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This week was a high point for the BC Life Sciences ecosystem as we were asked to participate in the announcement of the In BC Investment Fund. I was honoured to be a featured speaker alongside Premier Horgan and Minister Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation as the Province announced the creation of the InBC Investment Corp. and $500MM fund. This objective of this fund is to enable growth through investment to scale BC-based innovative companies. Click here for a video of the event and here for the media release.
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COVID-19
British Columbians were excited over the last week to see a broader group of people get vaccinated as the 40+ AstraZeneca vaccine roll out occurred. The enthusiasm for this vaccine is continuing this week with eligibility expanding to the 30+ cohort in targeted areas, including a large vaccination clinic in Coquitlam.
British Columbians are the least vaccine hesitant in Canada, according to a poll by the Angus Reid Institute with 91% of B.C. respondents intending to get vaccinated, and while 5% unsure.
Upcoming LSBC Event
As we all get vaccinated, let’s remember the roots of the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine are right here in our innovative B.C. life sciences ecosystem. To learn more about B.C’s leadership in this exciting area and the extraordinary transformative potential it will have on the future developments of medicines, please join us on May 4th for our next Blakes Breakfast Speaking Event. Dr. Pieter Cullis, CEO, NanoMedicines Innovation Network and Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UBC, Dr. Thomas D. Madden, President & CEO, Acuitas Therapeutics and Dr. James Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO, Precision Nanosystems will be speaking, followed by a Q&A and networking.
Member News:
Registration is now open for the 13th Canadian Science Policy Conference, CSPC 2021 happening in November: register here.
The 3 finalists for the 2021 Bloom Burton Award honouring an individual who has made the greatest contribution to Canada’s innovative healthcare industry in the previous year have been announced: Dr. Daniel Durocher, Scientific Co-founder, Repare Therapeutics; Dr. Carl Hansen, Founder and CEO, AbCellera; and Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO, WELL Health Technologies are honoured to be listed. Congrats to all these extraordinary leaders
We also congratulate Dr. Marco Marra for his induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, presented in association with the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Marra, the Director of the Genome Sciences Centre, is a previous LSBC award winner and I was honoured to be on the induction committee. To watch the awards online visit www.cdnmedhall.ca or www.trmc.ca.
If you have not already seen it, be sure to check out the gone-viral tik tok by Dr. Pieter Cullis (link below)
The Fraser Health Authority has announced that they are expanding their trial use of AbCellera Biologics’ bamlanivimab monoclonal antibody therapy. They are now actively recruiting participants in the trial, which has been expanded from Surrey, White Rock and Delta to now include Burnaby, Langley, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. The want to identify if people who receive AbCellera’s therapy are protected against “Long COVID” symptoms. The study is open to people who are 65-or-older, or between the ages of 18 and 64 who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have at least one co-morbidity (illness or condition like diabetes, obesity and heart disease) that places them at risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 infection. For more information visit Bepicstudy.ca.
Vaccine and therapies are now becoming increasingly available which is fantastic news. While we work through vaccinating the population, please remember to continue to stay safe and follow public health guidelines of staying local, keep wearing masks, hand wash frequently and keep our gatherings small and outside!
Wendy Hurlburt
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iCo Therapeutics Inc. Announces Upsized Subscription Receipt Private Placement |
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – April 23, 2021) – iCo Therapeutics Inc. (TSXV: ICO) (OTCQB: ICOTF) (“iCo” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that, in connection with its proposed business combination with Satellos Bioscience Inc. (“Satellos”) by way of a plan of arrangement (the “Arrangement”), as previously announced on March 22, 2021, it intends to offer on a private placement basis (the “Financing”) 85,294,117 subscription receipts (the “Subscription Receipts”) at a price of $0.085 per Subscription Receipt for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$7.25 million, representing an upsize from the C$6 million financing announced on March 22, 2021. READ MORE
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InMed Pharmaceuticals Achieves 2g/L Cannabinoid Yield with IntegraSyn™ |
Vancouver, BC – April 26, 2021 – InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“InMed” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: INM; TSX:IN), a clinical-stage company developing cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical drug candidates and leading the clinical development of cannabinol (“CBN”), today announced that its IntegraSyn™ cannabinoid manufacturing approach has achieved a level of 2g/L cannabinoid yield, a milestone that signals commercial viability and supports advancement to large-scale production in the coming months. READ MORE
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InMed Pharmaceuticals Announces Voluntary Delisting from TSX |
Vancouver, BC – April 27, 2021 – InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“InMed” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:INM) (TSX:IN), a clinical-stage company developing cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical drug candidates and leading the clinical development of cannabinol (“CBN”), today announced that, based on the strong trading data on the Nasdaq, it has provided written notice to the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) regarding the voluntary delisting of its common shares. InMed’s common shares will continue to be listed and tradable on the Nasdaq under “INM”. READ MORE
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iCo Therapeutics Inc. Announces Closing of Upsized Subscription Receipt Private Placement |
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – April 27, 2021) – iCo Therapeutics Inc. (TSXV: ICO) (OTC: ICOTF) (“iCo” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced private placement (the “Financing”) in connection with its proposed business combination with Satellos Bioscience Inc. (“Satellos”) by way of a plan of arrangement (the “Arrangement”) in accordance with Section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act. The completion of the Arrangement will result in the reverse takeover of the Company as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”) and the resulting entity will continue to operate in the life sciences industry under the name “Satellos Bioscience Inc.” (the “Resulting Issuer”). READ MORE
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InMed Pharmaceuticals Submits Clinical Trial Applications to Evaluate INM-755 (Cannabinol) Cream in a Phase 2 Trial for Epidermolysis Bullosa |
Vancouver, BC – April 28, 2021 – InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“InMed” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: INM; TSX:IN), a world leader in the clinical development of cannabinol (“CBN”), today announced that it has filed Clinical Trial Applications (“CTAs”) in Austria, Israel and Serbia as part of a Phase 2 clinical trial of INM-755 (cannabinol) cream in Epidermolysis Bullosa (“EB”). Additional CTAs for 755-201-EB (the ‘201 study) will be submitted to National Competent Authorities (“NCAs”) and Ethics Committees (“ECs”) in France, Germany, Greece, and Italy in the coming weeks. READ MORE
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UBC-grown biotech companies lead global pandemic efforts |
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Millions of Canadians have received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, but what many may not realize is that a key component of the injection was developed right here at UBC. READ MORE
Checkout this TikTok video of Dr. Pieter Cullis, co-founder of Acuitas Therapeutics, and developer of the Pfizer-bioNTech mRNA vaccine lipid nanoparticle technology.
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Health Innovation Campus Planned at Vancouver’s New St. Paul’s Hospital
The Clinical Support and Research Centre (CSRC) is a new, state-of-the-art, 680,000+ sq. ft. innovation campus that will support Vancouver as a world-class medical and health care innovation hub. Scheduled for completion in early 2027, the CSRC will be situated directly adjacent to the new St. Paul’s Hospital at the Jim Pattison Medical Centre in the False Creek Flats.
The Providence Health Care Research Institute and internationally-recognized provincial research centres of excellence—including the Centre of Heart/Lung Innovation, BC Centre of Excellence for HIV/AIDS, the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcomes Science and the BC Centre on Substance Use—will be in this complex.
The CSRC programming will consist of a three-building, fully integrated campus offering a full spectrum of spaces, including wet lab, vivarium, innovation, incubation, medical and office spaces. The CSRC will serve as a hub for bioengineering, augmented and virtual reality and simulation, with infrastructure for nanotechnology, device prototyping and 3D bio-printing. The CSRC will bring together the best and brightest researchers, academics, clinicians, business professionals, and policymakers to create North America’s largest new health innovation ecosystem.
To learn more about this opportunity, click here, or contact Blair Quinn via phone at 604-662-5162 or email at blair.quinn@cbre.com.
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$500-million investment fund paves way for a StrongerBC |
A first-of-its-kind $500-million strategic investment fund will provide B.C.-based businesses with capital to position the province as a front-runner in the post-pandemic economy. READ MORE
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Why mRNA COVID-19 vaccines might unlock the key to treating cancer and other deadly diseases |
TORONTO -- The mRNA technology used for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines has been hailed as a medical breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19. The vaccines’ high efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, their safety in clinical trials, and how quickly they were produced has generated much excitement within the scientific community. READ MORE
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Researcher uses nanomedicine to improve effectiveness and safety of chemotherapy |
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PromptHealth is an application that connects people to Canadian accredited medical and holistic health services, based on individualized needs and with the choice of virtual or location-based matches. Prompt Health is the online ‘personal assistant’ that takes the challenge out of accessing and navigating the care that is needed.
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QCR is the largest full service GMP consultant and importer for Health Canada regulated drugs, APIs, natural health products, medical devices, and medical cannabis. QCR bring 25 years of experience to clients, providing expert consulting on regulatory and compliance matters.
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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
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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: Peter McLoughlin - talent@lifesciencesbc.ca
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