in California, InMed’s CEO, Eric A. Adams, sat down with Roth Capital Analyst Scott R. Henry in a fireside chat. During their discussion, Eric talks about InMed’s upcoming launch of rare cannabinoids CBDV and THCV as wholesale raw ingredients for the health and wellness sector. They also discuss the growing interest for minor cannabinoids and how the company is well positioned with short and long term investment value that includes revenues from wholesale cannabinoid ingredients and its longer term pharmaceutical development programs....READ MORE
AbCellera Presents Data on T Cell Engager Platform at AACR 2022
AbCellera, a technology company focused on next-generation antibody discovery, announced the release of data on its new T cell engager platform at the American Association for Cancer Research 2022 Annual Meeting. AbCellera’s poster presentation describes the discovery, characterization, and validation of a diverse panel of CD3-binding antibodies that can be used to develop bispecific CD3 T cell engagers for new cancer treatments. “T cell engagers are widely recognized for their tremendous potential as precision oncology therapeutics...READ MORE
BOLD-100’s Broad Potential Featured at the AACR Annual Meeting 2022
Bold Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that will be presenting research supporting the use of BOLD-100 in combination with a wide range of anticancer therapies in the treatment of numerous cancer types at the AACR Annual Meeting 2022 on April 8-13, 2022 in New Orleans...READ MORE
Seed IP Sponsors World Trademark Review Industry Awards 2022
Seed IP Law Group is a proud co-sponsor of the World Trademark Review (WTR) Industry Awards 2022. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 3, at Planet Word, 925 13th Street NW, in Washington, D.C. A champagne and canapé reception will commence at 6:00 p.m., with presentations taking place shortly afterwards. Seed IP is sponsoring the award for Financial & Professional Services Team of the Year...READ MORE
INDUSTRY NEWS
Statement from Minister of Health on the Coming-into-Force of the Regulations Amending the Patented Medicines Regulations
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, issued the following statement: The Government of Canada is committed to improving access to quality medicines for Canadians. Today, our government announced that it will proceed with Amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations to provide the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board with new tools to protect Canadians from excessive prices for patented medicines...READ MORE
Fraser Health opts for MEDITECH Expanse
Fraser Health announced the selection of MEDITECH Expanse to transform care and promote better health outcomes for the more than 1.9 million people it serves throughout 20 diverse communities. The system will be used to support 32 facilities across the region. The system’s mobile technology will give providers more patient-facing time and increased efficiency with access to the Electronic Health Record through mobile devices...READ MORE
New Biotech Building on False Creek Flats
Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership has designed a new, mixed-use biotechnology lab and office building on the False Creek Flats. The future eight-storey building at 1628 Station Street will be located next to STEMCELL Technologies head office. However, the new biotech building is not related to STEMCELL. The design is a pair of volumes, consisting of two, 40-metre wide boxes adjacent to each other...READ MORE
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation Makes Historic $100M Investment
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation has acquired the 1.4-acre property located at the 900 block of West 12th Avenue as part of its ongoing mission to drive health care innovation for all British Columbians. This $100M investment is the largest of its type by a health care foundation in BC. It represents an exciting and unique opportunity to expand the...READ MORE
B.C. Businesses Benefit from National Intellectual Property Partnership
Business owners and entrepreneurs in B.C. will have better access to intellectual property (IP) resources to protect and develop their ideas through a new partnership. This new partnership between the Province, Innovation Asset Collective (IAC), and Innovate BC is part of a national IP strategy to help Canadian businesses maximize the potential of their ideas and products...READ MORE
B.C. Scientist Wins Prestigious National Award for Work on mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine
It is being described as Canada’s greatest contribution to the fight against COVID-19 – and it was invented right here in B.C.. Vancouver’s Tom Madden helped develop a key element of the Pfizer vaccine. Madden sat down today with reporter Paul Johnson to reflect on his accomplishment – and how chaotic it was in the early stages...READ MORE
U of T Partners with Moderna to Advance Research in RNA Science and Technology
The University of Toronto and Moderna, Inc. — known for its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine — plan to work together to develop new tools to prevent and treat infectious diseases. Guided by a partnership framework agreement, the U.S. biotechnology firm will collaborate with U of T researchers who are working across a wide range of fields, including molecular genetics, biomedical engineering, biochemistry and beyond...READ MORE
GOLD SPONSORS
The Institute of Health Economics (IHE) is an independent, not-for-profit organization with key competencies in health economics and health technology assessment. The IHE supports life sciences technology companies with early economic evaluation of technologies in development in order to quantify the business case from the perspective of those that might purchase the product, inform the R&D program, and support market access efforts.


LifeLabs is Canada’s leading provider of laboratory diagnostic information and digital health connectivity systems, enabling customers and health care practitioners to diagnose, treat, monitor, and prevent disease. They are a committed innovator in supporting Canadians to live healthier lives, operating Canada’s first commercial genetics lab and the country’s largest online portal, with more than 5 million Canadians receiving their results online.


SILVER SPONSORS

Business Development Associate

Virogin Biotech is seeking a Business Development Associate who will support business development activities across the US and Canada. They will be developing strategic relationships with partners and potential investors.

Research Technician, Biology


Xenon Pharmaceuticals is seeking a Research Technician, Biology who will be responsible for preparing assay buffers, cell culture reagents, compound stocks, ordering consumables, and performing routine genotyping experiments.


LSBC Job Board


Jobs posted to our Job Board automatically post out to all our social media accounts for wider sharing. Make sure you include your company name in the first line of your job ad for maximum exposure!


BRONZE SPONSORS
Post 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 Megan Pan -talent@lifesciencesbc.ca