Andrew Tait

Drug shortages in Canada are a growing concern, affecting patient care and the healthcare system. The disruptions in global supply chains, increased demand, and manufacturing issues have all contributed to the problem. Addressing these shortages requires collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies to find sustainable solutions. As we navigate these challenges, innovation in production, better inventory management, and enhanced communication across stakeholders are essential. Together, we must ensure patients continue to have timely access to the medications they need to maintain their health and well-being. Alleviate Drug Shortages & Maintain Optimal Stock With Globyz’s Healthcare Logistics & Supply Chain Solutions. [email protected] [email protected] #Healthcare #Pharmaceuticals #DrugShortages #Canada #PatientCare

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#transcript Nicolas Poirier, CEO of OSE Immunotherapeutics, uses immunology and molecular engineering to develop innovative immunotherapies for oncology, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and organ transplant.  The same immune cells, lymphocytes and macrophages, are involved in both immuno-oncology and immuno-inflammation, and OSE aims to re-educate these cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells or restore immune tolerance in autoimmune diseases. He also discusses the potential of cancer vaccines in re-educating the immune system to target cancer cells, and the importance of combination therapies in improving treatment outcomes. #Cancer #CancerVaccine #ImmuneSystems ose-immuno.com https://lnkd.in/gXe86THM

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The key difference lies in how prices are regulated. In Canada, the government plays an active role in negotiating and capping drug prices through the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, ensuring affordability for its citizens. In contrast, the USA operates on a market-driven system where pharmaceutical companies set prices, often influenced by factors like innovation costs and market demand. Additionally, Canada’s universal healthcare system reduces administrative overhead, further lowering costs. While the U.S. fosters innovation, Canada prioritizes affordability, highlighting two distinct approaches to balancing access and sustainability in healthcare. #Pharma #Healthcare #DrugPrices #Globyz

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🌿 Scaling Up Bio 2024 is a wrap! 🌿 Thank you, Jeff Passmore, for organizing a fantastic conference showcasing Canadian startups focused on delivering low carbon intensity alternatives. I met many wonderful people and learned so much. Special thanks to David Dodds for the great advice on starting a consulting firm. My favorite session was the “Bioeconomy Standards Landscape” moderated . I couldn’t have agreed more with Maryam Arefmanesh sentiment that having an agreed-upon definition of words like “biodegradable” will go a long way to minimize greenwashing. I learned a lot about the role forests play in a sustainable low carbon future. Lacey Rose spoke about the important role of responsible forestry management. Łucja Michalina W. taught me that you can make fabric out of wood, as they are already doing at SPINNOVA® in Finland. There were many incredible startups highlighted—too many to mention here—but a special shoutout to Alireza Sadeghi Chahardeh, Ph.D. from Orfoncé inc. for showcasing 100% organic printing ink. I also received great advice on failure during a Q&A session from Phil Marsh Marsh from BC Biocarbon: failure is inevitable, but the key is to learn from it and try again. Although this advice was directed at biotech startups, it resonates with me as I grow my new business, ECSS Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Solutions. I look forward to applying these insights and continuing to support our industry’s move toward sustainability. If you’re interested in connecting or learning more about how ECSS can help with your environmental compliance and sustainability goals, please reach out! #ScalingUpBio2024 #Conference #Networking #Sustainability #EnvironmentalCompliance #GreenBusiness #ISO14001 #ECSS #SustainableFuture #EnvironmentalConsulting #CanadianManufacturing #Manufacturing

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Exciting News for Biotech! The governments of Canada and British Columbia have made a substantial joint investment of $72.75 million into Aspect Biosystems, a leading biotech company in Vancouver. This funding aims to establish Canada's first biomanufacturing facility dedicated to producing bioprinted tissue therapeutics, a significant step forward in the field of bioprinting and therapeutic development. Aspect Biosystems, a spinout from the University of British Columbia, specialises in 3D bioprinting human tissues designed to replace, repair, or supplement functions in the body. This initiative, part of a $200-million project, is bolstered by $49 million from the Government of Canada's Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) and $23.75 million from the province of BC. It's worth noting that Canada has invested over $2.2 billion in biomanufacturing and life sciences since March 2020, underscoring the government's commitment to advancing biotech innovation. 🌍💼 CEO Tamer Mohamed expressed how this project will significantly enhance the capabilities needed to develop and manufacture new medicines for people with serious diseases. This effort continues Aspect Biosystems' collaboration with Novo Nordisk, aiming to leverage their expertise in bioprinting and cell therapy development for creating next-generation therapeutics. What are your thoughts on this investment? Share your insights below! ✅ #Biotech ✅ #Innovation ✅ #Canada

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Canadian biotech founders, this is for you! (Don't know what that means? Keep reading!) If you're ready to scale your biotech startup, Nucleate is a game-changing accelerator you need to know about. What exactly is biotech? It’s where biology meets technology, creating innovations that reshape healthcare, agriculture, and sustainability. Whether it’s developing life-saving treatments or advancing synthetic biology, biotech startups are driving major global impact. Sound like you!? Why Nucleate? Nucleate is a nonprofit, equity-free accelerator that connects early-stage biotech founders with leading scientists, mentors, and investors to help turn groundbreaking research into real-world solutions. And the best part? You retain full ownership of your startup's vision. Explore more accelerators in biotech:https://lnkd.in/eAADiSSk Join Nucleate on October 9th for an exclusive webinar where they dive into the application process and what these programs can do for your startup. RSVP here: https://lu.ma/yghzbpjy Biotech innovation starts here—don’t miss out. #Biotech #Nucleate #Accelerators #Innovation #Founders #Healthcare #CanadaTech Adam Shedeed

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Could fruit flies play a key role in the future of biomanufacturing? The Canadian company Future Fields created its EntoEngine platform to use fruit flies as expression hosts. These flies can produce recombinant proteins that Future Fields’ clients can leverage in their research on diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.  EntoEngine offers a method for expressing proteins in specific cell types of a fly, rather than in the entire genetically engineered fly. This approach can target over 200 unique cell types, helping produce new proteins. And because fruit flies reproduce so quickly without needing as much electricity and water as the protein production methods we’re familiar with, researchers can produce more proteins in less time. We’ll be watching to see if biopharma companies will have more opportunities for custom protein production in cell lines such as neurons and brain cells in the coming years.  #Pharma #Biopharma    https://lnkd.in/d6h_dPZW 

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How can we address the hurdles limiting scalable viral vector manufacturing for cell and gene therapy? A new international consortium has £1.1M funding for a fresh approach. Abselion is delighted to be joining VVector Bio, the National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada, and Revvity to apply a multifaceted strategy to unlock viral vector production capabilities. Jointly funded by Innovate UK and the NRC, as part of the Biomanufacturing of Biologics and Advanced Therapies programme, the project will combine detailed multi-omics analysis of the HEK-293 cell line with a new approach to manufacturing and process monitoring empowered by at-line and on-line process analytics.   The project seeks to develop the next-generation cell platform for viral vector production, improving yields, quality, scalability and lowering costs, to ultimately help to accelerate the creation of therapies for patients. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eY6CrTej #genetherapy, #celltherapy, #bioprocessing, #drugdevelopment #genomics

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⚠️#1 movie trending on Neflix Canada this weekend is Hack Your Health: The Secrets Of Your Gut! According to flixpatrol.com, the documentary currently ranks in the top 10 of many countries around the world. 😍🌎 Here are just a few: #1. Canada 🇨🇦 #2. Switzerland 🇨🇭, Bulgaria 🇧🇬 #3. Austria 🇦🇹, Netherlands 🇳🇱 #4. Denmark 🇩🇰 #5. USA 🇺🇸, Germany 🇩🇪 #6. Australia🇦🇺, Czech Republic 🇨🇿 #7. UK 🇬🇧, France 🇫🇷 #8. Colombia 🇨🇴 #9. New Zealand 🇳🇿 #10. Italy 🇮🇹, Brazil 🇧🇷 To be clear, This isn't just the top 10 of the DOCUMENTARIES category, it's TOP 10 of ALL MOVIES, putting it above feature blockbusters like Rebel Moon 2 and Scream VI 😱 One thing's for sure, this film trending on Netflix could perhaps be one of the strongest indicators that the importance of gut health has finally risen to mainstream awareness. As millions of homes are tuning in, it should make for some interesting debates around the water cooler tomorrow morning... Have you watched Hack Your Health: The Secrets Of Your Gut? If so, what did you think?

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The budget's capital gains tax increase is perplexing. From a biotech industry perspective, the budget did contain some positive measures including; -         $200 million refinancing of the (VCCI) -         $2.4 billion investment in Canada’s AI sector -         $600 million to enhance Canada’s SR&ED tax credit -         A commitment to encouraging institutional investors to invest more in Canada These measures coupled with the federal Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy investments already at play and the momentum the biotech sector is experiencing more broadly should have been important and timely catalysts to drive Canada’s biotech competitiveness and create a stronger domestic ecosystem and biomanufacturing capacity. However, if applied as written, the Budget’s measure to increase the tax on capital gains above $250,000 stands to undercut not only the investments being made by the government but will also significantly undermine the ability of companies in innovation sectors such as biotech to attract the talent and investment required to grow and ultimately commercialize their innovations. Biotech companies (and others in similar sectors such as clean tech and IT) require access to significant investment capital and highly specialized talent. Companies looking to attract investment and talent must draw from Canadian and international sources. Importantly, other jurisdictions are aggressively competing for the same investment and talent. Ultimately, investors and talent are global nomads; they will go where they are most valued and rewarded. For Canadian companies, given our geographical proximity, the gravitational pull of the US market is a significant competitive challenge to overcome unarmed. Employees entering or already in the biotech industry know the risks of building a biotech company. They agree to share the risk by having a compensation package that is part salary and part options. This helps companies effectively deploy investment capital and rewards risk sharing should a company succeed in commercializing the innovation. For Canadian biotech companies, stock options have become an increasingly important tool to overcome the US gravitational pull and establish Canada as a competitive environment attractive to investment and talent. With the strategies and corresponding investments designed to drive Canadian domestic biotech, AI, clean tech, and biomanufacturing sectors, the government has smartly recognized the importance of the innovation sector to its long-term economic competitiveness. Canada's biotech sector is experiencing a generational period of momentum and success. In this context, it is perplexing why the Budget would propose a measure now that will not undermine the investments the government has made, slow the sector's momentum, and impact the competitiveness of Canada’s innovation sectors more broadly.

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Kudos to the Amplitude Ventures for this 2nd funds! Thank you Sean for once again highlighting the big (in every sense of the word) absentees from the equation. One gets the impression that the industry isn't all at the same level in terms of impact investing. Several groups (some of which you mention) have demonstrated that financial returns can be achieved while accomplishing great things for the economy, society and ecosystems. They invest with purpose, goals and strategies, strategies that involve thinking about the financing chain, ensuring the creation, development and growth of companies, in a sustainable way. They help to create through investment. others in fact... are deploying capital, eventually pandering to select clubs and follow trends. Impact investing is on many lips, speeches and annual reports. But do actions follow this rhetoric? One thing's for sure: taking the lead, being at the forefront, and investing with impact is exciting, extremely complicated, and risky. But it's POSSIBLE, and it delivers results. You just have to put your mind to it and invest in it. It's a question of choice and leadership. Leadership at the top and leadership at the execution level. food for thoughts during the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) annual meeting this week.

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The latest issue of BIOTECanada ‘s Insights Magazine has an article that we wrote at IRICoR on the value of the research entreprise and its contribution to supporting the life sciences industry! Enjoy! #research #innovation #lifesciences

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Solas BioVentures believes intra-atrial shunting is a viable space. Proven in the 19th century by naturally occurring septal defects. It is somewhat naive to believe any medicine or tech would work 100% of the time. Even Brian Fantana realized that sex panther, illegal in 9 countries, worked 100% only 60% of the time. The recent V-Wave RELIEVE-HF trial set the field ablaze again with strategics and KOLs alike uncertain of what to make of it, next steps, etc. The data from that trial and the past and current responder Corvia trials have provided incredible insights to not assuming it works on 100% but perhaps 60% of the patients, 100% of the time. We will all learn from these pioneers how to pick our patients and do better for them. Now is the time to be bold and double down on the space. I am reminded by the quote: ‘I have not failed, but found 1000 ways to not make a light bulb‘ said Thomas Edison. Does a specific result have a ‘successful’ nature or a ‘failing’ one? Or is it nothing but perspective and social conventions? Quora. Congratulations to all the patients and teams who are tackling a very important medical issue. There is no FAIL: only First Attempt In Learning!

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More unequivocal data that shows the undeniable impact of automating oxygen delivery. Every time FreeO2 is used in an hospital, the numbers are there! It is definitively the time to move from the stone age to a proper solution!

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Back with fellow Gryphons! 🔴⚫🟡 Listening to great keynote speakers at the BIO^2 Symposium at the University of Guelph! Dr. Mathieu Lavallée-Adam: Will present on how his machine learning software, MealTime-MS, optimizes mass spectrometry experiments in real-time to improve protein identification. Dr. Asena Goren: Will discuss using nature-inspired algorithms to solve complex biological problems, with a focus on modeling the structure of amylopectin.

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📢 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗦𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭,𝟮𝟮𝟯 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀! 🧬 Recently, I read that the most comprehensive fungal biobank at the University of Toronto is at risk of closing, which threatens its potential to contribute to groundbreaking drug discoveries and medical advancements. This is a bank that could lead to the next antibiotic breakthrough or treatments for diseases that challenge our healthcare systems. Meanwhile, news reports highlight that Elon Musk’s petition promises $1 million prizes to randomly chosen signers who register to vote in specific states in support of First and Second Amendment freedoms. While efforts to support constitutional freedoms are important, it’s disheartening to think that funds like these could instead secure the future of projects that directly impact human health and scientific advancement. Let’s rethink our priorities and invest more in initiatives that drive progress and improve lives. 💡 #ScienceMatters #FundingScience #ElectionSpending #HealthcareInnovation

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The program will consider AI-related proposals. And there are also possibilities to draw expertise of NRC’s Research Centers. 

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As a provider of specialized care for women for over 30 years, I'm excited to see a novel mechanism that has the potential to impact millions struggling with depression. Did you know that depression affects roughly two-thirds of females worldwide? With Arrivo BioVentures LLC championing SP-642, we may soon have an answer for better depression care. As a clinician, nothing is scarier than the 6 inches between someone's ears. There are no obvious hemorrhages or lab tests to assist in depression diagnosis. Solas BioVentures has placed a marker on this one as we collectively believe it is going to be game-on for depression and possibly other targets in CNS. Platform plays such as this program help patients tremendously, as depression seldom exists in a vacuum. Well done team Arrivo and big congrats on the first patient enrollment. Today we celebrate the first patient dosed in the Phase 2B clinical trial for SP-642! Read more about the trial and our progress here: https://lnkd.in/eFktp3QD #Depression #WomensHealth #SP624 #SIRT6 #MentalHealth

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