Thursday | December 17, 2020
LSBC MEMBERSHIP
LSBC MEMBERSHIP SURVEY
We are excited to announce that we have launched the Annual Membership Survey 2020. This survey gives our members a voice in shaping the direction of LifeSciences BC by providing your feedback. We would appreciate it if you could take 5 minutes to answer the 12 quick questions.
CEO MESSAGE
Dear LifeSciences BC Members:

As 2020 comes to a close, the LifeSciences BC team would like to take a moment to wish everyone a very happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!  We want to say thank you to all our members, sponsors, and supporters for your involvement over these exceptional twelve months.

It has been a remarkable year in so many ways that no one could have expected, predicted, or planned. For our sector, it was an extraordinary turning point of bold moves and astounding outcomes that captured the world’s attention.  BC’s life sciences sector’s innovation has captured the world’s attention with us being the cornerstone of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, innovative products and services.

At LifeSciences BC, we pivoted quickly to adapt to the changing world of virtual engagement so as not to lose our connection to our community. That meant making all our events virtual. We tried a variety of virtual platforms to connect with each other and as we moved along, we found greater success and virtual participation as well as reach. One extremely positive benefit of the effort was international participation at many of our online events.

This past year, it was our pleasure to participate with our community through the following initiatives: rallying the life science community in a unified call to action to raise desperately needed PPE for the front-line health care workers, and hosting over 30 events from our first event Career Connect Day presented by BioTalent Canada to our Investor Summit presented by Lumira Ventures that saw over 85 investors from around the world. We look forward to continuing to bring the community together virtually in 2021 to advance BC’s life sciences ecosystem and showcase it on the global stage.

In the New Year, LifeSciences BC will continue to deliver value to our members, sponsors and stakeholders through focused events, virtual networking & business development programs, and active engagement with both the provincial and federal governments. While we have adapted to the circumstances, we are hopeful that in 2021 we will once again be able to meet with you at events and engagements, face to face.

Wishing you and your family a very healthy and happy holiday season.

The LifeSciences BC Team 

*Please note that the LifeSciences BC office will be closed from December 18 to January 3, 2021. BioLinks will resume in January 2021. 
Platinum Sponsors
LSBC MEMBER NEWS
CHINOOK THERAPEUTICS ANNOUNCES LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THERAPIES IN KIDNEY DISEASES DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING AFRICAN AMERICANS AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
VANCOUVER, British Columbia and SEATTLE, Dec. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: KDNY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of precision medicines for kidney diseases, today announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Morehouse School of Medicine for certain patents supporting the development of therapeutics in kidney diseases that disproportionately affect people of West African descent and underserved communities. READ MORE
Zanidatamab Clinical Data Selected for Oral Presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium
December 12, 2020 | VANCOUVER, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Zymeworks Inc. (NYSE: ZYME), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing multifunctional biotherapeutics, today announced the selection of three abstracts for presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, taking place virtually on January 15 – 17, 2021. READ MORE
Aurinia and Lonza Announce Exclusive Agreement for Dedicated Voclosporin Manufacturing Capacity
Dec. 15, 2020 | VICTORIA, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH / TSX: AUP) (“Aurinia”) and Lonza Ltd. (SIX: LONN) (“Lonza“) today announced they have expanded their exclusive manufacturing relationship. The parties entered into a collaborative agreement to build a dedicated manufacturing capacity within Lonza’s existing small molecule API facility in Visp, Switzerland. READ MORE
Aurinia Announces Collaboration and Licensing Agreement with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the Development and Commercialization of Volcosporin in Europe and Japan
VICTORIA, British Columbia & ROCKVILLE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH / TSX:AUP) (“Aurinia” or the “Company”) today announced it has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the development and commercialization of oral voclosporin for the treatment of Lupus Nephritis (LN) in the European Union (EU), Japan, as well as the United Kingdom, Russia, Switzerland, Norway, Belarus, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Ukraine. READ MORE
Labour Report sheds light on where Graduates find work in Bio-Economy
OTTAWA, December 16, 2020 – BioTalent Canada today released new findings from its most recent bio-economy Labour Market Information (LMI) study. This new brief—Academic Bonds: Examining the ties that bind STEM grads to their schools—reveals that few biotech graduates choose to relocate to find employment, with most seeking employment close to where they studied. There are several factors at play, notably that employers located close to a post-secondary institution can engage and form relationships with the students before graduation. READ MORE
Vancouver Start-Up's Successful COVID-19 Transition Aided by Student Wage Subsidies
Four years ago, British Columbia high-school-student-turned-founder-and-chief-innovative-officer Mateo Pekic invented the core technology that would become Vancouver 3D printing company 3DQue. He wasn’t legally old enough to be an officer in a company. So, he reached out to Steph Sharp, a classmate’s mom and a veteran of the start-up landscape. READ MORE
LSBC SECTOR NEWS
New variant of coronavirus identified in England
A new variant of coronavirus has been found which is growing faster in some parts of England, MPs have been told.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at least 60 different local authorities had recorded Covid infections caused by the new variant. READ MORE
Explained: Why RNA vaccines for Covid-19 raced to the front of the pack
Dec. 11, 2020 | by Anne Trafton, MIT | Developing and testing a new vaccine typically takes at least 12 to 18 months. However, just over 10 months after the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was published, two pharmaceutical companies applied for FDA emergency use authorization of vaccines that appear to be highly effective against the virus. READ MORE
Ex-FDA chief Gottlieb pushes for antibody manufacturing scale up as 2021 pandemic 'insurance policy'
Dec. 15, 2020 | Fraiser Kansteiner Fierce Pharma | Even as COVID-19 vaccines start to creep across the regulatory finish line, supplies will be limited for months at least. Meanwhile, antibody drugs, hailed as a crucial stopgap treatment since the pandemic's early days, are scarce, thanks to federal manufacturing missteps earlier this year. READ MORE
Gold Sponsors
Reboot Communications Ltd. is a conference management company that provides a platform for public sector, private sector, academia and non-government organizations to discuss major issues and opportunities related to the rapid transformation to digital platforms in healthcare, security and privacy.





Bausch Health is a global company whose mission is to improve people’s lives with their health care products. They develop, manufacture and market a range of pharmaceutical, medical device and over-the-counter products, primarily in the therapeutic areas of eye health, gastroenterology and dermatology.
In Canada, the company’s prescription product portfolio is focused on eye health, dermatology and cardio-metabolic conditions.


Silver Sponsors
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
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