February 08, 2024

Life Sciences BC seeks to raise the profile of our members and supporters, highlight their achievements, and promote BC's dynamic life sciences ecosystem. If you have news or a story to share, let us know.

You can find previous editions of BioLinks newsletters and other resources on our website at News/Publications.

Life Sciences BC News

To kick-off today’s Biolinks, we’d like to extend a warm LSBC welcome to Rosabel Bong, our new Manager, Marketing and Communications.

An experienced communicator, Rosabel comes to us with experience in both start-up tech and scaling biotechnology companies.

 Learn more about Rosabel in her bio.

Earlier this week, we held our McCarthy Spotlight Speaking Series on the impact of AI on the life sciences sector.

Titled “AI Advancing Life Sciences Innovation”, the well-attended event included presentations from industry experts Dr. Art Cherkasov, Senior Research Scientist and Head of Precision Cancer Drug Design at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, Handol Kim, Co-founder and CEO of Variational AI, and Dr. Gail Murphy, Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Vice President of Research & Innovation at the University of British Columbia. It was moderated by Ali Ardakani, Founder and Managing Director of Novateur Ventures.

A huge thank you to our speakers, event sponsor McCarthy Tétrault, and to all those who attended and engaged in a great discussion around the growing intersection between life sciences and AI, and the importance of being comfortable with new technologies as the sector continues to quickly evolve.

We also had the pleasure of meeting with representatives from the Maryland Tech Council (MTC) and Trade & Invest British Columbia in Frederick, Maryland this week. MTC serves the tech and biotech communities with assets like the Maryland Health Care Product Development Corporation and the MdBioLab program.

It was great to exchange ideas and discuss collaborations between our regions.

Next week is the OBIO Investment Summit (OIS) from February 14 to 16 in Toronto. We would like to wish all of our LSBC members who will be participating the best of luck. We are also thrilled to have our team from LSBC there and look forward to sharing event highlights on our social accounts.

Before we sign off, we would like to acknowledge World Cancer Day, which is recognized annually on February 4. This is a disease that touches us all, and it remains one of the leading causes of death in Canada. Advancements in tackling this terrible disease are supported by the great work of so many of our members. As with everything we do in life sciences, we can make progress when we work together.

Member Highlights 

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has initiated its Phase 3 development program for EP-104IAR, the Company's lead drug candidate for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. The announcement follows completion of the Company’s End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the U.S. FDA. Read more here.

Congrats also to Eupraxia on announcing updated positive clinical data from its Phase 1b/2a RESOLVE trial, which is evaluating safety and efficacy of EP-104GI as a treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis. Results include no serious or treatment related adverse events in either the first or second cohort of the trial. Learn more here.

ARC Medical Inc. announced the first deployment of its novel JOCOAT™ fluid medical device for the prevention or reduction of surgical adhesions in two surgical patients. Learn more here.

The OBIO Investment Summit (OIS) takes place February 14 to 16, 2024, featuring health science companies commercializing products and services in therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health and health IT. Among the LSBC members who will be participating at OIS are Bold Therapeutics, Clairvoyant Therapeutics, Difinity Solutions, Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, HTuO Biosciences, Integrated Nanotherapeutics, Microbion Corporation, Molecular You, Rostrum Medical Innovations, SeraGene Therapeutics, Sonic Incytes Medical, Sustained Therapeutics, and Variational AI. Learn more here.

Filament Health was recently featured on CBC News: The National. Viewers were given a look at its BC lab where they create natural psychedelic drug candidates, which are involved in clinical trials. Watch the news story here.

UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers published a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, detailing their discovery of new “spatial” biomarkers that could better predict treatment outcomes in patients with relapsed and refractory, or treatment-resistant, classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Learn more here.

Cytiva and LevitasBio announced a collaboration to deliver an innovative single-cell workflow for genomics researchers in academia and industry. By working together, the companies are able to address key challenges in sample preparation, minimizing single-cell damage and stress, and ultimately saving time for academic researchers. Read more here.

The CIHR Institute of Cancer Research launched its new Research Priority Plan 2024-2029 “Amplifying Impact: Leveraging Cancer Research to Enhance the Health of Canadians.” It was launched in time with World Cancer Day, and is guided by three new research priorities focused on cancer prevention, cancer survivorship, and cancer data strategy. Learn more here.

The Research Approval Processes Project (RAPP) received support from the Leadership Council – comprised of Health Authority Chief Executive Officers and Ministry of Health leadership – for the proposed streamlining efforts in BC. These efforts include ethics, privacy, data access and sharing, contracts, and operational approvals. Read more here.

UBC IDEA Lab and Vancouver Coastal Health partnered to host a Design Jam workshop as part of the Learning Health System (LHS) initiative. The workshop was an opportunity to bring together innovation and creativity with a lens on healthcare, and identified six critical pillars to enhance the LHS. Learn more here.

The founders of NanoVation Therapeutics™, Christian Kastrup, Pieter Cullis, and Eric Jan, published a paper detailing a new technology that will expand the therapeutic potential of platelets for managing bleeding and hemostatic dysfunction. Read more here.

Congrats to Microbion Corporation on its announcement that it has achieved a second orphan drug designation for pravibismane from the U.S. FDA for the treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections. Pravibismane was found to demonstrate statistically significant in vivo efficacy against NTM in chronic and acute infection models. Read more here.

STEMCELL Technologies President and CEO, Dr. Allen Eaves, was featured on CHEK News‘ BC Legends series. Dr. Eaves has made enormous contributions to the advancement of science and has been at the forefront of biotech globally. Watch the episode here.

New Member

Ramona Rea, MSc, MBA, is a Consultant at Ramona Rea Consulting. She handles projects in the commercialization of early-stage technologies in the life sciences and medical technologies sectors - market assessments, feasibility studies, and business development. Using primary and secondary market research, Ramona helps academic institutions, start-ups, and inventors assess the commercial potential of their innovations.

Welcome to the LSBC community!

Industry Highlights

Registration is now open for the 2024 Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference. Taking place from April 16-17, 2024 in Toronto, the conference will feature more than 66 of Canada’s premier publicly-traded and venture-sponsored private companies sharing their insights about the latest developments in the Canadian healthcare industry. Learn more and register here.

Two BIOTECanada member companies, Repare Therapeutics Inc. and Roche, announced an exciting milestone. Upon dosing of the first patient with camonsertib in Roche’s Phase 2 TAPISTRY platform clinical trial, Repare has earned a $40 million milestone payment from Roche. Read more here.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, and the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, began work to implement the Canada-EU Digital Partnership. The strategic digital partnership will seek to address new challenges in digital transformation that impact research, industry, society and the economy. Read more here.

Minister François-Philippe Champagne, also announced appointments to the Standards Council of Canada’s Governing Council. The four-year term appointments include: François Coallier as chairperson, and Dianne Salt and Ahmed Shalabi as members, effective December 15, 2023. Dennis Hogan, Ralph Paroli and Marc Tassé were appointed as members, effective January 26, 2024. Learn more here.

Kudos

The Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to Canada announced that Lithuanian laser developers Ekspla received an award for best laser at the prestigious 2024 SPIE Prism Awards for the Company’s FemtoLux30. The FemtoLux30 is the first laser cooled by Freon rather than water. Read more here.

Kudos to Canary Medical Inc. for being included in The Medical Futurist's 100 Digital Health and AI Companies of 2024. The annual list sets out to cover the most exciting and promising digital health companies. Find the full list here.

Congratulations to UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ own Laura Schummers, Simon Wisnovsky, Thomas Velenosi, and Vanessa Paquette on receiving fall 2023 competition project grants from the CIHR. These grants are part of a total 46 projects led by UBC researchers that were awarded $31.3 million in combined funding. Read more here.

Congratulations are also in order for the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researchers who were awarded fall 2023 competition project grants and priority announcement grants from the CIHR. Learn more here.

A heartfelt congratulations to PHC Corporation of North America (PHCNA) for celebrating 30 years of innovation in laboratory equipment products that support sustainability goals. PHCNA is the supplier of PHCbi brand products in North America and Latin America, with products that include ultra-low temperature freezers and cryogenic freezers to pharmaceutical refrigerators, biomedical freezers, and more. Read the full announcement here.

People on the Move

Congratulations to Simon Fraser University President Joy Johnson, who has been re-appointed to another five-year term as President and Vice-Chancellor. Read more here.

Dr. Ted Love has been appointed to Gilead Sciences’ Board of Directors. Dr. Love’s extensive experience includes numerous Board positions, such as the current chair of the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. Read more here.

Bausch Health Companies Inc. has announced changes to its Board of Directors, as part of its ongoing commitment to board refreshment and board diversity. The Company has nominated two independent candidates. They are Christian A. Garcia, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of BrandSafway Industries, LLC, and Frank D. Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Pacira Biosciences, Inc. Read more here.

Lindsey Foulkes, PhD, joined Zymeworks Inc. as Vice President of Corporate Development. Foulkes has more than 25 years of experience in the biotechnology, biopharma medical device industries, and deep expertise in corporate and business development, marketing, and clinical portfolio management. Learn more here.

Dr. Philippe Bishop has joined Abdera Therapeutics Inc. as Chief Medical Officer, while Eric Dobmeier has been appointed to Abdera’s Board of Directors. Dr. Bishop has extensive expertise in oncology drug development, previously serving as Chief Medical Officer of Atreca. Dobmeier has more than 20 years of experience in the biotechnology industry and was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Chinook Therapeutics. Read more here.

Dr. Daniel Edgcumbe has been named the Vice President, Medical & Regulatory Affairs, for Roche Canada Pharma. His diverse experience in healthcare will be of great benefit as he seeks to make a positive impact on the industry. Read more here.

Henry Gao has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Frontage, and will also continue to serve as President of Asia Pacific and oversee Frontage’s operations in the Asia-Pacific region. In his expanded role, Gao will be involved in planning, implementing, managing and controlling all financial-related activities for Frontage. Read more here.

Applications Open

There are many exciting life sciences application opportunities that are currently open – from conference presenters to grants to courses, and more. To review the list of open applications, please click the button below.

Upcoming LSBC events and programs at-a-glance

Until next week,

The LSBC team

Merck Canada Announces Collaboration with Vector Institute to Further Advance its Artificial Intelligence Capabilities and Drive Innovation in Healthcare

Merck has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Vector Institute in Toronto. This agreement will allow Merck Canada to gain access to Vector’s exceptional research capabilities and expertise in AI and engage with its robust and thriving ecosystem to drive innovation in healthcare...READ MORE

Developing Alternatives to Palm Oil with Getinge Bioreactors

Getinge has entered a collaboration with NoPalm Ingredients in the Netherlands. The company will begin using Getinge’s bioreactors in their efforts to develop local, circular, and sustainable alternatives to palm oil. Ranging from small to larger volume cultivation systems, Getinge’s bioreactors will be key enablers in NoPalm Ingredients’ ambitions to upscale tests covering various feedstocks and applications...READ MORE

AbbVie’s VYALEV™ (foslevodopa/foscarbidopa solution) Available for the Treatment of Advanced Parkinson’s Disease in Canada

AbbVie announced that VYALEV is now available for the treatment of motor fluctuations in patients with advanced levodopa-responsive Parkinson’s disease who do not have satisfactory control...READ MORE

WELL Health Announces the Creation of a Dedicated Public Sector Group to Help Tech Enable Public Health Systems Operating at Scale

WELL Health Technologies Corp., is pleased to announce the creation of a dedicated public sector group to help public health systems and related large enterprises operating at scale with technology enablement...READ MORE

30 Years of Sustainability Innovations

PHC Corporation of North America (PHCNA), supplier of PHCbi brand products in the North America and Latin America markets, is celebrating 30 years of innovation in laboratory equipment products that support sustainability goals...READ MORE

Frontage Announces the Appointment of Mr. Henry Gao as Chief Financial Officer

Frontage is pleased to announce that Mr. Henry Gao has been appointed as its Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), effective February 1, 2024. As CFO, Mr. Gao will play a key role in planning, implementing, managing and controlling all financial-related activities for Frontage...READ MORE

ARC Medical’s Novel Fluid Medical Device JOCOAT™ in Clinical Development for the Prevention or Reduction of Surgical Adhesions Deployed in Surgical Patients for the First Time

ARC Medical Inc., a leading innovator in advanced medical devices, announced the first deployment of its novel JOCOAT™ fluid medical device for the prevention or reduction of surgical adhesions in two surgical patients, one who underwent knee surgery and the other shoulder surgery...READ MORE

New ‘Spatial’ Biomarkers Could Better Predict Treatment Outcomes for Hodgkin Lymphoma

UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers have discovered a new way to better predict treatment outcomes in patients with relapsed and refractory, or treatment-resistant, classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The recent study uncovers a new class of “spatial” biomarker that sheds light on the unique interactions between cancer cells and nearby tissue...READ MORE

Getinge’s Ventilators Get a Virtual Twin

Getinge’s renown Servo ventilators get a boost into the future. With the launch of Servo TwinView, medical teams can access and analyze near real-time data from the ventilators, without having to step inside the sensitive environment in the intensive care unit...READ MORE

ESSA Pharma to Present at the Oppenheimer 34th Annual Healthcare Life Sciences Conference

ESSA Pharma Inc. announced that the Company will be participating in a virtual fireside chat at the Oppenheimer 34th Annual Healthcare Life Sciences Conference on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 12:40 p.m. ET...READ MORE

Cytiva and LevitasBio Join Forces to Transform Single-Cell Workflow and Accelerate Therapeutic Development

Cytiva and LevitasBio are collaborating to deliver an innovative single-cell workflow for genomics researchers in academia and industry. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in improving how samples are prepared, enabling researchers to more quickly perform tasks...READ MORE

Vertex Announces Positive Results from Pivotal Trials of Vanzacaftor/Tezacaftor/Deutivacaftor, Next-In-Class Triple Combination Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced positive results from its once-daily vanzacaftor/tezacaftor/deutivacaftor program for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The safety of the vanza triple in children 6 to 11 years old was similar to the safety in people 12 years of age and older...READ MORE

Research Approval Processes Project (RAPP) Gains Strong Support for Streamlining in British Columbia

The Research Approval Processes Project has received support from the Leadership Council, a council of Health Authority Chief Executive Officers and Ministry of Health leadership. Leadership Council has indicated strong support for the streamlining efforts proposed by RAPP, which encompass ethics, privacy, data access and sharing, contracts...READ MORE

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Announces Updated Positive Clinical Data in EP-104GI RESOLVE Trial for the Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced updated positive clinical data from its Phase 1b/2a RESOLVE trial, which is evaluating safety and efficacy of EP-104GI as a treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis...READ MORE

Ted Love, MD, Joins Gilead Sciences’ Board of Directors

Gilead Sciences announced that Ted Love, MD, has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Love is currently chair of the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization and serves on the Boards of Directors of Royalty Pharma and Structure Therapeutics...READ MORE

Bausch Health Announces Board Refreshment

Bausch Health Companies Inc. announced, as part of its ongoing commitment to board refreshment and board diversity, its nomination of two independent and diverse candidates to stand for election to its Board of Directors at the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: Christian A. Garcia of BrandSafway Industries, LLC, and Frank D. Lee of Pacira Biosciences, Inc...READ MORE

Lithuanian Laser Recognized as the World’s Best

On January 31, Lithuanian laser developers Ekspla were honoured with the prestigious SPIE Prism Awards 2024, often referred to as the ‘Oscar of the laser industry,’ for the best laser, the FemtoLux30. This achievement holds special significance for Ekspla, marking their second award within the Lithuanian laser community...READ MORE

Incyte is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics. World-class science and R&D drive Incyte’s business and its commitment to making a difference in the lives of patients through scientific discovery.

We have an experienced team with a track record of success, and our goal is to create first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics to meet serious unmet medical needs. We are advancing a growing portfolio of medicines across Oncology and Inflammation & Autoimmunity.

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Incyte has operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information on Incyte, please visit Incyte.com and follow@Incyte. LEARN MORE

Minister Champagne Announces Appointments to the Standards Council of Canada’s Governing Council

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced recent appointments to the Standards Council of Canada’s Governing Council. François Coallier was appointed as chairperson, and Dianne Salt and Ahmed Shalabi were appointed as members, effective December 15, 2023...READ MORE

Canada and EU Boost Their Strategic Digital Partnership to Address New Challenges

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, and the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, met today to begin work on implementing the Canada-EU Digital Partnership, which was concluded at the Canada–European Union Summit 2023 held in Canada in November...READ MORE

Events Specialist

Life Sciences BC is looking for an enthusiastic new co-op student to assist with preparations and execution of both in-person and virtual events. With several scheduled events happening between May and August, this role will offer a varied mix of tasks and projects and will provide fantastic experience for the chosen candidate to see how a professional industry association operates...LEARN MORE

Manager, End User Services

This role will be responsible for ensuring an exceptional work experience across the company by limiting disruptions and enhancing productivity. This individual will lead a small team of Vancouver-based employees and a future Managed Services Provider...LEARN MORE

Associate Professor (tenure) or Professor (tenure) Sir Magdi Yacoub Professorship in Tissue Regeneration

Reporting to the Director of the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, the successful candidate will be expected to lead an independent, internationally-recognized research program, participate in the teaching activities of the School, provide mentorship and training to undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate learners...LEARN MORE

Associate, In Vivo Bioprinting

Aspect Biosciences is seeking an Associate to join their high-performing team focused on developing bioprinted tissue therapeutics for cell therapy applications. In this role, you will focus on manufacturing various Bioprinted Tissue Therapeutics (BTT) to support Aspect’s GMP and Research /Development groups...LEARN MORE

Associate II, Quality Control

The Associate II, Quality Control will complete routine raw material testing, perform biological and mechanical analytical assays, aid in the development and validation of new assays, support R&D, Process Development, and Bioprinting Teams to characterize drug substance, drug product, and final product. This is an onsite position...LEARN MORE

Sales Representative

The full-time Sales Representative is responsible for sales of In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) and bio-reagent products in global markets. The position is the principal point of contact between a business and its customers. Sales reps ensure current customers have the right products and services, identify new markets and customer leads, and pitch prospective customers...LEARN MORE

Scientist – Immunology

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, driving important proof of concept and mechanism of action studies for the development of novel antibody therapeutics. To accomplish this, you will design, test, analyze and interpret advanced in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models of human disease...LEARN MORE

Software Tools Developer

The Software Tools Developer will develop, test and maintain tools to assist in the development of software for our Globe® Mapping and Ablation System. These tools run the gamut from code generation, static analysis customization, workflow customizations, to testing automation frameworks...LEARN MORE

Research Scientist 2, CMC, Analytical Chemistry

The ideal candidate will work flexibly across a number of small molecule drug development programs with an emphasis on the development of in-house analytical methods on new research/development compounds that will be subsequently transferred to external cGMP testing labs...LEARN MORE

Research Associate II, Antibody Discovery & Engineering

The Research Associate II, Antibody Discovery & Engineering executes experiments with an emphasis on cell line engineering, supports mammalian tissue culture, generates high quality, reproducible data, performs various cloning protocols and integrates new techniques...LEARN MORE

Associate Scientist, In Vivo Pharmacology

The Associate Scientist, In Vivo Pharmacology oversees all aspects of designing, planning, coordinating, and analyzing in vivo immuno-oncology efficacy and PK/PD experiments, Supports animal research associates with the handling of mice, provides leadership, mentorship, and scientific/technical guidance to junior staff...LEARN MORE

Scientist, Clinical Pharmacokinetics

The Scientist, Clinical Pharmacokinetics represents Clinical Pharmacology line function and works on a multi-functional team to support late-stage discovery programs, independently analyzes, interprets and reports clinical PK data, develops and maintains a relationship with internal and external clients and scientists...LEARN MORE

R&D Operations Coordinator

The R&D Operations Coordinator facilitates the procurement of materials, supplies, and equipment, updates internal systems, takes ownership of the purchasing process, assists with administrative duties, and performs other related duties as assigned...LEARN MORE

Biomanufacturing Training Technician – Charlottetown

The Technician will support the effective delivery of CASTL training programs by maintaining the facilities equipment, implementing inventory management, preparing consumable materials for training courses, maintaing a standard of cleanliness and readiness in the facility and supporting the training delivery team in other document preparation and maintenance...LEARN MORE

Biomanufacturing Trainer – Montreal

The Biomanufacturing Trainer will be responsible for delivery and development of training material including lectures and practical content in biopharmaceutical processing operations, day-to-day operation of pilot plant facilities and laboratory equipment in CASTL's pilot-scale training facility, and more...LEARN MORE

Biomanufacturing Trainer and Site Manager

The Biomanufacturing Trainer and Site Manager will be a senior member of the company’s team. Reporting to the Associate Director of Technical Training, they will take a leadership role in overseeing the set-up and operations of the greater Vancouver Training Facility and supporting the company’s overall strategy...LEARN MORE

Research Technician 1, Resource Facility

This position will provide husbandry and facility maintenance to support preclinical research in drug discovery. You will be working in an accredited research facility holding Good Animal Practices certification from the Canadian Council on Animal Care. This position reports to the Manager, Resource Facility and will be in the Vancouver, BC location. The level of the position will be commensurate with the candidate’s education and experience...LEARN MORE

Head of Quality Control

The Head of Quality Control's duties include: establishing departmental goals and effectively communicating direction, objectives, and results as needed to the department, plant site, and Evonik; developing and managing team conformance to departmental budget, and driving improved efficiencies in departmental operations...LEARN MORE

Senior Project Manager

Reporting to the CSO, the Senior Project Manager will work closely with the NanoVation Team and will be responsible for managing multiple and concurrent projects in support of our corporate goals and objectives.You will also be responsible for ensuring projects are successfully completed on time and on budget, reaching desired outcomes, milestones, and deliverables, using a consistent, company-wide project management framework and methodology...LEARN MORE

Post Doctoral Fellow – Synthetic Organic Chemistry

We are seeking postdoctoral fellows with a passion for synthetic organic chemistry and/or medicinal chemistry to join our Vancouver site. The fellow will become integrated within our medicinal chemistry team and take part in a drug discovery project, gaining experience in modern medicinal chemistry techniques and strategies...LEARN MORE

Internal Operations Auditor

The Internal Operations Auditor is responsible for ensuring Business Units comply with company policies and applicable laws. In this role you will support risk management in establishing streamlined processes and be a supportive link for operations to understand corporate and legal requirements. This role will ensure internal practices and operational SOPs comply with federal regulations and regulations...LEARN MORE

Coordinator, Operations

Coordinator, Operations will be responsible for providing core lab and operations support for adMare & resident companies, as well as shipping and receiving services. Reporting to Senior Director, Operations & Innovation Centres, this role is based in our Vancouver Innovations Center. This is a maternity leave - contract 12 months position...LEARN MORE

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