Manitoba Life Science News for the week ending March 5, 2010
Summary of this Week’s Newsletter:
Exciting Opportunities
Life Science Association of Manitoba’s Annual Reverse Trade Mission- March 9th & 10th, 2010
Upcoming Events
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) Manufacturing & Trade Conference- March 23rd, 2010
Sixth Annual Regional Bioscience Conference- March 25th & 26th, 2010
LSAM Training Events
7 Steps to Selling Your Medical Product in the U.S.- March 9th, 2010
Good Clinical Practice Training Workshop- March 23rd, 2010
Advocacy Efforts
Federal Budget Overview
Highlights of Canada’s 2010 Federal Budget For Biotech, Venture Capital and Innovation
Innovation Cash Targeted at ‘Practical’ Research
Federal Budget Implements BIOTECanada Request for Removal of Section 116- Opens Door to Flow of Foreign Capital for Biotechs
Member News
Biovail to Tackle U.S. With New Sales Force
Kane Biotech’s Antibiofilm Technologies Published in Two New Scientific Books
Prognition Has Graduated from the BBC Program
Teams from Merck, Pfizer, Wyeth Named Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Team of the Year Finalists
Life Science in the News
Online Drug Pioneer Tumbles
Montreal Hospital Battles Superbug
AIDS Virus Avoids Drugs by Hiding in Bone Marrow; Finding Could Point Way to Better Treatment
Another Potential Alzheimer’s Medication Fails
Vaccine Fears Still Plague Parents, U.S. Survey Finds
GM ‘Watershed’ for Biotech Industry
Canadian Groups Dispute Green Light for GM Corn
EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES:
The Life Science Association of Manitoba Presents Its 2010 Reverse Trade Mission- March 9th – 10th, 2010
This year’s Reverse Trade Mission will feature over 20 companies and researchers from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Minnesota and North Dakota.
The purpose of our Reverse Trade Mission is to strengthen the life science community in Manitoba by engaging partners in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Minnesota; to build upon the concept of a Mid-west Trade Corridor; and to highlight key sectors of the Manitoba life science cluster and create new partnerships.
Below you will find the details on two key events for the association; the Opening Night Reception and special training workshop entitled “7 Steps to Selling Your Medical Product in the U.S.”
I would strongly encourage you to attend one or both events as it will be a great opportunity to reach out to life science communities in other provinces and countries.
If you have any questions about the mission or the events please contact the event coordinator Jonathan Frate at jfrate@lsam.ca or by phone at (204) 272-5094.
OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION- MARCH 9th, 2010, 5:30pm (Fort Garry Hotel)- Taking Place Tomorrow
The Opening Night Reception is your opportunity to meet with the visiting participants from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Minnesota and North Dakota. It is also a chance to reconnect with members of the local life science community.
We are very excited about the number of guests that will be attending from out of province and they are looking forward to meeting members of the life science sector in Manitoba. The reception is a chance for you and your company to learn about new opportunities, create new business contacts and to celebrate the strength and diversity of our industry with our visiting guests.
To register for this event visit http://www.lsam.ca/calendar_details.cfm?id=314
WHEN: Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
WHERE: Hotel Fort Garry
Concert Ballroom (7th Floor)
222 Broadway
TIME: 5:30pm
COST: LSAM Members- FREE
Non-LSAM Members- $10 (if you register by March 8th)
$15 (if you register at the door)
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) Manufacturing & Trade Conference- March 23rd, 2010
You are invited to join the CME for a dynamic one-day conference that brings together a powerhouse of presenters from across North America with Manitoba industry leaders to challenge and inspire Manitoba manufacturers and exporters to excel and grow in domestic and global markets. You are guaranteed to come away challenged, more informed, and better prepared to compete!
Register by February 16th to access the early bird pricing for this dynamic one-day conference that brings together a powerhouse of presenters from across North America together with Manitoba industry leaders.
The event focuses on key issues, opportunities, and networking:
- Lean Culture
- Sustainability and Profitability
- Innovation and Technology
- Leadership and Human Resources
- Global Trade
- Economy and the future
You are guaranteed to come away challenged, informed, and better prepared to compete!
Schedule and information: Full Details
Register now: Manufacturing & Trade Conference 2010 Online Registration
Sixth Annual Regional Bioscience Conference- March 25th & 26th, 2010
You are invited to attend the 6th Annual Regional Bioscience Conference being held at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington, Minnesota from March 25th-26th. It is being hosted by the Worthington Regional Economic Development Corporation.
The keynote speaker for this year’s conference is Molly Jahn, Acting Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, United States Department of Agriculture
For conference details and to register, please click on the link below:
http://www.wgtn.net/biosciences/conference/biosciences_conference_reservation_form.htm
LSAM TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES:
7 Steps to selling your medical product in the u.s.- March 9th, 2010
The U.S. is the largest and wealthiest economy in the world and it leads the world in science and technology. Medically speaking, the U.S. does 1/3 of all global R&D spending; contains ¼ of the world’s scientists and engineers in the workforce; and is home to the world’s largest and deepest pool of capital.
In terms of innovation their track record is unparalleled in terms of the commercialization of new ideas.
The U.S. market provides Canadian companies with excellent access to global value chains. Given the size, dynamism and proximity of the U.S. market, the U.S. will remain Canada’s most important economic partner and largest source of commercial opportunity. Which is why this program is of value for anyone considering entering the US market place.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the US Medical Market Place and specific items such as coding, coverage, payment and updates on the FDA, investment community and so much more.
The event is being hosted by MedLinX Consulting, a Twin Cities-based management consulting firm focused on assisting international firms succeed in the U.S. medical device and health care market.
To register for this event please visit http://www.lsam.ca/calendar_details.cfm?id=313. Following the presentation you are invited to attend the Opening Night Networking Reception.
Presented by: Karin K. Roof, Principal
MedLinX Consulting, LLC
http://www.medlinxconsulting.com/
WHERE: Hotel Fort Garry
Crystal Ballroom(7th Floor)
222 Broadway
WHEN: March 9, 2010
TIME: 1:00pm-5:00pm
COST: LSAM Members: FREE
Non-LSAM Members: $20 (includes complimentary entry into the Opening Night Reception)
7 Steps to Selling Your Medical Product in the U.S.- Course Outline
- Understand your Customer’s Needs
- Develop your Value Proposition
- Develop your Business Plan & Commercialization Strategy
- Define your Market
- Analyze Competition
- Flesh out functional plans
- Identify best Distribution strategy
- Gain Funding
- Execute on Functional Requirements
- Launch
- Exit or Grow
Good Clinical Practice Training Workshop- March 23rd, 2010
Presented by: The Office of Clinical Research, St. Boniface General Hospital
Where: Room N1026 (Main Floor)
Nursing Education Building (431 Tache)
St. Boniface General Hospital
When: March 23, 2010-03-01
Time: 8:30 am-4:00 pm (Registration 8:15 am)
Workshop space will be limited to 20 participants. Registration is required through the deposit of a non-refundable registration fee of $150 to be received with this registration form by the Office of Clinical Research no later than Friday March 12, 2010. Registration fees include 2 nutrition breaks, a full lunch, as well as course materials.
Course Outline:
Section 1 Introduction to Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
Section 2 GCP Roles and Responsibilities of Ethics Committees
Section 3 GCP Roles and Responsibilities of the Investigator
Section 4 GCP Roles and Responsibilities of the Sponsor
Section 5 GCP & Clinical Trial Protocols including Amendments & Investigator Brochures
Section 6 Essential Documents of a Clinical Trial
Section 7 Fraud and Misconduct in Clinical Research
If you require any additional information or assistance with the registration process, please contact Terry Sawicz-Hanesiak at (204) 237-2226 or e-mail tsawicz@sbgh.mb.ca.
Advocacy Efforts:
FEDERAL BUDGET OVERVIEW
Last week the Federal Budget was released and it appears as though the government hopes to rein in federal spending, including planned funding to the Canadian Forces, to cut a deficit that has soared to $53.7 billion.
But that goal depends on economic growth returning to the modest pace of pre-Recession levels, and inflation hovering around an expected 2.2 per cent. Otherwise, targets to reduce the deficit will not be met.
The Conservatives say a total of $17.6 billion can be saved over the next five years. Significant steps include:
- Slowing the annual growth of spending to the Canadian military, saving $525 million in 2012-2013 in planned spending after troops leave Afghanistan, and $1 billion annually starting in 2013-2014. By 2015, $2.5 billion would be saved.
- Freezing government salaries and department budgets for the next three years, saving about $300 million in 2010-2011. In order to pay for the mandated salary increases of unionized public service workers, departments will have to find other areas to cut, which could lead to job losses.
- Capping funds for International Assistance, after increasing it by 8 per cent, or $364 million, to $5 billion for 2010-11. By stopping any further growth, Ottawa hopes to save $438 million in 2011-2012, and $1.8 billion by 2014-2015.
- Closing tax loopholes and cracking down on tax evasion, saving $2.5 billion in the next five years.
In conjunction with anticipated economic growth, the Conservatives hope to reduce Canada’s debt-to-GDP ratio, estimated to be 35.4 per cent in 2011-11. By contrast, it’s 67 per cent in the U.S. The Canadian government plans to cut its ratio to 31.9 per cent to 2014-2015.
Despite efforts to halt government spending, the budget has some surprises for new funding for scientific initiatives.
British Columbia’s TRIUMF nuclear facility, which has the largest cyclotron in the world, will get $126 million over the next five years. That’s in conjunction with $96 million already earmarked from the National Research Council of Canada, totalling $222 million.
The government also wants to shift responsibility for making medical isotopes away from Ontario’s troubled Chalk River reactor, which caused an international scandal when safety concerns led to the plant being temporarily shut down last year.
The reactor produces the bulk of the world’s medical isotopes, which are crucial for cancer testing.
The budget devotes $35 million over the next two years to Natural Resources Canada, to research and develop new ways to create medical isotopes.
The Conservatives will also take another step towards boosting Canada’s scientific presence in the North, by giving $18 million over five years to start the pre-construction phase of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.
Highlights of Canada’s 2010 Federal Budget For Biotech, Venture Capital and Innovation
- $45 million over five years to establish a post-doctoral fellowship program.
- $222 million in funding over five years for TRIUMF, Canada’s premier national laboratory for nuclear and particle physics research.
- Additional $32 million per year for Canada’s research granting councils, plus an additional $8 million per year to the Indirect Costs of Research Program.
- Providing Genome Canada with an additional $75 million for genomics research.
- Doubling the budget of the College and Community Innovation Program with an additional $15 million per year.
- $135 million over two years to the National Research Council Canada’s regional innovation clusters program.
- $48 million over two years for research, development and application of medical isotopes.
- $497 million over five years to develop the RADARSAT Constellation Mission.
- Launching a new Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Innovation Commercialization Program with $40 million over two years.
- Renewing and making ongoing $49 million in annual funding for the regional development agencies to support innovation across Canada.
- Improving Canada’s system of international taxation to facilitate investment, cut red tape, and streamline the compliance process associated with the taxation of cross-border activity.
Innovation Cash Targeted at ‘Practical’ Research
The federal government plans to boost Canadian productivity by increasing investments in scientific research and innovation – measures that in the long term are intended to drag Canada out of its pool of red ink.
Canada’s universities and colleges, which will reap another billion dollars for infrastructure from the stimulus funding announced last year, will also benefit from many pots of cash dedicated to boosting innovation.
Much of the new money is directed toward health and applied research. And most is aimed at bridging the work of academics to the private corporations that can put theoretical advancements into practical application.
Federal Budget Implements BIOTECanada Request for Removal of Section 116- Opens Door to Flow of Foreign Capital for Biotechs
Last week’s Federal budget offered the promise of debt reduction, combined with further spending under the umbrella of continuing the stimulus measures begun in 2009.
For the biotechnology industry, the big “win” was the removal of section 116(US Canada Tax Treaty), which had created a disincentive for foreign investors. A long-time priority and advocacy project for BIOTECanada, the removal of the section will mean investors such as non-resident venture capital funds will no longer need to file Canadian tax returns on top of their US tax returns, or fill out section 116 certificates upon exit. BIOTECanada anticipates this change will open the doors for investment into Canadian biotechnology firms, and signals an “open for business” attitude by our government.
Also of note in the Federal budget, while the Minister committed to reviewing federal support for R & D and commercializing research, the details were left open regarding project commitments associated with these areas. As BIOTECanada continues to talk to the government about our sector’s strong role in long term productivity growth, this remains a clear area of opportunity. The Beyond Moose and Mountains industry strategy offers many recommendations on how best to link research and commercialization, and BIOTECanada will continue the dialogue with the federal and provincial governments during the BIO Roundtable at the BIO International Convention.
The federal budget also announced investments into research institutions and universities, as well as support for commercial development of technologies. Funding for early stage research through the granting councils, including CIHR and Genome Canada, was renewed, with councils receiving an additional $ 32 million over the next 2 years lauds the announced $600 million over 3 years to help develop the innovation sector and attract talented people to strengthen our research and development capabilities. BIOTECanada also welcomes the government’s announcement to start a comprehensive review of federal support for R&D, with the goal to improve the federal contribution to innovation and economic opportunities for business. In a time of rapidly growing global competition, Canada needs to find new ways to increase our competitiveness.
For more information on BIOTECanada’s budget efforts please visit http://www.biotech.ca/.
LSAM MEMBER NEWS:
Biovail to Tackle U.S. With New Sales Force
Five years after disbanding its United States sales force, Biovail Corp. is about to start hiring again, setting up a new sales group to market its growing range of drugs that treat nervous system disorders.
Canada’s biggest public pharmaceutical company said yesterday that it will hire as many as 100 sales people starting this year, and may add as many as 150 further down the road, to sell its drugs to U.S. hospitals and doctors.
Currently Biovail sells its products in the United States through partners or contract sales organizations.
“This is the next big strategic step for the company,” said chief executive officer Bill Wells, who has spearheaded Biovail’s shift into the specialty market of drugs that deal with disorders of the central nervous system.
Kane Biotech’s Antibiofilm Technologies Published in Two New Scientific Books
Kane Biotech Inc. is pleased to announce that the Company’s Research and Development (R&D) team has made contributions to two new scientific books. At the invitation of the publishers, Humana Press and Nova Science Publishers, respectively, Kane Biotech’s team has authored two book chapters reviewing their biofilm research methodology and the antibiofilm-antimicrobial technology development strategy for bacterial infection control.
The contributions included a chapter in the book “Antimicrobial Peptides: Methods and Protocols (Eds. Andrea Giuliani & Andrea C. Rinaldi, Chapter 24, 2010)” entitled “Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of Quorum Sensing Peptides and Peptide Analogues against Oral Biofilm Bacteria” by K. LoVetri and S. Madhyastha. The chapter provides a review of the assay methods used by Kane Biotech to test the inhibitory effects of quorum sensing peptides and their analogues on the growth and biofilm formation of oral bacteria.
http://www.kanebiotech.com/press_releases/press_release022310.htm
Prognition Has Graduated from the BBC Program
Prognition (Physiotherapy Software) has left the BCC (Biomedical Commercialization Canada Inc.) program.
There is a planned exit meeting scheduled with the founder for later this month.
During their time in the BCC they entered with a raw product idea. The program helped them build their product, and enter the market with early product sales. They are now engaged in a pilot project with a marquee customer. If successful with the marquee customer, Prognition will have a solid base to grow from and become a good success story.
Teams from Merck, Pfizer, Wyeth Named Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Team of the Year Finalists
Teams from Merck, Pfizer and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals have been named finalists in the second annual Team of the Year awards sponsored by Putman Media and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine. The awards recognize manufacturing teams that have made outstanding improvements in efficiency and quality at their manufacturing sites, and have provided important contributions to their companies. Winners among the finalists will be announced in May.
Drug makers have lagged behind non-regulated industries in adopting some of the quality improvement programs, such as Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma, that are now the rule in the automotive and electronics industries. Today, as drug companies aim to reduce the cost of medications and improve quality, the role of manufacturing is more important than ever. These awards are the first to recognize the growing importance of the manufacturing effort.
LIFE SCIENCE IN THE NEWS:
Online Drug Pioneer Tumbles
One of Canada’s Internet pharmacy pioneers has lost his credentials to practise in Manitoba after a three-year probe into allegations he sold counterfeit prescription drugs to Americans.
Andrew Strempler, founder of the Minnedosa-based Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy, agreed to strike his name from the provincial pharmacist registry at a discipline hearing last October.
The outcome of the fall hearing has only recently been posted on the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association website.
Experts say it’s the most severe penalty that can be handed to a pharmacist and prevents Strempler from renewing his licence to practise in Manitoba.
The fallout comes nearly four years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration first warned consumers that drugs from Strempler’s Manitoba-based firm were unsafe. In August 2006, the FDA said preliminary lab tests of intercepted shipments found counterfeits of widely prescribed drugs such as Lipitor and Celebrex.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/online-drug-pioneer-tumbles-85182602.html
Montreal Hospital Battles Superbug
Montreal’s Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital is dealing with a Clostridium difficile outbreak that infected hundreds in the past year.
According to internal documents, several patients died after more than 300 contracted C. difficile, which causes intense diarrhoea, fever and abdominal pain and is regarded as the most dangerous bacterial superbug confronting North American hospitals in the past decade.
CBC’s French-language service obtained the internal documents under access to information laws.
The hospital wouldn’t confirm how many deaths were directly linked to C. difficile, but admitted it has been battling the bacteria for several months. A combination of improper sterilization, overcrowded emergency rooms and elderly patients contributed to the outbreak, the hospital said.
AIDS Virus Avoids Drugs by Hiding in Bone Marrow; Finding Could Point Way to Better Treatment
The virus that causes AIDS can hide in the bone marrow, avoiding drugs and later awakening to cause illness, according to new research that could point the way toward better treatments for the disease.
Finding that hide-out is a first step, but years of research lie ahead.
Dr. Kathleen Collins of the University of Michigan and her colleagues report in this week’s edition of the journal Nature Medicine that the HIV virus can infect long-lived bone marrow cells that eventually convert into blood cells.
The virus is dormant in the bone marrow cells, she said, but when those progenitor cells develop into blood cells, it can be reactivated and cause renewed infection. The virus kills the new blood cells and then moves on to infect other cells, said.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100307/health/health_us_med_aids_hide_out
Another Potential Alzheimer’s Medication Fails
A once-promising experimental medication for Alzheimer’s, called Dimebon, appears to be ineffective at slowing cognitive decline, new data released this week reveals.
Pfizer and Medivation, the two pharmaceutical companies developing Dimebon, announced the bad news Wednesday.
They said a late-stage clinical trial, called Connection, showed the drug had virtually no effect in treating the cognitive decline or behavioural problems in 598 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, when compared with a placebo.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100304/dimebon_100304/20100304?hub=Health
Vaccine Fears Still Plague Parents, U.S. Survey Finds
Though plenty of studies continue to debunk the theory that childhood vaccines cause autism, one in four U.S. parents still believe that vaccines might be dangerous, new research reveals.
According to a survey of 1,552 U.S. parents, released online in the journal Pediatrics, many parents are still anxious about vaccines.
The survey found 90 per cent agree that vaccines are a good way to protect children from disease. But 54 per cent say they are concerned about bad side effects.
Twenty-five per cent of the parents said they agreed that “some vaccines cause autism in healthy children.” In all, 29 per cent of mothers agreed with that statement, while 17 per cent of fathers did as well.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100301/vaccines_fears_1002/20100301?hub=Health
GM ‘Watershed’ for Biotech Industry
After a 13 year battle, Brussels finally granted approval for Amflora, BASF’s genetically optimised starch potato, on Tuesday (2 March). The potato will be used for commercial production of industrial starch. It is not approved for food use.
Amflora is only the second GM variety to receive the all clear for European cultivation. Although unlikely to be grown here, it is seen as the most significant GM development since Monsanto’s MON 810 maize was approved in 1998.
BASF executive director Stefan Marcinowski said: “We hope that this decision is a milestone for further innovative products that will promote a competitive and sustainable agriculture in Europe.”
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2010/03/04/120200/GM-watershed-for-biotech-industry.htm
Canadian Groups Dispute Green Light for GM Corn
Canadian consumer and environmental groups protested on Thursday the government’s decision to allow the sale of a genetically modified corn.
The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) demanded that Ottawa “immediately withdraw authorization for SmartStax,” a genetically engineered corn, “until Health Canada undertakes exhaustive and independent tests.”
Contact Information:
Jonathan Frate Manager, Membership Services Life Science Association of Manitoba 1000 Waverley Street Winnipeg, MB R3T 0P3 Tel: (204) 272-5094 Fax: (204) 272-2961 Email: jfrate@lsam.ca
