life sciences 2013

Growing British Columbia’s Bio-Economy

20

13 Partnerships take centre stage

Insider’s look at the changing faces

Using data for better health Population Data BC may hold the key

The political lens What will health care look like in five years

Best in class Research excellence and unique perspectives

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www.merck.ca

At Merck, we work hard to keep the world well. How? By providing people all around the globe with innovative prescription medicines, vaccines, consumer care and animal health products. We also believe our responsibility includes making sure that our products reach people who need them.

more hope to more people around the world.

See all we’re doing at merck.ca.

Copyright ©2013 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. All rights reserved.

Merck recognizes the importance of innovative science and the spirit of collaboration that exists in British Columbia. We have established life sciences partnerships in the province with Alectos Therapeutics, EnWave Corporation, Xenon Pharmaceuticals, and Zymeworks. Our goal is to work with our partners to accelerate the successful development and commercialization of breakthrough products that can bring meaningful improvements to patients’ lives.

Not just healthcare.

OUR NAME IS NEW. OUR COMMITMENT TO HEALTHCARE WILL NEED NO INTRODUCTION.

Features10 Partnerships take centre stage

14 Using data for better health

17 Stars of B.C.

22 Biotech in B.C. more upbeat in 2012

36 Biotechnology’s transformation

39 Best in class

Departments6 Chair’s message

7 President’s report

8 Q&A Minister of Health, Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid

9 Q&A MLA Mike Farnworth, Critic for Health

35 List: Biggest life-sciences companies in B.C.

41 LifeSciences British Columbia Awards

43 LifeSciences BC members’ directory

LifeSciences BCSuite 900 – 1188 West Georgia StreetVancouver, B.C. V6E 4A2Tel.: 604-669-9909, Fax: 604-669-9912Email: [email protected]

LifeSciences British Columbia 2013 is published for LifeSciences BC by BIV Magazines, a division of BIV Media Group, 102 Fourth Avenue East, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1G2, tel. 604-688-2398, fax 604-688-6058, www.businessinvancouver.com

Publisher: Paul HarrisManaging publisher: Gail ClarkEditor: Christine WoodDesign director: Randy PearsallProofreader: Noa GloubermanWriters: Sam Eifling, Noa Glouberman,

Peter Mitham, Production manager: Don SchuetzeProduction: David TongVice-president sales: Kerry MacDonaldSales manager: Joan McGroganAdvertising sales: Lori Borden, Corinne TkachukAdministrator: Katherine ButlerList research: Richard ChuController: Marlita HodgensPresident, BIV Media Group: Paul Harris

Copyright 2013, BIV Magazines. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or incorporated into any information retrieval system without permission of BIV Magazines. The publishers are not responsible in whole or in part for any errors or omissions in this publication.

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Chair’s messageGordon C. McCauley, LifeSciences BC

The vitality of any community is the

quality and strength of the people

committed to its success. This critical

element is the reason that so many people

have such great faith in the capacity of

British Columbia’s life-sciences community

to flourish, even as technology communities

around the world are being challenged by a

variety of negative forces.

Historically, there is no good reason why our

community should be so strong, surrounded

as we are by natural resources that underpin

our economy. Yet, nobody told that to the col-

lection of innovators who were determined

to build a strong life-sciences community

here because, of all the natural resources, the

strongest are human resources.

Since those innovators decided to build

a life-sciences industry here, it has grown,

matured and become the premier cluster

in Canada, and among the leaders in the

world. Based on that belief in people, we

now have the formula that other commun-

ities only dream about: strong universities

(the University of British Columbia is one of

the top-20 public universities in the world,

and Simon Fraser University among the top

30), outstanding research institutes (such as

the Michael Smith Foundation

for Health Research, the Rick

Hansen Institute, Genome British

Columbia and the BC Cancer

Agency), excellent research con-

sortia (for example, the PROOF

Centre of Excellence and the BC

Clinical Research Infrastructure

Network), globally competitive

researchers (over 800 engaged

in human-clinical studies alone

through 60 research centres), en-

gaged patients and advocates (18

patient registries and many more

advocacy groups), the Centre for

Drug Research and Development

(a global research and commer-

cialization engine) and entrepre-

neurs who find capital and build

businesses by motivating teams

to achieve.

B.C. is facing the same negative

forces that challenge the viability of the

sector around the world, such as greater

regulatory risk, more expensive clinical

trials, diminished partnerships and less cap-

ital to fund our work. Many of these chal-

lenges are due to the fact that our industry

is evolving. To remain a leader,

LifeSciences BC must evolve as

well, embracing more collabora-

tive structures, different funding

mechanisms and alternate clin-

ical trial approaches.

In keeping with this industrial

evolution, however, we must

remember that Darwin taught

us it is the adaptable that sur-

vive. LifeSciences BC has this

essential adaptability. We will

flourish due to the same kind of

extraordinary commitment of

the people who built this com-

munity in the first place. Our in-

dustry is comprised of people

not just globally competitive in

their outlook but their expertise,

people committed not just to

science but to innovation and,

most importantly, people com-

mitted not just to life sciences but to making

the world a better place.

This commitment to other people is dem-

onstrated in each of our members who lead

noble adventures to improve the human

condition each and every day.

LifeSciences

BC must

evolve

as well,

embracing

more

collaborative

structures,

different

funding

mechanisms

and alternate

clinical trial

approaches

6 LifeSciences 2013 Business in Vancouver Magazines

Winston Churchill once said, “The

pessimist sees difficulty in every

opportunity; the optimist sees op-

portunity in every difficulty.” With regard

to boom and bust cycles, one can hardly

debate the notion that the global life-sci-

ences community has seen better days, and

British Columbia is no exception. However,

there are many who believe that the future

holds promise. I acknowledge that the issues

associated with capital markets, sovereign

debt and evolving business models are chal-

lenging, and I would also argue that there is

reason for guarded optimism, which should

produce results that may benefit individuals

(i.e., patients and investors), organizations

and the industry as a whole.

If one accepts the concept that the best

predictor of the future is predicated upon

foundations built in the past, consider some

of what has been accomplished in the past

generation:

1986 DNA fingerprinting was first used to

assist with a criminal conviction

1990 The launch of the Human Genome

Project

1994 The FDA approves the first genetically

engineered tomato

1996 Dolly the sheep is cloned

2002 Ce ler a and the NIH announce

completion of the human genome

sequence

2007 International teams determine how to

transform skin cells into stem cells

2012 Digital pills are approved, which wire-

lessly transmit key patient metrics

According to Capital IQ, a leading global

credit and market adviser, the market capital-

ization of large pharmaceutical companies

operating during the timeline outlined above

increased from $60.5 billion US to $955 bil-

lion. The achievements made by our sector

in business, research and patient outcomes

have been nothing short of phenomenal, yet

they can be taken for granted or, possibly, not

even understood. Our scientific progress has

moved ahead of society’s ability to absorb

much of this information. Other challenges

include the ambiguity associated with the

regulatory approval pathway and industry’s

ability to translate cutting-edge research into

a well-defined business model.

Is it possible that the future has already

arrived? Undoubtedly, sequencing costs will

continue to decrease, which will benefit per-

sonalized medicine initiatives. Technologies

of all forms will migrate toward convergence

in a manner that is sector agnostic, stem

cell research will be better understood and

emerging economies, such as India and Brazil,

will play a greater role in our sector. In B.C.,

the underlying building blocks for these

advancements are already in place. What can

be done to ensure that the potential of these

foundational elements are fully realized? How

can LifeSciences BC and its members influ-

ence outcomes? I have a few thoughts:

Capital formation Access to early-stage

capital continues to be the challenge for

many entrepreneurial ideas. As underlined

earlier this year by the federal government’s

announcement of providing $400 million

in a venture capital fund, government and

private industry must work together in an

attempt to bridge the gap. Structurally, we

must think of approaches that allow for a

more comprehensive and sustained ap-

proach. For example, would it be possible

to negotiate reimbursement fees in such

a manner that a portion is allocated for re-

search collaborations?

Unconventional partnerships Strategic

partnerships between large pharmaceutical

corporations and early-stage companies

or institutes are well established. But, what

about partnerships between foundations

and SMEs, or large pharmaceutical corpora-

tions and mobile technology companies, or

even government-to-government collabora-

tions? Admittedly, objectives may differ but

they are by no means entirely divergent, and

organizations like LifeSciences BC can help

facilitate those relationships.

Flexible policy framework In general, we

must ensure policy reflects scientific progress

in a timely manner. Canada is 25 years

behind the U.S. on developing an orphan

drug strategy, and the federal government

has yet to implement non-discrimination

legislation related to genetic predisposition.

International trade agreements, data access

and innovative pricing models are some of

the other issues that warrant our collective

attention.

Public engagement As noted earlier, one

of the most significant impediments to

advancing the sector is the lack of under-

standing. It is incumbent upon the life-sci-

ences community to articulate – in a clear

and concise manner – how technology will

be integrated into our health-care system

and how it will benefit patient care. There

must be constructive dialogue around the

issues of personal health data, mobile plat-

forms, genomics applications and remote

monitoring.

Many people are unaware that B.C. is ideally

suited to compete in this changing global

landscape. The underlying infrastructure

already exists, and it is a matter of nurturing

and aligning them in a strategic manner. In

keeping with my opening comment, I will

close with another quote from Churchill:

“To improve is to change. To be perfect is to

change often.”

President’s reportDon M. Enns, LifeSciences BC

Do

min

ic S

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fer

Ph

oto

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y

Business in Vancouver Magazines LifeSciences 2013 7

Honourable Dr. Margaret

MacDiarmid, Minister of Health and

MLA for Vancouver-Fairview

How do you see the life-sciences industry

supporting the delivery of health care in

B.C.?

As someone who has experienced both

sides of the health system, as a patient and

a physician, I understand the importance of

the life-sciences industry and the positive

impact it can have on health care for B.C.

families.

Every day researchers and life scientists in

British Columbia reveal answers that help in

the fight against disease and pave the way

for new ways to improve patient care and

patient outcomes.

B.C. is the only province in Canada that is

demonstrating a consistent decline in HIV.

The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV-AIDS

plays a crucial role in research and treatment,

positioning B.C. as a world leader in the fight

against HIV-AIDS.

We are always looking at innovative strat-

egies to keep our health-care system sus-

tainable and the life-sciences industry plays

a role. We remain committed to investing

in health research, as this work also helps

government in meeting the health needs

of British Columbians and their families. In

fact, since 2001 our government has made

investments of more than $900 million in

health research.

If you had the ability to change one aspect

of B.C.’s current health-care system, what

would it be?

If I could change one thing it would be to

have all British Columbians embrace all the

ideas, strategies, programs and recommen-

dations there are regarding prevention and

health promotion.

That said, it’s important to realize the health

system is constantly in a state of change. Just

look at the advances over the last 10 years:

introducing LEAN design techniques,

building better patient care with major in-

vestments in health capital, consolidation of

non-clinical services and more

focus on integrated primary and

community care.

There are many factors driving

change. We have a growing

population that is also aging.

We have seen advances in

technology and testing, which

expands ability to treat more

people, and new and expen-

sive treatments for previously

untreatable conditions. We have

a rising incidence in chronic dis-

eases such as diabetes, renal failure and

congestive heart failure.

The ministry has been implementing

gradual systemic change outlined in our in-

novation and change agenda. This includes

providing effective health promotion and

prevention as well as meeting the majority

of health needs with high-quality primary

and community-based health care and sup-

port services.

What does your view of health-care

delivery look like five years from now?

I believe that in five years health delivery will

look remarkably different and will be even

better than it is today. There will be more

personalized medicine, less in-hospital care

and more care based in the community. The

degree to which patients are partners in their

own health care will have increased.

Our health-care system is regarded as a

world leader. In fact, British Columbia has

some of the best health-care outcomes in

Canada. However, as the population grows

and ages and as medical technology and

pharmaceuticals advance, it’s necessary to

look at innovation to ensure the sustain-

ability of our public health-care system.

For example, B.C.’s eHealth program uses

information technology to provide the best

possible patient care. It will bring lab results,

diagnostic scans, medication histories and

electronic prescriptions online.

The program will implement

secure electronic health-record

systems to bring better, faster,

safer health care by giving au-

thorized health professionals

electronic access to secure pa-

tient health records where they

are required for delivering care.

With regard to genomics, our

government has contributed

$177.5 million to Genome BC since

2001. In 2012, we provided a fur-

ther $10 million for the organization. The

funding is for genomics projects that sup-

port B.C.’s scientific community and secure

social and economic benefits for people

everywhere.

How can B.C.’s life-sciences sector best

contribute to the economic well-being of

the province?

British Columbia’s life-sciences sector not

only does invaluable research work, which

helps families and leads to better patient

outcomes, it also provides great economic

benefits for the province.

Since being founded in 2007, the Centre

for Drug Research and Development has

created just over 2,200 direct and indirect

jobs in the health-research sector in B.C. and

over the next five years expects to create

an additional 2,300 jobs. Our government

understands the importance of such jobs

and how they contribute to the overall eco-

nomic picture of British Columbia.

As well, investing in life sciences helps the

industry further translate academic health

research into viable investment opportun-

ities for the private sector.

I look forward to continuing our good

working relationship with the life-sciences

industry, which is beneficial not only for the

health system and B.C. families but for the

economic well-being of the province.

It’s necessary

to look at

innovation

to ensure the

sustainability

of our public

health-care

system


Mike Farnworth,

MLA for Port Coquitlam and Health

Critic, Official Opposition

How do you see the life-sciences industry

supporting the delivery of health care in

B.C.?

British Columbians expect and deserve a

public health-care system that is world-

class, one that delivers the best possible

patient outcomes, responds in a timely

fashion and maximizes new and emerging

technology and procedures to constantly

improve. As the primary funder of health

care, government can lay the foundation for

this innovation, but effective partnerships

with health-care professionals, academia

and industry will drive change, improve

health-care delivery and ultimately en-

hance our collective social and economic

well-being.

If you had the ability to change one aspect

of B.C.’s current health-care system, what

would it be?

Despite its strengths, there are significant

challenges facing public health care in British

Columbia. An aging population – which in-

cludes patients, as well as doctors, nurses,

care aides and other health-care

providers – and other demo-

graphic shifts will put additional

pressure on finite resources in

the coming decade. The intel-

lectual capacity exists to ad-

dress those challenges – inside

the current system as well as

among academic, professional

and other associations. However,

the necessary flexibility to adapt

quickly, responding to changing

needs, trends or innovations,

has not always been apparent.

That gap in flexibility could be

what stands in the way of the

system adapting to emerging

technologies, for example. This

problem is not unique to health

care, nor to health care in British

Columbia. Indeed, any large organization

that delivers a broad array of services is

bound to face similar challenges. Working in

collaboration with all the partners in health-

care delivery is the key to encouraging that

flexibility within the health-care system.

What does your view of health-care

delivery look like five years from now?

There is little doubt that health-care delivery

in the decades to come will look markedly

different than it does today. And there’s

every reason to believe that many of the

innovations currently in development in

British Columbia and elsewhere will con-

tribute significantly to strengthening our

system, making it more responsive to the

individual needs of patients across the con-

tinuum of care, allowing more effective use

of precious resources – both human and

technological – and ultimately increasing

patient outcomes, with better life expect-

ancy and improved quality of life.

But British Columbians have also said that

they want to play a bigger role in their own

health care. This clearly starts

with healthy lifestyle choices,

which government policy can

support through initiatives

such as anti -smoking cam-

paigns, screening programs or

encouraging active lifestyles.

Effective use of emerging tech-

nologies is another component

that may allow patients to tailor

their access to the health-care

system to their specific needs.

Again, this can serve as a way of

adding efficiency to the system

and ensuring resources go dir-

ectly where they’re needed. So

while the demographic shift

is coming, smart application

of these emerging technolo-

gies will allow the health-care

system to continue to improve the health

outcomes of patients while getting the

most for the health-care dollar.

How can B.C.’s life-sciences sector best

contribute to the economic well-being of

the province?

British Columbia’s patients will expect better

access to specialized medicine irrespective

of where they live. A greater understanding

of how best to deliver those services will

require constant innovation, which in turn

will require a continued emphasis on re-

search and development. Adrian Dix and the

New Democrats have said repeatedly that

increasing British Columbia’s knowledge-

based economy must be a high priority,

and the life-sciences sector will be a key

component of that.

British Columbians have for generations

stood at the forefront of innovation, across

the spectrum of scientific disciplines. This

begins with educating our children and

youth. With a renewed emphasis on training,

education and research, and by supporting

programs like Science World’s school out-

reach and tour program, we can continue to

be world leaders in health-care research, en-

couraging the world to look to this province

as the leader in life-sciences technology.

Governments set policy direction, but it

will be organizations such as LifeSciences

British Columbia that will provide the skills,

knowledge and expertise, ensuring a greater

understanding not only of the challenges

but also of the tremendous opportunities

ahead in life sciences.

British

Columbians

have also

said that

they want to

play a bigger

role in their

own health

care. This

clearly starts

with healthy

lifestyle

choices


PARTNERSHIPS TAKE CENTRE STAGE

BY PETER MITHAM

How does innovation happen?

Whether it’s through industry clusters or

a triple-helix model that brings together

government, academia and industry,

partnerships and relationships between

organizations are key.

Those partnerships have taken cen-

trestage in the life-sciences industry as financiers have

become risk averse. While the payoff from a successful

new drug can be significant, the up-front cost of de-

veloping new products is equally significant. By some

measures, it can cost upward of $200 million to take a

drug through to commercialization, not to mention years

of research. Committed partners are more likely to have

the vested interest and stamina than external investors

seeking a return on capital.

“As some of the venture capital has repositioned itself

within the market, strategic partnerships have become a

very significant way of financing ventures,” says Don Enns,

president of the industry association LifeSciences BC.

On the front lines, the partnerships take three primary

forms: licensing agreements, which often garner com-

panies an ongoing revenue stream in exchange for a

development partner that can engage in the research

needed to take a new pharmaceutical or device to the

trial stage and commercialization; mergers and acquisi-

tions, which often allow local companies to receive the

backing of international players in exchange for a measure

of independence; and strategic partnerships that offer

a variety of benefits from in-kind support and to the

prospect of future financial relationships.

Enns notes that partnerships are increasingly common

among large pharmaceutical companies that want a stake

in new developments but don’t necessarily have the cash

to risk. By partnering with rising companies early in the

development process, they’ve hedged their bets.

“Ten years ago large pharma effectively would not have

been interested in early-stage companies,” Enns says.

Today they’re happening- and earlier than ever in a com-

pany’s life. Merck & Co. Inc. has five strategic partnerships,

for example, representing a billion-dollar stake in B.C. life

sciences – exponentially beyond anything private-equity

investments are providing.

Brain wave

The significance of partnerships is clear to John McNicol,

a founder and co-CEO of EnWave Corp., which has de-

veloped a novel dehydration technology that’s attracted

interest from diverse companies ranging from pharma-

ceutical giant Merck to homegrown food processors such

as CAL-SAN Enterprises Ltd.

EnWave grew out of research at the University of British

Columbia (UBC) that developed a radiant energy vacuum

for dehydrating food and nutraceuticals. EnWave’s pro-

prietary process maintains colour, quality and nutrients,

as well as appearance. The process also allows different

moisture content. The considerations are important ele-

ments in tailoring products, from purées to vaccines for

different uses and markets. Dehydration can also reduce

packaged volumes while extending shelf life.

A prototype of the system was ready by 2007, when

commercialization efforts began in earnest.

Since then, it has struck $33 million in financing and

licence agreements that have enabled the development

of increasingly larger plants.

“I felt we needed to go after the largest companies in

the world to establish collaborations and partnerships

because a) it gives you tremendous credibility if they

become a partner and it’s known in the industry and b) it

Transforming

the face of the life

sciences industry

We would

rather

let them

adopt the

technology, be

a partner, and

sometimes

we give them

exclusivity

John McNicol

co-CEO

EnWave


allows you to create a whole range of different research

and product-development areas where you’re not put-

ting up all the money,” McNicol explains. “They’re able

to take your machinery into their development pool and

do development work, they pay you for that. They also

are developing products and when they get something

that’s commercially available for the market we end up

getting licensees and a royalty stream.”

EnWave now has partnerships in place with more than

a dozen companies, including Merck and Gay-Lea Foods

Cooperative Ltd. In 2012, Milne Fruit Products Inc. began

commercial processing of fruit at its Nampa, Idaho, plant

under a licensing agreement that will yield EnWave

upfront and ongoing revenues from the production of

Milne’s products.

“Milne couldn’t start up the plant without signing a

licence with us,” McNicol says. “[The licence] controls what

they can produce in the plant and also gives us royalties

as a percentage of the revenues they generate.”

A licence may also open opportunities for companies.

In the case of Boreal Genomics Inc. a licensing agreement

has given access to a portfolio of patents held by UBC.

The patents allowed Boreal to develop a series of cancer

tests that will guide patient treatment. An initial release of

the system in 2012 is being followed up by a collaboration

with researchers at Stanford University.

Buying in

Some of the top headlines in the pharmaceutical busi-

ness result from mergers or acquisitions that reward a

company’s achievements and provide the owners with

a springboard to greater opportunities or an exit strategy

to a new venture.

Some of the biggest deals in the region include Galenica

Holding SA’s acquisition of Victoria-based Aspreva

Pharmaceuticals Inc. in 2007 for $915 million. Before that,

in December 2005, GlaxoSmithKline’s purchased UBC-

spinoff ID Biomedical Corp. for $1.7 billion.

Aspreva’s rise to prominence was built on a research

team that sought new applications for existing drugs

among underserved diseases. A pharmaceutical for

kidney patients attracted Galenica, which initially sought

to license the drug but instead bought Aspreva.

Similarly, ID Biomedical’s work on flu vaccines gave

GlaxoSmithKline greater capacity to serve the market

while renewing ID Biomedical’s financial stability and

allowing it to expand and increase operations.

For companies such as telecommunications giant

Telus Corp. and urological drug developer Sophiris Bio

Inc., acquisitions have also been a gateway to the life-

science sector.

Sophiris originally incorporated in B.C. in 2003 through

an amalgamation of three life-science companies. The

new company acquired Protox Pharmaceuticals Inc.

and became Protox Therapeutics Inc., with a licence

to develop and commercialize a treatment for prostate

cancer it obtained under a licence with John Hopkins

University and the University of Victoria Innovation

and Development Corp. Today the company is signing

agreements of its own, including a collaboration with

Matsumoto-based Kissei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. on the

development and commercialization of one of its drug

candidates in Japan.

Telus is following a similar route as it builds its business in

the life-sciences sector. The telecommunications company

acquired two life-science companies in 2012, building on

the 2008 acquisition of health-records company Emergis

Inc. that established Telus Health. The acquisition, valued

at $763 million, allowed Telus to establish six distinct

business units and a foothold in activities as diverse as

pharmacy systems and claims processing; health-records

management and health care-consulting; and human-

resources outsourcing. Telus Physician Solution, overseen

by Wolf Medical founder Brendan Byrne, was established

through its latest acquisitions of Wolf Medical Systems

Corp., Kinlogix Medical Inc., and the purchase of PS Suite

EMR from MD Practice Software LP.

“Telus stepping into health is bringing world-class ap-

plications on a world-class infrastructure to solve Canadian

health care problems,” Byrne says. “The telco DNA is all

around moving information. And health care is just crying

out for that movement.”

The sector also has room to grow. A report by consulting

firm KPMG notes that life sciences is outperforming other

segments of the province’s economy, but remains small

relative to those in Quebec, Ontario and the world.

Collaborations

are very, very

important,

especially

at the onset

of growth,

because

they bring

expertise

that you

don’t have at

minimal cost

Ali Tehrani

president and CEO

Zymeworks


“It’s a very ripe area for the types of prob-

lems that we solve,” Byrne says. “We’re essen-

tially wrapping a managed service, the utility

model, around some of these health-care

applications.”

While each of the units in Telus Health re-

search and develop new products, Byrne says

the emerging model is cloud-based applica-

tions that are laid over the communications

network, allowing Telus to bundle the two

together for a monthly subscription fee. It

aims to deliver a convenient and reliable solu-

tion to the health-care sector, as well as one

that facilitates collaboration between parties

and improves outcomes for consumers and

patients.

“The collaboration services that we’re

building between physicians and pharmacists

and patients, those are completely new – they

haven’t been done before,” Byrne says, noting

that Telus’ acquisitions are slowly transforming

the company into a full-fledged partner of the

life-sciences industry. “It’s starting from a core

and building.”

Bridging public and private sectors

Strategic partnerships help companies to

receive a handup in the life-sciences sector

as they take their initial steps toward the dis-

covery and development of a new product.

Preliminary partnerships are often as simple

as research collaborations that allow individ-

uals to share expertise or make use of a su-

perior organization’s equipment and research

infrastructure. B.C.’s strengths in the areas

of HIV-AIDS, cancer research and genomics

provide fertile ground for partnerships that

can jump-start new projects.

Enns points to the co-ordinating role

various organizations in the province play

in facilitating such partnerships. While the

province’s eight centres of excellence bring

together researchers, one is of particular

value to companies seeking to commercialize

new pharmaceuticals – the Centre for Drug

Research and Development (CDRD). Bridging

the public and private sectors, CDRD plays a

co-ordinating role in relationships between

industry, universities and the public sector.

Similarly, the BC Clinical Research and

Infrastructure Network is working to stream-

line and co-ordinate the activities of the prov-

ince’s 60 research organizations engaged in

clinical trials. Enns also mentions Genome BC,

a not-for-profit organization funded by the

federal and provincial governments that has

leveraged $400 million for the industry since

its creation in 2000, and the Michael Smith

Foundation for Health Research, a provincial

body that has co-ordinated more than $360

million in funding for life-sciences research

since 2001.

Government can also sometimes be a

direct partner of companies, as in the case

of Vancouver-based iCo Therapeutics Inc.,

which in 2012 received $1.1 million from the

Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI), a col-

laboration between the federal government

and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The

grant is funding feasibility testing and pre-

clinical toxicology studies in patients who are

candidates for iCo’s Amp B treatment.

A spinoff from UBC, iCo also enjoys a re-

search collaboration with the Toronto-based

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

for the prevention, treatment and cure of

Type1 diabetes. The collaboration supports

its own research, helping it to make better

use of its resources as well as those of the

foundation.

Such partnerships are critical, says Ali

Tehrani, president and CEO of Vancouver-

based Zymeworks Inc.

Zymeworks pursues computer-assisted

development of new therapies, a process

that Tehrani says eliminates guesswork as

well as the potential for human error in pro-

cessing data related to the selection of new

drug candidates for trial. It has developed a

proprietary platform for the assessment of

a new product, ZymeCAD, that Merck and

other companies are keen to license for future

development. Azymetric, for example, is a

molecule that can be used as the basis for

several kinds of biologic drugs. “It’s the output

of this research that interested Merck,” Tehrani

says. “We struck a deal where they gained a

non-exclusive licence to be able to use that

molecule to be able to develop a certain

number of antibody therapeutics.”

The process Zymeworks uses for identifying

new products makes its work appealing to

large pharmaceutical companies looking to

reduce their development costs and time-

lines. Securing licensing agreements provides

Zymeworks with ongoing revenues as well as

insights into how its molecules behave that

feed back into its own research and develop-

ment activities.

“Partnerships are always important,” he

says. “Collaborations are very, very important,

especially at the onset of growth, because

they bring expertise that you don’t have at

minimal cost.”

And it’s not just corporate entities Zymeworks

is courting; it also has partnerships with UBC,

Simon Fraser University and the University of

Victoria, as well as private labs.

Avoiding hurdles

EnWave’s McNicol makes a similar point. The

partners it has for pilots of its dehydration

process and for licensing agreements are

aimed at opening the company to a broader

range of expertise and influences.

“It opens up our technology to be suc-

cessful,” McNicol says. “This is a very important

lesson for companies that have a unique

technology: don’t be shy to partner with the

leaders in a market.”

The par tnerships have shown how

EnWave’s

dehydration

technology has

been advanced

through

partnerships


how i did it | RICHARD GLICKMAN

I co-founded Aspreva Pharmaceuticals

in 2001 to develop and commercialize

drugs for uncommon diseases that were

underserved. It wasn’t my first entrepre-

neurial go, but Aspreva was a bit of an

industry newbie. Our business model

wasn’t to acquire drugs; we wanted

to help pharmaceutical and biotech

companies get full benefit, economic-

ally and socially, out of the drugs they

already develop.

Most drugs can potentially be used in

more than one indication. Often com-

panies will develop just a few of those

indications. Aspreva helped companies

go from off-label to on-label with their

drugs for new indications, and helped

provide the evidence base to prove

whether a drug works for various pa-

tient populations.

The idea came from our frustration as

scientists working in rare diseases. There

were thousands of rare diseases and

only hundreds of approved medicines

to treat them. We also understood the

high cost of drug development and

felt a business model that considered

existing medicines would be a reason-

able place to look for new indications.

It was also about understanding the

pathology of diseases. We could look at

the pool of existing medicines to find

drugs that would respond potentially,

for good scientific reasons, to diseases.

That formed the basis of our program,

with the idea that we could reduce the

cost of developing a drug for a rare-

disease patient.

We partnered with the drug company

on one of its drugs and developed new

indications. We funded the clinical de-

velopment, worked with them through

the regulatory process and, once the

drug was approved, launched the sales

force and clinical support to support

that drug in its commercialization. In

exchange we shared in the revenue

from that drug.

Ours could generally be considered

a lower-risk approach to taking an

idea from inception to commercial-

ization because the drugs we worked

on tended to have significant safety

track records behind them – enough

clinical exposure that there was a fair

opportunity to prove efficacy going

forward. It was a way of making drugs

available and generating early-stage

revenue to build a sustainable business

fairly quickly.

Take our work with Swiss drug-maker

Hoffman-La Roche on CellCept, origin-

ally developed as an anti-rejection agent

for organ transplants. While there was

promising data that it could serve other

markets, including the autoimmune-

disease markets Aspreva was targeting

– Roche had little motivation to develop

CellCept for these.

We took over developing these new

indications, allowing Roche to stay fo-

cused on its core transplant business.

We signed a licensing agreement to use

CellCept in trials to treat less-common

autoimmune diseases like lupus neph-

ritis and pemphigus vulgaris, which col-

lectively represented a fairly significant

market opportunity but, individually,

were below the radar of most com-

panies, including Roche.

Talk about a win-win. Roche benefited

from access to resources to see its drug

further developed in autoimmune dis-

eases, plus incremental revenue and

recognition of making that medicine

available for the patient population that

needs it. We shared in the upside and,

of course, patients benefited by gaining

access to the drugs they needed.

Richard Glickman, co-founder,

Aspreva Pharmaceuticals: “[we]

helped companies go from off-

label to on-label with their drugs”

companies want to use its dehydration pro-

cess, opening up new opportunities as well

as allowing the partners to determine uses

for the technology without EnWave having

to market a specific application.

“We would rather let them adopt the tech-

nology, be a partner, and sometimes we

give them exclusivity,” he says. “It’s given

us a really excellent pipeline that’s going to

grow further.”

He warns other companies against nar-

rowing their opportunities by retaining too

much control and avoiding strategic partner-

ships that may in fact expand their interests.

“[EnWave] can partner without being too

one-dimensional,” he says. “A lot of com-

panies don’t think like that. They want to

control everything themselves, they want to

go and put all the capital up front and invest

in all the prior development and go into the

market and compete against

these big companies.”

Tehrani is sympathetic to

such advice, noting that B.C.

offers a collaborative environ-

ment for life-science com-

panies but that improvements

are possible. Universities, for

example, often have research

protocols and intellectual

property policies that limit

the free flow of information. A

long-standing issue for clinical

trials has been the frequent

requirement for researchers

to conform to multiple ethics

agreements and protocol

documents, rather than being

subject to a single, standard

document when working

with several institutions. The quirk increases

paperwork, as well as the time and expense

required to undertake research.

Similarly, the desire by universities to protect

intellectual property rights makes sense but

it inhibits the flow of information among

research teams. “The desire to collaborate, the

desire to share information is there,” Tehrani

says. “Sometimes the problem that occurs is

how various management of the different

organizations create stumbling blocks.”

This can lead to researchers seeking alterna-

tive partners, something Tehrani doesn’t feel

needs to happen.

“Sometimes you don’t have to go outside

your backyard to form a strategic collabora-

tion,” he says. “And sometimes you’re forced

to go outside your backyard because of un-

necessary rules and regulations.”

The telco DNA

is all around

moving

information.

And health

care is just

crying out

for that

movement

Brendan Byrne

vice-president,

physician solutions,

Telus Health


USING DATA FOR BETTER HEALTHPopulation Data BC may offer untapped

potential for industry research

BY SAM EIFLING

The compendium of data Brit ish

Columbia’s health system collects can

begin to sound like lyrics from the old

Police song, “Every Breath You Take.” The

administrative data goes back more than

25 years, recording every hospital visit, birth

and death. Every prescription written to a

British Columbian, every cancer, mental-

health case, workers’ compensation claim

and early-childhood development record

is tallied and stored.

This is all primarily to audit our big, expen-

sive health-care system. But this mountain of

information, coded for privacy, has other ap-

plications. Health outcomes correlate highly

with a range of indicators – if a social policy

is working, the people it affects are generally

healthier. This has made the trove of informa-

tion, collected by and accessible through

Population Data BC, a public gold mine for

researchers, by law the only people who

can access the data, and only

after undergoing a rigorous

application process that in-

cludes an ethical review.

It’s rare that industry in B.C.

accesses the possibilities

buried in the Population Data

BC records, its administrators

say.

“Using it is extremely in-

expensive and the quality

of it is unparalleled in terms

of coverage of populations,”

says Nancy Meagher, execu-

tive director of Population

Data BC. “Having data on every person in

British Columbia is powerful, especially if

you’re looking at diseases or incidents where

there’s a very low percentage. Even for a

very rare condition, you may be able to get

a hundred cases.”

Meagher says the term “big data” bemuses

her while Dr. Bruce Carleton, the

pediatrician and professor who

chairs the Data Stewardship

Committee, says he first heard

the phrase at a conference last

year.

The cumulative power of

such data is essential to driving

better health. Carleton points to

the improvement in leukemia

outcomes over recent decades:

in the 1960s a child would have

a 30 per cent chance of surviving

the cancer while today it’s 80 per

cent. The province’s interest in

making the data available, and

the committee’s charge when

reviewing applications, is to

determine whether a proposal

might extend or improve the

lives of British Columbians.

“There would be tremendous

benefit to industry in accessing

data,” Carleton says. “Certainly

we want industry to develop

products that at least improve our quality of

life. And industry shares that. Who wouldn’t

want to create the next medical interven-

tion that improves the lives of patients who

use it?”

While at present any corporate use of the

public data would require an academic re-

searcher to apply and lead the research (and

to disclose his or her funding), the com-

mittee is considering ways to allow that

access in the absence of a university partner-

ship, Carleton says.

“That’s an interesting area,” Meagher says,

“to try to promote more partnerships and to

encourage the academic community to be

more in tune with industries or hospitals or

health authorities.”

Population Data BC

executive director

Nancy Meagher:

“having data on

every person in

British Columbia is

powerful”

Who wouldn’t want to create

the next medical intervention

that improves the lives of

patients who use it?

Dr. Bruce Carleton

chair, Data Stewardship Committee


LifeSciences BC is a not-for-profit, non-government, industry association that supports and represents the life sciences community of British Columbia through leadership, facilitation of investment and partnering, advocacy and promotion of our world-class science and industry.

To build a world-class life sciences community in British Columbia that contributes to the economic and social well being of the Province through a collaborative effort between industry, academia and government.

To broaden our representation of British Columbia’s converging “bio” community by building a forum for complementary technologies, and supporting the Province’s life sciences industry through advocacy, facilitation and promotion.

People Increase the general public’s understanding of the issues in B.C.’s life sciences community.

Promotion Raise awareness of B.C.’s life sciences capabilities and capacity.

Partnerships Increase membership and explore collaborations with other organizations in support of our vision.

Policy Through consultation with members and government, provide guidance on public policy.

Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, (Rx&D)

Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLPGenome British ColumbiaGlaxoSmithKline Inc.McCarthy Tétrault LLP Merck Canada Inc.Pfizer Canada Inc.

AmgenBusiness in VancouverDiscovery ParksHoffmann-La Roche Ltd.Janssen Inc.LifeScan Canada Ltd.Technology Vision Group LLC

AbbVieAirgasAstraZenecaBorden Ladner Gervais LLPThe Centre for Drug Research &

Development

Eli LillyFasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP inVentiv Health Clinique Inc.Michael Smith Foundation for Health

ResearchNovartisPwCPROOF Centre of ExcellenceQLT Inc.Sanofi CanadaSTEMCELL Technologies Inc.UBC University-Industry Liaison OfficeVancouver Economic Commission

Membership Activities

B.C.’s Life Sciences Sector Statistics

Partnerships

Committees: 185 Members

310$90214,000$300$68,000$424$1.03

1. 2.

3. 4.5.6.7.8.9.10.

30 events

2,500participants

Top ten

Membership Composition

$550 million

Corporate 35%Individual 1%Institutional 12%Multi-National 9%Life Science 33%Reciprocal 7%Student 1%

STARS OF B.C.

BY PETER MITHAM

With more than $550

mill ion in f inan-

c ings and par t-

nerships inked in

2012, the B.C. life-

sciences sector is

showing resilience

in changeable economic times. Building on

vibrant, cross-sector relationships, the sector

is attracting the interest of entities from

the U.S. Department of Defense (UCDD) to

international pharmaceutical companies and

hometown food processors. Research ranges

from biopharmaceuticals to medical devices

and food technologies.

LifeSciences BC president Don Enns says

research that’s focused on key therapeutic

areas – especially HIV-AIDS, oncology and

genomics – have been key to attracting

interest from international players.

“As some of the venture capital has repos-

itioned itself within the market, strategic

partnerships have become a very significant

way of financing ventures,” Enns says. He

expects 2013 to bring more of the same.

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Burnaby-based Xenon Pharmaceuticals,

headed by B.C. biotech veteran Dr. Simon

Pimstone, garnered one of the biggest deals

of 2012 with a $335 million agreement with

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for the

development and marketing of XEN402,

which promises to reduce pain by blocking

sodium channels in nerve endings.

Teva, based in Israel, will deliver the funds

in a series of payments at milestones in the

development, approval and sale of XEN402.

The agreement reflected the strength of

Xenon’s international relationships. In addi-

tion to being active in the U.S. and Europe,

Xenon claims as a co-founder Michael

Hayden – chief scientific officer for Teva.

Zymeworks Inc.

Zymeworks’ success continued in 2012 with

the completion of a share offering that raised

$11 million for the private Vancouver com-

pany. The offering was led by Advanced

Biotechnologies Venture Fund, which also

partnered on an $8.1 million deal in 2011 with

CTI Life Sciences Fund, L.P.

Zymeworks, launched in 2003, develops

antibody- and protein-based therapies for the

treatment of cancers, autoimmune disorders

and inflammatory diseases using a propri-

etary development platform. With a focus on

collaborative projects, it has struck partner-

ships with the University of British Columbia

With a focus on collaborative projects, Zymeworks develops therapies using a

proprietary platform

Partnerships lead B.C.’s most

innovative companies forward


(UBC) and Simon Fraser University, as well as

pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc.

Proceeds from the latest financing will ad-

vance its lead oncology candidates through

late-stage preclinical studies and into the

clinic.

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals began Phase 1 clin-

ical trials in 2012 of a potential treatment for

the Ebola virus, responsible for hemorrhagic

fever in humans and a potential biological

weapon. The work is taking place under a

July 2010 agreement with the (USDD) that

followed the publication of research results

showing its lead drug candidate, which uses

lipid nanoparticle technology to reach in-

fected cells, offers primates full protection

from Ebola. The virus is typically 90 per cent

lethal to humans.

The agreement with the U.S. government

is worth up to US$140 million if the drug

reaches final approval; the first phase, which

extends through Phase 1 clinical trials, is

worth approximately US$34.7 million.

Neovasc Inc.

Vancouver-based Neovasc tapped a vein

of success in 2012 with a $4.5 million sale of

manufacturing rights to its Xenosure surgical

patch.

LeMaitre Vascular Inc. gained the right

to produce the patches in-house, some-

thing Neovasc previously did. Neovasc, in

turn, channelled proceeds from the sale

to ongoing research and development of

biological tissue technologies.

The latter half of 2012 saw Neovasc focus

on its Reducer refractory angina device and

its Tiara transcatheter mitral valve products.

The proceeds from Xenosure eliminate the

need for the company to seek additional

financing in the short term.

Welichem Biotech Inc.

Welichem Biotech of Burnaby successfully

sold rights to its experimental anti-inflamma-

tory compound WBI-1001 to GlaxoSmithKline

subsidiary Stiefel Laboratories Inc. in 2012.

WBI-1001 is in Phase 2 development for the

treatment of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

The sale garners Welichem $35 million, a

strong follow to a private placement at the

beginning of 2012 that raised $600,000.

The deal gives Steifel rights to develop

and market WBI-1001 in markets outside

of China, Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong,

which were included in a previous 2011

agreement Welichem struck with Celestial

ABOVE: Neovasc

is a star of B.C.’s

life-sciences

sector, with the

$4.5 million sale

of manufacturing

rights to its

Xenosure surgical

patch allowing

it to focus on

developing its

Tiara valve

LEFT: EnWave

co-CEOs John

McNicol and Tim

Durance have

found fresh

opportunities

through

partnerships

Pharmaceuticals (Shenzhen) Ltd.

Welichem continues to focus on de-

veloping therapeutic drugs targeting auto-

immune diseases and cancers.

Protox Therapeutics Inc.

New York private equity firm Warburg Pincus

boosted its stake in Vancouver’s Protox

Therapeutics in early 2012.

Pursuant to a 2010 agreement, Warburg

Pincus invested $8.3 million in Protox,

which focuses on new treatments for uro-

logical diseases. Its lead product, PRX302

(PORxin), targets a benign form of enlarged

continued on page 20


prostate. Protox is collaborating with Kissei

Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. of Japan on the

development and commercialization of

PORxin in Japan.

Warburg Pincus has invested $26.7 million

in Protox to date; the 2010 agreement allows

it to invest up to $35 million.

iCo Therapeutics Inc.

UBC-spinoff iCo Therapeutics trumped its

2011 performance in 2012 with a $2.6 million

financing led by Euro Pacific Canada Inc.

With a portfolio of three pharmaceuticals it

has identified for reformulation and commer-

cialization in the treatment of sight-related

diseases, iCo raised $1.1 million in 2011 to sup-

port clinical trials of iCo-007, which targets

diabetic macular edema. It also enjoys a re-

search collaboration with the Toronto-based

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation re-

garding the prevention, treatment and cure

of Type1 diabetes.

EnWave Corp.

A novel dehydration technology is bearing

fruit for EnWave, which landed its first major

U.S. customer in 2012. Milne Fruit Products Inc.

began commercial processing of fruit at its

Nampa, Idaho, plant using EnWave’s radiant

energy vacuum dehydration technology.

Boosting its fortunes, EnWave completed

a $5.5 million private placement in support

of ongoing research and development, as

well as its $2.6 million acquisition of a 86.5

per cent interest in Germany’s Hans Binder

Maschinenbau GmbH. Hans Binder designs

and develops custom driers and dehydra-

tion plants.

biOasis Technologies Inc.

Strong financing and broad collaboration are

taking biOasis Technologies of Vancouver

into new territory. biOasis raised $2.5 mil-

lion through a highly successful private

placement in 2012, fuelling development of

Transcend, its proprietary carrier for deliv-

ering therapeutic and imaging agents across

the blood-brain barrier. The financing was

over-subscribed, garnering biOasis $410,000

more than expected.

Collaborations with top-tier pharmaceutical

companies in the U.S. and Europe – including

Abbott Laboratories Ltd. and Brussels-based

UCB – are assisting biOasis’ development of

therapies for the diagnosis and treatment of

neurological diseases and disorders.

I co-founded ID Biomedical in 1991.

Our initial focus was on gene-based

diagnostics. We developed the first

truly rapid test for antibiotic-resistant

MRSA – a bacteria that causes several

hard-to-treat infections. It normally

took up to two days to get MRSA re-

sults – a huge problem for hospitals.

The speed of our test meant doctors

could treat patients with the right

antibiotic quicker, leading to shorter

hospital stays and savings.

In 1999 we shifted gears, zeroing

in on vaccines. We bought exclusive

rights to an experimental tuberculosis

vaccine and then sold it, using the

money to build labs, hire scientists and

license another experimental vaccine

for strep throat.

In 2001 we acquired Intellivax, which

held key inhalable-vaccine technology.

We used this science to develop an

inhalable flu vaccine that eliminated

needles and, because it didn’t use live

germs, was safe and portable. We also

developed vaccines against bioterrorist

agents, plus a variety of viruses, bac-

teria and allergens.

I n 2 0 0 4 w e a c q u i r e d S h i r e

Pharmaceuticals, which had a virtu-

ally brand-new plant that was being

expanded to produce injectable flu

vaccines. At the time there was a

worldwide shortage of flu vaccines and

our factory was one of the few sources

able to supply them. We decided to

focus on maximizing the value of our

injectable flu vaccine and advancing

the clinical development of our intran-

asal flu vaccine and strep vaccine. The

latter had been extensively tested in

adults; the next move was to test the

pediatric population.

There are challenges in developing

pediatric vaccines, namely having to

test in tens of thousands of children.

The clinical trials are very expensive.

One of our strategies was to partner

with large multinational vaccine com-

panies. Before our products got to the

large-scale pivotal Phase 3 studies, we

wanted to have them partnered with

firms that could eventually help us

market and distribute them.

I’d say that making these strategic

acquisitions and partnerships was one

of our main strengths. We focused on

our weaknesses. We addressed our

weaknesses by hiring people and ac-

quiring companies that had what we

lacked – whether that was a specific

talent or an entire manufacturing

plant. Whenever we bought another

company we strategically acquired a

skilled team of people – some of the

best people in the world – not just a

product line.

Also, I never looked at myself

as “boss.” Before we were taken

over by GlaxoSmithKline in 2005 I

held a number of positions with ID

Biomedical, including CEO. For the

first few years I was involved in various

parts of the company, learning from

each experience and gradually making

the transition from science to business.

I always referred to it as “we” work – I

may not be able to do these things,

but we can. We ran a very flat organ-

ization, which allowed me to acquire

a lot of knowledge. You watch your

colleagues, you see their mistakes and,

each time, you learn a little more. By

the time I became CEO I’d done most

of the jobs at the executive level, so I

had a pretty broad experience. It was

a matter of hard work, time and being

a good learner.

how i did it | DR. ANTHONY HOLLER

Dr. Anthony Holler, chairman of

the board, CRH Medical: by the

time I became CEO I’d done

most of the jobs at the executive

level | DOMINIC SCHAEFER PHOTOGRAPHY

STARS OF B.C.

continued from page 19


Visit www.genomebc.ca for current funding opportunities.

IN YEARS, GENOME BRITISH COLUMBIA HAS INVESTED OVER MILLION IN GENOMICS RESEARCH. THE RESULTS?

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GENOMICS RESEARCH DELIVERS

A HEALTHY RETURN ONINVESTMENT

BIOTECH IN B.C. MORE

UPBEAT IN 2012

BY SAM EIFLING

Vancouver lawyer Joe Garcia has an

informal theory as to why he’s talking

lately with more upbeat biotech com-

panies and financiers in the course of his

work as a partner in the life-sciences division

at Blakes. It goes like this: the past five years

have been tight in biotech and, during the

downswing, the strongest companies have

found a way to hunker down and run lean.

Now investors are finding that the small,

lean biotech-sector companies in B.C. look

increasingly like bargains.

“I have a lot of clients, and a lot of them have

some activity,” Garcia says. “It could be on

the commercial front, on the financing front,

on the mergers and acquisitions front. What

I find heartening is that most of them have

something going on.”

B.C. biotech companies appear

to be staying smaller, working

on products closer to market

and par tnering with larger

corporations.

“ I f any thing i t ’s probably

going to be another modest

year,” said Ian Heine, a tax

partner and biotech specialist

at PricewaterhouseCoopers in

Vancouver. “This year, continuing

what was happening last year, a

lot of the capital you’re seeing is

coming from outside B.C.”

B .C . i s o n l y f o l l o w i n g a

nationwide current. The latest Ernst &

Young global biotech report found that

Canadian firms on the whole were more

cash-strapped than a year earlier. Only 10 per

cent of Canadian firms had more than five

years’ worth of cash on hand in 2011, down

from 18 per cent a year earlier.

Still, after some clinical successes, Canadian

companies found greater funding, led by a

91 per cent jump to $166 million by private

companies.

“Capital in Canada is hard to come by at this

point,” Heine says. “Since that recession hit,

a lot of VCs haven’t been able to regenerate

their funds. Is it changing? I think yes, but

slowly.”

This means investors are looking more

closely at companies with present revenue

streams and quicker turnaround

times on getting new products

to market. Interest remains high

in companies that specialize in

medical devices or diagnostic

services.

Two local bright spots have

fit that profile. Analogic, out of

Boston, announced in January

that it was acquiring Richmond-

b as e d u l t r as o un d ima g er

Ultrasonix for $83 million. A

month earlier, it was the Israeli

drug giant Teva Pharmaceutical

I n d u s t r i e s p a y i n g Xe n o n

Pharmaceuticals, of Burnaby,

$41 million up front toward a distribution

partnership that could gross another $335

million for Xenon.

The next Ernst & Young report is still

three months away but, according to Paul

Karamanoukian, who helps to compile it,

preliminary 2012 numbers show Canada’s

biotech companies raised even less capital

than in 2011. Smaller firms, Karamanoukian

says, “Are getting sprinkled with dollars to

keep them alive for a bit.” Meanwhile it’s

larger companies that are reaping about four-

fifths of the total, with the money skewing

toward more immediately marketable, less

exploratory ventures.

“Where traditionally Canada used to get

a lot of innovation, now the service side is

where the money’s going – software, real

estate,” Karamanoukian says. “There seems

to be a shift toward the output as opposed

Joe Garcia, a Vancouver lawyer who

specializes in biotech business, finds

that his clients are busier now than in

recent years: “there are a lot of deals

getting done”

Investors

are looking

more closely

at companies

with present

revenue

streams

and quicker

turnaround

times


to drug development.”

Some good news for B.C. Karamanoukian

noted was its private companies claiming

an outsized share of the national take: about

25 per cent, far outpacing the 7.5 per cent

B.C.’s public companies claimed among that

Canadian total. “The pipeline looks promising

for B.C. because it’s earlier-stage private

companies,” he says. “So the future could

be better if and when those companies

go public.”

As it gets harder for smaller companies to

acquire the funds to think longrange, Heine

says, more of those will partner with large

pharmaceutical companies earlier in the dis-

covery process. Meanwhile, companies will

in turn hire part-time employees or partner

with universities in order to keep overhead

down.

“If you look at where B.C. always does well

in the early stage of the startup, there’s a

lot of positivity – the university, the people

we have, the ideas we churn out, the talent,”

Heine says. “There’s always new and exciting

things that are truly worldclass. There’s a lot

of optimism. We have the next thing. If you

look at it in segments, it’s a better story as

you get smaller.”

how i did it | PAUL GEYER

I left my hometown of Brantford, Ontario, in

1983 to study electrical engineering at the

University of British Columbia. In my fourth

year I developed a portable Breathalyzer that

never made it to market. But my adviser on

the project, Charles Laszlo, would help shape

my career.

In 1987 I took a job at Symbion Medical,

which made an artificial-heart device. When

Symbion stopped making medical devices a

year later, I decided to take out a licence for the

heart-valve technology I’d been working on

and partnered with Charles to form Mitroflow

International.

In eight years we grew from nine to 125

employees and $5.3 million in sales. It’s a long

process for a heart valve – it takes years. In

1999 Sulzer Medica bought us for $43 million,

with another $20 million contingent on ap-

proval of our valves.

I stepped down as Mitroflow’s president

in 2001 and started Performance Medical

Devices (now Neovasc), applying the tech-

nology we’d been doing at Mitroflow to tissue

patches and other cardiac devices.

I get a lot of enjoyment helping people

through medical technologies. I believe new

technologies should let people enjoy a decent

quality of life, not just keep them alive.

This isn’t an easy business; I’ve learned a lot

along the way. The most critical thing is iden-

tifying a true need in the marketplace. If you’re

just developing something that sounds “cool”

to other engineers, it will end in disaster.

Whatever the idea is, it’s got to have an eco-

nomic benefit. Unfortunately, it’s not enough

to make something that saves lives; it’s also got

to save money or time. That means making

a cheaper, faster, better technology, or one

that’s easier to use. The tendency these days

is toward the economic impact, especially

when you’re met at the door by a CFO.

Most entrepreneurs have great intentions

and unrealistic expectations when it comes to

time and money. In this business it inevitably

takes twice as much time and money than

you initially anticipate. My advice: take your

plan, multiply how long it’ll take and what it’ll

cost by two, and divide how much you think

you’ll sell by two – if you find it’s not OK, go

back and rework it.

Paul Geyer, co-founder, Mitroflow

International: “whatever the idea

is, it’s got to have an economic

benefit” | DOMINIC SCHAEFER PHOTOGRAPHY


ENGAGEBring people together for health research planning and action

CONNECTLink people to health research resources across the province

DISCOVEREnable BC’s brightest researchers to conduct their best research

CORPORATE PROFILESGrowing British Columbia’s Bio-Economy

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PUBL

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Featuring

Applied Biological Material IncBRI Biopharmaceutical Research IncGenome British ColumbiaLifeLabsPROOF Centre of ExcellenceSeed Intellectual Property Law Group PLLC

20

13

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GENOME BRITISH COLUMBIA www.genomebc.ca

Securing benefits for British Columbia

As part of its long-term strategic plan to move genomics along the research con-tinuum, Genome BC is moving toward a balanced investment across the areas of discovery, applied research and transla-tion. This dichotomy has been a limiting factor in the uptake and impact of some technologies. With a strong underpin-ning beneath it, Genome BC plans to right this imbalance. The current Strategic

Plan (2010-2015) outlines securing benefits from previous and currently funded research through an emphasis on user-driven applications in B.C.’s key economic sectors. Understanding sectors and engaging with stakeholders across all sectors is pivotal to this goal being achieved.

In 2007-2008, Genome BC initiated significant dialogue with stakeholders about sector influences, challenges and opportunities that could be addressed with genomics. This engagement helped to inform the development of the Applied Genomics Consortium Program (AGCP), the Translational Program for Applied Health (TPAH) and, later, the Proof-of-Concept (POC) and the Strategic Opportunities Fund for Industry (SOFi) programs to support application and translation of genomic technology. More recently Genome BC has launched the User Partnership Program (UPP) to foster partnerships between researchers and users of research to encourage translation of genomics-based solutions to the needs of the key sectors of the B.C. economy.

Looking beyond 2015, Genome BC is taking a more focused sector-oriented approach to design the right programs for invest-ment. These initiatives will lead to genomic-based solutions for more sustainable, profitable and competitive industries and public services.

Ongoing engagement

Genome BC recognizes the fundamental need to remain engaged throughout all ranges of the innovation spectrum and plans to continue participation with stakeholders in key sectors. Iden-tifying promising opportunities to help access new markets or develop new products is just one way in which Genome BC will continue to be a catalyst for interaction and innovation.

To get involved and engage with stakeholders in your sector or to learn about related activities contact:

Rachael Ritchie, Director, Business DevelopmentEmail: [email protected] Tel: 604-637-4379

enome BC has invested over $550 mi l l ion, including 140 research projects and science and technol-

ogy platforms, to establish a world-class genome sciences region. This capacity for life-science innovation means that strate-gic areas such as human health, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, bioenergy, mining and the environment have a strong basis on which to develop inventive, applicable solutions to challenges facing British Columbia.

With significant capacity in place, Genome BC is working to support user-driven applications of genomics that will address sector-based needs and create new opportunities with the goal of helping to ensure a vibrant economy and regional prosperity for generations to come. To be successful in this process, Genome BC encourages active involvement with key participants in academia, industry and government.

Ensuring research translation

As genomics technology matures and is translated into appli-cations, there is reason to be optimistic about the future. A few examples of real-world utility include:

reactions to certain drugs, making treatments safer for patients and reducing the significant health-care burden associated with adverse drug effects.

being used to examine responses to environmental factors, pathogens and pollutants, and for brood stock development, improving harvests and yields and improving the fitness of these stocks.

-nants in order to ensure clean drinking water and prevent public health outbreaks. However, navigating the murky way from research labora-

tory to forest or from bench to bedside is not easy; many useful ideas, discoveries and inventions never see the light of day. To help address the needs of those in the laboratory and those in the forest, field, clinic or elsewhere, Genome BC has developed a robust business development program that spans the translation continuum. Genome BC continues to invest in social science and humanities research to facilitate translation by understanding the economic, environmental and social context in which the innova-tions will be realized.

A sector-orientated approach to investment

In more than a decade of work with research groups and orga-nizations, Genome BC has recognized a need to balance the research “push” and end-user “pull” of genomics technologies.


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LIFELABS www.lifelabs.com

LifeLabs: Making a difference to the health of British Columbians

available to better serve patients and physicians. The company has developed novel methodologies and approaches that have been presented at international con-ferences and published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Innovat ion underpins the company’s growth and service to patients. For example, in the 1990s Li feLabs env isioned a patient-centred future where lab results would be available elec-tronically to caregivers, pulling

data from multiple lab sources to provide a single, cohesive report. LifeLabs was a partner in the creation of Excelleris, a software and services health information management company dedi-cated to providing health-care professionals with fast, accessible patient information. LifeLabs patients and health-care providers throughout British Columbia can now receive their test results electronically. As well, in 2012, LifeLabs introduced an innovative online booking system that allows patients to book their appoint-ment online ahead of time in order reduce their wait at their next appointment.

Partnering for growth and success

LifeLabs’ position as a major laboratory services provider makes it an ideal partner to government, academia and industry. The company works with research institutions and other health-care providers to identify the best possible diagnostic tools to raise standards in patient care. LifeLabs also works closely with patient advocacy organizations, chronic disease groups and pharmaceuti-cal organizations to support advancements in disease management and treatment and an improved quality of life for patients living with chronic illness.

In addition to the public health benefits, these partnerships also benefit British Columbia economically. Helping to bring British Columbia research and advancements to the forefront of the medical field supports growth in the health-care sector and improves the province’s ability to attract and retain some of the best talent in the industry.

Through our team of dedicated employees and our focus on access, quality and innovation for the future LifeLabs is well posi-tioned to make a significant difference to the health and wellbeing of Canadians.

Contact: Jeff Sumner, Vice-President, Business Development and Chief Scientific Officer

Email: [email protected]: 416-675-4530 x2405

ifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services is the largest diag-nostic laboratory in Canada

and the largest community lab provider in British Columbia. Its laboratory testing services focus on helping patients and their health-care providers prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor disease.

As an important member of the extended health-care team, LifeLabs plays a vital role in the delivery of patient-focused care. Studies estimate that up to 80 per cent of all clinical-treatment decisions are based on results from laboratory tests. This makes LifeLabs a key partner in delivering better patient-care outcomes.

Enhancing access to care

Providing patients with access to care is a company priority. “With increasing demand for testing services and a challenging fiscal environment, we need to become even more effective and efficient in ensuring British Columbians receive the best service and reliable access to testing,” says Sue Paish, President and CEO, LifeLabs.

Each year the company provides more than 50 million labo-ratory tests to over 10 million patients and 20,000 physicians in Canada. In British Columbia, LifeLabs serves 4 million patients each year at its 85 patient service centres and performs more than 44,000 tests daily to help doctors diagnose, monitor and treat their patients.

In support of the commitment to patient access, LifeLabs recently announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase B.C. Biomedical Laboratories Ltd. to better serve patients in the province of British Columbia. Both organizations provide high- quality diagnostic services to community patients through patient service centres, home care and long-term care visits and dedicated laboratory testing facilities.

Leading the way with innovation

Commitment to quality and innovation is also a crucial part of the foundation of LifeLabs’ services. Medical quality is promoted by a team of medical scientific experts – including microbiologists, hematopathologists and biochemists – that guide testing services to ensure the highest quality. These experts also support physicians through consultation and the interpretation of test results.

“At the same time we focus on quality, we will also continue to invest in technologies and innovation for patients and health-care providers,” says Paish. LifeLabs regularly invests in new technologies and continues to expand the selection of tests


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APPLIED BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS INC www.abmGood.com

Next generation technology for life science

cancer – thus highlighting the significance of ORF libraries for use in gene function studies, diagnostic assays and novel drug development. The recent availability of a human genome library has revolutionized the landscape of life science research world-wide and will undoubtedly continue to have a profound impact on the study of functional genomics and clinical applications in the future. With the development of a robust gene delivery technology platform, abm can boast one of the largest in-house ORF librar-ies for human, mouse and rat genomes in the world, readily available in any required for-mat, including adenoviral or lentiviral vectors or as recombinant protein. abm holds a firm position as a market leader in recombinant

gene expression and has established multiple technology platforms for ease of customization using a comprehensive range of vectors.

Delivering premium CRO services worldwide

Through the multiple cutting-edge technology platforms estab-lished in-house, abm stands in a distinct position to provide a one-stop solution for any genetic and cellular engineering project. These premium custom services include gene synthesis, optimized recombinant vector development, protein expression, stable cell line generation, antibody assay and development and high throughput screening. In addition, abm has established a reliable miRNA profil-ing service and siRNA library, as well as an advanced cell immortal-ization service.

All custom services are provided at highly competitive pricing with the aim of reducing workload and project expenses for research organizations and the biotech industry. abm has the expertise and technological capabilities in place to achieve this through flexibility within these established platforms, allowing ease of customization to service the unique needs of customers at the lowest possible cost. With guaranteed quality and rapid turnaround times, abm’s contract research services are unmatched by any organization in providing cost-effective solutions for virtually any project demands. For a full list of services available, please visit the company website or contact abm directly for more information.

Contact: Heidi Chu, Business DevelopmentEmail: [email protected] Tel: 604-247-2416

pplied Biological Materials Inc. (abm) is a unique wholesale supplier of premium quality genetic and cellular materials

for life science research and the biotechnol-ogy industry. With a growing worldwide customer base, abm is now in its seventh year of business with over 30 employees and 10,000 square feet of wet lab space.

Operating out of Richmond, B.C., the company has experienced continual expan-sion and growth as a result of a successful business model based on providing innova-tive products with an uncompromised focus on quality at strongly competitive prices. abm consistently identifies emerging market needs in cutting-edge research areas such as miRNA, siRNA and recombinant viral vectors, in addition to providing specialized services in enzyme development and stable cell line generation.

Next generation enzymes for personalized medicine

With the completion of the Human Genome Sequencing Project, valuable information that can be gained from Whole Genome Sequencing is revolutionizing the field of personalized medicine and understanding of the genetic contribution to disease. This has led to significant clinical advances in early diagnosis and disease preven-tion, while enabling the customization of therapies for a tailored approach to treatment.

Whole Genome Sequencing is becoming an increasingly common clinical practice that requires extremely high accuracy rates. There-fore, abm has focused recent R&D efforts on developing an extended portfolio of Next Generation Enzymes with unparalleled quality and function for application in Next Generation Sequencing.

Standing confidently against the biggest names in the current market for demanding, high-fidelity PCR applications and Whole Genome Sequencing, abm’s enzymes offer the highest accuracy rates available, with superior sensitivity and yield together with extremely robust performance.

abm’s Next Generation Enzymes are the ideal choice for high throughput applications where accuracy is paramount, significantly reducing the cost of sequencing and improving data quality. To further utilize the capabilities of its proprietary enzyme technology, abm is to launch the first available Whole Genome Sequencing service from a private Canadian company in 2013.

Complete ORF libraries for human, mouse and rat genomes

ORFs (Open Reading Frames) are frequently employed to “over-express” particular genes of interest. Sequentially flipping on the switches of genes one at a time can help reveal their individual func-tions – for instance those that play a pivotal role in diseases such as


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PROOF CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE www.proofcentre.ca

Better care through improved blood testing

PROOF Centre uses information from healthy and diseased blood with cl inica l information to identify and deliver diagnostics critical to improved treatment not currently available. We use a proprietary in-house compu-tational strategy involving sta-tistical ensembling and decision trees to develop and evaluate multicomponent marker pan-els that are able to distinguish subtypes of patients. Our strong brand recognition in biomarker

development activities enables a f lexible business model and a variety of collaborations with institutions, academics and, increasingly, the private sector.

Partnering to fast-track our tests to clinic

The PROOF Centre is working with downstream commercial partners in its co-development of products, ensuring efficient integration of new tests into testing clinics and physician offices worldwide. As a result, our first products are already scheduled for the clinic within the year. In addition, our success has enabled the PROOF Centre the opportunity to offer its focused exper-tise and resources for test development and troubleshooting to an increasing number of public- and private-sector clients and collaborators.

The PROOF Centre’s services, consultation & collaboration

opportunities:

Contact: Janet Wilson-McManus, Chief Operating OfficerEmail: [email protected]: 604-806-8328

t i s es t imated t hat hea r t , lung and kidney diseases are responsible for more than

40 per cent of deaths and $3.46 trillion in health-care spending worldwide. In Canada and the

million people suffering from these diseases.

the Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF Centre) is a not-for-profit organization focused on developing unique blood-based biomarker tests for heart, lung and kidney failure.

Addressing unmet clinical needs

Biomarkers are the building blocks for diagnostic tests that play an increasingly important role in personalized care. Through the use of biomarkers, the PROOF Centre produces blood tests that address pressing health-care needs, especially those related to heart, lung and kidney disease as well as transplant rejection.

We begin by working with clinicians to identify a clinical need in which a new blood test could enhance care. From start to finish, we engage a variety of experts, including clinicians, health-care professionals, policy makers, economists, industry and government to ensure our tests address a pressing clinical need effectively.

Our patented biomarkers enable identification of disease presence (as a prognostic and/or diagnostic), ascertain the rate of disease progression and assess therapeutic responsiveness.

The PROOF Centre enables, facilitates and accelerates develop-ment of these cost-effective blood tests that address critical clinical needs and brings them to market. Along with our development partners, we deliver solutions to clinicians that will save lives, improve quality of life and save precious health-care dollars.

Meeting the growing demand

The diagnostics market size is substantial and growing. For example, diagnostics addressing the needs of the emerging practice of person-

-plant, COPD and heart failure tests are projected to save more than $3 billion per year in Canada alone, and increase patient quality of life (QALY) five years after test use.

Award-winning science grounded in clinical experience

Our competitive advantage lies in the PROOF Centre’s scientific strengths, grounded in clinical experience and in our product pipeline. Our fully-integrated team is internationally recog-nized for its ability to optimize laboratory and clinical data. The


Supplied by

BRI BIOPHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH www.bripharm.com

BRI ... your drug development specialist“We strive to earn your trust and confidence”

metabolism studies including met-abolic stability, inhibition, induc-tion and ADMET-related plasma protein binding studies are often performed at BRI to define drug-like properties.

AAALAC accredited animal

facility with cytotoxic drugs

handling capability

BRI’s rodent facility is accredited by AAALAC and has performed numerous dose range finding, PK, bioavailability, metabolite excretion and mass balance studies. Dried blood spot assay technique is used to allow serial blood collection in small rodents to reduce variability of PK data.

With Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) and cytotoxic compound handling capabilities, cell-based and patient-derived xenograft models for oncology drug efficiency screening are offered at BRI. Its cell repository contains over 100 cancer cell lines, providinga wide selection and flexibility to its clients.

Thermo Watson™ LIMS data management system

To support IND-enabling animal TK/PK or clinical PK, the use of Thermo Watson LIMS for sample and data management is a plus. BRI’s bar code system enables BRI to store and manage thou-sands of samples and process its data effectively and efficiently.

To handle multiple site clinical studies, bar-coded labelled sample vials, customized sample collection kits, an ultra-lowtemperature freezer, an IATA and TDG specified shipping con- tainer, pre-filled waybills and commercial invoices are just a fewsolutions that BRI offers to allow smooth sailing of its clients’ clinical studies.

Stand out from the crowd

The clients of BRI benefit from a wide range of services includ-ing LC/MS/MS bioanalytical assay, ELISA assay, hybridization assay, in-vivo and in-vitro DMPK and efficacy xenograft models. These services are delivered by highly experienced scientists with specializations in the development of synthetic small molecules, microRNAs, RNAs, nucleotides and peptides drugs.

BRI is known for providing “fit-for-purpose” research in inte-grated drug development with competitive pricing. It has an out-standing record of client satisfaction and dedication to meet the highest standards in scientific “best practices,” integrity of data, timeliness and professional service.

Contact: Ms. Clara Faan, VP Business Development Phone: 604-432-9237 x224

or more than two decades, BRI has assisted hundreds of biotech and pharmaceutical

companies on their pre-clinical and clinical development programs.

Being one of the few privately owned CROs with capabilities in bioanalytical, in-vivo and in-vit-ro DMPK and xenograft animal models in Western Canada, BRI’s uncompromising study protocols, stringent quality control measures and relevant study design allows it to build trusted and long-lasting partnerships with itshighly valued clients.

The success stories

In 2004 and 2007, two virtual biotech companies located in San Francisco and Los Angeles engaged BRI for development of bio-analytical assays in support of their IND-enabling and clinical program. In 2009, both companies licensed their drug candidates to big pharmaceutical companies for $700 million and $900 mil-lion, respectively.

A Seattle biotech company approached BRI in 2008 for a series of in-vivo and in-vitro DMPK and mechanistic studies. This bio-tech company was acquired for $600 million in 2011.

BRI’s successful track record in providing accurate and qual-ity data while adhering to the strict guidelines of GLP, cGMP and FDA regulations has played an important role in these com-panies’ success.

GLP accreditation by Standard Council of Canada

BRI is accredited by the Standard Council of Canada for its GLP compliance while holding a current GMP Establishment Licence through Health Canada. All IND-enabling studies and clinical bioanalytical studies performed at BRI follow the following regu-lations and guidelines. This allows data generated at BRI to be submitted to the U.S.A., Canada, Japan and all OECD countries. United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA), 21 CFR Part 58

Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW), Ordinance No. 21

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Series on Principles of Good Laboratory Practice and Compliance Monitoring Monograph #1 to 15

14C nuclear substance licence

With a 14C nuclear substance licence, BRI can efficiently identify metabolites and determine tissue distribution using 14C-labelled compounds.

In additional to metabolite identif ication, other in-vitro


Biopharmaceutical Companies Please refer to www.lifesciencesbc.ca for further information on these companies

Stage of development Fields of study Tools Diseases

Organizations Drug

dis

cove

ry

Pre-

clin

ical

stu

dies

Phas

e 1

clin

ical

stu

dies

Phas

e 2

clin

ical

stu

dies

Phas

e 3

clin

ical

stu

dies

On m

arke

t

Bio-

prod

ucts

Bioi

nfor

mat

ics

Diag

nost

ics

Envi

ronm

enta

l

Ther

apeu

tics

Vacc

ines

Bio-

proc

essi

ng

Drug

del

iver

y

Gene

ther

apy

Geno

mic

s

High

-thro

ughp

ut s

cree

ning

Lab

reag

ents

Prot

eom

ics

Auto

imm

une

dise

ases

Canc

er

Card

iova

scul

ar d

isea

ses

Infe

ctio

us d

isea

ses

Infla

mm

ator

y di

seas

es

Met

abol

ic d

isea

ses

Neu

rolo

gica

l dis

ease

s

Alectos Therapeutics Inc.

Allon Therapeutics Inc

Amgen British Columbia Inc.

Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Augurex Life Sciences Corp.

BioMark Technologies Inc.

Boreal Genomics

Cardiome Pharma Corp.

Celator Pharmaceuticals

iCo Therapeutics Inc.

Inception Sciences Canada

Indel Therapeutics Inc.

Innovative Targeting Solutions Inc.

iProgen Biotech

Medicenna Therapeutics, Inc.

MedGenesis Therapeutix Inc.

MSI Methylation Sciences Inc.

Network Immunology Inc.

Neurodyn Inc.

OncoGenex Technologies Inc.

Ondine Biomedical Inc.

Pacific Rim Laboratories

Phyton Biotech

QLT Inc.

Qu Biologics Inc.

RepliCel

Sirius Genomics Inc.

Sirona Biochem Corp.

STEMCELL Technologies Inc

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation

viDA Therapeutics

Vifor Pharma


Zymeworks Inc.


Providence Health Care Research Institute is committed to improving the health and treatment of aging and vulnerable populations and of people at risk of or suff ering from heart, lung, renal diseases or HIV/AIDS.

Th e full range of methodologies from basic research tools to population health approaches are being used to discover real health solutions.

For more information on our services, visit: www.providenceresearch.ca

The Rare Disease Company

Contract Research Organizations Please refer to www.lifesciencesbc.ca for further information on these companies

Preclinical Services Clinical Services General Services

Organizations Drug

dis

cove

ry

Bioi

nfor

mat

ics

Bioa

naly

tical

ser

vice

s

Anal

ytic

al s

ervi

ces

Path

olog

y se

rvic

es

Toic

olog

y

Phas

e I c

linic

al s

tudi

es

Phas

e II

clin

ical

stu

dies

Phas

e III

clin

ical

stu

dies

Phas

e IV

clin

ical

stu

dies

Stud

y m

onito

ring

and

repo

rtin

g

Data

man

agem

ent a

nd s

tatis

tics

Stra

tegi

c co

nsul

ting

Regu

lato

ry

Cont

ract

man

ufac

turin

g

Prod

uct d

evel

opm

ent

cGM

P/GL

P co

mpl

ianc

e

Qual

ity a

ssur

ance

Teac

hing

and

trai

ning

Applied Biological Materials Inc.

Aurora Biomed Inc.

BC Cancer Agency’s Investigational Drug Program (IDP)

BC Preclinical Research Consortium (BC PRC)

BRI Biopharmaceutical Research Inc.

Covance Inc.

Optum

Healthmetrx (CEQAL)

Insception Lifebank Corp.

Maxxam Analytics

MPI Research, Inc.

Northern Lipids Inc.

inVentiv Health

PharmEng Technology

Syreon Corp.

Viva Pharmaceutical Inc.

Wax-it Histology Services


BioPrinciples Online

Want to Learn Biotech?

LifeSciences BC Members - $199Non-Members $249

www.biotechprimer.com/lifesciencesbc

Corporate Headquarters:Suite 720 –999 West BroadwayVancouver, British ColumbiaCanada V5Z 1K5

Clinical Operations:3475 Edison Way, Suite RMenlo Park, California 94025USA

Medical Devices Please refer to www.lifesciencesbc.ca for further information on these companies

Fields of Study Company type

Organizations Dent

al D

evic

e

Med

ical

Equ

ipm

ent

Med

ical

Sup

plie

s

Test

ing

Inst

rum

ents

Imag

ing

Devi

ce d

esig

n

Othe

r (s)

ple

ase

spec

ify

Man

ufac

ture

r

Dist

ribut

or

Deve

lope

r

Biolux Research Ltd.

Critical Systems Labs Inc. Risk management, software V&V

Farabloc Development Corp.

Heart Force Medical Inc.

Innovatek Medical Inc.

Kardium

LED Medical Diagnostics

LifeScan Canada Ltd. Diabetes

LightIntegra Technology Transfusion

Lungpacer Medical, Inc. Implantable, Transvascular, Stimulation

Neovasc Inc. Contract Manufacturing

Novadaq Technologies Inc.

Response Biomedical Corp. Cardiac

Sorin Group Canada Inc., Mitroflow Division Contract Manufacturing

StarFish Medical Airway management

SterileCare Inc. Antimicrobial lock for a Venous Access Device

Verisante Cancer

ViewsIQ


Biggest life-sciences companies in B.C.Source: Business in Vancouver

Business in Vancouver makes every attempt to publish accurate information in the List, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Researched by Richard Chu , 604-608-5114.


BIOTECHNOLOGY’S TRANSFORMATION

Recently the Federal Drug

Administration in the United

States cleared the way for ingest-

ible sensors that are the size of a

grain of sand to be embedded

into an inert pill or pharmaceut-

ical. Once in contact with the

digestive fluids of the stomach, these “digital

pills” can pass information from inside the

user’s body to a patch worn on the skin that

can wirelessly transmit key metrics, such as

heart rate or whether the patient is taking

their medications at the prescribed time and

frequency. With the patient’s consent, it is

possible for an individual to remotely monitor

the condition of a child or aging parent from

his or her smartphone.

This is the kind of future that is coming from

biotechnological research. For most people,

biotechnology is a term that is not fully under-

stood. In short, it revolves around biological

processes and, thus, impacts forestry, agricul-

ture, energy, the environment and fisheries.

Even the wine we enjoy with a good meal has

been touched by biotechnology. However, it is

the connection between biotechnology and

health care that is most prominent in people’s

lives, which is increasingly changing how our

health-care system operates.

Biotechnology is causing a transformation

that will enhance the relationship between the

patient and health-care professional, which is

the essence of our health-care system. Such

change can and should ensure sustainability

of our system, provided we have the willing-

ness to adapt.

Another example that typifies how biotech-

nology is changing our health-care system:

Anne Wojcicki, the wife of Google’s creator,

founded 23andMe, a company that analyzes

your genetic makeup. For about $300 and

a saliva sample, the company will provide

insight into your risk for developing a dis-

ease such as Alzheimer’s, the probability of

transmitting a disease to your children and

your response to drug therapies. This is revo-

lutionary in its simplicity, especially when one Do

min

ic S

chae

fer

Ph

oto

gra

ph

y

DON M. ENNS


considers that the human genome was only

characterized approximately 10 years ago

with the aid of a $3.8 billion investment from

the U.S. government in the Human Genome

Project. Studies have shown that from this

investment, $796 billion in economic activity

has resulted in the U.S. Interestingly, it was

British Columbia’s own Nobel laureate, Dr.

Michael Smith, who foresaw the potential of

genomics in the 1980s.

There are many examples that can be cited,

but the essential points are:

biotechnology and associated technologies

are and will continue to have a transforma-

tional impact on the way our health-care

system is delivered, provided we are pre-

pared to enter into a constructive dialogue

around its use. These technologies will

allow the system to be more proactive as

opposed to reactive; more emphasis will

be placed on patient engagement; it will

stratify populations so that health-care

providers can “customize” treatment op-

tions; and, if deployed appropriately, these

technologies will help lessen the cost in-

creases of our healthcare system, which

consumes almost 50 per cent of provincial

revenues; and

The delivery of a publically funded health-

care system is not at odds with

an economic development

strategy that focuses on the

growth of knowledge-based in-

dustries, such as biotechnology.

In fact, the relationship is sym-

biotic if we confront the reality

that our current health-care

system cannot be economically

sustained without change, in

which biotechnology will play

an increasingly important role.

B.C. can take a leadership pos-

ition in the transformation of

health-care delivery, given the

foundational elements we have in

place to build upon. For example,

the province has the largest longi-

tudinal health-linked database

of its type in the world, which is attractive

to clinical research organizations. In addition,

B.C. has developed several health-related

research organizations that are recognized for

their expertise and global influence, such as

the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV-AIDS, the

BC Cancer Agency’s Michael Smith Genome

Sciences Centre and the PROOF (Prevention

of Organ Failure) Centre. Finally, our provincial

ecosystem that brings together academia,

industry, regulators and patients

has not escaped the attention of

companies like Merck, a global

health-care company, which has

committed in excess of $1 bil-

lion to strategic partnerships in

Vancouver – more than anywhere

else in North America.

With this transformation that

is taking place, society’s ability

to understand its ramifications

must be addressed if we are to

realize the potential benefits.

Issues around privacy, health-

disease predispositions, cost and

individual versus collective rights

must be discussed in an open and

constructive manner. Nonetheless,

it remains my opinion that change

is forthcoming in light of technological ad-

vances, patient outcomes will continue to

improve, there will be significant economic

benefits and B.C. can play a leading national

and international role.

Don M. Enns is a 25-year veteran of British

Columbia’s biotechnology sector, and

president of LifeSciences BC. Originally pub-

lished in the Vancouver Sun.

With the

patient’s

consent, it is

possible for

an individual

to remotely

monitor the

condition

of a child or

aging parent

from their

smartphone

2012 Year in Review – HighlightsJANUARY: EnWave Corp. founder Timothy

Durance receives the Investment

Agriculture Foundation of B.C.’s award of

excellence for EnWave’s innovative work

in food dehydration.

FEBRUARY: Genome BC’s Proof of

Concept program awards John Webb of

the BC Cancer Agency’s Deeley Research

Centre in Victoria funding to develop a

broad-spectrum “therapeutic” vaccine

against HPV.

MARCH: OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc.

announced a $50 million public offer-

ing, which successfully closed on March

27 with the exercise of an overallotment

that garnered a total of $53.8 million for

the company’s coffers.

APRIL: The US National Institutes of

Health awards SFU professor and Canada

Research Chair Jamie Scott and three

international collaborators $2.7 million

to improve the effectiveness of a DNA-

based vaccine for HIV-AIDS.

MAY: The BC Clinical Research

Infrastructure Network announces two

public surveys to address the lack of

public awareness and enrolment in clini-

cal trials. These surveys are first steps

toward greater public engagement

regarding clinical trials in B.C.

JUNE: The Province of B.C. announces

$39 million in funding for the life-

sciences sector, with $29 million allot-

ted to the Centre for Drug Research

and Development and $10 million for

Genome BC.

JULY: The BC Clinical Research

Infrastructure Network announces

Canada’s first clinical research profession-

als certification program. The program

supports clinical research professionals

in B.C. who wish to obtain certification

through the Society for Clinical Research

Associates’ internationally recognized

certification program.

AUGUST: Welichem Biotech Inc. sells

rights to its worm bacteria-based pso-

riasis cream to global pharmaceutical

giant GlaxoSmithKline for $230 million.

The sale is a landmark deal for B.C.’s life-

sciences sector in a year offering a gen-

erally tough financing and employment

picture.

SEPTEMBER: Indel Therapeutics Inc.

becomes the industry partner of

researchers at UBC and SFU for a new

genomics-based research project to fight

drug-resistant pathogens.

OCTOBER: UBC spinoff Lionsgate

Technologies Inc. announces the launch

of a software application that transforms

smartphones, tablets and laptops into

mobile medical diagnostic tools capable

of real-time vital-signs monitoring.

NOVEMBER: UBC microbiologist Robert

Hancock receives the Prix Galien 2012

Research Award, widely considered the

most prestigious honour in Canadian

pharmaceutical research and innovation.

The award recognizes Hancock’s pio-

neering work unravelling the complex

interactions between antibiotics and

bacteria.


From radical medical breakthroughs to incremental improvements to existing treatments, GlaxoSmithKline believes that every step forward is a step in the right direction. As one of Canada’s leading research-based pharmaceutical companies, we believe in

from medical advancements, big or small. At GSK, we stay ahead by staying committed to progress. Discover more at GSK.ca

STAYING AHEAD BY STAYING AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION.

BEST IN CLASSResearch excellence and unique partnerships in B.C.’s life-sciences sector

BY NOA GLOUBERMAN

HAART of gold

For years the BC Centre for Excellence in

HIV/AIDS has focused on highly active anti-

retroviral therapy (HAART) under its director,

Julio Montaner.

“Early on we had the opportunity to be

involved in a search for the effective treat-

ment of HIV,” says Montaner. “We ended

up with the landmark clinical trial to fully

suppress the virus: an international clinic trial

developed right here in Vancouver. It worked,

and we showed the world that within a

matter of months the death rates from AIDS

in B.C. had gone down dramatically.”

Expanded coverage with HAART – a cock-

tail of three drugs that hinders HIV from

progressing into AIDS – can help control

the spread of the disease.

“HAART, which was partially discovered in

our centre, is highly effective in lowering

the viral load in HIV-positive patients, to

the point that they’re less likely to transmit

the virus to their partners,” he explains. “The

wider use of HAART can curb the spread of

HIV in entire communities, saving hundreds

of millions of dollars by preventing new

infections and averting future treatment

costs.”

Montaner also champions a made-in-B.C.

approach to treating vulnerable populations,

such as injection-drug users and sex-trade

workers. The Seek and Treat for Optimal

Prevention of HIV/AIDS initiative includes

normalizing HIV testing to help find those

who are infected and do not know it, harm-

reduction programs like supervised injection

sites and needle exchanges, and contacting

hard-to-reach individuals.

While the HIV epidemic continues to grow

elsewhere, Montaner says B.C. “stands alone

as the only Canadian jurisdiction to see a

significant decline in new HIV diagnoses,

from approximately 900 cases per year in

the early 1990s to 289 in 2011.”

There is still work to do. In a Globe and Mail

column published in July 2012, Montaner

wrote, “Without the political will to expand

antiretroviral treatment to everyone in need

… infection may spiral out of control once

again.”

He says there are 34 million people living

with HIV/AIDS worldwide, and that only 8

million of the 15 million eligible people in re-

source-limited countries are being treated.

Several North American jurisdictions,

however, are following B.C.’s lead. People

in Washington, D.C., for instance, can get

Julio Montaner, director, BC Centre for

Excellence in HIV/AIDS: B.C. has seen a

significant decline in new HIV diagnoses,

from approximately 900 cases a year in

the early 1990s to 289 in 2011


Find out how by visiting

www.cfenet.ubc.ca/about

TREATMENT AS PREVENTION combines the testing, treatment, care, and support we know

work. This groundbreaking strategy, pioneered by Dr. Julio Montaner and his team at

the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, has led to a marked decrease in morbidity,

mortality, and HIV transmission in B.C. Our laboratory and research programs,

comprehensive clinical education and training, and urban health initiatives here and

internationally, have placed B.C. at the epicentre of HIV/AIDS research and treatment.

director Bruce McManus.

PROOF recently granted Arizona-based

HTG Molecular Diagnostics the exclusive

rights to commercialize its gene-expression

blood tests for the prognosis of patients

with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(COPD) who will experience frequent lung

attacks.

Lung attacks are the leading cause of hos-

pitalization among chronic-disease sufferers,

accounting for over $5.7 billion in direct

health-care costs each year in Canada. It is

difficult to predict which COPD patients will

suffer frequent attacks, and the ability to

identify these individuals earlier will enable

physicians to better tailor treatment to pre-

vent future attacks.

The centre is also developing tests to speed

up clinical trials that investigate the effective-

ness of allergic-disease drugs. Using blood

samples from the AllerGen network, PROOF

researchers will identify biomarkers pre-

dictive of chronic inflammatory responses

in allergic asthmatic adults.

“People with allergic asthma respond

differently to allergen exposure such as

pollen, mites or moulds,” McManus explains.

[A] blood test that can accurately predict

late-phase allergic responses could be

groundbreaking.”

High-tech health

Vancouver-based Telus Corp. is a leading

provider of health care-related e-tools for

chronic-disease management, pediatric care

and more. Patients can use the company’s

Health Space service to manage their health

online, while doctors can share updates fol-

lowing appointments.

Essential to building a more ef ficient

health-care system are electronic medical

records (EMRs) – computerized accounts of

patient data. But, according to Telus senior

vice-president of health solutions Paul

Lepage, Canada’s EMR penetration rate of

about 32 per cent “lags behind other OECD

[Organisation for Economic Co-operation

and Development] countries.”

To address this issue Telus acquired two

leading cloud-based EMR providers – Wolf

Medical Systems and KinLogix – in 2012. Now,

a team of EMR experts will work to help doc-

tors co-ordinate and share information with

their extended health-care team, as well as

patients and their families.

LePage says the two acquisitions have

strengthened Telus’ reach to physicians

and will facilitate health-records integration

across Canada.

tested for HIV in motor-vehicle of fices,

grocery stores and high schools. In San

Francisco, where the treatment-as-preven-

tion approach has been adopted, signifi-

cant declines in new diagnoses are being

reported.

Adds Montaner, “It is truly heartening to

see more and more communities implement

evidence-based policies to combat HIV.”

Hitting the biomark

Vancouver’s Centre of Excellence for the

Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF) de-

velops blood and urine biomarkers – mo-

lecular signals that aid in the prevention and

early detection of major diseases causing

heart, lung and kidney failure. The centre

leads the way in finding practical, profitable

solutions to the expanding burden that

major-organ failure imposes on Canada’s

health-care system.

“From replacing risky and costly biopsies

with a simple, non-invasive blood test to

personalizing care for patients, biomarker-

guided prevention, detection and treat-

ment will significantly decrease the costs

to society and improve the quality of life for

those faced with these diseases,” says centre

At the Centre of Excellence for the

Prevention of Organ Failure, director

Bruce McManus works to develop blood

and urine biomarkers that aid in the

prevention and early detection of major

diseases causing heart, lung and kidney

failure


Dr. Don Rix Award for

Lifetime Achievement

Dr. Joseph M. Connors, clinical

professor, University of

British Columbia, and clinical

director, BC Cancer Agency

Centre for Lymphoid Cancer

Joseph M. Connors, MD, obtained his medical

degree at Yale University, trained in internal

medicine at the University of North Carolina

in Chapel Hill and completed his medical

oncology fellowship with Dr. Saul Rosenberg

at the Stanford University Medical Center

from 1979 to 1981. He then joined the staff

and faculty at the BC Cancer Agency and

UBC, with the focus of his clinical activities

and research efforts in the area of under-

standing lymphoid cancers.

Dr. Connors is highly regarded for his

research into the biology and treatment

of Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin

lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leuk-

emias and multiple myeloma. He serves as

a member of the executive committee of

the Hematology Site Group for the National

Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials

Group, as a councilor for the American

Society of Hematology and on the scientific

advisory board of the Lymphoma Foundation

Canada.

Dr. Connors has published over 300 peer-

reviewed scientific articles addressing

various aspects of research into lymphoid

cancers and has been a senior co-investi-

gator on research grants totalling over $20

million while at the BC Cancer Agency. He

has been awarded the Terry Fox Cancer

Research Award by the British Columbia

Medical Association, the Bernard L. Schwartz

Memorial Award by the Scripps health system

in San Diego, the Canadian Cancer Society

John W. Whittick Memorial Award by the

Saskatchewan Medical Association and the

Karl Musshoff Award of the German Hodgkin

Lymphoma Study Group for lifetime achieve-

ment in Hodgkin lymphoma research.

Genome British Columbia Award

for Scientific Excellence

Dr. B. Brett Finlay, University of British

Columbia Peter Wall distinguished

professor, Michael Smith Laboratories

and the departments of microbiology

and immunology, and biochemistry

and molecular biology, UBC

Dr. B. Brett Finlay obtained a B.Sc. (honours)

in biochemistry at the University of Alberta,

where he also did his PhD. (1986) in biochem-

istry under Dr. William Paranchych, studying

F-like plasmid conjugation. Dr. Finlay’s post-

doctoral studies were performed with Dr.

Stanley Falkow at the department of medical

microbiology and immunology at Stanford

University School of Medicine, where he

studied salmonella invasion into host cells.

In 1989, Dr. Finlay joined UBC as an assistant

professor in the Biotechnology Laboratory,

where his research interests are focused

on host-pathogen interactions, at the mo-

lecular level. By combining cell biology with

microbiology, he has been at the forefront of

the emerging field of cellular microbiology,

making several fundamental discoveries in

this field and publishing over 400 papers.

Dr. Finlay’s laboratory researches several

pathogenic bacteria, with salmonella and

pathogenic E. coli interactions with host cells

being the primary focus.

Dr. Finlay is recognized internationally

for his work, and has won several presti-

gious awards including the E.W.R. Steacie

Prize, the CSM Fisher Scientific Award, CSM

Roche Award, a MRC Scientist, five Howard

Hughes International Research Scholar

Awards, a CIHR Distinguished Investigator, a

BC Biotech Innovation Award, the Michael

Smith Health Research Prize, the IDSA Squibb

Award, the Jacob Biely Prize, the prestigious

Canadian Killam Health Sciences Prize, the

Flavelle Medal of the Royal Society and the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal,

is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

and the Canadian Academy of Health

Sciences, a member of the German National

Academy of Sciences and the UBC Peter Wall

Distinguished Professor. He is also an officer

of the Order of Canada and Order of British

Columbia.

Dr. Finlay is a co-founder of Inimex

Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and director of the

SARS Accelerated Vaccine Initiative. He also

serves on several editorial and advisory

boards and is a strong supporter of com-

municating science to the public.

Milton Wong Award for Leadership

Kenneth Galbraith, general partner,

Ventures West Capital Ltd.

Kenneth Galbraith joined Ventures West

in 2007 and leads the firm’s biotechnology

practice. He has over 20 years of experience

acting as an executive, director, investor and

adviser to companies in the biotechnology,

medical device, pharmaceutical and health-

care sectors.

In 2006, Mr. Galbraith served as the

chairman and interim CEO of AnorMED, a

biopharmaceutical company focused on

new therapeutic products in hematology,

HIV and oncology, until its sale to Genzyme

Corp. Previously, he spent 13 years in senior

management with QLT Inc. , a global

biopharmaceutical company specializing

in developing treatments for eye diseases

and oncology, retiring in 2000 from his pos-

ition as executive vice-president and chief

financial officer.

Mr. Galbraith was a founding Director of

the BC Biotechnology Alliance and served as

chairman of the Canadian Bacterial Diseases

Network, one of Canada’s federally funded

Networks for Centres of Excellence. He

was also a director of the Michael Smith

Foundation for Health Research and the

Fraser Health Authority. Ken currently serves

as the past chair of the Vancouver Aquarium

Marine Science Centre and is a director with

Genome British Columbia.

Mr. Galbraith has served on the board of

several public and private biotechnology

companies located in B.C. and the U.S., in-

cluding Angiotech Pharmaceuticals and

Cardiome Pharma Corp., and is currently on

the board of Tekmira Pharmaceuticals. At

Ventures West, he currently serves as a dir-

ector of Alder Biopharmaceuticals, Aquinox

Pharmaceuticals, Celator Pharmaceuticals,

MacroGenics, NeurAxon and Presidio

Pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Galbraith earned a bachelor of com-

merce (honours) degree from UBC, and is a

chartered accountant.

Innovation and Achievement Award

Dr. Richard Harrigan, director,

laboratory program, British Columbia

Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

The faces of innovation

LIFESCIENCES BRITISH COLUMBIA AWARDS RECIPIENTS 2013


For more than a decade, Dr. Richard Harrigan

has been a local, national and international

leader in the development of cutting-edge

translational research with important im-

plications for the clinical management of

HIV. He has contributed extensively to our

understanding of HIV drug efficacy and

resistance, as well as the human and viral

parameters that influence HIV disease pro-

gression. Dr. Harrigan’s research in these

areas has played a key role in enabling the

significant improvements in quality and

duration of life afforded patients by Highly

Active Antiretroviral Therapy.

He developed a “next generation” sequen-

cing method to identify HIV-positive indi-

viduals who respond to maraviroc, the first

approved “CCR5 antagonist” drug, as well as

“ReCall” software for automated analysis of

HIV drug resistance. The test and software

have been adopted as the standard test

across Canada and in over 30 countries.

In addition to the Glen-Hillson professor in

clinical HIV virology, Dr. Harrigan holds the

CIHR-GSK research chair in HIV-AIDS at UBC,

and is associate professor in the division of

AIDS (Faculty of Medicine) at UBC as well.

Medical Technology

Company of the Year

STEMCELL Technologies Inc.

STEMCELL Technologies Inc. focuses on

the development, manufacture and distri-

bution of high-quality, standardized tissue

culture media, cell separation reagents and

instruments for customers in over 70 coun-

tries. With 95 per cent of sales from outside

Canada, their products support leading-edge

scientific research around the globe in stem

cell biology, cancer research, immunology,

cell therapy, regenerative medicine, tissue

engineering and drug discovery.

STEMCELL is a fully integrated company

with 525 staff in Canada, the United States,

the United Kingdom, France, Germany,

Australia, Singapore and China. Distributors

make their products available to medical

researchers in 60 other countries. STEMCELL’s

head office, research and manufacturing

activities are all located in Vancouver, em-

ploying 425 people. Founded in 1993 by Dr.

Allen Eaves as a spinoff from the Terry Fox

Laboratory at the BC Cancer Agency, the

company has been profitable since inception

and remains private. Current annual sales

are $70 million and profits are re-invested to

support growth, which has averaged over 20

per cent per annum.

STEMCELL reinvests 14 per cent of annual

sales revenues into R&D and, as a result, holds

51 patents and 24 pending patent applica-

tions covering 24 significant independent

inventions. Close relationships with global

leaders in medical research has facilitated

over 80 licensing agreements to manufac-

ture products in Vancouver. Currently, the

company has over 30 collaborations with

scientists from around the world.

The high quality of STEMCELL’s products

can be attributed to the knowledge staff

has in raw-material qualification, processing,

device manufacturing and supply chain

logistics. Its processes are embedded in an

environment of extensive quality control and

quality assurance and are certified to the ISO

13485 standard. The success of the company’s

products in potential clinical applications

has moved it beyond the research-use-only

market to address demands coming from

the in-vitro diagnostic and cellular therapy

markets. The long-term success of STEMCELL

depends on the scientific knowledge of its

staff members, virtually all of whom have

post-secondary training in science, including

a PhD. (60), MSc. (55), BSc. (165) and other

degrees and certifications (110). STEMCELL’s

goal is to create wonderful jobs for people

passionate about medical science and help

turn Vancouver into “Science City”.

Life Sciences Company of the Year


Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a privately

held biotechnology company that uses its

human genetics platform to develop novel

pharmaceuticals for rare diseases.

One of Xenon’s first technologies, which it

licensed for the gene therapy treatment of

a rare lipid disorder known as Lipoprotein

Lipase Deficiency, was recently approved

in Europe.

A deliberate business strategy for Xenon

has been to ensure a revenue stream to sup-

port a broader and deeper product pipeline.

In order to achieve this, the company has

entered into seven large pharmaceutical

alliances, two of which were announced in

2012. In January of 2012, Xenon announced

a $646 million partnership with Genentech

to develop novel drugs for treating pain.

The second deal, which was announced

in December of 2012, was a $376 million

partnership with Teva Pharmaceuticals, also

in the area of pain. The company received

$41 million up front as a licence fee and, in

addition, Xenon retained the option to co-

commercialize resulting products. Phase 2b

trials with Xenon’s XEN402 product will begin

shortly, with results expected in 2014.

These two partnerships add to the approxi-

mately $90 million that Xenon has raised

in non-dilutive R&D funding from alliance

partners in the past five years. This focus

on revenue generation has allowed the

company to continue to deliver novel prod-

ucts in what has been a very challenging

financing environment for privately held

biotechnology companies.

Xenon’s pipeline also includes a develop-

ment-stage product (XEN701) for treating

anemia of chronic disease, which has been

funded in part by Genome British Columbia.

The XEN701 product is expected to start

clinical trials this year, which would be a key

milestone not only for Xenon, but also for

Genome British Columbia.

All Xenon’s programs have been borne out

of the company’s genetic platform that, to

date, has delivered numerous novel drug

targets, which have been translated into

innovative medicines in development.

Emerging Life Sciences

Company of the Year

Zymeworks Inc.

Zymeworks Inc. is a world leader in antibody

design and development, and is committed

to building best-in-class protein therapeutics

for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune and

inflammatory diseases. The company’s plat-

form technology focuses on the development

of proprietary protein therapeutics, including

bi-specific antibodies and multi-valent pro-

teins. Zymeworks’ structure-guided protein

engineering platform approach generates

therapeutic candidates with best-in-class

drug-like properties and manufacturability.

The company’s business model centres on

strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical

companies, as well as the development of its

own pipeline of antibody and protein-based

drug candidates.

LIFESCIENCES BRITISH COLUMBIA AWARDS RECIPIENTS 2013


Academic & Research InstitutionsBC Cancer Agency 600 West 10th Avenue – Suite 2100, PO Box 6, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6 Canada

604-877-6000 www.bccancer.bc.ca BC Institute of Technology 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3H2 Canada

604-434-5734 www.bcit.ca/ BC Preclinical Research Consortium 4145 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5 Canada

604-827-4369 www.bcprc.ca British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6 Canada

604-806-9093 www.cfenet.ubc.ca/ British Columbia Clinical Research Infrastructure Network 555 West 8th Avenue, Suite 500, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1C6 Canada

604-675-1023 www.bccrin.ca Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre 570 West 7th Avenue – Suite 100, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4S6 Canada

604-877-6086 www.bcgsc.ca/ Centre for Drug Research and Development 2405 Wesbrook Mall, Fourth Floor, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada

604-221-7750 www.cdrd.ca iCAPTURE Centre #166-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6 Canada

604-806-8346 www.icapture.ubc.ca ICORD Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9 Canada

604-675-8800 www.icord.org The Jackson Laboratory 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 4609 United States of America

207-288-6000 www.jax.org

PROOF Centre of Excellence Room 166, Burrard Building, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6 Canada

604-682-2344 Ext. 66795 www.proofcentre.ca

Providence Health Care Research Institute St. Paul’s Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6 Canada

604-806-9608 www.providenceresearch.ca Research Universities’ Council of British Columbia 880 Douglas Street Suite 400, Victoria, BC V8W 2B7 Canada

250-480-4819 www.rucbc.ca Rick Hansen Institute 6th Floor, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9 Canada

604-707-2100 www.rickhanseninstitute.org

Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada

778-782-3111 www.sfu.ca Trinity Western University, Department of Biology 7600 Glover Road, Langley, BC V2Y 1Y1 Canada

604-513-2043 http://www.twu.ca/academics/science/biology// TRIUMF 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A3 Canada

604-222-1047 www.triumf.ca University of British Columbia 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada

604-822-2211 www.ubc.ca University of British Columbia – UILO 103-6190 Agronomy Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada

604-822-8580 www.uilo.ubc.ca University of Northern BC 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9 Canada

250.960.5555 www.unbc.caUniversity of Victoria 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2 Canada

250-721-7211 www.uvic.ca

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Rm 100 – Willow Chest Centre – 2647 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3P1 Canada

604-875-5641 www.vchri.ca

AssociationsACCT Canada 130, 3553-31st Street NE, Calgary, AB T2L 2K7 Canada

403-270-2449 www.acctcanada.ca ACETECH 900-1188 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A2 Canada

604-683-5852 www.acetech.org/ AdvantageBC Suite 3093, Three Bentall Centre, 595 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V7X 1C4 Canada

604-683-6626 www.advantagebc.ca Ag-West Bio Inc. 101-111 Research Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3R2 Canada

306-975-1939 www.agwest.sk.ca/ BC Cancer Foundation Suite 600 – 686 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1G1 Canada

604-877-6098 bccancerfoundation.com BC Technology Industries Association (BCTIA) Suite #900 – 1188 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A2 Canada

604-683-6159 www.bctia.org BioTalent Canada 1100 – 85 Albert Street, ON K1P 6A4 Canada

613-235-1402 Ext. 229 www.biotalent.ca BIOTECanada 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 600, Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7 Canada

613-230-5585 www.biotech.ca

Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, (Rx&D) 55 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1220, Ottawa, ON K1P 6L5 Canada

613-236-0455 www.canadapharma.org DigiBC 900 – 1188 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A2 Canada

604-602-5237 www.digibc.org

Genome British Columbia 500 – 555 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1C6 Canada

604-738-8072 www.genomebc.ca The Student Biotechnology Network Box 13, 2386 East Mall Gerald McGavin Building, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada

604-767-4712 www.thesbn.ca Vancouver Board of Trade Suite 400, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1 Canada

604-640-5484 www.boardoftrade.com Vancouver Economic Commission 134 Abbott Street, Suite #402, Vancouver, BC V6B 2K4 Canada

604-632-9668 www.vancouvereconomic.com Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association 1551 Eastlake Avenue E, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98102 United States of America

206-456-9567 www.washbio.org Wavefront Wireless Innovation Society of BC 1055 West Hastings Street, Suite 1400, Vancouver, BC V6E 2E9 Canada

778-331-7571 www.wavefrontac.com

BioinformaticsKinexus Bioinformatics Corp. Suite 1 – 8755 Ash Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6T3 Canada

604-323-2547 www.kinexus.ca Oneworld accucracy Inc, (previously HealthMetrx Inc) 306-2083 Alma Street, Vancouver, BC V6R 4N6 Canada

1-800-665-7436 www.digitalpt.com STEMSOFT Software Inc. Suite 400 – 570 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1B3 Canada

604-668-0843 www.stemsoft.com/Home/

BiopharmaceuticalsAlectos Therapeutics Inc. 8999 Nelson Way, Burnaby, BC V5A 4B5 Canada

604-628-7129 www.alectos.com Alectos Therapeutics is dedicated to the discovery and development of novel small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of serious human diseases.

Allon Therapeutics Inc Suite 506, 1168 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2S2 Canada

604-736-0634 www.allontherapeutics.com Allon Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: NPC) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on bringing to market innovative central nervous system therapies.

Amgen British Columbia Inc. 7990 Enterprise Street, Burnaby, BC V5A 1V7 Canada

604-415-1800 www.amgen.ca Amgen British Columbia Inc., one of several research facilities operated by Amgen Inc., specializes in the discovery and development of human therapeutic antibodies.Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc. Suite 430 – 5600 Parkwood Way, Richmond, BC V6V 2M2 Canada

604-629-9223 www.aqxpharma.com Aquinox Pharmaceuticals is committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel and targeted small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory disease. Augurex Life Sciences Corp. 1423 Dempsey Road, North Vancouver, BC V7K 1S7 Canada

778-839-3319 www.augurex.com Augurex Life Sciences Corp. develops biomarker technologies such as 14-3-3 which is a novel biomarker and arthritis drug target. BioMark Technologies Inc. 600-1665 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6J 1X1 Canada

604-836-6950; 282-6567 www.biomarktech.com

BioMark is focused on the research, development and commercialization of its novel Acetylated Biomarker Assay (ABA) Red Alert technology platform. Boreal Genomics 302 2386 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada

604-604-822-8268 www.borealgenomics.com

Boreal Genomics develops and commercializes high performance methods and instruments for bio-molecule purification, enrichment, and detection. Cardiome Pharma Corp. 405 6190 Agronomy Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada

604-677-6905 www.cardiome.com Cardiome is a research-based biopharmaceutical company. Our lead clinical programs target the treatment of atrial fibrillation through cardiac ion-channel modulation.Celator Pharmaceuticals 810-1140 West Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6E 4G1 Canada

604-08-5858 www.celatorpharma.com Celator Pharmaceuticals Inc. is developing new carrier technology for targeting combinations of rationally selected chemotherapeutic agents to sites of disease. Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. 1240 – 666 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2X8 Canada

604-558-0920 www.eupraxiapharmaceuticals.com Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. is discovering, developing, and plans to market innovative technologies for some of society’s most prevalent diseases.

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iCo Therapeutics Inc. Suite 760 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4 Canada

778-2301675 www.icotherapeutics.com iCo Therapeutics Inc. is a Vancouver-based reprofiling company focused on redosing or reformulating drugs with clinical history for new or expanded indications. ImStar Therapeutics Inc. 1285 West Broadway, Suite 600, Vancouver, BC V6H 3X8 Canada

www.imstartx.com ImStar Therapeutics is developing a breakthrough new approach to treat patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and other related neurodegenerative disorders such as Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. Inception Sciences Canada 115 – 887 Great Northern Way, Vancouver, BC V5T 4T5 Canada

604-396-4064 Inception Sciences Canada focus is creating high-value therapies with transformative potential to address diseases and disorders with significant unmet need. Indel Therapeutics Inc. 4068 West 11th Avenue, Suite 100, Vancouver, BC V6R 2L3 Canada

604-551-8464 www.indelrx.com Indel Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new drugs to address the global health crisis caused by antibiotic resistance. Innovative Targeting Solutions Inc. 309-4475 Wayburne Drive, Burnaby, BC V5G 4X4 Canada

604-433-6779 www.innovativetargeting.com

Innovative Targeting Solutions Inc. (ITS) is focused on the development of novel human antibody technologies. iProgen Biotech 126-11782 River Road, Richmond, BC V6X 1Z7 Canada

415-800-4392 www.iprogen.com iProgen Biotech Inc. is committed to the development and expansion of a new class of protein therapeutics using intracellular protein delivery technology. MedGenesis Therapeutix Inc. 730 View Street, Suite 730, Victoria, BC V8W 3Y7 Canada

250-386-3000 www.med-genesis.com MedGenesis Therapeutix Inc. is a company developing and commercializing innovative treatments for patients with serious neurologic diseases. Medicenna Therapeutics, Inc. 220 – 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 3C9 Canada Medicenna is focused on developing receptor targeted therapeutic fusion proteins (Fuzin™) to deliver pro – or anti-apoptotic treatment of cancer, or degenerative diseases, respectively. MSI Methylation Sciences Inc. 108-4475 Wayburne, Burnaby, BC V5G 4X4 Canada

604-435-515 www.methylationsciences.com

Methylation Sciences, Inc.(MSI) has patented a new formulation of a naturally occurring human molecule called S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe). Network Immunology Inc. 3311 Quesnel Drive, Vancouver, BC V6S 1Z7 Canada

778-847-7521 www.networkimmunologyinc.com

Network Immunology is developing an HIV vaccine, an organ transplant facilitation technology, and a therapeutic for autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes and lupus. Neurodyn Inc. 1260 – 1188 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A2 Canada

604-619-0990 www.neurodyn.ca Neurodyn Inc. is developing and marketing early stage, pre-clinical, diagnostic and theraputic products to treat neurodegeneration.

OncoGenex Technologies Inc. 1001 West Broadway, Suite 400, Vancouver, BC V6H 4B1 Canada

604-736-3678 http://www.oncogenex.com/

OncoGenex Technologies Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted therapeutics for Cancer. Ondine Biomedical Inc. 888 – 1100 Melville Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6 Canada

604-669-0555 www.ondinebio.com Ondine Biopharma Corporation is focused on developing and commercializing innovative products using its patented photodisinfection technology. Pacific Rim Laboratories #103, 19575 – 55A Avenue, Surrey, BC V3S 8P8 Canada

604-532-8711 www.pacificrimlabs.com Pacific Rim Laboratories Inc. (PRL) is an ultra-trace organic laboratory by utilizing high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Phyton Biotech 1527 Cliveden Avenue, Delta, BC V3M 6P7 Canada

604-777-2340 www.phytonbiotech.com Phyton Biotech is a global provider of chemotherapeutic agents including Paclitaxel and Docetaxel Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API’s) and Taxane intermediates.QLT Inc. 887 Great Northern Way, Suite 101, Vancouver, BC V5T 4T5 Canada

1-877-764-3131 www.qltinc.com QLT is dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative ocular products that address the unmet medical needs of patients and clinicians worldwide. Qu Biologics Inc. 887 Great Northern Way, Suite 150, Vancouver, BC V5T 4T5 Canada

604-734-1450 www.qubiologics.com Qu Biologics’ immunomodulators (SSIs) are designed to stimulate the body’s innate immune response to treat chronic inflammatory diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disease. RepliCel Suite 2020 - 401 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6B 5A1 Canada

604-248-8730 www.replicel.com RepliCel is developing an autologous cell-based procedure for the treatment of pattern baldness and general hair loss in men and women.Sirius Genomics Inc. 603 1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8 Canada

604-484-7195 www.siriusgenomics.com Sirius Genomics Inc. correlates patient genetics with clinical information to develop rapid, DNA-based companion diagnostic and pharmacogenetic tests for acute medical conditions. Sirona Biochem Corp. 950-789 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1H2 Canada

604-641-4466 www.sironabiochem.com Sirona Biochem is developing diabetes therapeutics, cancer vaccine antigens, skin depigmenting and anti-aging agents for cosmetic use, and biological ingredients. Superna Life Sciences Suite 102, 577 Great Northern Way, Vancouver, BC V5T 1E1 Canada

1-877-469-1254 www.supernapharma.com Superna Life Sciences is made up of industry veterans experienced in the approval and commercialization of hematology and oncology products. Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation 100 – 8900 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, BC V5J 5J8 Canada

604-419-3200 http://www.tekmirapharm.com/

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation develops and commercializes proprietary drugs and drug delivery systems to improve the treatment of cancer and other diseases. viDA Therapeutics 115-887 Great Northern Way, Vancouver, BC V5T 4T5 Canada

788-373-0916 www.vidatherapeutics.com viDA Therapeutics Inc. (viDA) focuses on the discovery and development of treatment of age-related and chronic inflammatory conditions.

Vifor Pharma #1203-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC V8Z 7X8 Canada

250-744-2488 www.viforpharma.com/en/ Vifor Pharma is a fully integrated speciality pharma company of the Galenica Group. It is based on two main pillars: the business units Rx (prescription products) and Consumer Healthcare (OTC products). Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. 3650 Gilmore Way, Burnaby, BC V5G 4W8 Canada

604-484-3363 www.xenon-pharma.com Xenon Pharmaceuticals is engaged in developing small molecule therapies based on the genetic causes of select metabolic, neurological and cardiovascular diseases. Zymeworks Inc. 540-1385 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V9 Canada

604-678-1388 www.zymeworks.com Zymeworks designs and develops best-in-class bi-specific antibodies and multi-valent protein therapeutics for the treatment of oncology, autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases.

BioProducts & BioEnergyDiacarbon Energy Inc. Unit 120 – 2250 Boundary Road, Burnaby, BC V5M 3Z3 Canada

604-291-0001 http://www.diacarbon.com/ Earth Renu 15500 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V6V 1A6 Canada

604-521-6142 www.earthrenu.com EnWave Corporation Suite 2000 – 1066 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 3X2 Canada

604-525-1128 www.enwave.net Functional Technologies Corp. 570-1285 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4B1 Canada

604-648-2200 http://www.functionaltechcorp.com

Solegear Bioplastics Inc. #300 – 108 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1G8 Canada

604-998-4058 www.solegear.ca

Business Consultants

Abnousi Corporate Finance Suite #900 – 1188 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A2 Canada

604-218-4594 http://www.abnousi.com Advance Biomedical Inc. 2943 Wall Street, Vancouver, BC V5K 0A6 Canada

604-219-1356 www.advancebiomedical.ca Arazy Group Pier 32 Granville Island, 350-1333 Johnston Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2S2 Canada

604-681-6888 www.arazygroup.com Christie Consulting Service 3715 West 30 Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6S 1W7 Canada

604-839-2581 www.christieconsultingservices.com

Emergo Group Suite 300, 1275 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6H 1A6 Canada

604-909-1265 www.emergogroup.com Intertox 600 Stewart Street, Suite 1101, Seattle, WA 98101 Canada

206-443-2115 www.intertox.com/

Malachite Management Inc. 375 West 5th Avenue, Suite #201, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6 Canada

604-874-4004 www.malachite-mgmt.com Metaphase Health Consulting Canada

604-224-5925 www.metaphase-consulting.com PR1ME Suite 475 – 425 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 6E3 Canada

604-689-3446 www.pr1me.com QualMed Corporation 23 Forestview Drive, Cambridge, ON N1T 1V1 Canada

226-789-8420 www.qualmed.ca Rocket Builders 300– 1275 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6H 1A6 Canada

604-484-9491 www.rocketbuilders.com Technology Vision Group LLC 5200 Soquel Avenue, Suite 202, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 United States of America

831-464-4230 www.techvision.com TM Ventures North American Office: 16-39758 Government Road, Squamish, BC V8B 0G3 Canada

tmventures.com.au True North Synergy 5371 Kew Cliff Road, West Vancouver, BC V7W 1M3 Canada

604-922-1045 www.truenorthsynergy.com

World Courier of Canada Ltd. Suite 170, 3751 Shell Road Airport Executive Park, Building B, Richmond, BC V6X 2W2 Canada

604-232-9444 http://www.worldcourier.com/locations/canada

CommunicationsBusiness In Vancouver 102 East 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5T 1G2 Canada

604-688-2398 www.biv.com

Canister Creative Inc. 2440 East Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V5K 2J5 Canada

604-868-4838 canistercreative.com

Contract Research & Scientific ServicesApplied Biological Materials Inc. 8-13520 Crestwood Place, Richmond, BC V6V 2G2 Canada

604-247-2416 www.abmgood.com Aurora Biomed Inc. 1001 East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1W2 Canada

604-215-8700 www.aurorabiomed.com

BRI Biopharmaceutical Research Inc. #101-8898 Heather Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 3S8 Canada

604-432-9237 www.bripharm.com

Covance Inc. 3301 Kinsman Boulevard, Madison, WI 53704 United States of America

608-442-8200 www.covance.com


raeyco

inVentiv Health Clinique Inc 5160 boul. Décarie, 8th Floor, Montreal, QC H3X 2H9 Canada

514-978-0258 www.pharmanet.com Laporte Consultants Inc 112 W, 8th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1N2 Canada

604-568-0180 www.laporteconsultants.com

Lifebank Corp. Suite 200 – 4475 Wayburne Drive, Burnaby, BC V5G 4X4 Canada

1-888-888-7836 www.lifebank.com Maxxam Analytics 4606 Canada Way, Burnaby, BC V5G 1K5 Canada

604-734-7276 www.maxxam.ca MPI Research 54943 North Main Street, Mattawan, MI 49071 United States of America

269-668-3336 www.mpiresearch.com MRM Proteomics 1275 West 6th Avenue, Suite 311, Vancouver, BC V6H 1A6 Canada

604-800-2296 www.mrmproteomics.com Northern Lipids Inc. 8855 Northbrook Court, Burnaby, BC V5J 5J1 Canada

604-222-2548 www.northernlipids.com

Optum 4 Innovation Drive, Dundas, ON L9H 7P3 Canada

1-866-722-6734 http://www.optuminsight.com/

PharmEng Technology 130 – 10691 Shellbridge Way, Richmond, BC V6X 2W8 Canada

905-415-3922 www.pharmeng.com SignalChem Pharmaceuticals Inc. Suite 550 – 5600 Parkwood Way, Richmond, BC V6V 2M2 Canada

604-232-4600 www.signalchem.com

Syreon Corp. 260 – 1401 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6H 1C9 Canada

604-676-5900 www.syreon.com Viva Pharmaceutical Inc. 13880 Viking Place, Richmond, BC V6V 1K8 Canada

604-718-0816 www.vivapharm.com Wax-it Histology Services 202 – 2386 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada

604-822-1595 http://www.waxitinc.com/

Facilities & Real Estate

CB Richard Ellis 600-1111 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4M3 Canada

604-662-3000 http://www.cbre.com/

Chernoff Thompson Architects 110 – 1281 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 3J5 Canada

604-669-9460 http://www.cta.bc.ca Discovery Parks Trust #155 – 887 Great Northern Way, Vancouver, BC V5T 4T5 Canada

604-734-7275 www.discoveryparks.com Vancouver Island Technology Park #2201 – 4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC V8Z 7X8 Canada

250-483-3200 www.vitp.ca

Financial Services & InsuranceAON 900 Howe Street, PO Box 3228, Vancouver, BC V6B 3X8 Canada

604-683-2561 www.aon.ca BDC-Venture Capital One Bentall Center 505 Burrard Street Suite 2100, Vancouver, BC V7X 1M6 Canada

604-666-7815 www.bdc.ca CMW Insurance 700-1901 Rosser Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5C 6R6 Canada

604-294-3301 www.cmwinsurance.com Ernst & Young LLP 700 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1C7 Canada

604-891-8200 www.ey.com KPMG LLP 777 Dunsmuir, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1K3 Canada

604-691-3000 www.kpmg.ca Morneau Shepell Ltd. 2925 Virtual Way, Suite 310, Vancouver, BC V5M 4X5 Canada

604-642-5200 www.morneaushepell.com PwC 250 Howe Street #700, Vancouver, BC V6C 3R8 Canada

250-483-7011 www.pwcglobal.com RBC Knowledge Based Industries 1055 West Georgia Street, 36th Floor, Vancouver, BC V6E 3S5 Canada

604-665-8470 www.rbc.com

GovernmentBCIC 900 – 1188 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A2 Canada

604-683-2724 www.bcic.ca British Consulate-General Vancouver 800-1111 Melville Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 3V6 Canada

604-683-4421 www.ukincanada.fco.gov.uk

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research 200 – 1285 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 3X8 Canada

604-730-8322 www.msfhr.org National Research Council 4250 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5 Canada

604-221-3000 www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca NSERC Pacific Suite 407 – 138 Melville Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4S3 Canada

877-767-1767 www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca

International Pharmaceutical CorporationsAbbVie 8401 Trans-Canada Highway, St. Laurent, QC H4S 1Z1 Canada

514-832-7000 www.abbott.ca AstraZeneca Canada Inc. 1004 Middlegate Road, Mississauga, ON L4Y 1M4 Canada

905-277-7111 www.astrazeneca.ca Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. 5180 South Service Road, Burlington, ON L7L 5H4 Canada

905-639-0333 www.boehringer-ingelheim.ca

Celgene Corporation 6755 Mississauga Road, Suite 600, Mississauga, ON L5N 7Y2 Canada

1-877-923-5436Eli Lilly Canada Inc. 3650 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON M1N 2E8 Canada

416-694-3221 www.lilly.ca


Genzyme 2700 Matheson Boulevard East West Tower, Suite 800, Mississauga, ON L4W 4V9 Canada

905-625-0011 www.genzyme.ca

GlaxoSmithKline 7333 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5N 6L4 Canada

905-819-3000 www.gsk.ca Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. 2455 Meadowpine Boulevard, Missisauga, ON L5N 6L7 Canada

1-800-561-1759 www.rochecanada.com

Janssen Inc 19 Green Belt Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1L9 Canada

1-800-387-8781 http://www.janssen.ca LEO Pharma Inc. 123 Commerce Valley Drive East, Suite 400, Thornhill, ON L3T 7W8 Canada

905-886-9822 www.leo-pharma.ca

Merck Suite 600-1285 Broadway W, Vancouver, BC V6H 3X8 Canada

514-428-8600 www.merckfrosst.ca Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. 385 Bouchard Boulevard, Dorval, QC H9S 1A9 Canada

514-631-6775 www.novartis.ca Pfizer Canada Inc. 17300 Trans-Canada Highway, Kirkland, QC H9J 2M5 Canada

514-695-0500 www.pfizer.ca Sanofi Canada 2905 Place Louis-R.-Renaud, Laval, QC H7V 0A3 Canada

1-800-363-6364 en.sanofi.com/ Takeda Canada, Inc. Suite 101 435 North Service Road West, Mississauga, ON L6M 4X8 Canada

905-469-9333 www.takedacanada.com UCB Canada Inc. 401 – 2060 Winston Park Drive, Oakville, ON L6H 5R7 Canada

905-287-5129 www.ucb.com/

Legal ServicesBorden Ladner Gervais LLP 1200 – 200 Burrard Street, PO Box 48600, Vancouver, BC V7X 1T2 Canada

604-687-5744 www.blg.com Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP 3000 Royal Centre, PO Box 11130, 1055 West Georgia, Vancouver, BC V6E 3R3 Canada

604-687-6575 www.bht.com

Christensen O’Connor Johnson Kindness 1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2800, Seattle, WA 98101-2347 United States of America

206-682-8100 www.cojk.com

DuMoulin Black LLP 10th Floor – 595 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2T5 Canada

604-687-1224 www.dumoulinblack.com

Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP 25th Floor, 700 West Georgia Street PO Box 10026, Pacific Centre South, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1B3 Canada

604-684-9151 www.farris.com Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP 2900-550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 0A3 Canada

604-631-3131 www.fasken.com Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP 550 Burrard Street Suite 2300, Bentall 5, Vancouver, BC V6C 2B5 Canada

604-683-6498 www.gowlings.com MBM Intellectual Property Law LLP. 700 West Pender Street, Suite 700, Vancouver, BC V6C 1G8 Canada

604-669-4350 www.mbm.com/ McCarthy Tétrault LLP Suite 1300, 777 Dunsmuir Street PO Box 10424, Pacific Centre, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1K2’ Canada

604-643-7100 www.mccarthy.ca

Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala LLP 480 – 601 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1G1 Canada

604-669-3432 www.patentable.com

Seed Intellectual Property Law Group PLLC 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400, Seattle, WA 98104 United States of America

206-622-4900 www.seedip.com

Medical DevicesBiolux Research Ltd. 220-825 Powell Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1H7 Canada

604-669-0674 www.bioluxresearch.com Biolux Research Ltd. is a world leader in innovative Light Accelerated Regeneration technology and products for use in dentistry markets. Critical Systems Lab Inc. 618 – 475 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2B3 Canada

604-688-2754 www.criticalsystemslabs.com

Farabloc Development Corp. 211-3030 Lincoln Avenue, Coquitlam, BC V3B 6B4 Canada

604-941-8201 www.farabloc.com Farabloc Development Corporation was incorporated in 1983 for the purposes of research and development focused on the product Farabloc.

Heart Force Medical Inc. Suite 305 – 1818 Cornwall Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 1C7 Canada

604-566-8200 www.heartforcemedical.com

HeartForce Medical Inc. is dedicated to researching, developing and commercializing products and services for general physicians and cardiologists, specifically for Seismocardiographic and Ballistocardiographic assessments of patients. Innovatek Medical Inc. #3 – 1600 Derwent Way, Delta, BC V3M 6M5 Canada

604-522-8303 www.innovatekmed.com Innovatek Medical Inc. is a Canadian company selling rapid diagnostic kits in the areas of women’s health, drugs of abuse and infectious diseases. Kardium Suite 100 – 12851 Rowan Place, Richmond, BC V6V2K5 Canada

604-248-8891 www.kardium.com Kardium is a technology pioneer developing new medical devices to address cardiovascular diseases, particularly focused on developing a novel ablation catheter for treating atrial fibrillation. LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. 235-5589 Byrne Road, Burnaby, BC V5J 3J1 Canada

604-434-4614 www.velscope.com LED Medical Diagnostics inc. recently launched the VELscope Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment system that helps dental practices screen patients for oral cancer and other oral disease.Life Scan Canada Ltd. #300 – 4170 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, BC V5C 6C6 Canada

604-293-2266 www.onetouch.ca LifeScan Canada Ltd. provides a unique system of products and services tailored for the diabetics and health care professionals. LightIntegra Technology 650-999 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1K5 Canada

604-734-3548 www.lightintegra.com LightIntegra Technology Inc. is developing ThromboLUX, a medical device that analyzes the quality of platelets immediately prior to a transfusion. Lungpacer Medical Inc. 8888 University Drive, Room L9003 Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada

778-782-3141 www.lungpacer.com/ Lungpacer’s mission is to develop and commercialize a novel therapeutic system to prevent diaphragm atrophy and lung damage from mechanical ventilation. Neovasc Inc. 13700 Mayfield Place, Suite 2135, Richmond, BC V6V 2E4 Canada

604-270-4344 www.neovasc.com Neovasc Inc. develops, manufactures and markets cardiovascular products such as the Reducer™, Tiara™ and a line of advanced implantable biological tissues. Novadaq Technologies Inc. 13155 Delf Place, Unit 250, Richmond, BC V6V 2A22 Canada

604-232-9861 www.novadaq.com Perceptronix Medical Inc. (PMI Labs) 555 West 8th Avenue, Ste. 400, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1C6 Canada

604-629-8785 Ext.408 www.perceptronix.com

Response Biomedical Corp. 1781 – 75th Avenue West, Vancouver, BC V6P 6P2 Canada

604-456-6010 www.responsebio.com/index.html# Response Biomedical commercializes the world’s only immunoassay platform with lab quality information in a matter of minutes, anywhere, every time.

Sorin Group Canada Inc. 5005 North Fraser Way, Burnaby, BC V5J 5M1 Canada

604-412-5650 www.sorin.com The Sorin Group develops, manufactures and markets medical technologies for cardiac surgery and for the treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders. StarFish Medical 455 Boleskine Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1E7 Canada

250-388-3537 www.starfishmedical.com StarFish provides medical device development services, from business, market, and product planning to proof of concept to manufactured devices. SterileCare Inc. 115 – 887 Great Northern Way, Vancouver, BC V5T4T5 Canada

778-285-6645 www.sterilecareinc.com/ SterileCare is leading innovation with a simple solution to improve quality of health through innovative sterilization methods. Traumis Surgical Systems Inc. 1950 Graveley Street, Vancouver, BC V5L 3B4 Canada

604-367-0700 www.traumis.com Traumis Surgical Systems Inc. aims to improve and accelerate surgical procedures with a minimum need for adaptation of tooling, procedures, or operating environment.

Verisante Technology, Inc. #306 – 2309 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6M 2A3 Canada

604-605-0507 www.verisante.com Verisante (TSX-V: VRS) is a medical device company dedicated to skin cancer detection. The company’s award-winning device, AuraTM, is approved for sale in Canada, Europe and Australia. ViewsIQ #115-887 Great Northern Way, Vancouver, BC V5T4T5 Canada

1-855-847-7226 viewsiq.ca/ ViewsIQ is a Canadian healthcare technology company that develops microscopy imaging solutions for academic institutions, research and clinical laboratories.

Scientific SuppliersAirgas Bay 133, 3016 10th Avenue NE, Calgary, AB T2A6A3 Canada

360-944-4000 www.airgas.com GE Healthcare Life Sciences 500 Morgan Boulevard, Baie d’Urfé, QC H9X 3V1 Canada

1-800-463-5800 http://www.gelifesciences.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Home/en/GELifeSciences-CA// Iotron Industries Canada Inc. 1425 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6L3 Canada

604-945-8838 www.iotron.com K’(Prime) Technologies Inc. Unit 105, 90 Freeport Boulevard NE, Calgary, AB T3J 5J9 Canada

403-226-5897 www.kprime.net/ STEMCELL Technologies Inc. 570 West Seventh Avenue, Suite 400, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1B3 Canada

604-877-0713 www.stemcell.com VWR International Ltd. 2360 Argentia Road, Mississauga, ON L5N 5Z7 Canada

1-800-932-5000 www.vwrsp.com


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