Life Sciences BC News, April 04, 2024

This week, LSBC continues to foster ties with our US counterparts as our President & CEO, Wendy Hurlburt participated in the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Life Sciences trade mission in Washington, DC.

In February we hosted our annual Access to Innovation, gathering leaders in life sciences to engage in discussions shaping BC’s thriving sector. In a panel led by Genome BC, we had an earnest conversation around indigenous reconciliation, hearing powerful first-hand accounts and perspectives on why organizations should be thinking and acting on this important topic.

Furthering this conversation, a piece published by Radio-Canada on March 24, 2024, speaks about the gap in “Indigenous data that is missing from large DNA databases, largely due to a long history of breach of trust.” and how researchers are working to rebuild bridges with Canada’s Indigenous communities. Read article (translated from French in browser) here.

Candice Loring, Director of Indigenous Relations at Genome British Columbia, who was a speaker at LSBC’s Access to Innovation, is Gitxsan and affirms why she does the work, “To me, the Silent Genome Project gives a voice to those who didn't have one. There has always been research on Indigenous peoples, but not for them, not with them... not by their side.”

BC produces some of the brightest graduates and trainees, with many entrepreneurial scientists coming out of our world-class institutions and research centres. Broad awareness of the sector including industry trends is a related knowledgebase that is important for success. LSBC provides opportunities to gain this knowledge including over twenty events per year and programs to provide context of the sector that goes beyond academic training.

Upcoming, our inaugural Digital Health Conference on April 25 will launch a platform for those interested in this subsector to connect and converse on trending topics, network, and learn about some of the companies and their unique technologies and applications in health. Get tickets to the event here.

We have also launched registration for BioBasics 101: The Biology of Biotech for the Non-Scientist – taking place on May 29 & 30.  In partnership with Biotech Primer, we are pleased to present an intensive two-day ‘master course’ designed to help non-scientists gain a foundational understanding of the science that forms the backbone of biopharma to converse more effectively with colleagues, clients, regulators, and scientists. Learn more.

Member Highlights 

Kardium announces the successful completion of enrollment for their PULSAR pivotal trial for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the journey to bring this groundbreaking technology to patients in the United States, with data from the study to be submitted to the FDA for Pre-Market Approval. Read more.

Zymeworks, together with their partners at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, announce the completion of the rolling Biologics License Application (BLA) to the FDA for an investigational HER2-targeted bispecific antibody for previously treated HER2-positive metastatic biliary tract cancer. This important milestone brings Zymeworks one step closer to delivering a targeted treatment option to patients living with HER2-positive cancer. Read more.

Marken, a UPS company, launched Marken INsight, in partnership with TruLab, which revolutionizes sample management and tracking at the tube level. Marken INsight allows more visibility into “what’s in the box” than ever before -from patient homes to repositories to labs and sites and everywhere in between. Read more.

Aspect Biosystems CEO Tamer Mohamed will present at Alliance for Regenerative Medicine's Cell & Gene Meeting on the Med. Read more.

Kudos

Congratulations to TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre, for receiving a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance grant of $800,000 over four years to support the design and delivery of an ultra-fast neutron spectrometer system. Read more.

Congratulations to Dr. Devon Greyson, an assistant professor at the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s School of Population and Public Health, for appointment as an Applied Public Health Chair by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Dr. Greyson is among 12 Canadian scholars named to the 2024 cohort of the program. The Chairs are supported over six years by a $13.8 million investment from the Government of Canada through CIHR and PHAC. Read more.

Congratulations to Thrive Health and Acuitas Therapeutics for recognition as one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers (2024).

People on the Move

Filament Health, a clinical‐stage natural psychedelic drug development company, announces the appointment of Michael Messinger, CPA, to its Board of Directors. Mr. Messinger will also serve as the Chair of the Company’s Audit Committee. Read more.

Zymeworks, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a diverse pipeline of novel, multifunctional biotherapeutics to improve the standard of care for difficult-to-treat diseases, announces the appointment of Dr. Neil Gallagher to its board of directors. Read more.

Applications Open

BioTalent Canada’s Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) is an initiative to increase the job readiness of students registered in STEM, healthcare, business, and all other programs at Canadian post-secondary institutions. SWPP covers the cost of a student’s salary by 50% up to a maximum of $5,000 and 70% up to a maximum of $7,000 for first-year students and under-represented groups. Learn more.

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) launches a second call for development grants to provide resources for Northern applicants to conduct community-level consultations to ensure local support and prepare for a proposal in one of the program’s four research themes, housing, water, food and health. Development grants will provide up to $50,000 over 12 months. The deadline for submission is October 4, 2024. Learn more.

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

Member Spotlight

Beazley Group is a specialist insurer with three decades of experience in providing clients with the highest standards of underwriting and claims service worldwide. All their insurance businesses are rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best. Beazley is a proud participant in the Lloyd’s market, the largest and oldest insurance market in the world. Through the Lloyd’s broker network and the market’s trading licenses, they are able to access a wide range of insurance and reinsurance businesses from around the world. Learn more.

Until next week!

LSBC Team

April 11 - The Life Sciences BC Showcase Series: Vancouver Island event is a unique opportunity to learn more about developments in the region and what kinds of cutting-edge research and innovation are happening on the Island.

The event will feature a range of sector-leading guest speakers from the ecosystem.

April 25 - We are thrilled to launch our inaugural Digital Health Conference on April 25, 2024. 

This day-long event will connect sector leaders for in-depth discussions on the important role digital health has in the future of healthcare.

NURTEC ODT® is Now Available in Canada for the Treatment of Acute Migraine

NURTEC ODT® is now available in Canada for use in the acute treatment of migraine, with or without aura in adults older than 18 years of age. NURTEC is an orally disintegrating calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist tablet...Read more.

Microbion’s Topical Pravibismane Phase 1b Moderate or Severe Diabetic Foot Ulcer Infection Study is Published in International Wound Journal

Microbion Corporation announced that the company has published results from its topical pravibismane Phase 1b study in the peer-reviewed International Wound Journal...Read more.

2024 Convening & Collaborating (C2) and Reach Competitions: Applications Open with Added Priority Areas

Michael Smith Health Research BC is pleased to open the 2024 Convening & Collaborating and Reach competitions, with additional funding to address priority health challenges. Through these programs, we mobilize communities for research impact...Read more.

InMed’s INM-901 Demonstrates Favorable Pharmacological and Behavioral Effects in In Vivo Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease Studies

InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced additional preclinical data demonstrating INM-901’s positive pharmacological effects in the potential treatment of Alzheimer’s disease...Read more.

Psilocybin Clinical Trial Sponsored by Clairvoyant Therapeutics Reaches 90% Randomization

Clairvoyant Therapeutics Inc., the private clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing psilocybin treatment for alcohol use disorder, announced that it is on target to potentially become the first in the world to commercialize clinically validated psilocybin treatment...Read more.

Bausch Health, Canada Inc. Announces First Public Drug Plan Listings for PrUCERIS® (budesonide) Aerosol Foam to Help Address the Unmet Need for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Distal Ulcerative Colitis in Adults

Bausch Health, Canada Inc., part of Bausch Health Companies Inc. announced the first public drug plan listings for PrUCERIS® aerosol foam to treat mild to moderate distal ulcerative colitis in adults...Read more.

UBC’s Dr. Devon Greyson Named 2024 Applied Public Health Chair

Dr. Devon Greyson, an assistant professor at the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s School of Population and Public Health, has been appointed an Applied Public Health Chair by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada...Read more.

Thrive Health Recognized as One of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers for 2024

Thrive Health, a leader in the healthcare technology industry, proudly announced that they have been named one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers for 2024. This recognition highlights Thrive’s commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive workplace that prioritizes employee well-being and growth...Read more.

Lexaria Awarded New Patents

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. announces three recent patent awards. With the issuance of these new patents, Lexaria is now managing a patent portfolio of 41 granted patents worldwide. Lexaria’s intellectual property remains a significant component in supporting future business objectives...Read more.

Kardium Announces Completion of Paroxysmal Enrollment in the PULSAR IDE Study

Kardium Inc. developed the Globe® System for the treatment of atrial fibrillation using pulsed field ablation, announced the successful completion of enrollment in the paroxysmal cohort of the pivotal PULSAR IDE study...Read more.

Filament Health Reports Q4 And Year End 2023 Financial Results And Operational Highlights

Filament Health Corp., a clinical-stage natural psychedelic drug development company, released its fourth quarter financial results and operational highlights for the period ended December 31, 2023...Read more.

Filament Health Announces Appointment Of Michael Messinger To Its Board Of Directors

Filament Health Corp., a clinical‐stage natural psychedelic drug development company, announced the appointment of Michael Messinger, CPA, to its Board of Directors. Mr. Messinger will also serve as the Chair of the Company’s Audit Committee...Read more.

Vertex Advances Inaxaplin (VX-147) into Phase 3 Portion of Adaptive Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial for the Treatment of APOL1-Mediated Kidney Disease

Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced that inaxaplin has advanced into the Phase 3 portion of the global Phase 2/3 pivotal clinical trial in APOL1-mediated kidney disease, where a 45 mg once daily oral dose will be compared to placebo, on top of standard of care...Read more.

Vertex Announces New Drug Submission for Exagamglogene Autotemcel (exa-cel) Has Been Accepted for Priority Review by Health Canada for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease and Transfusion-Dependent Beta Thalassemia

Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced its New Drug Submission for exagamglogene autotemcel has been accepted for Priority Review by Health Canada for the treatment of patients aged 12 years and older with sickle cell disease and for the treatment of patients aged 12 years and older with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia...Read more.

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals to Begin Trading on Nasdaq on April 5, 2024

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that the Company’s common shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Company’s shares are expected to begin trading on Nasdaq on April 5, 2024, under the ticker symbol “EPRX”...Read more.

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Reports Fourth Quarter and 2023 Financial Results

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced its financial results (prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP) and operational highlights for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023...Read more.

Zymeworks Announces Appointment Of Dr. Neil Gallagher To Its Board Of Directors

Zymeworks Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a diverse pipeline of novel, multifunctional biotherapeutics to improve the standard of care for difficult-to-treat diseases, announced the appointment of Dr. Neil Gallagher to its board of directors effective April 2, 2024...Read more.

NervGen Completes $23 Million Bought Deal Financing

NervGen Pharma Corp. is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced public offering including the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of C$23,011,788...Read more.

Getinge Donates Life-saving Medical Equipment to Ukraine

In a time where medical assistance is critical, Getinge donates extensive medical equipment to Ukraine. The donation, made in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Ukraine, includes a significant number of anesthesia machines and ventilators...Read more.

Getinge Extends the Bioreactor Portfolio with Larger Single-use Systems

With the introduction of the SUPR, Getinge again exploits its experience in bioreactor design resulting in a single-use bioreactor system for pilot and GMP manufacturing applications, completely scalable from its’ lab-scale single-use bioreactor systems...Read more.

Getinge Publishes 2023 Annual Report

Getinge publishes its 2023 annual report including a sustainability report, summarizing a year of huge contrasts. The global medtech company’s 2023 was marked by record-breaking sales, two major acquisitions, and successful product launches...Read more.

Moderna Advances Multiple Vaccine Programs to Late-Stage Clinical Trials

Moderna, Inc. today announced at its fifth Vaccines Day event clinical and program updates demonstrating advancement and acceleration of its mRNA pipeline...Read more.

NSERC Awards Funding to TRIUMF and General Fusion to Develop State-of-the-Art Diagnostic System for LM26 Fusion Machine

TRIUMF and General Fusion have received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Alliance grant to advance technology critical to measuring extreme temperatures inside a fusion machine...Read more.

Patent Allowance Granted for ALA-002 Composition by US Patent and Trademark Office

PharmAla Biotech is extremely pleased to announce that the US Patent and Trademark Office has indicated it is issuing an allowance for the granting of a patent for ALA-002, the company’s lead investigational MDXX Novel Chemical Entity...Read more.

EPNextS Group and Frontage Laboratories, Inc. Announce Collaboration in Early Phase Clinical Trials

EPNextS Group, a Japanese based leading provider of clinical trial solutions, and Frontage Laboratories, Inc., a US based full-service contract research organization, have announced a collaboration aimed at addressing the challenges of “Drug Lag” and “Drug Loss” in Japan...Read more.

Vice President, Process Development & Manufacturing

Reporting to the Chief Technical Operating Officer, this role requires a deep understanding of biopharmaceutical process development, cGMP manufacturing, and regulatory requirements associated with cell-based therapies and combination products...Learn more.

Associate, Biomaterials

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Biomaterials, the Associate, Biomaterials will contribute to polymer development, formulation, and characterization of biomaterials used to manufacture bioprinted tissues for preclinical studies and clinical applications...Learn more.

International Sales Account Manager

We are looking for an outgoing, self-motivated person to join our team as an International Sales Account Manager to assist the accelerating growth of our company. In this position, you will be responsible for the generating new business, help deliver awareness of our services to potential customers, and help position our company as a leader in the Microbiome Services Industry...Learn more.

R&D Technologist

The ideal candidate will effectively be conducting experiments for research projects and developing new product lines and working collaboratively with other lab talents on a daily basis, and work on the Admin/Office tasks as assigned. You will report directly to the CTO...Learn more

Senior Radiologist

As a Senior Radiologist, you will be responsible for providing expert medical guidance and support for the validation of our AI solution for Brain CT analysis...Learn more.

Scientist – Molecular Biology

As an accomplished Scientist, you will work within a high-performing team passionate about making an impact on human health. Your role is hands-on, in the lab, performing advanced molecular biology techniques to support the discovery of novel antibody therapeutics...Learn more.

Research Scientist, RNA

Reporting to the Director, RNA, the Scientist / Senior Scientist, RNA will work closely with the RNA Team and will be responsible for designing, executing, analyzing, and making recommendations on our research protocols related to internal and client-based projects, and subsequent data analysis...Learn more.

Director/Senior Director, Development Program Management

Xenon is seeking a Director/Senior Director, Development Program Management to lead and coordinate cross-functional planning of Xenon’s clinical-stage small-molecule drug development programs in both late and early phases with regulatory submissions experience (eg NDAs, MAAs) and life cycle management projects...Learn more.

Senior Microsoft Systems Engineer

This role will serve as the technical lead and strategist for the IT End User Computing Team. Near-term projects include completing the transition from SCCM/ECM to Intune, automating the computer imaging process with Autopilot, evaluating Autopatch and 3rd party patching, and planning the transition to Windows 12...Learn more.

Partnerships Specialist

A key member of the Partnerships team, the Partnerships Specialist under the guidance of the Director, Partnerships, is responsible for establishing and nurturing relationships with partners, proactively seeking new opportunities, and ensuring compliance with partnership agreements. ...Learn more.

Program Manager, Research Programs

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Research Programs, the Program Manager brings Knowledge Translation expertise to the organization and focuses on key initiatives and programs that help accelerate implementation of our strategic directions...Learn more.

Program Manager, Clinical Trials BC

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Clinical Trials BC, the Program Manager is responsible for facilitating success of the Health Research BC’s Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) provincial program...Learn more.

Senior/Principal Scientist, Preclinical Pharmacology

Abdera Therapeutics is looking to hire a Senior/principal Scientist, Preclinical Pharmacology, who will be the scientific lead for in vivo pharmacology, PK/BD, and toxicology studies...Learn more.

Research Associate – Protein Biochemistry

Abdera Therapeutics is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Research Associate in protein biochemistry to support a therapeutic antibody discovery team. This position will provide an opportunity to positively contribute to research programs developing next-generation targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies...Learn more.

Associate, Bioprinting CMC

The Associate, Bioprinting CMC will focus on manufacturing various Bioprinted Tissue Therapeutics (BTT) to support Aspect’s GMP and Research /Development groups...Learn more.

Welcome to LSBC!

HUB International is truly a Canadian success story that started in 1998 in Prince George, BC. 25 years later, HUB is now Canada’s largest insurance broker as well as one of the largest insurance brokers in the world. Their life sciences specialty practice has decades of experience in supporting life sciences companies across Canada and internationally.... Learn more.

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