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Each week we look forward to sharing updates taking place within our ecosystem. A recent story published by Business in Vancouver highlights the impressive growth of local biotech companies looking for the infrastructure and space to expand. This conversation is incredibly important as we look ahead to the ongoing growth and innovations within our sector, and our ability to attract world-class talent - both now and in the future. Most importantly, it points to the accelerated growth of BC life sciences over the last few years, and the important role we play as the fastest growing life sciences sector in Canada.
On this note, we are so pleased to see that the Government of Canada has announced funding of $11.1 million for advancements to mRNA technology at UBC, and to boost the impact of BC biotechnology on the world stage. For more on the incredible life sciences leadership and innovation taking place within our province and beyond, we encourage you to check out this year’s Life Sciences magazine, recently published by Business in Vancouver.
Also, this week the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board released its new draft Guidelines and launched a consultation initiative to connect with stakeholders and interested members of the public. This will give effect to Health Canada’s July 2022 amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations.
Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) recently released a joint report with 11 recommendations to strengthen Canada’s health data and research outcomes, and drive greater benefits for those that live in Canada. The key recommendations can be found here.
Member News
The Amyloidosis Research Consortium announced the launch of ASPIRE this week, a new initiative that brings life sciences companies together to drive collective impact in awareness, diagnosis, care, and health equity for patients with amyloidosis. Kudos to the LSBC member companies taking part in this initiative.
BioTalent Canada has opened applications for their inaugural I.D.E.A.L. Bioscience Employer Recognition Program to recognize organizations in the Canadian bio-economy that are leading the way in embodying the inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility leader (IDEAL) principles and best practices needed to promote growth and success in the sector. Organizations that qualify can apply online (by November 7th!) to be considered for the recognition program here.
Events
There are also a number of upcoming events we want to highlight for the coming weeks. We will be hosting our next Showcase Series: Prince George event on October 12th. With a diverse roster of speakers from the political, academic and business arenas, this is a unique opportunity to learn more about our sector in the Prince George area. Register online to secure your spot for this free event today! Thrive Health is hosting a webinar on October 14th on the impact of new technologies on cancer survivorship care across Canada, featuring notable speakers including Dr. Anna Wilkinson, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa and Dr. Mark Nazemi, who leads Thrive Health’s Clinical Solutions and Innovation department.
We are also excited to announce a new program in partnership with Biotech Primer, BioBasics 101: The Biology of Biotech for the Non-Scientist. This will be an intensive two-day master course on December 6-7. The course is designed to help non-scientists gain a foundational understanding of the science that forms the backbone of biopharma so you can converse more effectively with colleagues, clients, regulators, and scientists. Look for the invite to register next week!
Kudos
We are excited to announce the 10 companies and corresponding entrepreneurs-in-residence participating in our 2023 Investor Readiness Program (IRP), which kicks off this month! This intensive six-month program will help support 10 early-stage SMEs to become investor ready, with the help of our seasoned mentors. We look forward to following our SMEs on this exciting investor journey, and to sharing more in the months to come! Congratulations also to the 22 participants, representing a wide range of life sciences enterprises from across the country, who were selected to join Cohort V of the adMare Academy Executive Institute.
Congratulations to the LSBC member companies who were included in the Globe and Mail’s fourth annual list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies! Kudos again to the winners of BIOTECanada’s Gold Leaf Awards, announced last week - these awards celebrate the Canadian biotech industry, and further demonstrate the impressive companies that continue to drive innovation globally.
A well-deserved shout out to Dr. Pieter Cullis, who continues to be recognized (most recently last week at Bloom Burton 2022) for his significant contributions and innovations on the world stage. Dr. Cullis, co-founder of Acuitas Therapeutics and one of our LSBC board members, embodies everything we are so proud of and passionate about as a sector. He has led the development of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems for molecular therapeutics, and his leadership has altered the course of the pandemic for people around the world!
People on the Move
Aspect Biosystems has recently welcomed three new board members to its Board of Directors: Dr. Nancy Krieger, CMO of Talaris Therapeutics; Dr. Don Haut, CEO of Carmine Therapeutics, and Dr. Devyn Smith, CEO of Arbor Biotechnologies. Congratulations to Dr. David Poon who joins Gandeeva Therapeutics as their Chief Business Officer and Dr. Matt Lucas as Chief Scientific Officer. Both bring invaluable pharmaceutical and biotech leadership to their new roles! And, congratulations also to Sebastian Steiner who joins VoxCell BioInnovation as their Head of Engineering this month as well.
From the LSBC family to yours, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend.
Until next week,
Wendy and the LSBC team
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