Manitoba Life Science News for the week ending May 14, 2010
Summary of this Week’s Newsletter:
LSAM Grows as it Welcomes Two New Staff Members
- LSAM adds full-time Executive Director and new Training Coordinator
Beyond Moose & Mountains- An Advocacy Event
- Please join LSAM, BIOTECanada and its national partners for this exciting event
Upcoming Events
- International Clinical Trials Day- May 20th, 2010
- Win Your First Year Tuition Courtesy of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP – Deadline: May 30, 2010
- Invitation to Participate in a Health Canada Workshop on Natural Health Products- June 8, 2010
- Call to Nominations for the EAC-VHP Expert Advisory Committee on the Vigilance of Health Products (EAC-VHP)- July 5, 2010
LSAM Training Events
- SR&ED Tax Credit Workshop – June 8th, 2010
- Simplifying Sales; Sales & Negotiating Training- May 25th- May 27th, 2010
Member & Local News
- Destination Winnipeg Becomes Economic Development Winnipeg Inc.
- NRC and CFI Appoint New Presidents
- Merck to Seek U.S. Approval for 5 New Drugs in 2010
Life Science in the News
- Mayo-led Research Team Develop Agents That Keep Insulin Working Longer
- Canada Joins International Network Providing Free Access to Health Research
- Medtronic Launches New Cellular Accessory for the Medtronic CareLink Network
- Simple, Cheap Drug Holds Cancer Treatment Promise
- Canadian Expert Calls on FDA to Stop Avandia Trial
- Bounty of the Harvest: Genetically Engineered Crops Yield Economic, Environmental and Social Benefits
- Health Claims on Food Need More Scrutiny: Report
LSAM WELCOMES TWO NEW STAFF MEMBERS:
Executive Director- Tracey Maconachie
Last week LSAM announced that Tracey Maconachie has been hired as the new Executive Director of the Life Science Association.
Tracey brings an extensive life science background to the position and has served the association and the community for several years as the chair of the Manitoba Business of Science Symposium.
Science and the potential value to society has always been a passion for Tracey. She is a graduate of University of Manitoba with a Degree in Science.
For the last twenty years she has worked in the pharmaceutical industry and, with Rx&D Canada. During this time she has focused on forming relationships with partners, in order to ensure their shared goals were achieved.
As Executive Director, Tracey is looking forward to strengthening and expanding the Life Science Sector in Manitoba in order improved the quality of life for Manitobans and Canadians.
Tracey is married to Peter and has two children; Sydney and Duncan; who remind her every day of the importance to strive to achieve one’s full potential.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/manitoba-movers-93913704.html
Training Coordinator- Judy Bahl
Judi moved to Winnipeg in 1995 and attended the University of Manitoba completing both a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. She also has a degree in Psychology and is currently pursuing her Certificate in HR Management.
Early in her career she taught children in a various grades before transitioning into the world of adult education and training. She began her career in a management role where she coached and mentored a team of people specializing in customer service. From there, she took on a training role where she gained experience in training, customer service, sales and management skills. She has been both a classroom educator and most recently a supervisor of training and development, actively working with and developing other trainers and training programs.
Judi has worked with a variety of industries in Winnipeg including, telecommunications, outsourcing and insurance.
She married and has two small kids, aged 2 and 4.
We would like to welcome Tracey and Judi to the association. They will be joining Jonathan Frate and Norma Niefer which brings LSAM’s staff compliment to four.
BEYOND MOOSE & MOUNTAINS- Reception Invitation:
Last September during National Biotechnology Week many of you were part of the advocacy event that took place at the Manitoba legislature. On June 2nd, LSAM will once again be teaming up with BIOTECanada and its national partners to present updates on the Beyond Moose & Mountains Blueprint. This blueprint lays out the conditions necessary to create a bioeconomy in Canada and is the result of consultations across the country.
The Advocacy Event is LSAM’s and its members opportunity to speak with government officials and MLAs about the important issues facing our industry. It is also a chance to discuss the conditions that are necessary for strengthening the bioeconomy in Manitoba.
As part of the event, LSAM & BIOTECanada will be hosting a reception at the Legislature. The reception is your opportunity to meet with Government Ministers, MLAs and colleagues from the life science sector.
When: Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Where: Manitoba Legislature- Dining Room
Time: 5:00- 7:00pm
Please RSVP to Winnie Han at: han@biotech.ca
UPCOMING EVENTS:
International Clinical Trials Day- May 20th, 2010
All are welcome to attend to learn more about Clinical Research being done here at St. Boniface Hospital Research and around the world! St. Boniface Hospital Research will be hosting a half day of presentations on a variety of Clinical Trial and Research topics.
There is no charge for this event but you are encouraged to register to guarantee your spot.
When: Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Where: Samuel N. Cohen Auditorium, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre (351 Taché Ave) and via video link to Theatre B, University of Manitoba Bannatyne Campus
Time: 9:00am- 12:00pm
To register contact:
St. Boniface Hospital
Terry Sawicz-Hanesiak
Office of Clinical Research
Tel: (204) 237-2226 E-mail: tsawicz@sbgh.mb.ca
or
U of M Bannatyne Campus
Monica Woods
Research Quality Assurance Manager
Tel: (204) 272-3121 E-mail: monica_woods@umanitoba.ca
Win Your First Year Tuition Courtesy of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP – Deadline: May 30, 2010
In conjunction with National Biotechnology Week, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP invites you to participate in our BIOTECH ESSAY CONTEST. Write and submit a 1,500 word essay by May 30, 2010 on your view of “Canada’s Top Biotechnology Story of the Year.”
Winners must be entering a life sciences-related field at a Canadian post-secondary institution to be eligible. Essays will be judged by a panel of industry experts. The first place winner receives up to $5,000 toward their first year tuition. Our second prize is a laptop with an approximate retail value of $800 and the third prize is an iPod Touch with approximate retail value of $200 (iPod Touch is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Apple is not a sponsor of, nor a participant in, this promotion.)
Find out more at www.gowlings.com/essaycontest
Invitation to Participate in a Health Canada Workshop on Natural Health Products- June 8, 2010
In November 2009, Health Canada’s Natural Health Products (NHP) Program held a series of workshops across Canada to gather input from stakeholders on planned NHP licence application and review processes, as well as a new compliance and enforcement approach for NHPs. Since then, Health Canada has continued to work on the development of these initiatives. This process has been guided by the input received from workshop participants, as well as the NHP Program Advisory Committee, which is comprised of members from industry, consumers, practitioners and academia (specific details at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/activit/com/program-memb-eng.php).
As a next step in this process, the NHP Program invites you to participate in a workshop on the new NHP Compliance and Enforcement Policy and the upcoming NHP Application Management Policy. The ideal candidate from your organization would be a representative responsible for compliance with the Food and Drugs Act and Natural Health Products Regulations (i.e. regulatory affairs, quality assurance, etc).
The workshop will consist of presentations by representatives from the Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) Inspectorate and the Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) with updates on the new policies, along with an opportunity for discussion on several of the presented topics.
In Manitoba there will be a half-day workshop offered on June 8, 2010.
Call to Nominations for the EAC-VHP Expert Advisory Committee on the Vigilance of Health Products (EAC-VHP)- July 5, 2010
Health Canada’s Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) is seeking industry sector nominations for members to participate on an Expert Advisory Committee on the Vigilance of Health Products (EAC-VHP). The Committee will provide advice to the HPFB on its post-market policies and programs.
Representing a mix of expertise and experience, the Committee consists of twelve to fifteen members from the health professional, patient and consumer, researcher and academia, and industry association sectors.
If you have any questions, require more information, or a paper copy of this nomination package, do not hesitate to contact Ms. Dobrila Todoric from the Committee Secretariat by email MHPD_DPSC@hc-sc.gc.ca or by phone at 613-960-6073.
FUTURE LSAM EVENTS
- Ernst & Young Report on Biotechnology- Mid June
- 11th Annual LSAM Golf Tournament- August 9th, 2010
LSAM TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES:
SR&ED Tax Credit presentation- June 8, 2010
What is the SR&ED Program?
The scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program is a federal tax incentive program to encourage Canadian businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to conduct research and development (R&D) in Canada that will lead to new, improved, or technologically advanced products or processes. The SR&ED program is the largest single source of federal government support for industrial research and development.
Claimants can apply for SR&ED investment tax credits for expenditures such as wages, materials, machinery, equipment some overhead, and SR&ED contracts.
Join Hartley Miller and Donald Sobkow of The Recoup Group, Inc for a 90 minute presentation designed to provide you with the valuable knowledge on the SR&ED Tax Credit Program. This presentation will provided you with practical information about understand the program and much more.
What You’ll Get:
- SR&ED Program Overview
- Tax Credit Rates (Federal and Provincial)
- Reporting Deadlines
- Program Criteria
- How to Identify Eligible projects (Specific Life Science Examples)
- What Expenditures Qualify/Don’t Qualify
- Program Myths
- Role of the Tax Payer (maintain contemporaneous documentation)
- How to file (T661 input)
- The Review Process
- The ‘Recoup Process”
- Question & Answer Session
Company Profile
The Recoup Group, Inc, is a Manitoba based Canadian firm dedicated to the identification and recovery of Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) Refunds. The Recoup Group, Inc. team has a wealth of knowledge and a significant track record ( 20 years) in identifying projects, claiming all related expenditures and negotiating SR&ED refunds. Our corporate philosophy is to work with our client’s as part of their internal team to recognize SR&ED projects and activities, accumulate and prepare technical and costing documentation and to make sure they have set up their internal infrastructure to take full advantage of the SR&ED program in an efficient manner.
The Recoup Group, Inc. has a diverse team that understands the business practices of the industries we service including: Biotechnology, Manufacturing, Information Technology, Telecommunication, Agriculture, Aerospace and more.
To register visit http://www.lsam.ca/calendar.cfm. Alternatively you can contact LSAM’s Training Coordinator, Norma Niefer at (204) 272-5095 or nniefer@lsam.ca.
Simplifying Sales; PROFESSIONAL Sales Training- May 25th- May 27th, 2010
Become your customers’ business partner
In today’s highly competitive and ever-changing marketplace, buyers expect more from you – information, expertise and professionalism. They demand value not only in your products and services but in your relationship with them as well.
All selling roles have common elements. You are required to face people who say no; plan how to reach your goals; balance your own interests with those of your customers; influence people to be successful; communicate effectively to make customers recognize the value of your products. CPSA’s Professional Selling prepares you to succeed in all of these areas and others.
CPSA’s Professional Selling prepares you to succeed in all of these areas and others.
This 3-day course will help you maximize your sales effectiveness by employing the consultative sales process and assist in identifying leads for your business development funnel using Sales 2.0.
Learn to manage your individual qualities for sales and personal success.
When: May 25th- 27th, 2010
Where: 1000 Waverley Street
Time: 8:30 am-4:00 pm each day
Cost: LSAM Members: $598.50 includes 5% GST
Non-members: $1,495.00 (plus 5% GST $74.75 total fee) = $1,569.75
To register for this course or for more details please visit http://www.lsam.ca/calendar_details.cfm?id=316
LSAM MEMBER & LOCAL NEWS:
Economic Development Winnipeg Inc.
Following a comprehensive review, Destination Winnipeg Inc. is pleased to announce it will restructure under the original Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. name with a refined mandate and a new organizational framework.
By restructuring, Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. aligns itself with similar organizations in Canada. The revived name and new organizational structure places a more focused approach on the activities of its two main divisions, Economic Development and Tourism Winnipeg. Shared Services, including marketing, communications, research and finance, among other functions, will support the achievement of the divisional goals while ensuring the overall organizational needs are met and that all communication materials are on brand.
For the renamed organization it’s a time of great change and even greater opportunity. A chance to restructure and to better focus their efforts on what they do best – promote Winnipeg as an ideal place to live, work, visit and invest.
Please visit their new website at http://www.economicdevelopmentwinnipeg.com/
NRC and CFI Appoint New Presidents
New presidents have been named for both the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).
The Government of Canada has appointed John McDougall as the new president of the NRC, and he has already assumed his position. He succeeds Dr Pierre Coulombe, whose five-year term as president ended in February.
http://www.bioscienceworld.ca/NRCandCFIappointnewpresidents
Merck to Seek U.S. Approval for 5 New Drugs in 2010
Merck & Co. said it will seek U.S. regulatory approval for five new medicines this year, including new treatments for hepatitis C and diabetes.
Regulators in the U.S. and Europe are reviewing four other Merck drugs, and there are more than 20 treatments in late-stage testing, the company said today in a statement.
LIFE SCIENCE IN THE NEWS:
Mayo-led Research Team Develop Agents That Keep Insulin Working Longer
More than half a century after researchers identified a promising way to treat diabetes based on blocking the breakdown of insulin in the body, a research team led by a scientist at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have developed potent molecules that can do just that.
The researchers say their findings, published in the May issue of PLoS ONE, could lay the foundation for a new class of drugs for treating diabetes. The tiny molecules they developed work by inhibiting a powerful molecular machine known as insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) from chewing up the insulin hormone. That keeps insulin in the body longer to help remove glucose (simple food sugar) from the blood.
The discovery may lead to drugs that diabetics can use to help insulin work better and longer, says the study’s lead researcher, Malcolm Leissring, Ph.D., from Mayo Clinic’s Department of Neuroscience. Diabetes affects over 200 million people worldwide, and the incidence is growing at an alarming rate, so new treatments are greatly needed, he says.
Canada Joins International Network Providing Free Access to Health Research
Canadian researchers will now be able to contribute to a growing, searchable digital archive of published Canadian health research with the newly launched PubMed Central Canada (PMC Canada).
The initial version of PMC was launched in October 2009. The full version of PMC Canada, including a manuscript submission system for CIHR researchers, was released earlier this week. PMC Canada now supports CIHR’s Policy on Access to Research Outputs, which requires CIHR grant recipients to make their peer-reviewed publications freely accessible online within six months of publication. Its manuscript submission system will enable CIHR-funded researchers to deposit their peer-reviewed articles, in a bid to expose their research to a global audience and facilitate collaboration to advance scientific progress.
http://www.bioscienceworld.ca/Canadajoinsinternationalnetworkprovidingfreeaccesstohealthresearch
Medtronic Launches New Cellular Accessory for the Medtronic CareLink Network
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced today that it now offers the new Medtronic M-LinkTM cellular accessory, which provides cardiac device patients with an option to securely send information stored in their implanted devices to their clinics via the CareLink® Network using cellular signals, rather than a telephone landline. This simplified connection to the CareLink® Network enables clinicians to remotely monitor more patients who are implanted with cardiac devices.
“The M-Link cellular accessory is making remote monitoring accessible to a greater number of eligible patients,” said Pat Mackin, president of the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management business and senior vice president at Medtronic. “Now patients without a telephone landline have a convenient option to access the CareLink Network and take advantage of the benefits that come with remote monitoring, including fewer in-clinic visits and peace of mind from knowing their device data can be transmitted using cellular technology, without the need for a landline.”
Simple, Cheap Drug Holds Cancer Treatment Promise
An inexpensive drug already in use for other diseases might hold the key to a completely new way of treating cancers — not by killing off cancer cells, but by simply reprogramming them.
The finding comes from some exciting Canadian research on patients with brain tumours. The study found that DCA — or dichloroacetate — can shrink the tumours by altering a cancer cell’s metabolism.
While the study was small — just five patients were studied — the researchers say their findings are “proof in principle” that the treatment approach works.
Canadian Expert Calls on FDA to Stop Avandia Trial
A huge clinical trial studying the diabetes medication Avandia is putting patient’ lives at risk and should be stopped, says a prominent Canadian scientist and a U.S. advocacy group.
Dr. David Juurlink has teamed up with the group Public Citizen to write to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to say that an ongoing trial testing Avandia is “exposing thousands of high-risk patients with diabetes to a drug with an unfavorable safety profile and no clinical advantage over its comparator.”
Avandia, or rosiglitazone as it’s known generically, was once heavily promoted for Type 2 diabetes for its effectiveness in lowering blood-sugar levels in patients. But it has come under intense scrutiny in recent years.
Bounty of the Harvest: Genetically Engineered Crops Yield Economic, Environmental and Social Benefits
Genetically engineered crops have been a boon to this country’s agricultural community, according to a newly released study from the National Research Council.
NRC’s “The Impact of Genetically Engineered Crops on Farm Sustainability in the United States” is said to be the first all-encompassing assessment of the environmental, economic and social effects of GE crops on U.S. farmers — both adopters and nonadopters — since the technology made its debut in 1996. Its chief finding: Farmers growing GE crops are realizing substantial benefits, including lower production costs, fewer pest problems, reduced pesticide use and better yields.
This information is especially important to the biotech industry because 80 to 90 percent of all soybean, corn and cotton crops grown in the United States in 2009 were genetically engineered (rather than conventionally or organically produced). The most commonly introduced GE traits allow plants to do one of two things:
- produce their own insecticide, thereby reducing the yield lost to insect feeding, or
- resist herbicides, so that herbicides can be used to kill many weeds without harming crops.
Health Claims on Food Need More Scrutiny: Report
Health claims made on food packaging and supplements should be held to the same scientific rigour as claims on medications, according to a new U.S. report.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration needs to use the same standards to assess claims that eating a brand of cereal will lower cholesterol as the government uses to judge claims on cholesterol-lowering medications, the Institute of Medicine, an independent organization that advises the U.S. government, says in the report released Wednesday.
“Many people naturally assume that the claims made for foods and nutritional supplements have the same degree of scientific grounding as those for medications, and this committee thinks that should in fact be the case,” said institute chair John Ball, of Chicago, who is the executive vice-president of the American Society for Clinical Pathology.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/05/13/food-supplement-health-claims-fda.html
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
