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Assunta Krehl

Pharmafocus.com - 0 views

  • Canada has always had to fight hard to attract talent and investment
  • MaRS Vital to Toronto's life sciences vision is MaRS (derived from Medical and Related Sciences) a non-profit organisation and business centre located in the heart of the city. Its core function is as a biotech incubator and business park, known as MaRS Discovery District. The venture was first established in 2000 to help foster and accelerate the growth of successful Canadian businesses and, after some uncertain times, it is now gathering momentum. A separate technology transfer office, MaRS Innovation, has also been established that, it is hoped, can be a world beater in its own right (see Turning good ideas into world beaters below). The location of the MaRS building in central Toronto is important, as it is just a stone's throw away from an existing cluster of universities and academic hospitals. MaRS has many links with other research-based organisations, including collaborations with three local universities, 10 academic teaching hospitals and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. MaRS occupies the Old Toronto general hospital, where insulin was first discovered by Best and Banting in 1921 and then developed for use in human trials. The 21st Century organisation can build on this heritage in patient-focused discovery and development. Formerly the head of venture capital firm Primaxis, Ilse Treurnicht is chief executive of MaRS Discovery District. She acknowledges the crisis in venture capital funding, and says Canada's sector has always had less access funds through this route than other countries. This is one of the drivers behind the search for a new approach. Treurnicht says the old models of building biotech and life sciences businesses have to be discarded, as they have failed to build companies with critical mass. She says MaRS' new 'Convergence Innovation' strategy of bringing science, capital and business together will pay off.
  • "We call our strategy 'Convergence Innovation' and what we are trying to do is move away from the old linear model of academics struggling in their spare time to build companies or entrepreneurs doing this in a very incremental way."It takes time and it has many risk points along the way. So using this Convergence centre model to create a much more dynamic organisation which can help accelerate good ideas towards the commercialisation." But she says Canada's geography and demographics are always going to be a challenge. "This is a very large country with a small population. If you think in terms of clusters and hub regions, Canada's business hubs are separated geographically, and there is not much in between in terms of people."That means we can't try to be a little United States, because we just won't show up on the radar. We have to take a different approach. We have to think about collaboration as our potential competitive advantage - that means using networks and associations to solve problems and build businesses."So as new opportunities emerge, we can take them to market faster and hopefully with a higher success rate." The centre currently accommodates numerous start up companies, as well as those providing legal and financial services to them. AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline also have offices on site. In all, MaRS provides mentoring for over 200 different companies across Ontario, and runs courses on entrepreneurship and preparing products for market.
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  • Transition Therapeutics is one of the companies based at MaRS, and is an example of a biopharmaceutical company that is taking a new approach to the science and business of drug development.
  • Now Toronto's MaRS Innovation (MI) has been launched to try to guide and accelerate these promising ideas out of the wilderness and onto the market. MI is a not-for-profit technology transfer company that will channel all the best ideas to come out of Toronto's renowned academic centres. In the Toronto and Ontario area there were between 14-16 different technology transfer offices in the different institutions, and MaRS Innovation resolved to bring these interests together into a single entity after industry partners told them it was an inefficient way to do business. Bringing together the different institutions under one umbrella organisation has been an arduous task for MaRS, but the reward could be considerable for all parties. MI now oversees probably the largest intellectual property pipeline of its kind, representing about $1 billion in annual research spending. This means MI will be a unified route for all of Toronto's academics and their institutions when they want to develop and commercialise a bright idea. Most importantly, investors from industry who are looking to collaborate will now be able to deal with just organisation and one IP process. MI will cover patentable ideas across a broad range of areas, and not just life sciences - the discovery pipeline in physical sciences, information and communication technology, and green technology ('cleantech') will all be funnelled through MI. MI now represents three universities, 10 academic teaching hospitals and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. MaRS Innovation, with support from MaRS and BioDiscovery Toronto, will advance commercialisation through industry partnerships, licensing and company creation.
  • ts chief executive is Dr Rafi Hofstein. Hofstein has been headhunted from Israel where he was chief executive of Hadasit, the technology transfer company of the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem and chair of the publicly-traded company Hadasit BioHolding. He brings this considerable experience in technology transfer to what he thinks is a groundbreaking enterprise."MaRS Innovation is a unique global initiative, and I must commend the institutional leaders in Toronto for pulling this innovation powerhouse together to strengthen commercialisation output." He adds: "I believe this is going to modernise the whole notion of tech transfer." He says the scale and diversity of MaRS Innovation's remit puts it into a league of its own. Other research clusters elsewhere in the world have attempted similar projects before, but have been thwarted by the difficulty in bringing parties together. MaRS Innovation will also help launch and grow new spin-off companies and incubate them for 2-3 years to ensure a strong commercial footing. Hofstein says MI will also fund proof of concept trials which will persuade major pharma companies to invest in their development.
  • MI has just announced its first two commercialisation deals with academic partners in the city. The first is with the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital to develop stem cell from umbilical cords to treat cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurological disorders. "With the Toronto area identified as a world-leading cluster in stem cell research, we are extremely excited to have identified this technology as our first commercialisation opportunity," said Dr Hofstein.
  • "Our partnership with MaRS Innovation on developing methods for using stem cells for diseases such as diabetes will allow us to work towards advancing care for these critical conditions."
  • The second collaboration is between MI and The University of Toronto (U of T) and involves a novel sustained release formulation of nitric oxide (NO) for applications in wound healing, including diabetic ulcers. "There are 300 million diabetics worldwide, of which some 15% develop troublesome foot ulcers. This wound healing technology is extremely exciting, making it an early commercialisation opportunity that MaRS Innovation has identified as being a potential win for some 45 million diabetics globally," said Dr Hofstein.
  • "This is one of many new commercialisation ventures that will be initiated by MaRS Innovation, our partner in commercialisation of research with 13 other academic institutions across the Greater Toronto Area," said Paul Young, U of T's vice-president, Research. "We at U of T are delighted that this innovation from Dr Lee will be taken to the marketplace to the benefit of society and the economy of Ontario and Canada." By aggregating the leading edge science of its institutional members and being a one-stop commercialisation centre for industry, entrepreneurs and investors, MI could really help put Toronto and Canada on the map."MaRS Innovation is deeply committed to facilitating strategic research collaborations with industry partners, strengthening the innovation capacity of Canadian industry through adoption of new technologies, and launching a new generation of robust, high-growth Canadian companies that will become global market leaders," added Dr Hofstein. "We look forward to working closely with all of our institutional members and to continue to jointly announce exciting commercial opportunities."
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    Canada has always had to fight hard to attract talent and investment. As stated in Pharmafocus.com, "MaRS Discovery District helps to foster and accelerate the growth of successful Canadian businesses." MaRS Innovation has also been launched to accelerate ideas onto the market.
Assunta Krehl

Ontario, Canada Investing in Science to Strengthen Economy | Reuters - 0 views

  • Ontario is launching a new fund to attract and retain world-leading genomics researchers in the province. The CAD$100-million (£56.1-million) Global Leadership Round in Genomics and Life Sciences will support globally-significant, collaborative research projects that are headquartered in Ontario, Canada. This fund will create high-skilled jobs in research and technology, and brings Ontario`s commitment to funding science since 2003 to a historic high of $1.4 billion (£785 million).
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    Ontario announced a new fund to attract and retain world-leading genomics researchers in the province.The $100-million Global Leadership Round in Genomics and Life Sciences will support globally-significant, collaborative research projects that are headquartered in Ontario. Dr. Evans is quoted stating that "the government must recognize that Ontario must invest in strong life science clusters."
Assunta Krehl

Market Insight - Ontario's unknown opportunities - Scrip News - 0 views

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    Rebecca Debens, Scrip Reporter, visits Ontario to find out more about Ontario's growing life science industry and the Canadian government schemes encouraging and supporting businesses. The article features MaRS and describes how MaRS has become the "hub of Canada's life sciences cluster."
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    Rebecca Debens, Scrip Reporter, visits Ontario to find out more about Ontario's growing life science industry and the Canadian government schemes in encouraging and supporting businesses. The article features MaRS and describes how MaRS has become the "hub of Canada's life sciences cluster." Jun 3, 2009
Assunta Krehl

CNW Group | ONTARIO MINISTRY OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION | Ontario Investing In Science ... - 0 views

  • "This investment underscores the government's recognition that Ontario must continue to invest in its strong life sciences cluster. Now more than ever, innovative research and development is a key driver, reshaping the knowledge economy and creating prosperity for all Ontarians." Dr. John Evans, Chair, MaRS Discovery District
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    Ontario announced a new fund to attract and retain world-leading genomics researchers in the province.The $100-million Global Leadership Round in Genomics and Life Sciences will support globally-significant, collaborative research projects that are headquartered in Ontario. Dr. Evans is quoted stating that "the government must recognize that Ontario must invest in strong life science clusters."
Assunta Krehl

Governor Quinn Pursues Economic Development Opportunities in Canada First Visit by Gov... - 0 views

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    "Governor Pat Quinn is visiting Canada re: economic development and promoting Illinois' trade and business opportunities, as well as tourism and life sciences industries.Governor Quinn also met with key members of the life sciences and bio-energy communities at a meeting hosted by MaRS Innovation and MaRS Discovery District at the MaRS Centre."
Assunta Krehl

MedEdge 2012, York Region's Life Sciences Business Summit for the Bio-Medical Industry,... - 0 views

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    The MedEdge Life Sciences Business Summit will be taking place on June 14th, 2012 at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts which will take a look at how to enter the healthcare market and understand the procurement process. Dr Usha Srinivasan, Program Director, Business Acceleration Program (BAP), MaRS Discovery District will be speaking at the event.
Sarah Hickman

The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA: Amazon.c... - 0 views

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    By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a young scientist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. Never has a scientist been so truthful in capturing in words the flavor of his work.
Assunta Krehl

Recap: Startup Drinks & Entrepreneurship 101 Life Sciences & Healthcare - lidiasworld -... - 1 views

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    LidiasWorld blogs about the Entrepreneurship 101 class she and her partner attended at MaRS with guest speaker Dr. Stuart Foster, the founder of VisualSonics, spoke mainly about the challenges of being a science tech specific startup.
Miguel Amante

MaRS centre signs commercialization agreement - 0 views

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    MaRS Innovation (MI) has signed a co-funding agreement with the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Office of Science and Technology to capitalize and accelerate the use of Toronto-based life-sciences technologies during the early stages of pharmaceutical and medical device development.
Assunta Krehl

U.S. firm to construct T.O. life science centre - The Star - 0 views

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    MaRS Discovery District has selected Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc, the largest publicly traded U.S. life science realty company, to develop a 900,000 square foot high-rise office and laboratory complex that will include an of the atrium in the MaRS building. Jun 27, 2007
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    MaRS Discovery District has selected Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc, the largest publicly traded U.S. life science realty company, to develop a 900,000 square foot high-rise office and laboratory complex that will include an of the atrium in the MaRS building.
Assunta Krehl

Cure may be right under our noses - Star Business Club - May 27, 2012 - 1 views

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    CHALLENGE: It's got potential and is ready to be built, but is the science sound? And can a fringe medical treatment have mass appeal?
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    Lew Lim founder of Mediclights is a MaRS client and is bringing intranasal light therapy to Canada. Peter Adams, a MaRS Life Science and Healthcare IT advisor is working with Lim to commercializing this innovation. They would like to see Toronto as the new hub for interanasal laser research.
Assunta Krehl

Quest for a wonder drug started with shrew bait - The Globe and Mail - August 8, 2012 - 0 views

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    "Jack Stewart a biotechnology entrepreneur, is about to start a human trial for a drug developed from a compound found in shrew spit that could treat ovarian, breast and prostate cancers without many of the side effects of chemotherapy." Veronika Litinski, a Senior Advisor at MaRS in the Life Science and Health care practice says it is difficult to run trials with a clear robust criteria.
Sarah Hickman

The New Atlantis - A Journal of Technology & Society - 0 views

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    The New Atlantis attempts to clarify the nation's moral and political understanding of all areas of technology-from stem cells to hydrogen cells to weapons of mass destruction. They hope to make sense of the larger questions surrounding technology and human nature, and the practical questions of governing and regulating science. Challenging policymakers who know too little about science, and pushing scientists who often fail to think seriously or deeply about the ethical and social implications of their work.
Cathy Bogaart

Toronto's 1DegreeBio brings open source innovation to biological research industry - Yo... - 0 views

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    Minister Glen Murray (Ministry of Research and Innovation) launched MaRS as a member of the Ontario Network of Excellence last month. In his speech, he highlighted our client, 1DegreeBio. 1DegreeBio helps those in the biological sciences share their data, including being th first online independent resource listing all academic and commercially available antibodies. Score 1 for open science!
Assunta Krehl

Environmental group rocks out for change - The Globe and Mail - November 4, 2011 - 0 views

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    Jay Somerset, Globe and Mail reporter states "McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto is hosting an international conference and DEW Line Festival exploring art, media and culture... November 5th." The article discusses how change is better conveyed through emotions within art rather than science. MaRS Discovery District is an innovation hub that promotes innovation in social innovation, cleantech, life sciences and health care, and in ICE.
Assunta Krehl

This is what MaRS Discovery District will look like in 2013 - TechVibes - January 10, 2012 - 0 views

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    MaRS' Investment Accelerator Fund is looking to invest in information technology, cleantech, advanced materials, manufacturing and life sciences early-stage growth companies. There is a separate fund of $7 million in funding announced for just life sciences
Assunta Krehl

Canadian innovations get to market faster - The Globe and Mail - May 25, 2012 - 1 views

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    There is a need for enhancing commercialization, but there are gaps particularly in the lifesciences. Dr. Calvin Stiller, MaRS Board member states that there is a difference it testing and approval times in the commercialization of life sciences that still needs to be addressed.
Miguel Amante

OGI and Invitrogen bring epigenomics to the forefront in Genome 2.0 symposium - Bioscie... - 1 views

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    The Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI) teamed up with Invitrogen Corporation, a California-based global leader in providing life sciences technology, recently to host Genome 2.0: New Frontiers in Epigenomics, a one-day symposium addressing epigenetic regulation of gene expression with a special focus on chromatin biology, DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs and technology development.
Assunta Krehl

Pursuit Of Employment: Toronto Innovation Forum June 16, 2009 Program "Opportunity, Cre... - 0 views

  • • Best Practices in Venture Creation (Room 1)Veronika Litinski, Practice Lead, Healthcare and Life Sciences, MaRSAn overview of what makes your business valuable to investors and how to develop a viable business strategy.
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    Outlines Event schedule for Toronto Innovation Forum June 16, 2009 Program "Opportunity, Creativity and Partnership"
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    Outlines Event schedule for Toronto Innovation Forum June 16, 2009 Program "Opportunity, Creativity and Partnership." Veronika Litinski, Practice Lead, Healthcare and Life Sciences, MaRS will talk about Best Practices in Venture Creation.
Cathy Bogaart

www.newbiologyventures.com - New Biology Ventures - 0 views

  • New Biology Ventures is a life-sciences focused venture capital incubator.   We invest in early stage opportunities through the creation and maturation of start-up companies that focus on the development and commercialization of therapeutic biopharmaceuticals. We change the economics of drug development through our unique combination of expertise in finance and structuring companies along with the capability to efficiently and effectively commercialize drugs.  
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    New Biology Ventures is a life-sciences focused venture capital incubator. They invest in early stage opportunities through the creation and maturation of start-up companies that focus on the development and commercialization of therapeutic biopharmaceuticals. They change the economics of drug development through their unique combination of expertise in finance and structuring companies along with the capability to efficiently and effectively commercialize drugs.
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