What adds up to a small amount of money in terms of government spending could have a big impact on the provincial economy and health care system.
That is the message Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey delivered Tuesday (Oct. 10) when she announced a total of $6.6 million to help build up provincial capacities for clinical trials of pharmaceuticals.
About two-thirds of the money 害羞草研究所� some $4.2 million 害羞草研究所� will fund six beds for Phase 1 clinical trials at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver operated by Providence Health Care. Phase 1 clinical trials test experimental drugs or medical devices on human volunteers to judge their respective safety. While trials usually involve a small group, they are necessary for future phases. The six-bed-unit will become operational in late 2024 and it will be the only non-cancer Phase 1 clinical trial unit in Western Canada.
Bailey hopes this status will help British Columbia to continue build its life-science sector.
害羞草研究所淲hat historically has happened, because we don害羞草研究所檛 Phase 1 (non-cancer clinic trials), is that many drugs will be tested elsewhere,害羞草研究所� Bailey said. 害羞草研究所�(When) those drugs are tested elsewhere, it害羞草研究所檚 very common that Stage 2, 3 and 4 clinic trials will also happen in a different market that takes those jobs away from us and it also takes away the intellectual property and sometimes even the company.害羞草研究所�
Fiona Dalton, president and chief executive officer with Providence Health Care, said Canada captures about four per cent of the global clinical-trial market. This rate is about 10 times higher than Canada害羞草研究所檚 population, she added. But Canada generally 害羞草研究所� and B.C. specifically 害羞草研究所� lack the facilities for Phase 1 resulting in companies having to go abroad for the tests which determine whether to continue development of potential therapeutics. This gap has hurt the provincial economy, Dalton added.
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The University of British Columbia is also receiving $2.4 million to establish a research chair focused on expanding clinical trial capacities in B.C., including a residency training program in clinical pharmacology.
害羞草研究所淓xpanding clinic trial capacity and expertise will allow university researchers and local companies like AbCellera, Acuitas Therapeutics and Precision NanoSystems, all of which came out of (a) UBC research lab, to grow and develop their technologies and create new blockbuster drugs here in B.C.,害羞草研究所� Gail Murphy, UBC害羞草研究所檚 vice-president research and innovation, said.
害羞草研究所淢ost importantly, it means British Columbians will have access to life-saving medical treatments sooner,害羞草研究所� she said.
Tuesday害羞草研究所檚 announcement is the latest around B.C.害羞草研究所檚 life-science sector. In the spring of 2023, Premier David Eby announced $75 million for AbCellera害羞草研究所檚 new state-of-the-art biotechnology campus with a price tag of $701 million. B.C.害羞草研究所檚 contribution adds to a federal contribution of $225 million.
The provincial government sees these contributions as part and parcel of a larger program to create jobs in high-tech fields, having launched the so-called Stronger BC: Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing Strategy earlier this year. It aims to establish B.C. as a 害羞草研究所渨orldwide life sciences hub害羞草研究所� by building on established expertise.
害羞草研究所淰irtually every COVID-19 vaccine candidate that reached late-stage development in 2020 used components that were initiated, developed or manufactured by a B.C. company or scientist, and this strategy builds on our accomplishments,害羞草研究所� the provincial strategy report reads.
Providence Health Care also plans to include a purpose-built unit for Phase 1-3 clinical trials at its planned clinical support and research centre next to the new St. Paul害羞草研究所檚 Hospital at the Jim Pattison Medical Campus. Michael Smith Health Research BC, the province害羞草研究所檚 health-research agency, will contribute an additional $1.2 million to the centre.
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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