April 6th, 2023

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.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Announces Promising Topline Data from Renal Biopsy Sub-study of the AURORA Trial

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced promising results from the AURORA Renal Biopsy Sub-Study. LUPKYNIS is a novel agent approved for the treatment of adults with active lupus nephritis (LN). The addition of LUPKYNIS on top of the then current standard of care MMF and low-dose steroids in Aurinia’s Phase 3 AURORA 1 and AURORA 2 studies led to significantly earlier and greater reductions in proteinuria while maintaining stable renal function, as evidenced by a stable estimated glomerular filtration rate slope over time...READ MORE

Electromate Partners with Spin Robotics to Offer Cobot Screwdriving Solutions in Canada

Electromate Inc., a leading distributor of industrial automation products, motion control systems and robots has announced a new partnership with Spin Robotics, a Danish manufacturer of collaborative robot (cobot) accessories. The partnership will bring Spin Robotics’ screwdriving solutions to the Canadian market, providing customers with efficient and reliable cobot solutions for screwdriving applications...READ MORE

Algernon NeuroScience Announces Successful Dosing of 2nd Cohort in Phase 1 DMT Clinical Study

Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Canadian clinical stage pharmaceutical development company, is pleased to advise that its subsidiary Algernon NeuroScience (AGN Neuro), has completed dosing of the second cohort in its escalating dose Phase 1 clinical study of an intravenous formulation of AP-188 (“N,N-Dimethyltryptamine” or “DMT”). AGN Neuro also reports that the safety review committee has approved moving the study forward with the final cohort at an escalated dose after observing no safety or tolerability issues...READ MORE

Salix Pharmaceuticals Releases Third Annual Patient Perspectives Report

Bausch Health Companies Inc. and its gastroenterology (GI) business, Salix Pharmaceuticals, announced the results from the third edition of its patient perspectives survey, an annual survey of U.S. adults living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC). The report, Patient Perspectives: Impacts of Living with IBS, offers a current understanding of the behaviors and experiences of the IBS and CIC patient population, including insights on diagnosis, barriers to provider discussions, and symptom management...READ MORE

The Michael Smith Health Research BC 2023 Convening & Collaborating (C2) and Reach Competitions Open

These team-funded programs mobilize communities for research impact — supporting co-development of research questions and disseminating research evidence to audiences who can directly use it. This important knowledge translation work supports moving research into practice and policy. The award amount available for both competitions is up to $15,000 and the term of the awards is 18 months...READ MORE

Microbion Corp. Granted US Patent for the Use of Inhaled Pravibismane for Pulmonary Infections

Microbion Corporation announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued United States Patent No. 11,464,749 to Microbion with claims to the use of Microbion’s proprietary pravibismane inhaled composition for treatment of pulmonary infections. The patent, entitled “Bismuth-thiol compositions and methods of use,” extends inhaled pravibismane patent protection through mid-2039. The granted claims cover the administration and use of inhaled pravibismane compositions in pulmonary infections. This patent further expands Microbion’s patent portfolio, comprising granted claims to its pravibismane composition and methods of treating infections of the respiratory tract...READ MORE

Algernon NeuroScience Announces U.S. SEC Qualification of Regulation A+ Tier II Offering to Raise up to USD $10M

Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc. announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Algernon NeuroScience (AGN Neuro), has qualified its Form 1-A offering statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under a Tier II Regulation A+ offering (Reg A+). Under the Reg A+, AGN Neuro will be offering up to 37.5% of its common shares, with majority ownership residing with AGN Pharma. The capital raised will be used for research, development, and program management costs related to the completion of the Phase 1 DMT study currently underway as well as Phase 2a stroke and traumatic brain injury studies...READ MORE

Survey of Medical Experts Reveals Opportunities to Address Organ Damage Risk With People Living With Lupus Earlier in the Course of Their Disease

A global survey of healthcare professionals – which included Canadian medical experts – reveals the COVID-19 pandemic and medical complications prevented some people living with systemic lupus erythematosus from getting optimal care in the past two years, increasing their risk for organ damage.

• Survey examined healthcare professional approaches to preventing organ damage – which impacts many people living with lupus within five years of diagnosis
• HCPs reported a need for earlier intervention and prevention in identifying risks and measuring disease activity in patients.
• HCPs report that COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in diagnosis and care...READ MORE

SignalChem Receives US FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug Application for Clinical Trial of AXL Inhibitor SLC-391 in Combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in Subjects with Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

SignalChem Lifesciences Corp. announced that it has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Clearance of Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for its single-arm, open-label, phase 1b/2 Study of SLC-391, an AXL inhibitor, in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in subjects with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of SLC-391 in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in subjects with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)...READ MORE

Imagia Canexia Health Announces Three Abstracts to be Presented at AACR Annual Meeting 2023 Highlighting the Company’s Latest Research Findings

Imagia Canexia Health announced that three abstracts highlighting the company’s new learnings and tools will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023, taking place April 14-19, 2023, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The AACR Annual Meeting is the focal point of the cancer research community, where scientists, clinicians, other health care professionals, survivors, patients, and advocates gather to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine...READ MORE

Minimum Wage Increases to $16.75 Per Hour on June 1

On June 1, 2023, B.C.’s lowest-paid workers will get a pay raise with the general minimum wage increasing from $15.65 to $16.75 an hour. The 6.9% increase in minimum wage rates reflects B.C.’s average annual inflation rate in 2022. The adjustment reflects government’s commitment to tie annual minimum wage increases to inflation. The same increase will apply to wages for residential caretakers, live-in home-support workers and camp leaders. On Jan. 1, 2024, piece rates for 15 hand-harvested crops will also increase by 6.9%...READ MORE

Minister’s Statement on Public Health Week

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has released the following statement on Public Health Week from April 3-7:

“This year, and for the first time, B.C. is proclaiming April 3 to 7 Public Health Week. In observance of this week, I recognize and acknowledge the dedication and contribution of all public-health professionals in B.C. who have worked tirelessly to support people and communities in achieving their best health and well-being through what have been some of the most challenging years in our province’s history"...READ MORE

Communications Manager, Digital Media

Genome BC is looking for a Communications Manager, Digital Media to create and share compelling narratives about genomics research and innovation and the many exciting ways it is contributing to society. In this role you will manage our social media channels, create written and audio/visual content and project manage our podcast ‘Nice Genes!’



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Product Marketing Manager

Semaphore Solutions is seeking a Producting Marketing Manager who will join the Sales and Marketing team to further develop and execute go-to-market strategies and assets for Labbit, with significant autonomy and responsibility for driving growth and success. The role holder will report to the Head of Sales and Marketing and work closely with Sales and Product Management to track product revenue and growth metrics.

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Senior Vice President, Clinical Development

Xenon is seeking a Senior Vice President, Clinical Development to develop strategies and oversee the planning and execution all phases of clinical development (Phases 1-4) for the Company’s products and product candidates within a highly integrated and collaborative broader Clinical team. The Senior Vice President leads and manages key functions and staff in Clinical Development, Translational Research, and Biostatistics.





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WAT Medical is a company that develops safe, effective, and user-friendly smart medical technologies. Their current products primarily target three common medical conditions: nausea-induced vomiting, primary migraines and obesity.

Wat Medical understands the side effects and cost of available drug treatments, and how they often cause hesitation among people who need them. As a result, we developed a drug-free therapy that uses precise transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to target different areas of the body to deliver treatments with precision and without side effects.

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L9 BioScience Inc. (L9) is an early-stage, Vancouver-based R&D biotech with an innovative, unique, and disruptive, patented technology that changes the molecular delivery of wellness products and drugs so that it can potentially greatly increase the gastric bioavailability, while substantially reducing toxicity by creating excretion pathways.

What does increased bioavailability mean? It means L9 BioScience can take a drug and potentially make it more efficacious. Or said differently, they can potentially decrease dosages which can deliver the same effectiveness while substantially reducing the harmful toxic side effects. The L9 technology can so fundamentally change the active pharmaceutical ingredient, that it can create a net new “BioBetter” drug to be patented.

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