Harper Government Invests in New Cancer Research Network

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 15, 2014) - Industry Canada

Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orléans, today announced that BioCanR_X, one of four new Networks of Centres of Excellence, is receiving $25 million over five years to support collaborative research aimed at developing novel Canadian therapies to fight against cancer.

BioCanR_X will help accelerate the most promising discoveries from the lab through to proof of concept, manufacturing and clinical testing. By incorporating patient outreach into the research program, the network will help spread knowledge to end users and receive critical feedback about cancer treatment. BioCanR_X will seek to make Canada more competitive in biotherapeutics and reduce the human and financial cost of cancer.

This investment is the result of the most recent competition in the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program. The competition resulted in four new networks receiving funding and one existing network being renewed for a second five-year term.

NCEs mobilize a critical mass of expertise from across the country, bringing together health, natural and social scientists, as well as engineers. Partners from industry, government and the not-for-profit sector contribute additional expertise and support.

Quick facts

- The following networks have been selected as Networks of Centres of Excellence:

New

• Aging Gracefully across Environments using Technology to Support Wellness, Engagement, and Long Life-AGE-WELL (Toronto, Ontario)
• Biotherapeutics for Cancer Treatment-BioCanR_X (Ottawa, Ontario)
• Canadian Glycomics Network-GlycoNet (Edmonton, Alberta)
• Canadian Arrhythmia Network-CANet (London, Ontario)

Renewed

• NeuroDevNet (Vancouver, British Columbia)

- With these new grants, the Networks of Centres of Excellence program currently funds 14 networks.

- Recently, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered on the government's commitment to provide an updated science, technology and innovation strategy. The strategy, Seizing Canada's Moment, is a vision and a road map for strengthening Canada's position as a global leader in scientific research while looking to harness greater Canadian innovations that create jobs, increase prosperity and improve the quality of life of Canadians.

- The Networks of Centres of Excellence program corresponds to all three pillars of the renewed science, technology and innovation strategy: knowledge, people and innovation. Each network develops highly skilled people, builds research knowledge and shares this expertise with business to improve processes and technologies.

Quotes

"I'm delighted to celebrate the launch of BioCanR_X here in Ottawa. The Government of Canada is pleased to support innovative research that will contribute to our shared goal of improving cancer treatment for Canadians."

- Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orléans

"Our government is committed to investing in world-class research networks, including BioCanR_X, that will develop new technologies and processes to treat cancer. Through our updated science, technology and innovation strategy, our government is making the necessary investments to push the boundaries of knowledge, create jobs and prosperity, and improve the quality of life of Canadians."

- Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology)

"BioCanR_X will help accelerate the most promising research discoveries from the lab to the development of biologically based treatments for cancer. On behalf of the federal research funding agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is proud to support networks that integrate expertise from academia, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations to generate and implement solutions to health issues."

- Dr. Jane Aubin, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice-President of Research, Knowledge Translation and Ethics, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

"Biologically based cancer therapies hold the potential to be both curative and less toxic than many of our current treatment strategies. That in itself is very exciting. But what is really unique about this funding is it allows Canadian scientists to work together to develop several therapeutic strategies in parallel and then to test these both alone and in combination with each other with the goal of finding the most effective way to help our bodies' own defences fight cancer. In this case, the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts."

- Dr. John Bell, Scientific Director of BioCanR_X, Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa

Associated links

NCE competition results

NCE program information

Currently funded NCEs

Science, technology and innovation strategy, Seizing Canada's Moment

Canada First Research Excellence Fund

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Backgrounder

Announcement of NCE competition results

Since its creation in 1989, the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program has successfully brought together the best minds in many disciplines and sectors in efforts to solve major social, economic or health issues for Canadians.

The program supports large-scale, collaborative research networks that harness the creativity and inventiveness of Canadian health, natural, and social scientists and engineers. Funded networks integrate expertise from academia, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations in a shared effort to generate and implement solutions to problems. In 2013-14, partner organizations of the networks added $63.4 million of cash and in kind support to the funding from the NCE. International acclaim has led other countries, including Australia, South Africa and some within the European Union, to incorporate the NCE model into their programs.

The NCE program currently supports 14 research networks.

Today's announcements of the Canadian Arrythmia Network in London and the Biotherapeutics for Cancer Treatment in Ottawa comprise two of four new NCEs being awarded funding as a result of this competition. One existing network was also renewed.

NEW NETWORKS

Biotherapeutics for Cancer Treatment - BioCanR_X ($25 million)

Headquarters: Ottawa, Ontario

Biologically-based treatments such as cancer-killing viruses, immune cell therapies and synthetic antibodies are among the most promising cancer treatments to emerge in the past decade. They offer targeted, effective options that help mobilize the body's natural defences, with the added benefit of being less toxic and invasive. BioCanRx will help accelerate the most promising discoveries from the lab through to proof-of-concept, manufacturing and clinical testing. Expected results also include training highly skilled people and steering new Canadian biotherapeutic products towards commercialization. By incorporating patient outreach into the research program, the network will help spread knowledge to end users and receive critical feedback about cancer treatment. With partners positioned throughout the development continuum, BioCanRx seeks to make Canada more competitive in biotherapeutics and reduce the human and financial cost of cancer.

BioCanR_X includes collaboration of the following partners:

Academic

Host Institution: The Ottawa Hospital / Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

McMaster/Fraunhofer Biomedical Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing - BEAM

University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine

Industry

	Boehringer-Ingelheim
	Genentech
	Jennerex [now Sillajen]
	MarabaCo [now Turnstone]
	Sanofi-Pasteur
	SciGenom
	Takara Bio
	Versant Ventures

Provincial

	Alberta Innovates
	BC Cancer Agency
	Genome BC
	Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
	Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

Other

	Cancer Research Society
	Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada
	Cure: Blood Cancer
	Hair Donation Ottawa
	Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Canada
	Lymphoma Canada
	National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation
	Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation
	Ovarian Cancer Society
	Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation
	Terry Fox Research Institute

Canadian Arrhythmia Network - CANet ($26.3 million)

Headquarters: London, Ontario

The Canadian Arrhythmia Network (CANet) brings together clinicians, engineers, patients, industry and government in an effort to reduce premature deaths and suffering caused by heart rhythm disturbances. CANet's approach will be to put the right tools into the right hands at the right time: tools that will empower people to manage their own health, caregivers to improve patient care, and the healthcare system to provide timely, effective and efficient services to the population. This approach will be used to tackle disturbances such as sudden cardiac death, which is currently the leading cause of death in Canada, killing 40,000 yearly. Through early detection and intervention, the network seeks to transform arrhythmia care practices in Canada.

CANet includes collaboration of the following partners:

Academic

	Host Institution: Western University
	Carleton University
	Dalhousie University
	Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary
	Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
	Prairie Vascular Research Network
	Southlake Regional Health Centre
	Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute
	Université Laval
	University of British Columbia
	University of Manitoba
	University of Ottawa Heart Institute, University of Ottawa
	University of Victoria

Industry

	Analytics for Life
	Baylis Medical Company Inc.
	Biosense Webster Canada, Johnson & Johnson
	Biotronik Canada Inc.
	Boston Scientific Canada
	Colibri Technologies Inc.
	PHEMI
	IBM Canada Limited
	Medtronic of Canada Inc.
	Siemens Canada Limited
	St. Jude Medical Canada Inc.

Provincial

	Alberta Health Services
	Cardiac Services British Columbia
	Cardiovascular Health Nova Scotia
	Manitoba Health, Healthy Living and Seniors
	Quebec, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
	Saskatchewan, Ministry of Health

Other

	Canadian Cardiovascular Society
	Canadian Hearth Rhythm Society
	Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
	Mitacs Inc.