A new year often means new connections – whether that’s individuals seeking new professional opportunities and/or companies seeking new talent. At LifeSciences BC we are pleased to host our 2nd Annual LifeScience BC Career Connect Day once again, presented by BioTalent Canada, on January 22, 2021.  The conference opens with a fireside chat between Minister Ravi Kahlon and myself, to be followed by three sessions with Human Resources and LifeSciences leaders. With over 450 people registered, 26 company exhibitor booths, it is shaping up to be a great conference. We hope to see you there! For the agenda and registration, please click here.

Continuing with the career theme, the Globe and Mail recently reported on AbCellera’ plans to build Canada’s first pharmaceutical company in British Columbia; an undertaking that will begin with the hiring of hundreds of new employees in the Vancouver market. You can find this inspiring story here: AbCellera Biologics’ billionaire boss planning hiring spree in Vancouver hometown after record-setting IPO.

Further to this story, it is a reflection on the excitement and pride that the Lilly therapeutic based on AbCellera’s technology, received Emergency Use Approval by the FDA and Health Canada. We are at the forefront of influential global scientific research in this province, generated by UBC, UVIC and Simon Fraser University grads. It is truly remarkable that we are sowing the seeds of our province’s investment in research and education, by not only producing great minds, but brilliant innovators.

It is an exciting time in our community, so please reach out to us with your news, as we are always happy to share it with our vast and wide audience. You can reach us at either admin@lifesciencesbc.ca or communications@lifesciencesbc.ca.

January 8, 2021 – VICTORIA, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH / TSX: AUP) (the “Company”) today announced that members of the management team will participate in two upcoming virtual investor conferences and participate in a panel discussion hosted by Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA Commissioner.....READ MORE

SEATTLE, Jan. 08, 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 on January 7, 2021, it received a clinical hold letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) related to its Investigational New Drug (IND) Application to begin a Phase 1 clinical program of its immunotherapeutic candidate, NL-201. READ MORE

Vancouver, BC – January 8, 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 way in the clinical development of cannabinol (“CBN”), today announced top-line results from its 755-102-HV Phase 1 clinical trial (“Study 102”). READ MORE

January 8, 2021 – After Carl Hansen co-founded AbCellera Biologics Ltd. in 2012, people constantly told him he was building a biotechnology company the wrong way. “The whole sector for years has been focused on this idea that if you wanted to build a valuable company, you have to make your own drugs,” Dr. Hansen told the Globe and Mail Thursday. “It was very hard in the early days for people to understand that wasn’t the only way to do things.” READ MORE

January 12, 2021 – At a time when innovation is more important than ever, our proprietary life sciences and healthcare research reveals that 2020 proved to be a banner year for healthcare venture fundraising and investment – the future looks bright for life science companies and investors. READ MORE

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 13, 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 that patient recruitment has commenced in the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) registrational Phase 2/3 clinical trial for glioblastoma (GBM). READ MORE

Ottawa, January 13, 2021 – Growth in chronic disease and increased drug claims are two of the key factors driving up the cost of private health benefit plans, according to Innovative Medicines Canada’s 2016-2019 Analysis of Private Drug Claim Cost Drivers report, released today. The report also finds that drug claim costs are rising at approximately 5% annually, less than half of the 11% that insurers have projected. READ MORE

January 13, 2021 – BIOTECanada is pleased to announce the launch of Bio+ech Connec+, a unique forum for early-stage Canadian biotech companies to connect directly with the business development and investment leaders of multinational pharma/biotech companies. READ MORE

BURNABY, British Columbia, Jan. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:XENE), a neurology-focused biopharmaceutical company, today outlined its key milestone opportunities and plans for a leadership transition in 2021, with all changes anticipated to take effect in June 2021 at the time of the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders. READ MORE

January 14, 20201: adMare BioInnovations, Canada’s global life sciences venture, is pleased to announce the launch of Abdera Therapeutics Inc. (Abdera) with founding partner, AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL). Abdera is a precision oncology company developing novel next-generation targeted alpha therapies (TATs) for patients with relapsed, refractory and metastatic cancers. READ MORE

The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) invites stakeholders to comment on two proposed consequential amendments to the new PMPRB Guidelines resulting from the decision to delay the coming-into-force date of the Regulations Amending the Patented Medicines Regulations (“Regulations”) a further six months, from January 1, 2021 to July 1, 2021. READ MORE

January 14, 2021 – A new year brings a new suite of funding opportunities for BC’s health researchers. As BC’s health research funding agency, MSFHR is pleased to announce our 2021 funding competition lineup, reflecting rigorous program evaluation and direct input from BC’s health research community. READ MORE

Applications are live for our entrepreneurship@UBC CORE and Lab2Launch Venture Building Program! Applications are due February 25th. CORE is for ventures driving innovation through disruptive trends and technologies (think AI, consumer goods, retail, agritech, software, hardware etc.) and Lab2Launch is for researchers looking to get their innovations from lab to market. READ MORE

Researchers in Ohio said Wednesday that they’ve discovered two new variants of the coronavirus that likely originated in the U.S. — one of which quickly became the dominant strain in Columbus, Ohio, over a three-week period in late December and early January. READ MORE

An eye health charity is recommending people learn the "20-20-20" rule to protect their sight, as lockdown has increased people's time using screens. READ MORE

In January 2020, two scientists published the entire genetic code of a coronavirus that was soon to wreak havoc around the world. It marked the start of a year of intense and rapid scientific endeavour, to work out how we might fight the virus. READ MORE

After the 800,000 doses expected by the end of March, in the second quarter of the year BC expects 2.64 million doses, an average of 203,077 each week. From July to September, six million more doses are expected to arrive, an average of 461,538 each week. READ MORE

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

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

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