SEPTEM PBER A G201 E 21 This Issue BioNova News Member News Other News Save the Date BioNova News is a regular update for BioNova members only. Each publication includes BioNova news, member news, project updates, upcoming event reminders and other information that is important for all members. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for what you might like to see in the next publication, please contact us at communications@bionova.ca BioPort Atlantic 2012 is a Wrap BioNova s annual conference, held September 26-27, attracted close to 180 attendees to interesting presentations, panels and the second annual BioInnovation Challenge. BioNova chair Bob Cervelli was joined by Simon d Entremont, deputy minister of Nova Scotia Economic and Rural Development and Tourism in opening the conference. The kick-off speaker, John Risley, set the stage for the day s theme, From Entry to Exit with advice from his journey with Ocean Nutrition Canada, and his comments brought questions and discussion from the audience. Panels on exit strategies and financing completed the morning s agenda. Thor Muller, serial entrepreneur and co-author of the New York Times bestselling Get Lucky: How to Put Planned Serendipity to Work for You and Your Business gave the keynote address during the luncheon. Kick-off speaker John Risley The afternoon program featured the popular BioInnovation Challenge (Cont. on page 2)
P A G E 2 and a well-attended panel discussion, which included 10 panelists, on the support programs available to life sciences companies at various stages of development. Keynote Speaker, NY Times Best Selling Author, Thor Muller Presenting BioPort Atlantic is made possible by the many partners and sponsors that support the annual event, including: ACOA, Genzyme, Borden Ladner Gervais, Innovacorp, Merck, Sanofi, Destination Halifax, NSBI, Dal ILI, Capital Health, Jansen, Rx&D, Novartis, National Research Council, the PEI BioAlliance, McInnes Cooper, Dal MedicalResearch Development Office, Pfizer, Immunovaccine, Precision BioLogic, Acadian Seaplants, STI and BioAtlantech. Video from this year s event will be placed on BioNova s YouTube channel in the coming weeks. Support for the Entry to Exit journey Panel. (l-r)susan Michel, Mitacs; Dominique Maillet, NSERC; Kate Parker, EDC; Dr. Don Douglas, NRC-IRAP; Jeff Mullen, ACOA; Anne Thomas, Atlantic Office of Small and Medium Enterprises; Kathlene Farrell, Economic and Rural Development and Tourism; Kimberly White, Workplace Innovation & Productivity Skills Incentive Program; Mike McMurray, NSBI; Peter MacNeil, NSBI and Dr. Lidija Marusic, Innovacorp.
P A G E 3 BioInnovation Challenge 2012 (l-r) Jeff Mullen, ACOA; Stephen Hartlen, Dal ILI; Michael Dennis, Performance Genomics; and Bob Carvelli, BioNova s Board of Directors. Michael Dennis, CEO of Performance Genomics Inc, was selected as the winner of the 2012 edition of The BioInnovation Challenge. Dennis was chosen from among seven finalists who presented to The Commercialization Council and the audience at BioPort Atlantic on September 27. The other finalists include; Martin Singh, Coccicorp; Paul Gratzer, DeCell Technologies Inc; Mohamed Abdolell, Densitas; Ying Tam, Mindful Scientific; Mather Carscallen, SABRTECH; and Steve Arless of Dartmouth Medical Research The Commercialization Council was made up of four industry professionals: Beste Alpargun, who is the portfolio manager at SEAMARK Asset Management; Jeff Amerine, manager at Gravity Ventures Arkansas and an advisor to Innovate Arkansas; Allan Jenkins, a partner wih PwC Halifax; and Ken Richards a co-founder and partner of York Bridge Capital, Inc. The BioInnovation Challenge was supported by ACOA, Capital Healt and Dalhousie s Industry Liaison and Innovation The grand prize awarded to Performance Genomics includes a $10,000 in cash to help develop the business and an advisory service package valued at more than $30,000. The service package includes mentoring and coaching advice, provided by Help With Sales; legal consultation, provided by McInnes Cooper; corporate branding and design, provided by Solutions Inc.; risk and insurance assessment, provided by Marsh Canada Limited; financial/accounting advice, provided by PriceWaterhouseCoopers; and a promotional video, provided by Wooshii.
P A G E 4 National Biotechnology Week Launches in Halifax BioNova was this year s host for the launch of National Biotechnology Week, which occurred on September 14 at the World Trade and Convention Centre. Working with BIOTECanada and the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, BioNova hosted a sold-out luncheon at which the week was declared in the province by the Honorable David Wilson, Minister of Health and Wellness. Dr. Robert Heft, former CEO of Enobia was the special guest speaker for the event. Montreal-based Enobia was sold in February for $1.1 billion, making it the most ever paid for a pre-clinical biotech company. The Canadian Venture Capital Association recognized Heft for this accomplishment with a 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year award. BioNova's board chair Bob Cervelli joined guest speaker Dr. Robert Heft, CEO Marli MacNeil and the Honourable David Wilson, NS Minister of Health and Wellness for the national launch of National Biotech Week on September 14 in Halifax. Dr. Heft sopke about the rewards that come with working in the biotech industry and seeing the difference made in peoples lives. Enobia has developed a treatment for Hypophotasia, a rare bone disease. Andrew Casey, President & CEO of BIOTECanada also addressed those gathered for the luncheon which was presented as part of the Chamber s Distinguished Speakers Series. National Biotech Week is coordinated annually by BIOTECanada to celebrate industry s contributions to the national bio-economy.
P A G E 5 Member Companies Attract $1M from ACOA Greg Kerr, MP for West Nova announced ACOA Business Development Program investments of just under $1 million when he visited the LSRI Atrium on September 12. BioNova CEO Marli MacNeil was MC for the event in which recipients Thorasys (represented by Thomas Schuessler) and DeNovaMed (represented by Chris Barden) spoke about how the investments would assist their companies' commercialization efforts. Dr. Tom Traves, President of Dalhousie University thanked Mr. Kerr for the announcement, noting that both companies had spun out of Dal. (l-r) Tom Traves, Marli MacNeil, Thomas Schuessler, Chris Barden, Greg Kerr, MP. BioNova Members Learn About EU Regulations BioNova partnered recently with ACOA and DFAIT to present a workshop on CE Mark regulations for medical technology. Presenter Manuela Ahlers of TUV NORD CERT GmbH, Germany, accompanied by Monika DeVilliers, from the Canadian Consulate in Dusseldorf, led the daylong presentation on the regulatory requirements for marketing medical technology in the EU. Approximately 30 BioNova members attended the workshop with was held at the Innovacorp Enterprise Centre. Presenter Manuela Ahlers at CE Mark Workshop
P A G E 6 Member News Manager Hired for Regional Venture Capital Fund Atlantic Canada is another step closer to launching a privately managed venture capital fund to support high-potential companies in the region. Nova Scotia announced recently, that Patrick Keefe will manage the fund that will invest in emerging companies from the clean technology, life sciences, information technology and other highgrowth areas. Mr. Keefe has more than 15 years of investment and entrepreneurial experience. He has spent the last several years with Innovacorp, most recently as vice-president of investment, overseeing early stage venture capital activities. "Patrick Keefe is the right person to take this fund's development to the next level," said Premier Darrell Dexter. "We want new and innovative companies to have access to the funds they need to take full advantage of the big opportunities on the horizon, like shipbuilding and the Maritime Link. Over the next few months, Mr. Keefe will work to raise more capital and start making investments in the new year." Investment decisions will be made by the fund manager, and will be based on maximizing the return on investment for the fund's partners. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have each committed $15 million to the fund, Prince Edward Island has added $2.5 million, and private company Technology Venture Corporation will contribute $5 million. Patrick Keefe "This is such a remarkable time for Atlantic Canada," said Mr. Keefe. "The start-up scene is vibrant and the technology community is flourishing. The region has had some recent home runs with Q1 Labs, GoInstant and Radian6, and investors from all over are taking notice. "The regional fund will build on the momentum we have, and help a host of new companies grow and succeed. I'm pleased, and excited, to take on the role of fund manager." Innovacorp, Nova Scotia's venture capital and technology commercialization corporation, has been working on behalf of the provinces to set up the fund and secure additional investors. Mr. Keefe will continue to work with the provinces, private-sector partners, institutional investors and the federal government to ensure the companies with the most potential can compete.
P A G E 7 David MacKinnon, President of Novawise and Marli MacNeil were guest panellists at a recent meeting of ACOA Nova Scotia staff. The two were joined by Basil Ryan of the Atlantic Association of Community Business Development Corporations and Mark Wood of Ocean Sonics to discuss client perspectives. (l-r: Chuck Maillet, ACOA NS; David MacKinnon; Marli Marli MacNeil; Paul LeBlanc, President of ACOA; Basil Ryan; Peter Hogan, ACOA NS and Mark Wood) New Group Leader at NRC Medical Devices Halifax Dr. Steven Beyea has been named Group Leader at NRC Medical Devices Halifax, previously the NRC Institute for Biodiagnostics (Atlantic). In this position, Steven will continue to work with the industry and local stakeholders to help in the continued growth of the life sciences sector in Nova Scotia and Canada. As NRC moves forward in its transition into a program-based organization to undertake research important to Canadian companies, Steven will be actively engaging commercial and hospital-based clients to help de-risk early stage life science innovations through utilization of NRC s leading-edge pre-clinical and clinical imaging technology/expertise. Dr. Steven Beyea, new Group Leader at NRC Medical devices
P A G E 8 Novawise Begins Global Distribution Novawise has announced alliances with two key companies to enhance global distribution of their software. The first product, CallNote, is a tool that enables companies, particularly in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector, to better understand customer relationships. It provides an easy and compliant method for sales reps to record notes on customer meetings, while providing management with opportunities for meaningful analysis of the data. This allows businesses to know if their strategies are working, driving better results. Novawise is working with JSA and GSW Worldwide, both a subsidiaries of international company inventiv Health, to develop iq align, a combination of CallNote and their iq.mercury player. Through this working relationship, JSA and GSW Worldwide are using their global reach to market and distribute this product in the life science and healthcare sectors around the world. Within the digital space, our pharmaceutical customers are looking for ways to instantly know what s working and what s not from a promotional perspective. iq.align delivers that critical information through a robust Closed Loop Marketing platform which is truly revolutionary. says Dave Morton, Executive VP, Managing Director, JSA. A global business development agreement has also been reached with York Bridge Enterprises, Inc. to augment sales of Novawise software in the international market, with an initial focus on Japan. York Bridge Enterprises, Inc. (an affiliate of York Bridge Capital) is a private equity firm with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, established to fund early stage Canadian technology companies. In addition to financing, York Bridge delivers management resources, corporate development and market access (both domestically and internationally) to companies. David MacKinnon, President and CEO of Novawise, is optimistic that this agreement will increase the company s reach and connect them with potential customers. We re excited about the possibilities that our deal with York Bridge presents to us, David explains. Their business development expertise and international contacts are real assets to Novawise and will serve to enhance our presence in the global market. With York Bridge s help, Novawise can connect with customers around the world. How Successful Start-Ups Find, Keep and Manage Talent Innovacorp is hosting a session on finding and keeping talent for start-up companies in October. The CEOs of two local start-ups Mather Carscallen of SABRTech and Saeed El-Darahali of SimplyCast - will join Innovacorp s HR expert, Jennifer Robichaud for the discussion. The event will be held Thursday Oct 18 from 12:00-1:00 (casual networking lunch at 12:00-12:15) at the Technology Innovation Centre,1 Research Drive, Dartmouth. Please RSVP to Shelley Kenney at skenney@innovacorp.ca by Monday Oct 15.
P A G E 9 Halifax Delegation in Paris For Biomag 2014 Several Nova Scotia delegates attended the International Conference on Biomagnetism (Biomag) in Paris recently to prepare the way for hosting the event in Halifax in 2014. Biomag is a biannual conference which explores research and commercial applications of biomagnetism. With its considerable bio imaging resources, Halifax is a natural location for the 19 th conference, which will be held in August 2014. Accompanying conference co-chair Dr. Ryan D Arcy to Paris were local organizing committee members Dawn Baldwin of the Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre and Denise Lalanne of NRC Medical Devices Halifax. Other News High Fliers Program Entrepreneur s Forum On behalf of its partnership with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, Entrepreneur s Forum is sharing the following information: If you are an entrepreneur between the ages of 18-39 and are interested in growing your business, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation is offering a program designed specifically for you. If selected in the program, you will be matched with a seasoned business leader who will be your mentor through the duration of the program (until May 2013). Additionally, you will participate in up to five half or full-day training sessions designed to help build specialized knowledge/skills that further advance your growth goals and provide the opportunity to network and learn from each other and reflect on and share your experiences. The deadline for applications is October 22. For Information please visit: www.cybf.ca/highfliers
P A G E 10 Oops BioNova apologizes for its mistake in the headline associated with this story in the August edition of and is running it again with the correct information. We regret any inconvenience caused by this error. Local NRC Personnel Participate in Imaging Symposium In August, researchers and clinicians from Halifax participated in the Canada-China Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Symposium. The symposium was designed as a part of the collaborative research project on advanced diagnostic imaging research with clinical application for neurological conditions that significantly impact both Canada and China. As the collaborative research initiative enters into the second half of the supported period, it has already begun to demonstrate a successful track record in promoting international partnerships in brain innovation. During the past few years, intensive research activities have been carried forward in both countries, to develop advanced diagnostic imaging techniques and to apply these techniques to clinical investigations on patient populations. The collaboration has also benefited training of HQP, bridging basic and clinical studies, and improving brain research capacity. Local NRC personnel and their guests from China Save the Date October 18 How Successful Start-ups Find, Keep and Manage Talent Innovacorp is hosting a session on finding and keeping talent for start-up companies October. To RSVP click here October 18-20 New Horizons in Spinal Cord and Brain Repair The Brain Repair Centre will present New Horizons in Spinal Cord and Brain Repair: From Discovery to Therapeutic Development. For more information, click here.
P A G E 11 October 23 Targeting Misfolded Proteins in ALA: Hope for a truly effective treatment Dr. Neil Cashman, professor of medicine and Canadian Research Chair in Neurodegeneration at the University of British Colombia, will speak at a public seminar. For more information click here October 24, 25 October 24-26 October 24-26 October 30 BioMarine 2012 BioMarine is the international platform dedicated to marine bioresources. Meet with the key companies during two days of networking in London. To learn more and to register click here Executive Development Program Workshop Genome Canada will be hosting its first ever executive development program workshop in Toronto. For more information, click here. National Angel Summit The 2012 Summit, the flagship event for the angel investor community, will be held at The Marriott Harbourfront Hotel. For more information click here VWR Trade Show Exhibits of new products and suppliers. Find out more about the VWR BioNova member discount as well. 10 am 2 pm at the Tupper Building Link, Dalhousie. For more information contact keir_daborn@vwr.com December 4 MidAmerica Healthcare Forum Hear from innovative thought-leaders, industry players and 30+ startup companies during the Company Showcase. For more information on this event click here December 5 December 12 Life Science Alley Conference & Expo Medtech industry leaders from 600 companies, and 12 countries can be found on the exhibit floor at this event in Minneapolis. For more information on this event click here Research Meets Business, BioNova's Annual Holiday Reception Details to come February 26-28 BioPartnering North America BPN represents a cutting-edge solution to the major problem faced by busy executives: "Who should I meet with today?" For more information click here