rESEarch for the pEoplEABACUS’ cardiovascular research is almost immediately translated to patient care

2008

tHe OFFICIAL mAgAZINe OF ALBertA’S LIFe SCIeNCe INDuStrIeS

rESEarch for the pEoplEABACUS’ cardiovascular research is almost immediately translated to patient care

From FARM to FACTORYAlberta scientists are fi nding creative ways to add value to agricultural products

The NEXT WAVEThree Alberta companies harness natural mysteries

Province launches

NEW TECHNOLOGYcommercialization plan

inside front coverQSV AD

2 BIOZINE 2008

QUALITY IS OUR FIRST NAME

Quality is your first consideration when selecting a CMO. Quality is our first priority.

QSV is a dedicated biopharmaceutical manufacturer. Our facility has over 12 years GMPmanufacturing experience with clients on three continents providing pre-clinicalthrough Phase III and early commercial supply

• Microbial Fermentation• Mammalian Cell Culture• Insect Cell Culture • Technology Transfer

• Process Development / Scale Up • Analytical Development / Validation• cGMP Cell Bank Construction• Product Stability Testing

• Health Canada Commercial Establishment License – 2006 • Frost & Sullivan CMO Customer Value Enhancement Award – 2005 • BioAlberta Company of the Year – 2007

QSV Biologics, Ltd.+1 (780) 438 - 7143info@qsvbiologics.com

Message from the President ..................6

Next Wave .........................................................8

Research for the People .........................10

From Farm to Factory ..............................12

Education and Technology..................14

Alberta Life Science Industry Awards .........................................16

Leaders of Tomorrow ..............................18

Rank and File ................................................20

Members ............................................ 22 & 24

Partner Recognition .................................26

TABL

E O

F CO

NTE

NTS

BIOZINE 2008 3

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� BIOZINE 2008

Publisher/ Editor Orville Chubb

Art Director Randy Hayashi

Director of Sales and Marketing Trudy Callaghan

Writer Caitlin Crawshaw

Advertising Consultants Margaret Crowe, Vivian Fritze, Donna James

global IQ

Suite 250 Phipps McKinnon Building10020 – 101A Ave NWEdmonton AB, T5J 3G2Phone 780.�25.380�Fax 780.�09.9263email info@bioalberta.comwww.bioalberta.com

PresidentRyan Radke

VP Operations and MarketingAggie Mikulski

Administrative Coordinator Donna Parker

Events & Membership CoordinatorSandra Wilburn

Marketing CoordinatorAshley Nordstrom

HR & Financial CoordinatorBev Pederson

BioZine is the official magazine of Alberta’s Life Science Industry.Published by Odvod Publishing for BioAlberta

DID YOU KNOW: Alberta is home to over

130 bioindustry companies

BIOZINE 2008 5

• Alberta is home to more than 130 life science companies;

• More than 19,000 employees work in the life science industry;

• Total company revenues reached more than $800 million in 2007;

• Research and development companies have an average of 15 months worth of cash on hand.

The 2007 report shows that the industry is advancing at a fast clip, despite the fact that the sector is relatively young. A number of industry developments reinforce this, including the following news:

• BioMS Medical Corp. has entered into a $�10-million licensing- and-development agreement with Eli Lilly and Company granting Lilly exclusive worldwide rights to BioMS Medical’s lead multiple sclerosis (MS) compound, MBP8298. The compound is currently being evaluated in two pivotal phase III clinical trials in secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and one phase II clinical trial in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).;

• SciMed Laboratories has continued to boost their management team and secured $1 Million in new funding to move their VitaKits closer to market;

• Picomole Instruments Inc. has earned the VenturePrize Fast Growth award;

• QSV Biologics Ltd. has been named BioAlberta Company of the Year for 2007;

• CardioMetabolics Inc., SemBioSys Genetics Inc., Ceapro Inc., and Innovotech Inc. are among a host of Alberta-based companies to raise signifi cant fi nancing in the past year;

• CV Technologies, Stem Cell Therapeutics, and Oncolytics Biotech have all released positive clinical data; and

• PBR Laboratories Inc., a bioanalytical and contract research laboratory, has branched into nanotechnology applications that can reduce time and cost. It will also increase effi ciency in testing whether a chemical is mutagenic and carcinogenic.

As always, BioAlberta strives to be as inclusive as possible within the life science industry. With a membership that covers health-bio, ag-bio, medical devices, functional foods, natural health products, industrial bioproducts, bioinformatics, and environmental applications, we are Alberta’s largestand most recognized life scienceindustry association.

I would personally like to thank the following organizations that have joined BioAlberta during the past six months:

• Eli Lilly Canada • Amgen Canada • Murray Young • Progress R&D Magazine • Calgary Economic Development • Taiga BioActives Inc. • Ortho Biotech • Michael Welsh• Clarity Life Sciences Inc. • CIRION Clinical Trial Services Inc.• ViaGen Inc.

Thanks for picking up the 2008 issue of BioZine. In the following pages you’ll fi nd a number of stories about key players and developments within the bioindustry. I invite you to read about up-and-coming companies in our “Next Wave” section (P.8), as well as the profi le on the new Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute (P.10). You’ll also fi nd news of an exciting new government announcement (P.1�) and a whole lot more. Enjoy the issue! Ryan Radke, President , BioAlberta

A MESSAGE from the PRESIDENTAS WE HEAD INTO THE SECOND HALF OF 2008, the industry has already experienced a fl ood of new research developments and start-up companies, building on signifi cant scientifi c talent and imagination in Alberta.

traditional health applications within the life science sector continue to be strong, while energy continues to build within the agricultural, environmental and industrial bioproducts sector. Solid research and development investments made this year promise to create further opportunities.

BioAlberta recently collaborated with KPmg to quantify the growth of the industry, and has released its 2007 report on the state of the industry. the document details an asset map for our sector and can be found in the information centre at www.bioalberta.com. Here are a few highlights from the report:

PRESIDENTAS WE HEAD INTO THE SECOND HALF OF 2008, the industry has already experienced a fl ood of new research developments and start-up companies, building on signifi cant scientifi c talent and

traditional health applications within the life science sector continue to be strong, while energy continues to build within the agricultural, environmental and industrial bioproducts sector. Solid research and development investments made this year promise to create further opportunities.

BioAlberta recently collaborated with KPmg

the industry. the document details an asset

information centre at www.bioalberta.com.

6 BIOZINE 2008

BIOZINE 2008 7

That’s what AVAC recognized when we helped establish the innovative Bioactive Oils Program that’s investigating how to create healthier, commercially-relevant canola and flax oils

AVAC is an Alberta-based, private, not-for-profit company that invests in businesses and research that support our province’s growing value-added industry. We see potential where others might not, and recognize possibilities traditional investors may overlook. To date, we’ve helped our clients generate sales of$216.7 million on new products and attract more than $349million in additional investment. Imagine what we can do for you.

Show us your ideas and we’ll show you what’s possible.

To learn more, visit us at www.avacltd.com/innovative.

That’s what AVAC recognized when we helped establish the innovative Bioactive Oils Program that’s investigating how to

possibility

Chris Kazala,Program Manager

Bioactive Oils Program

That’s what AVAC recognized when we That’s what AVAC recognized when we That’s what AVAC recognized when we That’s what AVAC recognized when we

the next wave

three Alberta companies harness natural mysteries to treat human

ailments more eff ectively – and naturally

SINoVEDa President - Yun K. tamytam@sinoveda.com780.988.6202www.sinoveda.com

While natural products like Ginseng and Echinacea now rival pharmaceuticals in popularity, the quality and concentration of their active ingredients can be inconsistent.

Created in 2006 by Drs. Yun Tam and Nuzhat Tam-Zaman – a husband and wife duo – Sinoveda is working to off er more consistent, higher potency nutraceuticals using pharmaceutical technology.

“The major diff erence is if you look at our label, we label individual components, active components, that are absorbable and used by your body and are eff ective. With herbals, nobody does this,” says Tam, who’s also a University of Alberta pharmacy professor.

“All of our products are very consistent, just like pharmaceuticals.

taIga bIoactIVESPresident - John Hiebertjohnh@taigabioactives.com403.717.0776www.taigabioactives.com

This spring, Dr. Krane’s Cool Lips will hit the shelves of pharmacies near you.

This cold-sore treatment is the fi rst product from Taiga Bioactives, a Calgary based, personal care company. Taiga Bioactives initially launched this cold sore product to the natural food niche market. After several years of marketing and enjoying good sales through the natural food vendors the company is rebranding the product for the broader audience.

“The active ingredient is derived from geranium and it has been shown both with historical use data – which

They all carry the same ingredients in every pill.”

The company currently off ers Ginseng, Echinacea and Gingko Biloba, and sells ancient Chinese herbal remedies, like the expensive immune-booster cordyceps, to the Hong Kong market.

Sinoveda is presently developing a number of new products, including natural supplements for osteoporosis, and even a supplement made from red clover – a natural plant often used for grazing cattle – as a treatment for menopause-related estrogen imbalances.

“We’re using our platform technology – PPT (pharmaceutical platform technology) – to try to optimize the profi le of the ingredients in red clover,” says Tam. “Hopefully it could be used as a supplement or replacement for hormone therapy.”

8 BIOZINE 2008

cyplaSIN bIomEDIcalPresident - garth Likes glikes@cyplasin.com780.469.2975cyplasin.com

About 10 years ago, a German researcher working at a marine research station off the coast of France accidentally stepped on a sea slug (more specifi cally: Aplysia punctata, also known as the ‘sea hare’).

It was a serendipitous moment. Discovering that the slug produced an octopus-like black, inky substance – something the marine expert had been unaware of – he subjected the goo to a battery of tests.

“Eventually he found out that it was eff ective against various cancers,” says Garth Likes, president and CEO of Edmonton-based Cyplasin Biomedical.

Just as serendipitous as the discovery of the ink, Likes, a microbiologist, met the scientist quite randomly through his research dealings. He quickly recognized it was a great opportunity to develop a treatment that could potentially treat

cancer – and likely with very few side eff ects.

“That’s the nice thing about it – the selectivity of the proteins for these kinds of cancer cells, while leaving alone the non-cancer, healthy normal cells, is just quite tremendous,” he says, but notes that further research will be needed to confi rm this.

The active ingredient in the slug’s excretion is a glycoprotein that attacks cancer cells, leaving normal cells intact. Likes’ company is developing a synthesized version of the protein to treat melanoma skin cancer initially, although it aims to expand this to leukemia and other cancers over the long term.

“We’re fully marching our way towards pre-clinical development and… hopefully next year, we’ll be able to get into clinical development and bring this product forward into melanoma.”

With its headquarters in Edmonton, research in Germany and investors around the world, the company is “a large global eff ort centred here, in Edmonton,” says Likes.

is the basis for its registration with Health Canada – as well as through peer-reviewed publications, that the active ingredients have anti-viral, protective activity…As a function of that, it shows fast and eff ective healing of cold sores,” says Nancy Markley of Tech Avenue Ventures Corp. (a Calgary company which has partnered with Taiga Bioactives).

John Hiebert, president and CEO of Taiga Bioactives, explains that geranium has characteristics which may be of benefi t to a host of other skin problems, including eczema, shingles, and many others.

“We’re working on proliferating the line to address other skin conditions based on the active ingredient we have now.”

DID YOU KNOW: DNA fi ngerprinting, a biotech process, has transformed criminal investigation and forensic medicine, and has facilitated signifi cant advances in anthropology and wildlife management

BIOZINE 2008 9

THE ALBERTA CARDIOVASCULAR and Stroke Research Centre (ABACUS) an $18-million facility decked out in high-tech gadgetry, is poised to win the hearts of the province’s cardiac patients.

Named after both the mathematical tool and the architectural support, ABACUS is designed to coordinate the cardiovascular research eff orts of the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, which opened in the spring of 2008 at the University of Alberta. Located within the Mazankowski institute, ABACUS is eff ectively a research hospital in a hospital. While many research developments take time to be developed for clinical use, successful research at ABACUS will be effi ciently translated to patient care.

“It’s a unique structure that actually allows the research going on there to

Research for the pEoplE

ABACuS’ cardiovascular research is almost immediately translatedto patient care

be almost immediately transferred to patient care,” explains Research Director Dr. Gary Lopaschuk.

This translation is made possible by the proximity of the two facilities and their ability to share patients and resources. And while patients will benefi t from cutting-edge research, researchers conducting clinical trials will benefi t from access to patients, as well.

“The loop between research translation and usefulness to clinical programs is a continual circle,” says Clinical Director Dr. David Johnstone. Since both ABACUS and the institute will share resources, patient care and clinical research at the centres will be nearly indistinguishable. In fact, both research and patient care will occur in both facilities.

ABOVE: Dr. Gary Lopaschuk,Research Director,Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute

LEFT: The Alberta Cardiovascular and

Stroke Research Centre (ABACUS)

10 BIOZINE 2008

“For example, whether we do a cardiac catheterization or an electrophysiology study in ABACUS, or upstairs in the institute, it’s all the same research program. And if we were (treating) a research patient on the second fl oor, and the research patient was blocking a clinical patient, we would (treat) the patient downstairsin ABACUS.”

Lopaschuk explains that ABACUS is not only the fi rst of its kind in Alberta, but likely the only dedicated research facility of its kind in North America. This fact is drawing some of the best clinician scientists from around the world. “They know that they’ve got a dedicated facility to actually perform the research. And in Canada, and most places across the world, that’s not usually the case.”

ABACUS became operational at the start of 2008, and will ultimately accommodate 100 investigators, including a core team of 10 lead

Research for the pEoplEresearchers. The ABACUS team contains a number of the province’s rising stars, including: U of A department of medicine’s Dr. Evangelos Michelakis, who synthesized, cancer-fi ghting molecule DCA which made headlines in 2007; U of A cardiologist Dr. Paul Armstrong, director of the Virtual Co-ordinating Centre for Global Collaborative Cardiovascular Research (VIGOUR); and ABACUS former Scientifi c Director, Dr. Stephen Archer, who was part of a team that discovered that Viagra can be used to treat primary pulmonary hypertension.

ABACUS is designed around four core areas, including: imaging and intervention, for which the facility has state-of-the-art imaging tools to evaluate blood fl ow and tissue viability in cardiovascular disease (CVD); vascular biology/gene therapy, which focuses on understanding the mechanisms of CVD; trial design/data analysis/outcomes, which provides infrastructure support for analyzing trials in various research programs; and lastly, it contains a data acquisition, transmission and conferencing facility, which includes a 100-seat multi-media facility to help researchers communicate about CVD research.

All of ABACUS’ researchers will benefi t from improved access to equipment, explains Lopaschuk. “One of the problems with clinical research is access to a facility that can allow

you to do research in the fi rst place,” he says. “The problem with research in a typical hospital right now, is that the (catheterization) lab and the equipment available is mainly for clinical use.”

What’s more, since research at ABACUS will involve assessing the most eff ective equipment on the market, and how to best use it, this information will be valuable to the province’s health-care system, says Lopaschuk. It can be hard for the health-care system to identify equipment that will make the biggest impact in hospitals.

Despite all of ABACUS’ bells and whistles, the facility will also have a strong basic science side, says Johnstone. “Having a basic science component is a strength of our entire research enterprise,” he says.

“As a clinician, long before we even get to test concepts on the clinical side, there are breakthroughs on the basic science side,” he adds. After all, scientists’ understanding of the body’s mechanisms forms the foundation for all research programs.

Ultimately, all of this will help ABACUS speed up the application of the knowledge they collect, whether it’s basic science, new surgical techniques or drug therapies, says Johnstone. “You’re (using) the work and not reading about it two years later in a journal.”

DID YOU KNOW: More than 325 million people worldwide have been helped by 150 biotechnology drugs and vaccines on the market

aboVE:. David Johnstone,Clinical Director, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute

BIOZINE 2008 11

AS ALBertA’S OIL BOOm SurgeS, a quieter economic revolution is taking place on farms across the province. Agricultural products traditionally associated with food commodities – namely canola and grains like wheat, barley and rye – are becoming increasingly useful as sources of biofuels and a wide range of industrial products, including bioplastics and polyurethanes.

Triticale: The man-made grainCreated in the 1950s as a cereal

crop rivaling wheat, Triticale lost the battle, but has since proven very useful for animal feed and silage. Now, researchers are harnessing the crop’s industrial uses.

“This is the only case in the world of a man-made species at the commercialization stage,” explains agricultural scientist Dr. Francois Eudes, with the Canadian Triticale Biorefinery Initiative.

The Canadian Triticale Biorefinery Initiative is examining how Triticale – a combination of rye and wheat – can be used for industrial uses, like chemicals, biofuel, and polymers.

Since Triticale requires little input and is high-yielding, it could add value to a farmer’s grain rotation, especially for farms developing oilseed crops, like canola, for industrial uses.

Rugged, Triticale is ideally suited to Alberta, tolerating acidic soil (common in the Peace River area, for instance), sandy soil (common in southern Alberta) and drought, much better than wheat.

“It also requires less input,” says Eudes. “So, if you consider the production costs on the farm and the value of the crop, there is an economic assessment that’s been done suggesting Triticale would offer a better growth margin than seed grain.”

Fat makes a comeback: the many uses of seed oil

Brad Fournier, Director, Agriculture Products Innovation (life science branch) at the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute, says oil seed science is one of the biggest thrusts of the province’s agricultural research mandate, particularly as it relates to canola.

“Based on its fatty acid profile, canola is actually a better oil than olive oil. It’s a fantastic product,” says Fournier. “The fatty acid profile even makes it a better industrial oil for grease and plastics. We have a growing interest, not only on the food application side, but on industrial applications.”

University of Alberta researcher Dr. Suresh Narine is leading a major research centre -The Alberta Lipid Utilization Program (ALUP). The ALUP uses material science, organic chemistry and polymer physics to turn agricultural lipids into industrial products (including high-value chemicals, functional edible material and cosmetics ingredients).

Put simply, the goal is “to create a whole other tier of value,” says Narine.

One of ALUP’s biggest successes

From farm to factoryAlberta scientists are finding creative ways to add value to agricultural products, leading to a number of industrial applications for grains (think fuel, computer monitors and even lipstick)

Dr. Francois Eudes, with the Canadian Triticale

Biorefinery Initiative.

DID YOU KNOW: A fibre produced in goat’s milk through a biotechnology process makes a material stronger than steel

12 BIOZINE 2008

Hope has a plan.

is not Hope

is not Hope

is not enough.

Glenna H.Spruce Grove, AlbertaDiagnosed with MS in 1982

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The mission remains focused: to deliver a safe and effective treatment for people with MS.

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www.pbr.ca

PBR Laboratories Inc. is a leading Canadian laboratory that provides contract research and bioanalytical services in genetic and environmental toxicology, microbiology and biotechnology with applications in environmental safety and human health protection. In addition, PBR undertakes applied research aimed at solving problems and developing new products and technologies.

Providing collaborative solutionsthrough research expertise

Accredited by the SCC under ISO/IEC 17025 and in compliance with the OECD-GLP and GMP testing guidelines.

has been the development of eff ective processes to transform seed oils into polyurethanes, leading to the recent creation of a $2-million plant, which scales up their techniques. While the plant is a pilot project, it represents a big step forward, says Narine. “Many processes will not actually see the light of day, commercially, because they’ve never been scaled up. In the lifecycle of a project that starts at a lab, 90 per cent will fail.”

The polyurethanes the plant creates are used in a huge range of products, including: foams (for use in the automotive industry, construction, insulation, carpet), hard plastic sheets (for computer casings, for instance) and interpenetrating polymer networks (for use as dampening material in things like aircraft).

ALUP is also working on a number of other projects, including some nanotechnology projects (including food-based drug delivery systems) and food product research (like the engineering of zero-trans-fat shortenings, margarines and convections, that don’t have high levels of saturated fats, like most on the market).

All of this work will ultimately decrease dependency on petrochemicals and help the province’s environment.

“It’s an eff ort whose time has really come, in the consumer’s eyes. When we started some of this stuff a short three years ago, many of our eff orts were still theoretical, compared with what you could do with petrochemicals,” says Narine.

Since the start of seed oil research, crude oil prices have dramatically risen, launching a stronger push to use seed oils in lieu of petrochemicals.

“There’s a consumer push – or pull – for these kinds of changes. There’s an economic tipping point which has allowed these green products to become more competitive.”

BIOZINE 2008 13

To support the growth of ventures in Alberta’s budding bioindustry, the Government of Alberta has developed an initiative to provide more resources. In June 2008, the government will announce its new technology commercialization strategy, which promises more resources for the development of new research projects from conception to commercialization, in the hopes of creating new biotechnology firms in the province.

“The main thrust is actually to commercialize research and development what’s happening in the province so that we create new companies and opportunities for Albertans here,” explained Advanced Education and Technology Minister Doug Horner. “That might include the next generation economy, it might include the current economies that we have in agriculture and energy, but it certainly is to add value to those economies.”

Boosting technologies that add value to commodities, for instance, is a boon for everyone in the value chain,

Province launches NEw tEchNology

commercialization planStrategy will offer

more support in commercialization and product development,

and hopes to spur entrepreneurship in

the bioindustry

DID YOU KNOW: New plastics are created from corn and other plants, not petroleum products. These plastics are biodegradable, and do not add fossil-fuel based carbon dioxide to the air in their use or disposal

1� BIOZINE 2008

from farmers to company owners. “The more of the value chain we can create within our jurisdiction, the greater the economic strength of that value chain,” he added.

Ken Langhorn, director of the innovation support service branch of Advanced Education and Technology, explained that the new strategy builds on the recommendations of an industry task force commissioned by Premier Ed Stelmach about a year ago. He says the plan will extend commercialization resources (like TEC Edmonton and Calgary Technologies Inc.) into smaller urban centres, like Red Deer, Grand Prairie and Lethbridge. The government has already brought commercialization resources to Grand Prairie.

“The basic concept is what we call prototyping support. A lot of these companies have a good business idea, a lot of resources available, but they have to build the fi rst kind of widget and they need tech help, they need access to equipment,” said Langhorn.

University researcher Dr. John Greer says his work with TEC Edmonton – one of several commercialization agencies in the province – has helped him establish a company to collaborate with an up-and-coming California pharmaceutical company.

Greer, a University of Alberta researcher in the Department of Physiology, has long studied the neural regulation of breathing. He recently created Neurochemical Modulations to collaborate with California company Cortex Pharmaceuticals who make a class of drugs called ampakines.

The drugs were initially created for cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s, but Greer approached the company after discovering that they work well for countering respiratory depression, a health risk some surgical patients face.

“What happens is, folks go in for an operation and they’re typically given an opiate called fentanyl to relieve pain,” he says. “And in certain individuals – especially the elderly and babies, or those who’ve had sleep apnea – they’re very

susceptible to having their central drive to breathe suppressed by these opiates.”

Since oxygen to the body’s tissues is important for healing – and since respiratory depression can be life-threatening – this is a serious medical problem. And fi nding a drug that solves this issue, without causing severe side-eff ects, has been a challenge for medical scientists.

Through his new company, Greer is using rodent models to determine which ampakines will work best for this purpose and the correct dose to use. This information will help Cortex Pharmaceuticals with upcoming human trials in Germany.

The strategy also calls for the creation of more product development centres, like Leduc’s Food Processing Development Centre, which helps people create new food products.

“They can go there and get all of the technical help they need. There’s food processing equipment, they can assemble diff erent kinds of equipment in a production line, there’s marketing advisors, a taste panel,” he said.

Facilities won’t necessarily resemble the Leduc site, but will provide “a fully

supporting test-bed for new products.”Langhorn added that the strategy

will also off er a number of tax benefi ts for both existing and new companies.

All of these benefi ts will help not only entrepreneurs, but the province more broadly, he added.

“If the company’s more successful, there are benefi ts to the province too. There’s more jobs, more careers, better quality of life, solving environmental problems. It’s not just the fact that we have one more company.”

TEC Edmonton Helps Launch Neurochemical Modulations

DID YOU KNOW: Bioremediation uses microorganisms to reduce, eliminate, and contain contaminants

University researcher Dr. John Greer

BIOZINE 2008 15

AND THE AWARD

GOES TO…

DID YOU KNOW: Researchers are working on DNA-based animal identifi cation systems that can track outbreaks of BSE and quickly remove potentially aff ected meat from the store shelves. Korean researchers have managed to clone cattle that are not susceptible to BSE – pointing the way toward a BSE-free future

Each year, Alberta’s life science industry awards shine a light on up-and-coming bioindustry scientists and companies.

At the BioAlberta Gala held Nov. 28, 2007, award-winners were honoured for their talent, achievement and dedication to advancing the

province’s burgeoning bioindustry.

aNNoUNcINg albErta’S lIfE ScIENcE INDUStry awarD wINNErS for 2007

16 BIOZINE 2008

This year’s Award for Company of the Year is QSV Biologics Ltd. (QSV), an Edmonton-based cGMP biologics contract manufacturer, producing a number of products geared to the development and production of protein therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics. QSV’s products include mammalian and insect cell culture, and microbial fermentation and purifi cation services.

After taking over an existing facility in 200�, QSV preserved 30 jobs that were slated to be lost. Since then, the company has grown enormously, and now employs more than 125 staff members. Their facility has also been upgraded and expanded to approximately 30,000 square feet from 16,000 square feet, and has been successfully inspected and licensed by Health Canada for commercial as well as clinical cGMP manufacturing.

QSV’s international market includes American, Australasian, Canadian and European biotechnology fi rms who partner with QSV to bring novel therapies to patients suff ering from cancer, heart disease, infl ammatory and infectious diseases.

AND THE AWARD

GOES TO…

bIoINDUStry compaNy of thE yEar

The BioAlberta Award for Bioindustry Company of the year is presented to a company that has distinguished itself with strong performance, and demonstrated leadership and achievement. Award-winners have a varied product and/or service portfolio, a strong and diverse pipeline, and impressive potential for sales and earnings.

awarD for ScIENtIfIc achIEVEmENt aND INNoVatIoN

Presented to a scientist whose breakthrough intellectual property has lead to a commercial application (whether a technology or product), this award recognizes achievements at all levels of development.

The University of Calgary’s Dr. John Wallace is this year’s winner of the Award for Scientifi c Achievement and Innovation. Wallace holds a Canada Research Chair (infl ammation) and is an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research senior scientist. Additionally, he’s the founder and chief operating offi cer of Antibe Therapeutics Inc., he’s one the world’s most respected innovators in infl ammation research and biotechnology. Remarkably, Wallace holds more than 30 patents across the world and has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in leading academic journals.

Nonsteroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the primary drugs used to treat arthritis, other types of pain, and cardiovascular disease. While eff ective, these drugs can cause ulcers, limiting their usefulness. With this side-eff ect in mind, Wallace has created anti-infl ammatory drugs that don’t cause such damage, and which actually accelerate the healing of any previous damage. The drugs Wallace has created also exhibit enhanced analgesic, anti-thrombotic and anti-infl ammatory properties, making them more benefi cial for patients.

Dr. John Wallace

Edmonton’s CardioMetabolics Inc. (CMI) is this year’s winner of the Award for Emerging Company of the Year.

Led by Kimmo Lucas, former president and CEO of both Cevena Bioproducts Inc. and CV Technologies, CMI is a late-stage, Canadian biopharmaceutical company. CMI focuses on commercializing drug product candidates, and is presently focused on developing a type of drug known as “PDK blockers,” which can target the treatment of cardiovascular disease – the number one cause of death in North America – as well as related metabolic conditions like diabetes.

CMI’s technology is specifi cally focused on the metabolic modulator dichloroacetate and related compounds that have demonstrated a special ability to positively impact the metabolism of energy.

The company’s currently exploring whether PDK blockers can improve outcomes and recovery times for patients undergoing heart surgical procedures.

EmErgINg compaNy of thE yEar

The BioAlberta Award for Emerging Company of the Year is presented to a bioindustry company on the verge of signifi cant growth. This company has distinguished itself from its peers with demonstrated exceptional leadership and achievement.

of thE yEar

Kimmo Lucas

Dr. Graeme Macaloney

BIOZINE 2008 17

Since childhood, student researcher tracy mah hasbeen fascinated by themysteries of immunology

From a young age, Tracy Mah has had an appreciation for the complexity of the immune system. “I was interested in immunology as a kid, because I had eczema, some thyroid problems, and asthma growing up,” she says.

Now a third-year immunology and infection honours student at the University of Alberta, Mah was the 200�/2005 winner of the Sanofi Aventis Biotech Challenge (SABC) Winner. The national competition is designed to inspire students and the public about biotechnology and its wide-ranging applications.

Mah was fi rst exposed to biotechnology in the 2003/200� academic year through the SABC program (coordinated by BioAlberta) while in Grade 11. Initially, she studied a type of bacteria common to people with Cystic Fibrosis before moving to diabetes research.

Her award-winning protocol was based on the Edmonton Protocol – aU of A-pioneered islet cell transplant-ation technique – and examined post-operative consequences.

“An immune system doesn’t easily accept a transplant – it treats it as foreign, like a virus or bacteria. Treatment involves hushing down the

immune system, but that leaves people susceptible to infection. My project was an alternative way to have transplants not rejected.”

Mah spent Grade 12 working in the Edmonton Protocol lab and won the regional SABC for her eff orts. Additionally, as part of Alberta’s 2005 Centennial celebrations, she was asked to present her fi ndings to the Royal Family, and in 2007, was named to Canada’s Top 20 under 20.

“When my parents were young, biotech was a limited fi eld. It’s exploding now, and to be introduced to it in high school was really helpful.”

“WHY“WHY“WHY“WHY“WHY“WHYANOTHER GENERATION

THIS PAGE: Tracy Mah in the lab

OPPOSITE PAGE: The BUTANERDS

pose for a victory photo

Photo by: Epic Photography

18 BIOZINE 2008

BUTANERDS FUEL UP FOR MIT COMPETITIONStudent group wins international competition for butanol-as-biofuel project

Beating out some of the world’s brightest young scientists, a University of Alberta biofuel project took home top honours at an MIT event in November.

BioAlberta helped fund the student group aff ectionately known as the ‘Butanerds.’ This innovative group has manipulated bacteria to produce an alternative fuel called butanol. Their project won fi rst place in the Energy and Environment

LEADS THE WAY

category of the prestigious International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition.

The iGEMs challenge young scientists from 59 universities to demonstrate their contributions to synthetic biology, a recent discipline that tinkers with biological systems on a cellular level, manipulating cell parts or functions in order to create something new.

The diversity of the group working on the project made it possible to come up with the complex process says group member Jason Gardiner. “Our team comes from diff erent, widely interdisciplinary backgrounds – engineering, pharmacology, botany, biochemistry, cell biology and immunology, genetic science,” says Gardiner, a botany student.

Andrew Hessel, an advisor to the Butanerds and consultant for iGEM Programs with the Alberta Ingenuity Fund, likens synthetic biology today to where computer science was in the late 1970s. He believes it’ll follow a similar trajectory, accelerated by entrepreneur-driven start-ups and curious young people who are enthused, not intimidated, by novel technology.

DID YOU KNOW: The term bioindustry is interchangeable with life sciences and includes health biotechnology, medical devices and equipment, agricultural biotechnology, functional foods and nutraceuticals, industrial bioproducts, environmental biotechnology, and bioinformatics

LEADS THE WAY“WHY“WHY“WHY“WHY“WHY“WHY“WHY???LEADS THE WAY?LEADS THE WAY???””BIOZINE 2008 19

rank and file

DID YOU KNOW: More than 70% of processed foods in your home contain ingredients enhanced through biotechnology

DID YOU KNOW: New biodegradable greases and lubricants for the family car are being made from agricultural oils

Name Employees Sector

1 DynaLIFeDx 1200 Health Biotechnology/Lab Services

2 Alberta Pacific Forest Industries 1050 Industrial Bioproducts

3 Alta (Alta genetics Inc.) 300 Agricultural Biotechnology

4 BodyCoate testing group 265 Health Biotechnology/Lab Services (formerly Norwest Labs)

5 gilead Alberta uLC 170 Health Biotechnology

6 micralyne Inc. 160 manufacturing

7 NuCrYSt Pharmaceuticals 150 medical Devices and Products

8 NAeJA Pharmaceutical Inc. 130 Health Biotechnology

9 QSV Biologics Ltd. 130 Health Biotechnology/manufacturing

10 primeD medical Products Inc. 125 medical Devices and Products

11 Banner Pharmacaps 122 Health Biotechnology

12 Dow AgroSciences Canada 110 Agricultural Biotechnology

13 Bayer CropScience Canada 100 Agricultural Biotechnology

14 Isotechnika Inc. 70 Health Biotechnology

15 Permolex Ltd 55 Industrial Bioproducts/biofuels

16 SemBioSys genetics Inc. 50 Health Biotechnology

17 BioPak 50 manufacturing

18 CV technologies Inc. 40 Health Biotechnology

19 resverlogix Corp. 32 Health Biotechnology

20 BiomS medical Corp. 26 Health Biotechnology

20 epsilon Chemicals Ltd. 26 environmental Biotechnology

20 BIOZINE 2008

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mEmbErShIp lISt

platnium gold Silver

partNErShIp lEVElS

22 BIOZINE 2008

agriculture financialServices corporationwww.afsc.ca

Ag-West Bio Incwww.agwest.sk.ca

Alberta Advanced Education & Technologywww.innovation.gov.ab.ca

Alberta Agriculture & Rural Developmentwww.agric.gov.ab.ca

alberta heritage foundation for medical research (ahfmr)www.ahfmr.ab.ca

Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Carbohydrate Sciencewww.aiccs.com

Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Machine Learningwww.aicml.ca

Alberta Ingenuity Fundwww.albertaingenuity.ca

Alberta International & Intergovernmental Relationswww.international.alberta.ca

alberta research councilwww.arc.ab.ca

Alberta Science and Research Authoritywww.gov.ab.ca/sra

Amgen Canada Inc.www.amgen.com

Antibe Therapeutics Inc.www.antibe-therapeutics.com

astraZeneca canada Inc.www.astrazeneca.com

ATB Financialwww.atb.com

aVac ltd.www.avacltd.com

Bayer CropSciencewww.bayercropscience.ca

Bennett Jones LLPwww.bennettjones.ca

Best Management Services Inc. www.bestmanagement.ca

biomS medical corp.www.biomsmedical.com

BioNeutra Inc.www.bioneutra.ca

BIOTECanadawww.biotech.ca

BOWNEwww.bowne.com

Calgary Economic Developmentwww.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com

Calgary Technologies Inc.www.calgarytechnologies.com

Camfil Farrwww.camfilfarr.com

Camire Groupwww.camiregroup.com

Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D)www.canadapharma.org

Canadian Bio-Systems Inc.www.canadianbio.com

Cantega Technologies Inc.www.cantega.com

CardioMetabolics Inc.N/A

cEapro Inc.www.ceapro.com

Chenomx Inc.www.chenomx.com

CIRION Clinical Trial Services Inc.www.cirion.com

Clarity Life Sciences Ltd.www.claritycapital.com

CQI Consulting Ltd.www.cqicanada.com

cV technologies Inc.www.cvtechnologies.com

Cyplasin OncoScience Inc.www.cyplasin.com

Deloittewww.deloitte.ca

Design Group Staffing Inc.www.designgroupstaffing.com

Dow agroSciences canada Inc.www.dowagro.ca

DynaLifeDXwww.dynalifedx.com

Edmonton EconomicDevelopment corporationwww.edmonton.com

Eli Lilly Canada Inc.www.lilly.ca

Epsilon Chemicals Ltd.www.epsilonchemicals.com

Fisher Scientific Ltd.www.fishersci.ca

Fraser Milner Casgrain LLPwww.fmc-law.com

genome albertawww.genomealberta.ca

glaxoSmithKline Inc.www.gsk.ca

Global IQwww.globaliq.com

Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP www.gowlings.com

GrowSafe Systems Ltd.www.growsafe.com

Hannibal Ventures Inc.N/A

ICCI Intellectual Capital Corporation Inc.N/A

IGY Inc.www.igybiotech.com

iHear Unicare Inc.www.ihearunicare.com

Innovotech Inc.www.innovotech.ca

Canadian Life Sciences DatabaseCanadian Life Sciences Database

No cost to post your profile

Linked to the global database of over 9,500 companies www.biotechgate.com

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BIOZINE 2008 23

TEC Edmontonwww.tecedmonton.com

TheraCarb Inc.www.theracarb.com

Toronto Stock Exchangewww.tsx.com

ToxTest - Alberta Research Councilwww.arc.ab.ca

University of Alberta - Faculty of Medicine and Dentistrywww.med.ualberta.ca

University of Calgary - Department of Microbiology & Infectious Diseaseswww.med.ucalgary.ca/webs/microinfect

University of Calgary - Faculty of Medicinefaculty.med.ucalgary.ca/research /index.html

University of Lethbridgehome.uleth.ca/rch

University technologies International Inc.www.uti.ca

ViaGen Inc.www.viagen.com

ViRexx Medical Corp.www.virexx.com

VWR Internationalwww.vwr.com

W.A. Cochrane & Associates Inc.N/A

WAI BioProcess SolutionsN/A

Westlink Innovation Network Ltd.www.westlink.ca

mEmbErShIp lISt continued…

Atkinson, Ian

Aubrey, Robert

Back, Donald (Dr.)

Desai, Pete (Dr.)

Griffith, Irwin (Dr.)

Mckay-Carey, Mary Jane

Perry, Richard (Dr.)

Sheridan, Beverley A.

Sustrik, Gordon

Swanson, Eric

Tesarowski, David

Welsh, Michael

Young, Murray

Indivdual members

2� BIOZINE 2008

iRSMwww.irsm-canada.com

Isotechnika Inc.www.isotechnika.com

J.A.R. Pharmaceuticals Ltd.www.jarpharma.com

Joseph Wu ConsultingN/A

KMT Hepatech Inc.www.kmthepatech.com

Kpmg llpwww.kpmg.ca

Marsh Canada Limitedwww.marsh.com

merck frosst canada and co.www.merckfrosst.ca

Metabolic Modulators Research Ltd.www.mmrl.ab.ca

Micralyne Inc.www.micralyne.com

Monsanto Canada Incwww.monsanto.com

MTN Consulting Associateswww.mtnconsulting.ca

NaEJa pharmaceutical Inc.www.naeja.com/index_e.cfm

Natraceutical Canada Inc.www.viscofiber.com

New Era Nutrition Inc.www.nutritech.com

Northern Alberta Clinical Trials & Research Centrewww.clinicaltrials.ualberta.ca

Olds College School of Innovationwww.oldscollege.ca

Oncolytics Biotech Inc.www.oncolyticsbiotech.com

Oncothyreon Inc.www.oncothyreon.com

ortho-biotechwww.janssen-ortho.com

Parlee McLaws LLPwww.parlee.com

Patheon Inc.www.patheon.com

PBR Laboratories Incwww.pbr.ca

pfizer canada Inc.www.pfizer.ca

Pharmahorizonswww.pharmahorizons.com

Picomole Instruments Inc.www.picomole.com

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPwww.pwcglobal.com

Progress R+D Magazinewww.progressresearchanddiscovery.com

Promotive Communications Inc.www.bioscienceworld.ca

QSV Biologics Ltd.www.qsvbiologics.com

Research Services Office - University of Albertawww.rso.ualberta.ca

Research Tax Services Ltd.www.researchtaxservices.com

ResVerlogiX Corp.www.resverlogix.com

sanofi pasteurwww.sanofipasteur.ca

SciMed Laboratories Inc.www.scimedlab.com

SembioSys genetics Inc.www.sembiosys.com

Sinoveda Canada Inc.www.sinoveda.com

State of Illinois Canada Officewww.commerce.state.il.us

Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp.www.stemcellthera.com

Stiris Research Inc.www.stirisresearch.com

Taiga BioActives Inc.www.taigabioactives.com/main/index.php

Tarquin Consulting Inc.www.tarquinconsulting.com

Life Science Industry

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BIOZINE 2008 25

DID YOU KNOW: A typical breakfast exhibits several biotech processes:

• Cornflakes are produced using fewer pesticides because of the development of corn that is resistant to insects and diseases

•The bread you toasted contains biotech food enzymes to help it rise and keep it fresh

•Filters used to brew your morning coffee are made with a biotechnology process that uses environmentally friendly enzymes to bleach the paper (instead of chlorine)

DID YOU KNOW: Canola oil, a crop grown abundantly in western Canada, produces frying oils with almost no trans-fatty acids

DID YOU KNOW: TTS Inc. has developed a new building panel utilizing wheat straw and pine bark. The panels have the potential to greatly impact the structural building products market, as they can be created using low cost and abundant raw materials

DID YOU KNOW: The cotton in your tee-shirt was made from cotton plants that have been engineered to require fewer pesticides, and your jeans were faded with biotech enzymes

DID YOU KNOW: Biotech enzymes are used to remove lactose from milk to help people who are lactose intolerant

DID YOU KNOW: Human insulin, a Canadian discovery, was the first biotechnology drug to be commercialized. It continues to save lives every day

To learn more about Alberta’s growing bioindustry, visit our website at www.bioalberta.com

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BIOZINE 2008 27

Increasingly health-conscious consumers are

demanding healthy alternatives in their diet and

their snack foods, making healthier vegetable oils

essential. Avoiding saturated fat is key, and trans

fats in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are

increasingly linked to heart disease and obesity.

In addition to oil with a healthier profile, end users

are demanding oil that lasts longer on the shelf

and in the fryer. Attempts are being made to tailor

other oils, such as soybean, to have a healthier,

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customers of Omega-9 Canola Oil. Only from

Dow AgroSciences. Visit dowagro.ca.

28 BIOZINE 2008