Life Sciences BC News, March 28, 2024

Attracting talent worldwide and fostering a globally competitive ecosystem is key to sustaining the rapid growth of BC’s life sciences sector. The province has updated the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). The BC PNP is used to directly select immigrants for permanent residency. Updates are intended to better reflect the education, experience, and language skills required. Learn more. 

Join the national finance debate on topics impacting life sciences companies. Organizations conducting R&D activities, and/or that have intellectual property (IP) should weigh in. The government of Canada is looking for public consultation on the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit, and a potential patent box that would give a preferential tax rate to income made from certain types of IP.  

SR&ED’s refundable tax credit for Canadian-controlled private corporations is valuable because it provides a steady and nondilutive source of capital. The economic impact of SR&ED’s non-refundable tax credit is more mixed and understanding the complexities of this incentive often requires a price tag of high consultant fees. The Council of Canadian Innovators has several recommendations around SR&ED. Read more. 

IP is a cornerstone for many life sciences companies. Compared to our international peers, Canada has a net deficit of payments on charges for the use of IP (Chart below). This is a trend that has grown over the past two decades.

Chart: Receipts and payments for intellectual property, 2017 to 2021 

Source: Statistics Canada 

Learn more about how to join the national debate and submit your thoughts on SR&ED here, and on a proposed patent box here. Both consultations are open until April 15, 2024. 

Member Highlights 

Merck receives FDA approval for Winrevair, which could become a blockbuster for the company. Winrevair is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, a condition with a poor prognosis, limited treatment options, and life-threatening outcomes. The asset was acquired with Acceleron by Merck for $11.5 billion in 2021. Read more. 

Gilead obtains an exclusive license for XTX301, an experimental cancer immunotherapy currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for patients with solid tumors. Xilio Therapeutics will receive $30 million with an additional $13.5 million investment from Gilead. Read more.  

AbbVie acquires Landos Biopharma, strengthening its portfolio in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. With the acquisition, AbbVie aims to advance to clinic Landos’s lead candidate, NX-13, a differentiated, first-in-class, oral asset for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The deal is approximately $137.5 million, plus an additional $75 million subject to a clinical development milestone. Read more. 

Genome BC announces the launch of their GEMSTONE project, led by researchers at UBC and BCCDC. This two-year project aims to identify sources of fecal pollution in marine waters. The project will develop new methods using genomic-derived technology to determine the type and origin of fecal contaminations. Read more.  

VoxCell BioInnovation, a Victoria-based start-up revolutionizing tissue engineering is invited to speak at this year’s TEDxVictoria. Hear from Kevin Vos, VoxCell’s VP of Business Development on May 15 about how they are using 3D bioprinting to create human-like tissues. Announced on Linkedin. 

Industry Highlights

Government of Canada, through Laboratories Canada, is providing $63.2 million to construct new laboratories for the Regulatory and Security Science Main Project. The new facility will be located at the existing Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Ottawa Laboratory and will relocate scientific operations from existing infrastructure to this new facility. Read more. 

Kudos

Congratulations to UBC’s Michael Smith Laboratories and the Terry Fox Research Institute on a partnership to advance the work of Dr. Marco Marra, a leading expert on cancer cell genomics at the single-cell level. Read more. 



New Members

HUB International is Canada’s largest Insurance Broker, as well as one of the largest insurance brokers in the world. Their life sciences specialty practice has decades of experience in supporting life sciences companies across Canada and internationally. Learn more.

People on the Move

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute announces the appointment of Dr. James Johnson as Associate Director, Fundamental Research and Preclinical Models. Read more.

Applications Open

United Therapeutics is now accepting applications for three awards up to $100,000 each for US- and Canada-based investigators focused on advancing scientific knowledge and patient care in pulmonary hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and lung transplantation. Apply by April 15, 2024. Learn more. 

The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) and the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network (MOHCCN) announce a new funding opportunity to support existing or new precision cancer research with significant potential for impact on outcomes for patients. Topics include but are not limited to proteomics, metabolomics, longitudinal sample analysis, and flow cytometry. Learn more.    

BioTalent Canada announces several awards and scholarships for students, companies, and employees in the bio-economy. These include the IDEAL Scholarship — a groundbreaking initiative designed to promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility leadership (IDEAL) in STEM, the IDEAL Bioscience Employer Recognition program, Catalyst Award for Top New Hire, and a BioSkills Recognition Program. Learn more. 

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

Member Spotlight

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering therapies to treat targeted patient populations that are impacted by serious diseases with a high unmet medical need. The Company introduced and is commercializing the first U.S. FDA-approved oral therapy for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis (LN). The Company’s head office is in Victoria, British Columbia, its U.S. commercial hub is in Rockville, Maryland, and the Company focuses its development efforts globally. Learn more.

Until next week,

The LSBC team

April 4 - Our upcoming McCarthy Spotlight Speaking Series is titled "AI Advancing Life Science Innovation."

This second event in the series will feature speakers at the cutting edge of AI, discussing how this powerful tool can be applied to augment human creativity to further innovation. 



April 11 - The Life Sciences BC Showcase Series: Vancouver Island event is a unique opportunity to learn more about developments in the region and what kinds of cutting-edge research and innovation are happening on the Island.

The event will feature a range of sector-leading guest speakers from the ecosystem.

April 25 - We are thrilled to launch our inaugural Digital Health Conference on April 25, 2024. 

This day-long event will connect sector leaders for in-depth discussions on the important role digital health has in the future of healthcare.

LifeLabs Unveils At Home Kit Program, Empowering Ontarians to Prioritize Health with Ease

LifeLabs is thrilled to introduce our latest offering: At Home Self-Collection Kits. LifeLabs’ At Home Kit Program provides a diverse range of self-collection kits for various health tests, including cervical to colorectal health, hormonal health, and blood sugar monitoring...Read more.

Dr. James Johnson Appointed VCHRI Associate Director, Fundamental Research and Preclinical Models

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. James Johnson as Associate Director, Fundamental Research and Preclinical Models, effective April 1, 2024...Read more.

From Poop to Proof: GEMSTONE Project Aims to Flush Out Source of Marine Fecal Pollution

Fecal pollution in BC’s marine waters can lead to prolonged closures of shellfish harvesting areas and recreational beaches. These are important public health responses, but current surveillance methods can only detect the presence of fecal bacteria in the water, not the source — human or animal...Read more.

United Therapeutics Announces the First Comprehensive Review Publication on Xenotransplantation

United Therapeutics Corporation announced the online availability of a review manuscript titled “Physiological Basis for Xenotransplantation from Genetically-Modified Pigs to Humans: A Review,” in the journal Physiological Reviews...Read more.

United Therapeutics Corporation Announces $1 Billion Accelerated Share Repurchase Program

United Therapeutics Corporation, a public benefit corporation, announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the company to purchase up to $1 billion of United Therapeutics’ common stock. This program builds on United Therapeutics’ planned $400 million paydown of its revolving credit facility in 2024...Read more.

WELL Health Applauds Improvements in Reimbursement Recently Announced from Key Provinces and Speaks to Improvements in Organic Growth in its Primary Care Business

WELL Health Technologies Corp. is pleased to announce its support of the recently announced reimbursement policies from a number of key Canadian provinces where WELL has significant clinical operations...Read more.

STEMCELL Technologies Announces FDA De Novo Classification for Its EasySep™ CD138 Positive Selection Kit to Support Cancer Diagnostic Tests

STEMCELL Technologies is pleased to announce that its new EasySep™ Human Bone Marrow CD138 Positive Selection Kit has been granted de novo classification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a first-of-its-kind in vitro diagnostic medical device for hematopoietic cell enrichment...Read more.

FDA Approves Merck’s WINREVAIR™ (sotatercept-csrk), a First-in-Class Treatment for Adults with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH, WHO* Group 1)

WINREVAIR is a breakthrough biologic for this rare, progressive disease. WINREVAIR on top of background therapy significantly improved exercise capacity and multiple important secondary outcome measures compared to background therapy alone...Read more.

Health Canada Grants Approval of the Eye-Tracking Neurological Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (ETNA™-MS) for Use in Tracking Disease Progression in People Living with MS

Health Canada has granted approval of the Eye-Tracking Neurological Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis. Developed by Innodem Neurosciences, ETNA™-MS is a software as a medical device intended to track disease progression in people living with MS...Read more.

Novartis Canada’s Statement on CADTH Draft Recommendations for LEQVIO® (inclisiran)

Novartis Canada is deeply disappointed with the draft recommendations of the Canadian Drug Expert Committee issued by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health for LEQVIO®...Read more.

Moderna Advances Multiple Vaccine Programs to Late-Stage Clinical Trials

Moderna, Inc. announced at its fifth Vaccines Day event clinical and program updates demonstrating advancement and acceleration of its mRNA pipeline. The updates include data readouts in the Company's respiratory and latent and other vaccine portfolios, as well as commercial, manufacturing and financial announcements for its vaccines business....Read more.

Gilead Sciences Announces Completion of Acquisition of CymaBay

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced the completion of the previously announced transaction to acquire CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. for approximately $4.3 billion in total equity value. The addition of CymaBay’s investigational lead product candidate complements Gilead’s existing liver portfolio and aligns with its commitment to bringing transformational medicines to patients...Read more.

Gilead and Xilio Announce Exclusive License Agreement for Tumor-Activated IL-12 Program

Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Xilio Therapeutics, Inc. announced an exclusive license agreement to develop and commercialize Xilio’s Phase 1 tumor-activated IL-12 program, XTX301...Read more.

AbbVie to Acquire Landos Biopharma, Further Strengthening its Portfolio in Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases

AbbVie Inc. and Landos Biopharma, Inc. announced a definitive agreement under which AbbVie will acquire Landos, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel, oral therapeutics for patients with autoimmune diseases...Read more.

PharmAla Biotech Signs Sale Agreement with Numinus

PharmAla Biotech Holdings Inc. is pleased to announce that it had entered into a binding sales agreement with Numinus Wellness Inc. to provide its GMP LaNeo™ MDMA for a prospective clinical trial...Read more.

Frontage Laboratories, Inc. and Telomir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Present Promising Pre-clinical Data for Telomir’s Lead Development Product

Frontage Laboratories, Inc. and Telomir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently presented promising pre-clinical data for Telomir‘s lead development product at the National University Health System of Singapore Centre for Healthy Longevity Conference 2024...Read more.

Getinge and CellRev Launch Platform with Potential to Transform Allogeneic Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Getinge partnered with the bioprocessing company CellRev in the development of a continuous cell processing platform called Livit ACE. The solution is a breakthrough within allogenic cell therapy manufacturing...Read more.

Government of Canada Invests in Laboratories to Support Science in Canada

Through Laboratories Canada, the Government of Canada is providing federal scientists and researchers with world-class, innovative and collaborative facilities to ensure they can not only keep pace with, but lead in the transformative changes facing science today and into the future...Read more.

Government of Canada Invests in Research to Transform Health Systems

The Government of Canada is supporting researchers across the country who are collaborating with health system organizations to make meaningful contributions towards improving Canada’s health care system and ensuring that Canadians receive high-quality health care...Read more.

Government of Canada Makes Significant Investment in the Future of Applied Public Health Research

The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced the 2024 cohort of Applied Public Health Chairs, the program’s fourth cohort, with an investment of $13.8 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada...Read more.

International Sales Account Manager

We are looking for an outgoing, self-motivated person to join our team as an International Sales Account Manager to assist the accelerating growth of our company. In this position, you will be responsible for the generating new business, help deliver awareness of our services to potential customers, and help position our company as a leader in the Microbiome Services Industry...Learn more.

R&D Technologist

The ideal candidate will effectively be conducting experiments for research projects and developing new product lines and working collaboratively with other lab talents on a daily basis, and work on the Admin/Office tasks as assigned. You will report directly to the CTO...Learn more

Senior Radiologist

As a Senior Radiologist, you will be responsible for providing expert medical guidance and support for the validation of our AI solution for Brain CT analysis...Learn more.

Scientist – Molecular Biology

As an accomplished Scientist, you will work within a high-performing team passionate about making an impact on human health. Your role is hands-on, in the lab, performing advanced molecular biology techniques to support the discovery of novel antibody therapeutics...Learn more.

Research Scientist, RNA

Reporting to the Director, RNA, the Scientist / Senior Scientist, RNA will work closely with the RNA Team and will be responsible for designing, executing, analyzing, and making recommendations on our research protocols related to internal and client-based projects, and subsequent data analysis...Learn more.

Director/Senior Director, Development Program Management

Xenon is seeking a Director/Senior Director, Development Program Management to lead and coordinate cross-functional planning of Xenon’s clinical-stage small-molecule drug development programs in both late and early phases with regulatory submissions experience (eg NDAs, MAAs) and life cycle management projects...Learn more.

Senior Microsoft Systems Engineer

This role will serve as the technical lead and strategist for the IT End User Computing Team. Near-term projects include completing the transition from SCCM/ECM to Intune, automating the computer imaging process with Autopilot, evaluating Autopatch and 3rd party patching, and planning the transition to Windows 12...Learn more.

Partnerships Specialist

A key member of the Partnerships team, the Partnerships Specialist under the guidance of the Director, Partnerships, is responsible for establishing and nurturing relationships with partners, proactively seeking new opportunities, and ensuring compliance with partnership agreements. ...Learn more.

Program Manager, Research Programs

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Research Programs, the Program Manager brings Knowledge Translation expertise to the organization and focuses on key initiatives and programs that help accelerate implementation of our strategic directions...Learn more.

Program Manager, Clinical Trials BC

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Clinical Trials BC, the Program Manager is responsible for facilitating success of the Health Research BC’s Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) provincial program...Learn more.

Senior/Principal Scientist, Preclinical Pharmacology

Abdera Therapeutics is looking to hire a Senior/principal Scientist, Preclinical Pharmacology, who will be the scientific lead for in vivo pharmacology, PK/BD, and toxicology studies...Learn more.

Research Associate – Protein Biochemistry

Abdera Therapeutics is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Research Associate in protein biochemistry to support a therapeutic antibody discovery team. This position will provide an opportunity to positively contribute to research programs developing next-generation targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies...Learn more.

Associate, Bioprinting CMC

The Associate, Bioprinting CMC will focus on manufacturing various Bioprinted Tissue Therapeutics (BTT) to support Aspect’s GMP and Research /Development groups...Learn more.

Associate, Biomaterials

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Biomaterials, the Associate, Biomaterials will contribute to polymer development, formulation, and characterization of biomaterials used to manufacture bioprinted tissues for preclinical studies and clinical applications...Learn more.

Vice President, Process Development & Manufacturing

Reporting to the Chief Technical Operating Officer, this role requires a deep understanding of biopharmaceutical process development, cGMP manufacturing, and regulatory requirements associated with cell-based therapies and combination products...Learn more.

Machine Learning Engineer I

The Machine Learning Engineer I will focus on developing and applying machine learning approaches to support Gandeeva’s structure guided biologics design and drug discovery programs. This role involves developing innovative computational methods and evaluating/applying established methods towards the invention of novel medicines...Learn more.

Welcome to LSBC!

BFC Technologies Inc. was founded in 2003 by Dave Eccleston and Ron Lalonde, senior executives of WHE Bio-Systems / Kinetics Modular System, a multimillion-dollar design-build fabricator. Combined they have over 65 years’ experience supplying customized design-build process solutions for a wide range of customers in the Biotech, Pharmaceutical, Food, Beverage, Dairy, Consumer Product, Nuclear, and Animal Health industrial sectors.. Learn more.

The Biologics Manufacturing Centre (BMC) is a non-profit organization specializing in end-to-end GMP bio-manufacturing. Their state-of-the-art facility supports secure production of vaccines and biologics in Canada and globally. They collaborate with industry and academia, including CNRC and CTMF, to establish comprehensive strategies supporting the biologics value chain. Dedicated to public health, they ensure domestic supply security, providing reliable access to vaccines and therapeutic proteins... Learn more.

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