Life Sciences BC News, May 23, 2024

This morning, we hosted our BC Delegation Spotlight, highlighting some of the companies that will be joining us in San Diego on June 3. Fazil Mihlar, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation kicked off the webinar.

We heard corporate overviews from Zymeworks, HTuO Biosciences, Genome BC, Qu Biologics, Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals, NanoVation Therapeutics, and Acuitas Therapeutics. With over 180 registered for this event, attendees joined us from around the world as we learned about the fascinating science and technology behind some innovative and forward-thinking BC organizations that will be part of our international BIO delegation.

Like all innovative ecosystems, it takes a myriad of members and strong collaboration amongst them to do the kind of complex work of life sciences. Read about some of the organizations that play an integral role in the success of the region’s vibrant economy in Invest Vancouver’s Innovative Ecosystem profile here. LSBC is an industry association highlighted in the report.

Calling all life sciences community members! This is our final week to submit nominations for LSBC’s annual awards. Do you know someone who has dedicated their life to advancing life sciences, someone who consistently goes above and beyond and deserves recognition for their hard work and perseverance? Can you think of an organization that has moved the needle for the sector in the past year? All nominations will be entered into a draw for 1 of 5 tickets to an LSBC Speaker’s Series or Showcase event. Don’t forget to nominate today!

Awards Nomination Deadline: Midnight on Sunday May 26. Please note there will be no extension due to our adjudication timeline.

Member Highlights 

Abdera Therapeutics announces FDA clearance for their IND application for ABD-147, a first-in-class radiopharmaceutical targeting DLL3 for treating small cell lung cancer and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. ABD-147 delivers an isotope of actinium directly to tumors expressing DLL3, offering a targeted and innovative approach to cancer treatment. Abdera plans to start Phase 1 clinical trials in the second half of 2024. Read more.

adMare Bioinnovations announces the acceptance of five therapeutics start-ups from across Canada into the adMare National Therapeutics (Tx) Accelerator. LSBC member Seragene Therapeutics joins the cohort. Read more.

Lexaria announces two important new patent awards. One patent is regarding the Compositions and Methods for Treating Hypertension and the other is Compositions and Methods for Treating Epilepsy. Lexaria has repeatedly demonstrated that DehydraTECH-processed cannabidiol (“CBD”) can lower blood pressure in both acute dosing in hypertension as well as over a 5-week study duration. Read more.

DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, announces $26M for recent projects using AI to improve patient outcomes, increase access and create a more sustainable Canadian health system. Read more.

Clairvoyant Therapeutics Inc. a private clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing psilocybin treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), announces that it is on target to potentially become the first in the world to commercialize clinically validated psilocybin treatment. Clairvoyant believes it may achieve this milestone in H2 2025. Clairvoyant's randomized Phase 2b controlled trial has dosed more than 90 per cent of the expected 128 subjects. Read more.

Industry Highlights

Government of Canada supports the development & point-of-care dissemination of national antimicrobial prescribing guidelines with funding of up to $843,225 over three years. These guidelines would help optimize prescribing practices and reduce unnecessary or inappropriate use of antimicrobials in Canada, which is one of the key drivers of antimicrobial resistance. Read more.

New LSBC Member

BC Cancer Research Institute strives to improve the lives of patients through the integration of basic biomedical research, genomics, clinical trials, health services research, cancer surveillance, population health, and the development of innovative new technology, programs, and interventions. Learn more.

Kudos

Congratulations to Drs. Bernie Eigl and Robert Olson of the UBC Faculty of Medicine, who were recognized at the 2024 Clinical Trials BC Awards for their dedication, leadership, and service to the clinical trials community. Read more.

Lawrence Mahan, Senior Vice President of Business and Consumer Markets at LifeLabs, has been recognized among the Top 25 Executives in Biotechnology by the Healthcare Technology Report. Read more.

Kudos to Eupraxia, whose eosinophilic esophagitis data from their RESOLVE Phase 1b/2a Trial of EP-104GI won the Distinction Award at Digestive Diseases Week 2024. Read more.

Congratulations to Isabelle Caron, CEO of Biologics Manufacturing Centre, who was 1 of 3 graduates of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique to be honoured with the 2024 Prix Rayonnement by the Fondation. Read more.

People on the Move

Doris Grant has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Life Sciences Nova Scotia (LSNS). Doris brings 25 years of experience in industry, academia, and the health system to the role, guiding LSNS into the next phase of its growth. Read more.

Innovate BC welcomed Emilie de Rosenroll as the new Chair of their Board of Directors. Emilie has almost two decades of experience in leadership roles within multi-stakeholder organizations and currently serves as Chief Growth Officer of Atreides. Read more.

Applications Open

Stem Cell Network is recruiting early career researchers for their Early Career Researcher Committee. The committee’s mission is to support Stem Cell Network in profiling and developing the growth of early career researchers in stem cell and regenerative medicine research. Apply by June 13, 2024. Learn more.

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

Member Spotlight

Disrupting the industry with our next generation molecule biosynthesis platform, BioBoost has developed a scalable, cost effective, green process to produce high value molecules via our proprietary yeast expression system. Our workflow provides full customization for your unique molecule, from proof-of-concept expression to production.

Bioboost has a patented technology to remove toxic, highly explosive components used in large scale industrial yeast fermentation, while maintaining robust expression and high product tier. Our technology is also much safer, more cost effective and much more energy efficient.

Besides our advanced technology platform, we offer clients with on-going consultations with our multi-year expertise in recombinant molecule production to de-risk the R&D process for our clients, and to maximize their ROI. Learn more.

Until next week!

LSBC Team

May 29 & 30 - LSBC, in partnership with Biotech Primer, is pleased to present BioBasics 101: The Biology of Biotech for the Non-Scientist.

This intensive two-day ‘master course’ is designed to help non-scientists gain a foundational understanding of the science that forms the backbone of biopharma.

June 18 - Join us for our Blakes Breakfast Speaking Series: Tips, Traps & Trends in Company Formation,  on Tuesday, June 18 from 8:00 AM until 9:30 AM PT.

Demystify the process of company creation, understand the importance of IP, and learn about some of the tips and potential pitfalls from a legal perspective.

Lexaria Awards Contract For Third GLP-1 Human Pilot Study

Lexaria Bioscience announces it has hired a contract research organization to perform the Company’s human pilot study #3, which will evaluate a dual action GLP-1 + GIP...Read more.

Isabelle Caron Honored with 2024 Prix Rayonnement

The BMC is thrilled to announce that our CEO, Isabelle Caron, is one of the three remarkable graduates honored with the 2024 Prix Rayonnement by the Fondation. The candidates for this award were nominated by members of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique community...Read more.

Bausch Health, Canada Inc. Announces Additional Public Drug Plan Listings for PrUCERIS® (Budesonide) Aerosol Foam to Treat Mild to Moderate Distal Ulcerative Colitis in Adults

Bausch Health, Canada announced additional Canadian public drug plan listings for PrUCERIS® (budesonide) aerosol foam to treat mild to moderate distal ulcerative colitis in adults...Read more.

Abdera Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application for ABD-147

Abdera Therapeutics announced that the U.S. FDA has cleared the company’s Investigational New Drug application for ABD-147, the first delta-like ligand 3 targeting radiopharmaceutical for the treatment of small cell lung cancer and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Abdera plans to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in the second half of 2024...Read more.

Pfizer Announces Availability of ABRYSVOTM in Canada for Immunization of Pregnant Individuals and Adults 60+

Pfizer Canada ULC announces the availability of ABRYSVOTM, its bivalent respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, in Canada. The vaccine was approved in December 2023 by Health Canada for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease and severe lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV...Read more.

Health Canada Approves Cosentyx®, a Biologic Therapy, for the Treatment of Adults with Moderate to Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS)

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada is pleased to announce that Health Canada has granted Cosentyx® with a Notice of Compliance for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa– representing a safe and efficacious new treatment option for Canadians living with the condition.1...Read more.

Lawrence Mahan Recognized Among Top 25 Executives in Biotechnology by The Healthcare Technology Report

LifeLabs is thrilled to announce Lawrence Mahan, SVP of Business & Consumer Markets of LifeLabs, has been recognized by The Healthcare Technology Report in the category of Top 25 Executives in Biotechnology...Read more.

JEMPERLI Receives Recommendation from Canada’s Drug Agency for the Treatment of Mismatch Repair Deficient (dMMR) or Microsatellite Instability-high (MSI-H) Recurrent or Advanced Endometrial Cancer

Jemperli has received a reimburse with conditions recommendation from Canada’s Drug Agency, formerly the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health, a Canadian Health Technology Assessment body...Read more.

DIGITAL Announces $26M in AI-Powered Projects to Drive Innovation in Canadian Healthcare

Amidst a global race to harness the power of AI, DIGITAL is proud to enable and showcase transformative solutions that are leveraging AI to make significant advances across Canada’s health space. This includes $26M of recently announced projects using AI to improve patient outcomes, increase access and create a more sustainable Canadian health system...Read more.

Aequus Signs Exclusive Distribution Agreement with Advanced Ophthalmic Innovations for the PAUL® Glaucoma Drainage Device in Canada

Aequus Pharmaceuticals and Advanced Ophthalmic Innovations announce the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement for the PAUL® glaucoma drainage device in Canada...Read more.

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Announces New Positive Data from RESOLVE Phase 1b/2a Trial of EP-104GI for Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals announced additional positive clinical data from its Phase 1b/2a RESOLVE trial, which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of EP-104GI as a treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis...Read more.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization Recommends BEYFORTUS® to Protect All Infants Against RSV

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization issued a recommendation for BEYFORTUS® to be used for the prevention of RSV. The committee has presented two strong recommendations for the delivery of BEYFORTUS® to all Canadian infants...Read more.

Lexaria Receives Two New Medical-Treatment Patents in Hypertension and Epilepsy

Lexaria Bioscience, a global innovator in drug delivery platforms, announces two important new patent awards. The Company has received a new granted patent in Lexaria’s patent family #21: Compositions and Methods for Treating Hypertension and in their patent family #24: Compositions and Methods for Treating Epilepsy...Read more.

Getinge Introduces DPTE-BetaBag® with Material from Renewable Sources

Getinge demonstrates its commitment to sustainable innovations by launching a new version of the DPTE-BetaBag®, used in sterile transfer. A new beta section made with the majority of plastic from renewable sources reduces the carbon footprint of the bag...Read more.

adMare BioInnovations Welcomes Five New Start-Ups in the National Tx Accelerator

adMare BioInnovations is pleased to announce the acceptance of five therapeutics start-ups from across Canada into the adMare National Therapeutics Accelerator. These companies are joining NorthMiRs and Quthero, who entered the Mars-adMare Tx Accelerator program in 2023...Read more.

Robert Olson and Bernie Eigl Honoured for Excellence in Clinical Trials

UBC Medicine researchers Drs. Robert Olson and Bernie Eigl have been honoured by Clinical Trials BC, part of Michael Smith Health Research BC, for their outstanding contributions to clinical trials and research in British Columbia and beyond...Read more.

Dosing Begins in Lexaria’s Comprehensive GLP-1 Animal Study

Lexaria Bioscience announces that dosing has begun in the 12-week animal study WEIGHT-A24-1 to model diabetes treatment and weight loss effects of DehydraTECH™-processed glucagon-like peptide 1 drugs and DehydraTECH-processed cannabidiol in diabetic preconditioned rats...Read more.

UBC Team Receives $1.65M to Train a New Generation of Immunoengineers

An interdisciplinary UBC team led by Dr. Peter Zandstra has received $1.65 million in federal funding to train a new generation of immunoengineers to innovate, develop and deliver new immunoengineering technologies for commercialization...Read more.

Labcorp Announces Retirement of Dr. R. Sanders Williams and Mr. Jean-Luc Bélingard from Its Board of Directors

Labcorp, a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, announced that Dr. R. Sanders Williams and Mr. Jean-Luc Bélingard retired from its board of directors...Read more.

Scientist, Immunology- BC Cancer Research- Vancouver

The BC Cancer Research Institute is seeking a Research Scientist at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, to develop an independent research program in the general areas of basic and translational immunology, immunotherapy and cancer biology...Learn more

Associate Director, Immunology

The responsibilities of the Associate Director, Immunology include working with a team of researchers to develop a sustainable pipeline in immunology, supporting the attainment of departmental goals, and more...Learn more

Associate Scientist, In Vitro Biology

Zymeworks is seeking an Associate Scientist to join the In Vitro Biology group within the ADC Therapeutic Development department. The In Vitro Biology group is responsible for the in vitro functional characterization and advancement of Antibody Drug Conjugate therapeutic candidates...Learn more

Scientist, Cancer Biology, BC Cancer Research- Vancouver

The BC Cancer Research Institute is seeking an outstanding candidate for a full-time position at the rank of Scientist at the BCCRI. The BCCRI is a research institute of the University of British Columbia and the Provincial Health Services Authority...Learn more

Scientist, Proteomics -BC Cancer Research -Vancouver

The BC Cancer Research Institute is seeking a Research Scientist at the Assistant Professor level, to develop an independent research program in the general areas of biological mass spectrometry and proteomics for biomarker and target identification, or protein function analysis in cancer...Learn more

Senior Research Associate I, Antibody Discovery & Engineering

Zymeworks is seeking a Senior Research Associate I to join the Antibody Discovery and Engineering group (ADE) within the ADC Therapeutic Development department. The ADE group is responsible for the discovery of therapeutic antibodies against tumor-associated antigens for the treatment of cancer...Learn more

Accountant

Xenon Pharmaceuticals is seeking an Accountant to support our Finance team across the different functions within the department. This is a great opportunity for an individual who enjoys working on a variety of tasks as key responsibilities for this position span across our accounts payable, finance, and general accounting functions...Learn more

Analytical/Bioanalytical Scientist, Chemistry

The successful candidate will play a key role within the Technology Development team to advance our nucleic acid delivery platforms and enable diverse endeavors with our collaborators. This position will report to the Senior Director, Chemistry...Learn more

Program Coordinator

The University Health Network We are looking for a Program Coordinator to help grow the Computational Biology and Medicine Program at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre...Learn more.

Data Management Specialist

The University Health Network is looking for a Data Management Specialist to help grow the CBMP at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and curate and track multimodal data analyzed in the program...Learn more.

Research Scientist, Biology

SignalChem is looking for a highly motivated individual with in-depth knowledge of and extensive experience in cell signaling, preferably in the industry setting, to join its drugs discovery team as a research scientist...Learn more.

Material Management – Logistics Specialist II

This position is responsible for the oversight of overall inbound traffic of raw materials and supplies for the GMP Manufacturing group. Resulting in the coordination and collaboration with vendors, purchasing, accounting, manufacturing, process development, and project management...Learn more.

Application Scientist

The primary responsibilities of this role will be supporting a multidisciplinary team by providing support for the newest AtomForge technology. The focus will be on the small-molecule drug discovery market, with an emphasis on molecular dynamics and free energy calculations...Learn more.

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