BioCanRx Invests $10M in Promising New Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Biomanufacturing to Benefit Canadians

On September 22, 2020 BioCanRx, Canada’s Immunotherapy Network, reported funding of $10M for 14 cancer immunotherapy research projectsand eight core and biomanufacturing facilities (Press release, BioCanRx, SEP 22, 2020, View Source [SID1234565514]). In addition to BioCanRx’s investment, matching partner contributions of $16.5M increase the total investment in Canadian translational cancer immunotherapy research and manufacturing facilities to $26.5M.

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Cancer is one of the biggest health challenges facing Canadians. Nearly 1 in 2 Canadians is expected to develop cancer in their lifetime. BioCanRx is working to turn the tide and improve outcomes for patients by accelerating the development of promising immunotherapy treatments which could be more effective, affordable and safe than conventional cancer therapies.

"We’re collaborating and building teams across Canada to find new ways for the body’s immune system to outsmart and kill cancer. This new funding is helping to bridge the research gap between lab discoveries and clinical trials to ultimately benefit patients," said Dr. John Bell, BioCanRx’s Scientific Director and a senior cancer research scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa.

BioCanRx’s investments in the development of novel therapies continue to be guided and benchmarked by its Research Management Committee composed of internationally renowned academics and industry leaders in the field of cancer immunotherapy. The focus of the newly funded projects includes highly innovative and novel approaches to cancer treatment, targeting difficult to treat cancers where current options are limited. The project investment portfolio includes cross-disciplinary teams from across the country working on new, rational combination approaches and unique cell, vaccine/virus-based and antibody immunotherapies.Investments in Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity also feature prominently and additional sites across the country will be added to our point-of-care cell manufacturing network to enhance access to life-saving therapies to patients across the country.