Genome BC Signals Fall 2014

SIGNALS Genome BC News | Fall 2014

ContentsFeature Story | Message from the President & CEO | Profile | Partners In Action | News & Announcements

“The cupboard is bare,” said Dame Sally Davies, a memorable and stark comment about the lack of new antibiotics in the development pipeline – made at the 5th Annual Don Rix Distinguished Keynote Lecture held on October 7th in Vancouver. Dame Sally is seriously concerned that we are facing a time of severe unmet medical needs, across developing and Western nations. The path for antibiotics – from discovery to commercialization “may well need to be re-ploughed.”

Dame Sally is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England and Chief Medical Advisor to the UK government. She is the first woman to hold the position of CMO in 155 years. Named as Britain’s 6th most powerful woman by the BBC, Dame Sally is the government’s principal medical adviser and guides government decisions on diverse subjects such as superbugs, drug trials, obesity, addiction and mental health.

During her talk, Dame Sally addressed several public health issues, focusing most notably on the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to currently available antibiotics. Globally, there are ways to preserve our remaining antibiotics and she illustrated how genomics can be used in the development of new antibiotics. This type of ongoing research can be seen locally at the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), which you can read more about in our Partnerships in Action section.

...we have seen no new classes of antibiotics approved since 1987.

NO.48

www.genomebc.ca

THE DRUGS DON’T WORK... NOW WHAT?

Dame Sally Davies

The path for antibiotics – from discovery to commercialization may well need to be re-ploughed.

Dame Sally’s message is clear—it is essential that we conserve the drugs we have by only using antibiotics for infections prescribed correctly and sparingly. Genomics is helping through the development of tests that determine if a patient will benefit from a drug treatment or not.

In BC we have an opportunity to make a difference in the growing tide of AMR and to build on our genomics hub. Ongoing research and the considerable drive to push discovery along the research continuum to commercialization would be truly useful for all global citizens.

According to Dame Sally, the global abuse of antibiotics is significant and there is little incentive on the part of the pharmaceutical companies to invest in the research and development of new antibiotics, leaving this type of research in the academic realm. As a result we have seen no new classes of antibiotics approved since 1987. The consequence is that we are beginning to see the rise of untreatable infections such as extreme resistant TB (XDRTB) and some cases of gonorrhoea. As well the global spread of resistance can be fast, as with New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM1), which is an enzyme that destroys beta-lactam antibiotics including the penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems.

THE DRUGS DON’T WORK... NOW WHAT?Cont’d from cover

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

BEYOND WINDOWS 3.0

Since the last issue of Signals, we have learned a lot. In this issue, Dame Sally Davies stresses that the research continuum, while effective in several ways, is greatly lacking if it is not covering unmet medical needs. Jock Finlayson notes the great difficulty of commercialization, but highlights the potential reward that could be gained by this challenge—an endeavour not recommended for the faint of heart! We learn from our partner, the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), that the process of moving drug therapies through the pipeline from basic research to translation to application to commercialization requires investment and strength from our biotech community.

We have also recently re-affirmed, through feedback on our new five-year strategic plan that focusing on one end of the spectrum is not sufficient. Initiating basic research without an end application in mind maybe useful discovery, but Genome BC’s role is to demonstrate applications of genomics in BC’s sectors such that end-users translate those applications into use and commercial products. In any equation, the benefits are lessened without the understanding of outcomes and purpose. Feedback on the strategic plan is leading us to look at both the need for commercialization partnerships like Angel investors, and the need for industry accelerator programs to move products over the final hurdles to the market.

When considering genomics, it is interesting to look at a parallel sector, the information technology (IT) sector. IT has taken a full 50 years to get from

the early hulking computers to our sleek tablets; Windows 3.0 released in 1990 and was just a shadow of the complex systems we use today. Genome applications are beyond Windows 3.0, but not by much. Our DNA is our own hard drive and we are constantly developing more efficient systems to help understand and maximize the potential of this knowledge. The wider use of applications is still to come. The application of genomics could, as Dame Sally tells us, “be the game-changer that we need to move beyond a period where the cupboard is bare” in our ongoing battle against widespread communicable diseases.

Our five-year strategic plans, from early days until now, are somewhat analogous to the research continuum as our focus has moved from basic research to application. As illustrated, around 90% of our resources were dedicated to discovery research in our first five years. Currently, almost 60% of resources are directed towards applied and translational projects with industry partners and we plan to grow this to 72% over the next five years.

Commercialization is hard… There are desperate needs for new antibiotics… Genomics will help get us there.

Alan E. WinterPresident & CEO, Genome British Columbia

When speaking of commercialization, it is clear that Jock Finlayson is no stranger to the subject.

Genome BC’s newest board member, Jock has worked at a senior level in business associations in British Columbia and other provinces for more than two decades. Currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the Business Council of British Columbia, Jock also has extensive experience serving as a member of various government boards, advisory bodies and commissions in British Columbia and at the national level.

Jock’s views on economic and business issues can be found in two books that he has authored/co-authored and more than 50 published articles, book chapters and monographs. He has also served as a trusted economic commentator for a number of media outlets including the Vancouver Sun, Troy Media, and for

several years he was a regular business panelist on CBC Radio’s “Early Edition” program.

When asked about BC’s biotech industry, Jock reflects positively on the topic. He feels that BC has been fortunate to attract top research talent in a number of areas, as evidenced by the exceptional research taking place in our universities and teaching hospitals. Jock also feels that entrepreneurship is a critical feature of the biotech and life sciences cluster in British Columbia. Within North America, BC has relatively high rates of new business formation and a private sector that welcomes entrepreneurial wealth creation. In terms of commercialization, Jock imparts his belief that it’s a difficult and bumpy road for most small firms. It is inherently risky for any manager, scientist or investor to seek to take their ideas and technologies to the competitive marketplace. One part of the risk stems from challenges around access to capital – in particular investors willing to take a longer term view to return on investment – that is a perennial issue for innovation-based industries in Canada, including biotech.

Another issue for the biotech industry is that BC (and other Canadian) biotech companies often have a hard time selling their products at home. Canada’s government-dominated health care system has a poor record of creating market-entry opportunities for locally-developed innovative products and technologies. Jock states that the above noted challenges are really pan-Canadian in nature, rather than made-in-BC.

Canadian governments collectively need to explore options to improve the availability of risk capital and to stimulate domestic demand for innovation-driven industries such as biotech.

PROFILE:JOCK FINLAYSON EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF POLICY OFFICER AT THE BUSINESS COUNCIL OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

COMMERCIALIZATION - IT’S A BUMPY ROAD

A partnership is defined as an arrangement in which parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. Genome BC and The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) have come together to support numerous initiatives of mutual interest. The most clearly defined collaboration between these groups is the Genome BC–CDRD Development Fund that was created to accelerate the development of commercially promising projects related to advances and discoveries stemming from genome sciences. To date $3.4 million has been committed to projects through the CDRD Genome BC Development Fund that is aimed at developing and commercializing innovative drug therapies.

PARTNERS IN ACTION: A WORKING MODEL - THE CENTRE FOR DRUG RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (CDRD)

WINTER SYMPOSIUMSave Tuesday January 20, 2015 in your calendar for Genome BC’s Winter Symposium.

One of the Genome BC-CDRD funded projects addresses an important global issue: drug-resistant bacteria. Pyruvate kinase, a novel target for the treatment of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infection, led by Dr. Neil Reiner, University of British Columbia (UBC) and Dr. Robert Young, Simon Fraser University (SFU), uses proteomics-based technology combined with computational genomics and bioinformatic approaches. Dr. Reiner and his team identified pyruvate kinase (an enzyme) as a novel target for the treatment of MRSA infections, a large and growing concern in BC and its hospitals.

In British Columbia, we have the foundation for a vibrant health sciences industry.

This project, which originated from the Genome Canada and Genome BC funded Proteomics for Emerging Pathogen Response (PREPARE) project funded in 2005, has now advanced to the point where compounds with potent enough activity and selectivity have been generated through medicinal chemistry and have advanced into in vivo (in life) models of infection. Recently, scientists at CDRD have demonstrated preliminary in vivo validation of this novel target class. Ongoing work will further refine the compounds in an effort to provide first-in-class clinical development candidates suitable for use in humans.

The partnership between Genome BC and CDRD is addressing the collective provincial, national and international challenge in translating this world-class research into its full commercial potential, generating new medicines for patients and realizing the full extent of resulting economic and societal benefits.

The backdrop against which we are trying to mitigate this challenge (i.e. today’s health research and commercialization landscape) continues to evolve. The costs of research and development, clinical evaluation and health-care delivery increases; regulatory and reimbursement hurdles get higher and higher; and venture capital investments continue to look to later-stage, validated opportunities, leaving little financing available to develop new therapeutics in the early stages. Thus, getting new drugs and other therapeutic products to market becomes more and more difficult, and the associated costs and risks steadily increase.

The various players (from academic institutions and granting agencies, to translational research organizations, to foundations, government and industry) must find new ways to come together to support one another by effectively de-risking new technologies, leveraging resources, and filling the gaps in the development continuum. We must find new models to work together to ensure that the societal and economic benefits resulting from Canada’s research investments are realized in BC, Canada and beyond. Genome BC and CDRD’s partnership in action is one such model.

This project fits in well with a larger, global issue around a need for new antibiotics to address the growth of treatment resistant pathogens. Dr. T. Michael Underhill, CDRD’s Co-Scientific Director commented, “CDRD focuses its efforts on areas of high unmet global need, and MRSA is recognized as the lead class of antibiotic‐resistant pathogens emerging as major threats to public health. And apart from their high mortality rate, MRSA infections lead to an estimated $3 to $4 billion of additional health care costs per year. As such, we feel that by coming together with our academic collaborators, and through the support of Genome BC, we can make a tremendous impact.”

Through its commercialization vehicle, CDRD Ventures Inc. (CVI), CDRD participated in Genome BC’s Proof of Concept program in conjunction with the University of British Columbia to support the continued development of two projects: the development of a novel therapy for influenza with Dr. Steve Withers and the development of a novel therapy for bladder cancer with Dr. Helen Burt. Based on the success of Dr. Burt’s technology and the support provided by CDRD, CVI and Genome BC; a company, Sitka Biopharma, was formed in December 2013 to raise funds required to move the technology into clinical trials in 2015.

In British Columbia, we have the foundation for a vibrant health sciences industry. This enviable position has come as a direct result of Canada’s strong public sector support of basic health research.

PARTNERS IN ACTION: A WORKING MODEL Cont’d

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

AROUND THE DOME IN 30 DAYS

Genome BC was proud to be the Presenting Partner of Around the Dome in 30 Days at TELUS World of Science. To kick off the month-long series of events, Science World hosted a Community Science Celebration on September 27th and 28th. More than 19,700 people enjoyed the weekend free of charge because of support from Genome BC and BC Hydro. Many thanks to our volunteers from Let’s Talk Science!

GENESKOOL SUMMER CAMP

High school students and budding scientists solved a fictitious crime by conducting real experiments using state-of-the-art equipment at Capilano University in North Vancouver from August 18-22. They also explored the applications of genetic technologies beyond the lab by considering the science from social and ethical perspectives. Thanks to local MLAs Naomi Yamamoto and Ralph Sultan for sharing in the activities.

PUBLIC HEALTH & GENOMICS: WHEN THE DRUGS DON’T WORK

On October 7th, Dame Sally Davies presented the 5th Annual Don Dix Distinguished Keynote Address to 400 guests. She delivered a fascinating talk addressing several public health issues, focusing most notably on the rise of antimicrobial resistance to current antibiotics. You can see the video on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/genomicseducation

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[email protected]

lan de la RocheChair

Ida GoodreauVice Chair

Alan WinterGenome BC

Neena L. ChappellUniversity of Victoria

Jock Finlayson BC Business Council

Joseph Garcia Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Janet HalliwellJ.E. Halliwell Associates Inc.

Victor LingTerry Fox Research Institute

Alan PelmanPast Chair

Edward SafarikOcean Fisheries Ltd.

John ShepherdUniversity of British Columbia

John F.H. ThompsonPetraScience Consultants Inc.

BOARD MEMBERS

We welcome your comments and input.Please send comments to: [email protected]

Genome BC is supported by the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and Western Economic Diversification Canada and more than 300 international public and private co-funding partners.

Printed on 100% recyclable paper.

KUDOS TO…

Jock Finlayson: he received an Honorary Degree from Royal Roads University. As noted in the University statement “Finlayson’s insight into economic policy has benefitted the entire province. He translates complex economic concepts into applied knowledge for the benefit of government, business owners and residents of British Columbia.”

Dr. David Granville: he was inducted into the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada.

Dr. Brett Finlay: he was awarded the Prix Galien Canada Research Award 2014. Referred to as the Nobel Prize of pharmaceutical research, it is the most prestigious award in the field of Canadian pharmaceutical research.

Dr. Judith Hall and Dr. Julio Montaner: they were inducted into The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Pioneers in their field, they are role models to young Canadians to pursue careers in health science and a source of inspiration for all Canadians as we celebrate with pride, the important contribution made by Canada to global health.

JACK WEBSTER AWARDS

Genome BC is a proud sponsor of the Jack Webster Award for Science, Technology, Health and Environment. Dan Fumano from The Province won this award at the awards gala on October 29th for his series “Our Water.”

Dr. Brett Finlay Dr. Judith Hall Dr. Julio Montaner