LifeSciences BC Announces Recipients of the 2009 LifeSciences British Columbia Awards
March 9, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, March 9th, 2009; 7:00AM EST
Vancouver, British Columbia – LifeSciences British Columbia today announced the recipients of the 2009 LifeSciences British Columbia Awards. They are:
Genome BC Award for Scientific Excellence:
-Dr. Ben Koop, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria
-Dr. Willie Davidson, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University
Innovation & Achievement:
-John Babcook, AMGEN British Columbia
Leadership Awards:
-Dr. Jack Saddler, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia
-Dr. Julio Montaner, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
Medical Device Company of the Year:
-Response Biomedical Corporation
Life Sciences Companies of the Year:
-OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals
-Nexterra Energy Corporation
These awards are presented annually by LifeSciences British Columbia to recognize individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the development of British Columbia’s life sciences industry across all sub-sectors, from biopharmaceuticals and medical devices to bioproducts and bioenergy – sectors which are critical to the economic future of the province and country.
“We all know what a challenging business environment the world is facing,” commented Karimah Es Sabar, President of LifeSciences British Columbia, “So it’s even more important during such times that we celebrate and continue to nurture these great accomplishments. These recipients have all proven over the last year and during the course of their careers that great science and the application and commercialization of that science continue to be achieved right here in British Columbia. We extend our warmest congratulations and appreciation to each of the Award recipients.”
The awards will be presented at a gala ceremony Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 in front of an audience of approximately 600 biopharmaceutical, medical device, bioproducts, bioenergy and greater life sciences community and public policy leaders at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver. Please visit www.lifesciencesbc.ca for full details.
The LifeSciences British Columbia Awards are presented by Ernst & Young; Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy, LLP; Genome British Columbia; and Rx&D (Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies). Media sponsor: Business in Vancouver Magazines.
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ONE BACKGROUNDER ATTACHED
For further information, contact:
Barry Gee
Director, Operations and Communications, LifeSciences British Columbia
Tel: 604-602-5226
Email: bgee@lifesciencesbc.ca
About LifeSciences British Columbia
LifeSciences British Columbia supports and represents the biopharmaceutical, medical device, bioproducts, bioenergy and greater life sciences community of British Columbia through leadership, advocacy and promotion of our world-class science and industry. Via active facilitation of partnering and investment into the life sciences sector, British Columbia is fast becoming a global life sciences leader. LifeSciences British Columbia is a not-for-profit, non-government, industry-funded association.
BACKGROUNDER
LifeSciences British Columbia is honoring five individuals and three companies for their outstanding contribution to the province’s life sciences industry and community:
Genome BC Award for Scientific Excellence
Presented to an individual(s) who has received significant international recognition in the fields of genomics, proteomics, bioinfomatics or systems biology.
Dr. Ben Koop, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria; and
Dr. Willie Davidson, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University
Drs. Willie Davidson and Ben Koop, over a short period of time have successfully collaborated to become leading, and sought after global authorities in the genomics and genetics of salmonids, which include salmon and related species such as trout, charr, whitefishes, ciscos and graylings. The team’s world-leading work is focused on better understanding the basic biology of salmonid species including changes in gene expression as a result of environmental factors (e.g., pollutants or water temperature) and exposure to pathogens.
In Canada, salmonids are of great economic and societal importance, particularly in coastal, rural and aboriginal communities. Understanding the organisms’ genomes will allow superior breeding programs and the design of more effective vaccines. In addition, a better understanding of how natural populations of salmonids adapt to local conditions will benefit many agencies that have to make decisions about stocks and harvesting plans. Koop and Davidson’s current research is expanding to include the development of tools to assist in the stewardship of trout, grayling, charr, Northern pike and rainbow smelt.
As well as answering practical questions about salmonids, there are also fundamental scientific questions that can be explored using salmonid genomes. Due to the evolutionary path of salmonids, this is an ideal species group for studying gene and genome duplications, which provide the raw material for increased complexity and redundant systems to allow adaptation and species radiation. These processes have played an important role in the evolution of all vertebrates including humans. Furthermore, salmonids are sentinel species that act as canaries for environmental disturbances caused by exploitation and climate change. Hence, the outcomes of this research have direct relevance to a fundamental understanding of our genes as well as providing very practical tools for commercial, environmental and ecosystem health.
Innovation and Achievement
Presented to a scientist who has been responsible for the creation of breakthrough intellectual property which has led to a potential commercial application of relevance whether that be a technology or a product per se.
Mr. John Babcook, Amgen British Columbia
While working in the laboratory of Dr. John Schrader at the Biomedical Research Centre at the University of British Columbia, Mr. Babcook developed a novel antibody generation technology, termed the Selected Lymphocyte Antibody Method (SLAM®). The method allows for the efficient sampling of immune B-cell repertoires to generate highly potent monoclonal antibodies from any species. This technology became the basis for forming ImmGenics Pharmaceuticals, co-founded by Mr. Babcook.
In 2000 when US-based Abgenix acquired ImmGenics, the company’s British Columbia operations soon became the core antibody generation site and center of innovation with the development of a state-of-the-art facility established in Burnaby. Under Mr. Babcook’s direction, SLAM technology was applied to Abgenix’s XenoMouseTM transgenic mice, generating hundreds of fully human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with therapeutic potential. Leading pharmaceutical organizations engaged in collaborations with the company gaining access to the technology and panels of antibodies were generated to over 30 oncology targets.
In 2006, Amgen, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, acquired Abgenix and integrated the Burnaby research facility into the company’s global R&D organization. The acquisition brought important scientific knowledge and assets to Amgen, including proprietary XenoMouse and SLAM technologies. Amgen British Columbia (ABC) continues to make significant contributions by generating novel therapeutics to treat grievous human diseases – work that traces back to the contributions of Mr. John Babcook.
Leadership Award
Presented to an individual who has demonstrated leadership in the industry, and has assisted in the creation and advancement of life sciences companies and/or the broader life sciences community over time.
Dr. Jack Saddler, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia; and
Dr. Julio Montaner, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
Dr. John (Jack) Saddler is the endowed Professor of Forest Products Biotechnology (originally an NSERC Industry Chair) and also the Dean, Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Saddler’s commitment to advancing the development and application of innovative biorefining technology for production of biofuels and chemicals from biomass feedstocks has positioned him as an international leader of scientists, advisor to governments, and facilitator to industry, playing a broad and powerful role across all these dimensions to a remarkable degree.
As a senior and seasoned research scientist, Dr. Saddler has been involved, for more than 25 years, in various national and international organizations that have advanced the global understanding of how woody biomass can be converted to useful fuels and chemicals. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Canada’s highest recognition for scientists, and he has received many other awards such as the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO’s) Scientific Achievement Award, the Charles D. Scott award for contributions to the field of “Biotechnology for fuels and Chemicals”, etc. He has published more than 300 papers, several books, holds several patents and is a regular reviewer/advisor for agencies such as the US Dept of Energy, USDA, NSERC, World Bank, etc.
Outside of the research setting, Dr. Saddler has not only advised policy-makers at the highest levels provincially and nationally, but has been instrumental in the creation of long-standing initiatives to demonstrate, commercialize and transfer promising biorefining technologies, such as the creation of Ethanol BC and the BC Bioenergy Network. Nationally, his influence extends to such bodies as the Science Directorate of the Canadian Forest Service, the Canadian Council of Forests Ministers, and the National Roundtable on Economy and Environment. Internationally, he has contributed significantly to the work of the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the US DoE, USDA, the International Energy Agency (IEA) Paris, and he has acted as the Task Leader of the Liquid Biofuels network of IEA Bioenergy organization.
Finally, Dr. Saddler’s efforts have earned him a significant reputation in the field amongst both the energy and forest industries, with his contributions recognized in virtually any related industry setting, from the provincial Council of Forest Industries to the international Biotechnology Industry Organization. As a consequence, Dr. Saddler’s advice is in high demand by industry formally and informally. He sits on the Scientific Advisory Boards of groups such as Mascoma Corporation, Lignol Energy Corp, Weyerhauser.
Dr. Julio Montaner is the Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the President of the International AIDS Society. A recipient of numerous national and international academic awards, it is his leadership over the past 20 years that is perhaps most noteworthy.
Dr. Montaner treats many individual patients but his work reaches far beyond his office. He has been the leader, here in BC and around the world, in understanding the full application of antiretroviral drugs to curb the growth of HIV and AIDS. Dr. Montaner has provided leadership in developing, implementing and successfully completing several important international studies, and played an important role in the evaluation of alternative therapeutic approaches, and pioneered multiple drug rescue therapy. Dr. Montaner also plays an important role in the evaluation and transfer of research advances into clinical practice via the development of the HIV/AIDS Therapeutic Guidelines by a consensus process in the province.
He is an international leader in treatment strategies and removing the barriers to seeking and maintaining treatment. Dr. Montaner has proposed that increasing access to antiretroviral drugs will have a profound effect on the transmission rate of the virus. His hypothesis is that by lowering the “community” viral load the likelihood of transmission of the virus will diminish. He has published this hypothesis in the Lancet, the Journal of Infectious Diseases and other A-level journals. Recently, the WHO AIDS Program has published a paper supporting Dr. Montaner’s proposed approach, even in the developing world.
This leap in thinking could have a profound effect in our province if we are successful in enrolling additional HIV positive persons into treatment. Today, an estimated 25% of HIV positive persons do not know they are infected. A significant component of Dr. Montaner’s plan is to identify all infected persons, with their consent, and offer them treatment. By subsequently reducing a person’s viral load, the likelihood of transmitting the virus diminishes. This will deflect the HIV epidemic curve in BC downward as it will in any other jurisdiction that embraces this strategy.
Throughout his career, Dr. Montaner has led real action as well as devised further strategies to diminish the epidemic, and directly save countless lives.
Medical Device Company of the Year Award
Presented to a medical device company that has stood out in the current year by achieving major milestones.
Response Biomedical Corporation
Despite the downturn in the financial markets, Response Biomedical focused its efforts in 2008 on “building a business’. Its strategy was to expand its market presence through expanding its blue-chip partnerships and availability of new and innovative diagnostic tests into the market.
In 2008, the Company signed a collaborative partnership with world-leading Roche Diagnostics to commercialize its line of cardiovascular tests. Further, the Company received US FDA clearance for NT-proBNP, a test to assist in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure. This test and the rest of the cardiovascular line of products is expected to be launched in the US in the first quarter of 2009 and later this year in Canada and several countries in Southeast Asia. Response Biomedical also received FDA clearance to market its Flu A+B test. This quantitative test was launched by 3M in the 4th quarter of 2008 in the US with global expansion being planned.
The Company also launched a new RAMP® Reader to process the test results. The RAMP® 200 Reader establishes a new performance standard by providing lab-quality diagnostic test results in less than 20 minutes. Other analyzer systems lack the accuracy of the Response Biomedical tests in many instances, and laboratory tests can take substantially more time to yield the same high-quality test results. The RAMP® 200 also adds new advantages in ease-of-use and in connectivity with hospital information systems. While competitive products offer the ability to run one test at a time, the RAMP® 200 can run up to six tests simultaneously. It was this technological advantage and the hospital connectivity that attracted Roche as Response’s cardiovascular partner.
Finally, the Company moved into a new state-of-the-art global headquarters – a 46,000 square foot single-occupant specialized use facility, which was specifically designed and constructed for development of GMP manufacturing and distribution of point-of-care medical diagnostic tests. It moves the capability of the company from manufacturing 500,000 tests per year to an eventual capacity of 15 million tests per year.
Response is now well-positioned to achieve its vision to penetrate the clinical diagnostic market in a major way through strong partnerships and the scientific excellence of its products now available.
For more information on Response Biomedical, visit www.responsebio.com
Life Sciences Company of the Year Award
Presented to a company from any life sciences sector that stood out in the current year by achieving major milestones and achieving or moving towards commercial success.
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals; and
Nexterra Energy Corp.
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies that address unmet needs in the treatment of cancer. The company has a deep oncology pipeline, with five product candidates in development, three of which are in clinical development. Each product candidate has a distinct mechanism of action representing a unique opportunity for cancer drug development.
In 2008, OncoGenex was able to reach major milestones and advance its business and product candidates despite the economic times. These milestones included:
- A successful reverse takeover of Seattle-based Sonus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. providing an exciting opportunity for the stockholders of both companies to realize the full value of each company’s assets;
- FDA granting of Fast Track Designation for OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals’ Lead Product Candidate, OGX-011;
- Longer survival duration, estimated at 10.6 months, in a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial of OGX-011 in combination with chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone for patients with advanced prostate cancer. The median survival was 27.5 months for the patients in the OGX-011 arm and 16.9 months in the control arm;
- An agreement with FDA was reached on the design of a Phase 3 registration trial of OGX-011 featuring survival as the primary endpoint for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer who receive second line chemotherapy.
- OGX-011, the lead candidate currently completing five Phase 2 clinical studies in prostate, lung and breast cancers, is designed to inhibit the production of a specific protein associated with treatment resistance; OGX-427 is in Phase 1 clinical development; SN2310 is in Phase 1 clinical development; and CSP-9222 and OGX-225 are currently in pre-clinical development.
For more information about OncoGenex, visit www.oncogenex.com.
Nexterra Energy Corp. is a leading developer and supplier of biomass gasification solutions that generate heat and power for institutional and industrial customers. Nexterra’s gasification systems convert waste biomass fuels into clean burning “syngas” that can be used as a direct substitute for natural gas and other fossil fuels in the production of heat, steam or power. Nexterra’s technology has proven that customers can reduce costs and become more energy self-sufficient, while also significantly lowering greenhouse gas and other harmful air emissions.
Biomass power generation is a multi-billion market opportunity, and Nexterra’s objective is to capitalize on this opportunity by creating a new standard of small-scale biomass power solution that has widespread application as a distributed generation solution.
With focused discipline, President and CEO Jonathan Rhone has taken the company from start-up six years ago to develop strategic partnerships and increase the company’s booked sales from $5M in 2007 to $20M in 2008. Sales to date of Nexterra’s gasification technology include the following projects:
- University of South Carolina cogeneration plant.
- Dockside Green on Victoria’s inner harbor – the world’s leading Platinum LEED residential and commercial development.
- US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
- Kruger Products tissue mill in New Westminster BC.
- Tolko Industries plywood mill near Kamloops BC.
- Nexterra also operates a large Product Development Centre in Kamloops BC.
Nexterra also plans to announce significant new projects in 2009.
Most recently, Nexterra launched a $30 million program to commercialize a new generation of High Efficiency Biomass Power System – a new application of its biomass gasification technology to generate power and heat from small-scale plants (2 – 10 MWe) by direct-firing syngas into high efficiency gas engines. This initiative follows two years of intensive work by Nexterra to upgrade syngas made by gasifying biomass so that it meets the fuel specification of GE Jenbacher’s internal combustion engines. GE has supported this work through its Jenbacher gas engine division.
Nexterra has established strategic alliances and marketing relationships with Johnson Controls Inc., GE Energy, Honeywell, Pristine Power and other companies. Nexterra also received support from Canada’s National Research Council through its Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), FP Innovations, and the Province of British Columbia’s Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund established to support development of clean power and energy efficiency technologies in the electricity, alternative energy, transportation, and oil and gas sectors.
For more information about Nexterra, please visit: www.nexterra.ca
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