April 17, 2024 [OTTAWA] – The Canadian biotechnology sector welcomed the federal budget which highlighted investment, research, and regulatory performance in its commitments. BIOTECanada, the national industry association for biotechnology representing the biotech company, research, and development ecosystem across Canada, offered the following response to the federal budget announced yesterday. “The federal budget offered timely and important recognition on the strategic importance of securing life science innovation into the overall growth of the Canadian economy.  By reinvesting ..read more

Bill C-64 outlines a proposed first phase towards implementation of national universal pharmacare to address accessibility and affordability of prescription drugs and related products. Read the article here: https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2024/04/01/first-phase-of-pharmacare-must-not-create-new-gaps-in-existing-coverage-say-lobbyists/416673 ..read more

How the biotech industry is developing in Canada and can European biotech firms can adopt successful initiatives? “Poutine and proteins: Biotech in Canada” European Biopharmaceutical Review. (pp 33-35):  https://www.calameo.com/read/006113385d78b881b2614?page=33 © Samedan Ltd ..read more

Click here to read more on the hilltimes.com ..read more

September 29, 2023 OTTAWA- The annual BIOTECanada Gold Leaf Awards ceremony was held this week at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The awards recognize the remarkable individuals and companies who have made significant contributions to the biotechnology industry and ecosystem in Canada. With the biotech industry experiencing a generational moment, BIOTECanada is proud to announce the 2023 Gold Leaf Award winners: • Abdera Therapeutics: Promising Biotech Company of the Year • Roberto Bellini: Game-Changing Industry Leadership • Bloom Burton & Co.: Ecosystem Builder • Nabanita Nawar, HDAX ..read more

[Ottawa] June 27, 2023 – Following the 2023 Annual General Meeting of BIOTECanada, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce the election of three new Directors to the Association’s Board. Effective immediately, the following will join the Board as Directors: • Maha Katabi, General Partner, Sofinnova Ventures • Brigitte Nolet, President and CEO, Roche Canada Pharma • Najah Sampson, President, Pfizer Canada Inc. BIOTECanada’s Board is representative of the diverse membership of the association which reflects the Canadian biotech ecosystem more broadly. In this context, the Board and the mem ..read more

Over the course of the pandemic, governments, health professionals, life science companies and citizens came together in an unprecedented way to harness science and research to develop and supply highly effective COVID-19 vaccines to the world. In so doing, millions of lives were saved, economies re-opened, and society returned to a near pre-pandemic level of functionality. At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, there was global recognition that vaccines would ultimately be needed for the economy and society to re-open. In terms of vaccines, even the most optimistic projections for the de ..read more

BIOTECanada welcomes the government’s dedicated investment of $1.5 B over 3 years to advance effective access to medicines, improve evidence and decisions for the care of patients with rare diseases. The integrated approach, bringing federal, provincial and territorial governments together with national clinical practice expertise networks including clinicians, researchers and industry will be key to creating a national access program to address the long-standing gap in care for patients with rare diseases.    “Canada is home to dozens of small companies from university beginnings an ..read more

BIOTECanada welcomes the establishment of the Council of Experts which will provide scientific, industrial, academic, and public health expertise to guide the implementation of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, ensuring that the related investments grow domestic biomanufacturing capacity and drive research within the Canadian life sciences sector. The Council of Experts builds on the valuable work the Vaccine and Therapeutic Task Forces which were established at the outset of the pandemic in March 2020.  The two task forces effectively helped to inform t ..read more

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a core strength of the biotechnology sector was the solutions the sector brings to the challenge of a global population moving quickly to nine or 10 billion people and the imperative of finding ways to fundamentally alter how we grow, manufacture, cure and fuel our economies and societies. While policymakers generally understood the sector’s overall strategic value, there was no real urgency to establish the right public policy conditions to support the sector’s growth and competitiveness. Not surprisingly, the pandemic’s economic, social and health impacts have ..read more