Able Innovations joins Mayo Clinic Innovation Exchange

Able Innovations recently became a member of the Mayo Clinic Innovation Exchange. Becoming a member offers an opportunity to collaborate with world-class subject matter experts, gaining top quality insights and connections to boost entry to the U.S. market. Able presented their ALTA Platform™ to numerous world-class clinicians, staff and key opinion leaders at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Able Innovations is an OBIO® member, presented at the OBIO® Investment Summit and has been part of all OBIO® programs.

New CHEO Research Institute study to examine feasibility and engagement with Mobio Interactive mobile mindfulness therapy for youth

June 1, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – A new CHEO Research Institute study, in collaboration with Mobio Interactive, is underway to examine the feasibility of delivering clinically validated mindfulness therapy for youth through an AI-powered mobile app. The collaboration will also explore whether Mobio’s AmDTx app helps youth better engage with mental health services, and how healthcare providers may leverage the tool for adjunctive therapy and remote patient monitoring. The study is funded in part by the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHNTM).

“With mental health and wellness-related issues reaching an all-time high, especially in young Canadians, it is time to find scalable and objectively quantifiable ways to serve them,” said Dr. Bechara Saab, Mobio Interactive’s CEO & Chief Scientist. “Our mission is to help create a world where anyone, anywhere who is living with mental health issues, has the opportunity to access clinically meaningful support.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the wait times for Canadians seeking mental health support were at an all-time high. The problem has continued to escalate, with a 52% increase in people seeking mental health services during the pandemic, according to The Canadian Mental Health Association.

“CHEO, like many other pediatric hospitals, is experiencing unprecedented demands for mental health services and we must find innovative solutions. This study will provide initial evidence on whether a mindfulness training program delivered using mobile technology is a feasible way of managing distress and promoting resilience for youth waiting for outpatient mental health services at CHEO. If the study shows this new mobile approach to early intervention works, it could be a game changer by identifying an innovative, affordable, and scalable therapeutic tool,” said Dr. Gary Goldfield, Senior Scientist and clinical psychologist at the CHEO Research Institute, who is leading the study alongside Dr. Michael Cheng, co-investigator, and psychiatrist at CHEO.

AmDTx delivers and measures clinically validated psychotherapy. The mobile therapy includes wellness sessions ranging from mindfulness training to music therapy, as well as indication-specific step-by-step programs. Additional features of AmDTx include AI-enabled objective measurements of mental wellbeing using the camera on the mobile device, along with personalisation algorithms that guide the user into a suite of meditations and psycho-education based on effective stress reduction from previous use, as determined by the company’s proprietary digital biomarker extraction and analysis.

By providing funding for this study, OBIO’s EAHN™ program continues to advance health technology innovation and commercialization and help healthcare organizations access innovations that can impact the patient’s journey.

“This project will test both AmDTx’s ability to support youth as they experience increasingly longer wait times for outpatient mental health services, as well as the app’s impact on outcomes during treatment,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO, OBIO®. “We are excited to support this important study that focuses on improving the pressing problem of longer than acceptable wait times for outpatient mental health services in Canada.”

About OBIO®

The Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®), a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. To learn more, visit: obio.ca.

About Mobio Interactive

Mobio Interactive is a digital health company that is meeting the exploding demand for efficacious mental healthcare with artificial intelligence-powered digital theragnostics. To learn more, visit mobiointeractive.com.

About the CHEO Research Institute

The CHEO Research Institute coordinates the research activities of CHEO and is affiliated with the University of Ottawa. The seven programs of research at CHEO RI focus on a full spectrum of pediatric topics. Key themes include cancer, diabetes, obesity, mental health, emergency medicine, musculoskeletal health, electronic health information and privacy, and genetics of rare disease. At the CHEO Research Institute, discoveries inspire the best life for every child and youth. For more information, visit cheoresearch.ca.

Contacts:

For more information about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal
Director, Market Acceleration
bibaswanghoshal@obio.ca

For more information about Mobio Interactive, please contact:

Michelle Tjia
Chief of Staff
michelle@mobiointeractive.com

For more information about the CHEO Research Institute study, please contact:

Jennifer Ruff
Manager of Communications
(613) 261-3979
jruff@cheo.on.ca

Women’s College Hospital Evaluates Gotcare to Enhance Care Journey for Homebound Older Adults

May 23, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Care for homebound older adults involves little overlap between primary care and community services. This problem has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Through the Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN ™), OBIO® has recently facilitated an evaluation between Gotcare, a national health technology start-up reimagining health services in the home, and the Centre for Digital Health Evaluation (CDHE) at Women’s College Hospital (WCH). Gotcare enables support at home through a combination of personalized in-home visits, health monitoring, virtual care, and ongoing interventions addressing social isolation. 

The EAHN™ evaluation will measure Gotcare’s model of care through the recently launched “In the Community (ITC): Health Ambassadors Connecting Primary Care for Homebound Older Adults Living in the Mid-West Toronto Area”. The initiative aims to support both patients with complex needs and their family physicians by providing a menu of services the patient and provider can access together, to expand the reach of primary care into the home. 

“The CDHE is a national leader in the provision of timely, high-quality evaluations of digital health technologies at various stages of maturity. Our evaluation of Gotcare will provide the organization with the scientifically rigorous and clinically relevant insights to enhance their services,” said Dr. Onil Bhattacharyya, family physician and scientific director of the CDHE. “Comprehensive homecare for older adults, enables them to ‘age in place’ and reduces the use of healthcare resources downstream.” 

“For many homebound patients, leaving their home for health-related appointments can feel like a full-time job. Alternative options, such as self-monitoring, can be stressful and challenging for patients resulting in limited adoption and success. In the ITC model, regular in-person health ambassador visits, on-demand virtual care access, easy to use technology interfaces, and ongoing interventions addressing social isolation, create a distributed ecosystem of care in the community. Initiatives like ITC bridge the gap between primary care and community services, so that we can create a healthier and more inclusive society by providing equitable access to all, regardless of background or location,” said Chenny Xia, Co-Founder & CEO of Gotcare. 

“OBIO® is excited to support this EAHN™-funded evaluation of Gotcare by Women’s College Hospital. This initiative will enable better support for vulnerable patients that require at home care”, said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “This project is an example of how EAHN™ can facilitate adoption of innovative Ontario technologies to enable new models of home-based care for elderly adults transitioning from in-patient care to improve coordination and patient outcomes.” 

About OBIO® 

Founded in 2009, OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO.ca for more information. 

About Gotcare  

The healthcare worker shortage has left many older adults without access to the care they need. By attracting and upskilling community health workers who have previously left the sector, Gotcare is rehumanizing the patient care journey. They provide personalized in-home care, AI-driven biometric monitoring, and virtual care to address low-acuity care needs right at home. Gotcare is a social enterprise and  a certified living wage employer. For more information: gotcare.ca.

About Women’s College Hospital  

For more than 100 years Women’s College Hospital (WCH) has been developing revolutionary advances in healthcare.  Today, WCH is a world leader in health equity and Canada’s leading academic ambulatory hospital. It focuses on delivering innovative solutions that address Canada’s most pressing issues related to population health, patient experience and system costs. For more information about how WCH is transforming patient care and leading health system solutions, visit www.womenscollegehospital.ca.

Contacts 

For more information about OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), or if you are interested in joining the Network, please contact:

Bibaswan Ghoshal
Director, Market Acceleration
bibaswanghoshal@obio.ca

For more information about Gotcare, please contact:

Chenny Xia
Co-Founder & CEO
chenny@gotcare.ca

For more information about Women’s College Hospital please contact:

Jordan Benadiba
Manager, Public Affairs
jordan.benadiba@wchospital.ca 

Pfizer Canada Launches National Initiative to Propel Startup Solutions for Key Challenges in Healthcare

Pfizer Canada ULC recently announced the launch of its Healthcare Hub, an initiative with Canadian tech and innovation startups to scale up health solutions, with the goal of enhancing outcomes and the patient experience in important areas of need in Canadian healthcare. In partnership with Communitech, the Pfizer Canada Healthcare Hub is designed to activate Canada's startup ecosystem and help accelerate the transformation of patient care.

Pfizer Canada and Communitech’s have issued an open call for tech startups and talent in tech to help meet challenges in the areas of vaccination tracking, drug shortage planning, patient drug coverage and access, women’s health and oncology diagnostics. The call for solutions to five key challenge areas is open from May 17 to 31, 2023. Adjudication and selection announcement will occur in July 2023, with winning entries receiving support from Pfizer to help bring their solution to market.

Satellos Bioscience Closes $55M Financing to Support Development of its Lead Drug Candidate for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Satellos Bioscience Inc., a regenerative medicine company that spun out of Stem Cell Network, recently announced that it has closed $55 million financing to support the development of its lead drug candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy with the potential to significantly change the prospects for improved quality of life for patients.

Satellos presented at the OBIO® Investment Summit and is a CAAP® alumnus.

CATTI opens a cell and gene therapy training centre of excellence at the University of Guelph

The Canadian Advanced Therapies Training Institute (CATTI) Inc. recently launched its first in-person training site at the University of Guelph through a partnership with OmniaBio Inc., CCRM and the university. The training program, to begin in summer 2023, will cater to recent post-secondary graduates, industry professionals and companies growing their roster of clean room manufacturing staff.

The fast growth of cell and gene therapies (CGTs) has made it a challenge for the global industry to keep up with talent requirements. This new CGT technical training site will begin to address the industry's critical training needs and represents the first stage of a larger, multi-site training strategy for CATTI.

Insights from the "How I Raised" Event: Navigating Funding in HealthTech

By Garima Ghale

On May 18, 2023, the OBIO® Women in Health Initiative (WiHI) ran its second Women Leaders in Health Breakfast Series. In partnership with the Canadian Women’s Newtork (CWN) and Mintz, we had the privilege of hosting the "How I Raised: Health Series," featuring esteemed panelists Geralyn Ochab and Ella Korets-Smith. The event brought together aspiring entrepreneurs and industry professionals eager to gain valuable insights into the world of funding in the healthtech sector. The panelists shared their experiences and provided key takeaways on how to successfully navigate the fundraising landscape, which include the following:

Building Solid Fundamentals: One of the event’s recurring theme was the importance of establishing strong fundamentals for your business, regardless of the funding route pursued. Geralyn and Ella emphasized that a solid foundation in terms of business strategy, market understanding, and product development is crucial to attracting investors and ensuring long-term success.

Choosing Angel Investors Strategically: When discussing fundraising from angel investors, the panelists highlighted the importance of selecting investors who strategically align with your company's vision and goals. Conducting thorough due diligence to ensure a mutual fit with angel investors can bring more than just capital to the table, including industry expertise, networks and guidance.

Addressing Funding Challenges in Biotech/Pharma: For early-stage biotech and pharmaceutical companies, generating revenue may not be feasible in the initial phases. Geralyn and Ella shed light on the unique funding challenges these companies face, and emphasized the need to provide investors with a clear understanding of the company's timeline, milestones and how funding will translate into value creation. Transparency in how funds are used and aligned with milestones is key to instilling confidence in potential investors.

Market Awareness and Timing: In today's dynamic market, staying informed and adaptable is essential. The panelists encouraged entrepreneurs to maintain a proactive approach by monitoring industry trends and market shifts. By holding their heads high and anticipating market developments, entrepreneurs can position themselves strategically to seize opportunities at the right time.

Nurturing Investor Relationships: Recognizing the value of strong investor relations, Geralyn and Ella emphasized the importance of cultivating and maintaining good rapport with investorsInvestors are not just providers of capital, but also key advocates for the company, the team and the technology. Building and nurturing these relationships can yield significant benefits beyond financial support.

Stay tuned for more exciting events and opportunities to gain industry insights and connect with experts in the ever-evolving field of healthtech.

Rendez-vous in the Capital: Networking with Inspirational Women in Science

By Christina Yeh 

On May 16, the OBIO® Women in Health Initiative (WiHI) presented its inaugural networking event in the nation’s capital, the first of multiple stops planned across Ontario in 2023. In partnership with Invest Ottawa and contributing sponsor Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) LLP, OBIO® invited women at all stages of their career in health sciences to participate in Rendez-Vous in the Capital: Networking with Inspirational Women in Science at the Bayview Yards in Ottawa.  

Sonya Shorey, Vice President of Strategy, Marketing & Communications at Invest Ottawa, opened the event, welcoming women with diverse health science backgrounds from across Ottawa and neighbouring regions. Invest Ottawa has a vision for women founders, business owners and entrepreneurs to build commercially successful and sustainable companies. 

Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®, then greeted the audience and described the important contributions by the WiHI program to increasing the participation and advancement of women in the health science sector since the program’s launch in July 2022. The OBIO® WiHI program supports women entering and advancing their careers in business development roles in the health science industry through a combination of on-the-job learning and financial support. Dr. Campbell applauded the Ottawa health sciences ecosystem of colleges, universities, hospitals and organizations for fostering the next generation of health science companies. 

The audience next welcomed Member of Parliament for Kanata—Carleton, Jenna Sudds, on behalf of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. MP Sudds also serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth. At the event, she acknowledged OBIO’s contributions to building the health sciences ecosystem in Ontario through critical initiatives funded by FedDev Ontario such as the Capital Access Advisory Program (CAAP®), the Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) and the WiHI program. She highlighted the importance of health sciences innovation in improving the lives of Canadians.  

Beverley Moore, Partner, IP Litigation with BLG LLP, emphazised the firm’s commitment to women in business and leadership. BLG Driven by Women™ offers women in business and law an opportunity to connect and share ideas. BLG understands that starting a business can be challenging and offers their StartUp & Grow™ program to entrepreneurs seeking practical, efficient legal solutions. 

The evening concluded with 100+ women participating, building new relationships and sharing their experiences working in the health sciences sector. 

SCN and OBIO® partner to enhance the commercialization of life science innovations through specialized training for scientists

(Le français suit l’anglais)

May 16, 2023 (Ottawa/Toronto) – Today the Stem Cell Network (SCN) and Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) are pleased to announce the formalization of their partnership as they expand their efforts to enhance the commercialization of Canadian life science innovations through specialized training programming for scientists.

Although SCN and OBIO® have been close collaborators for many years, including for OBIO’s® annual Investment Summit each February, the formalization of this partnership will allow the two organizations to offer the following:

• A Health Science Industry Training Course through OBIO’s popular Health to Business Bridge Program (H2BB™). This 27-hour course will arm trainees with the skills and knowledge to commercialize a therapeutic product or work in the health science industry. 

• A half-day industry symposium at SCN’s Till & McCulloch Meetings this October in Toronto. This symposium will feature several industry and investment experts and heads of Canadian regenerative medicine and biotech companies who will share with attendees what it takes to start and grow a successful company in Canada.

• A brand-new Scientific Founders Program. This program will take the form of an intense one-week bootcamp aimed at new scientific founders or those who are considering creating a biotech start-up in Canada.

“The bottom line is that we need to create a ‘sticky environment’ here in Canada, where our researchers not only have the chance to innovate, but also have the opportunity to commercialize their research,” said Cate Murray, President and CEO of SCN. “OBIO® has a mandate to further the commercialization of life science innovations, and SCN’s mission is to advance research and train the next generation of scientists. This partnership with OBIO® will help to cement a full and complete pipeline from innovation to commercialization and ultimately build a stronger regenerative medicine sector within Canada.” 

“OBIO® is thrilled to strengthen our relationship with Stem Cell Network,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “Canada is already a leader in regenerative medicine, largely due to the efforts of SCN. Canadian researchers have attracted significant funding and their efforts in training have produced a highly skilled talent pool. The combination of these two elements has resulted in substantial innovation in the regenerative medicine space. However, the path to commercializing innovative cell therapies is long and arduous and requires more than technical expertise. OBIO’s® workforce development programs provide a bridge from the technical training of SCN to the commercial requirements of the life sciences industry. Through our partnership with SCN, together we will fill a critical talent gap that will ensure early-stage regenerative medicine innovations are successfully commercialized in Canada.”

For more details, please contact:

Samantha Rae Ayoub
Vice President, Communications & Knowledge Mobilization
srae@stemcellnetwork.ca

Doriane Rey
Manager, Marketing & Events
dorianerey@obio.ca

---

Le RCS et l’OBIO® s’associent pour soutenir la commercialisation des innovations en sciences de la vie en offrant un programme spécialisé de formation aux scientifiques

Le 16 mai 2023 (Ottawa/Toronto) – Le Réseau de cellules souches (RCS) et l’Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) sont aujourd’hui heureux d’annoncer leur décision d’officialiser leur partenariat. Cette mesure vise à élargir les efforts qu’ils déploient pour soutenir la commercialisation des innovations canadiennes en sciences de la vie en proposant un programme spécialisé de formation aux scientifiques.

Bien que le RCS et l’OBIO® collaborent étroitement entre eux depuis plusieurs années, y compris pour le Sommet de l’investissement tenu chaque année par l’OBIO® en février, l’officialisation de ce partenariat permettra aux deux organisations d’offrir ce qui suit :

• Une formation sur l’industrie des sciences de la santé dans le cadre du populaire programme de transition Health to Business Bridge (H2BB™) de l’OBIO®. Ce cours d’une durée de 27 heures permettra aux stagiaires d’acquérir les compétences et les connaissances nécessaires pour commercialiser un produit thérapeutique ou travailler dans l’industrie des sciences de la santé. 

• Un symposium industriel d’une demi-journée dans le cadre des réunions Till & McCulloch du RCS, en octobre, à Toronto. Ce symposium réunira plusieurs spécialistes de l’industrie et de l’investissement ainsi que des dirigeants d’entreprises canadiennes de médecine régénératrice et de biotechnologie, qui expliqueront de manière détaillée aux participants ce qu’il faut pour lancer et faire prospérer une entreprise au Canada.

• Un tout nouvel Atelier pour les fondateurs scientifiques. Cet atelier intensif d’une semaine s’adressera aux nouveaux fondateurs scientifiques et aux personnes qui envisagent de créer une entreprise biotechnologique au Canada.

« En définitive, nous devons créer un “environnement rétentif” ici au Canada, dans lequel nos chercheurs ont non seulement la possibilité d’innover, mais aussi de commercialiser leurs recherches », a déclaré Cate Murray, présidente-directrice générale du RCS. « l’OBIO® a pour mandat de favoriser la commercialisation des innovations en sciences de la vie et la mission du RCS est de faire avancer la recherche et de former la prochaine génération de scientifiques. Ce partenariat avec l’OBIO® contribuera à consolider l’ensemble de la filière de recherche, depuis l’innovation jusqu’à la commercialisation et ainsi à renforcer le secteur canadien de la médecine régénératrice. » 

« L’OBIO® est ravie de resserrer ses liens avec le Réseau de cellules souches », a déclaré Maura Campbell, présidente-directrice générale de l’OBIO®. « Le Canada est déjà un chef de file de la médecine régénératrice, en grande partie grâce au RCS. Les chercheurs canadiens ont attiré des investissements substantiels et leurs efforts de formation ont produit un bassin de talents hautement qualifiés. La combinaison de ces deux éléments a donné lieu à plusieurs innovations dans le secteur de la médecine régénératrice. Cependant, le chemin vers la commercialisation des thérapies cellulaires novatrices est long et ardu et exige plus qu’une simple expertise technique. Les programmes de perfectionnement de la main-d’œuvre de l’OBIO® font le pont entre la formation technique du RCS et les exigences de commercialisation de l’industrie des sciences de la vie. Grâce à notre partenariat avec le RCS, nous comblerons ensemble une lacune importante sur le plan du talent et aiderons à faire avancer les innovations embryonnaires dans le domaine de la médecine régénératrice au Canada au stade de la commercialisation. »

Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez communiquer avec :

Samantha Rae Ayoub
Vice-présidente aux communications et à la mobilisation des connaissances
srae@stemcellnetwork.ca

Doriane Rey
Responsable du marketing et des événements
dorianerey@obio.ca

Health Check Bus: Lung screening project in Taiwan reaches 8,000 mark

The Health Check Bus, equipped with KA Imaging’s Reveal 35C, has imaged more than 8,000 patients as part of a collaboration between InnoCare Optoelectronics and the College of Medicine at National Cheng Kung University which focuses on mobile X-ray lung screening. 

KA Imaging is an OBIO® member, an EAHN™ company, past participant of BDSP™, CAAP®, H2BB™ and presented at the OBIO® Investment Summit.

Cyclica enters into agreement to be acquired by Recursion

Cyclica, a neo-biotech headquartered in Toronto and Valence, headquartered in Montréal, recently announced entering into agreement to be acquired by Recursion, leading clinical stage TechBio company.

“Cyclica and Recursion both believe in the value of industrializing drug discovery,” said Naheed Kurji, CEO and Co-Founder of Cyclica. “Combining our proteome-wide prediction of small molecule-target interactions into Recursion’s data universe will create one of the largest fit-for-purpose biological and chemical datasets in the drug discovery space. Together, I believe Recursion will have an immense impact on human health in the years to come.”

Cyclica is an OBIO® member, participant of BDSP™ and presented at the OBIO® Investment Summit.

Able Innovations announced one of the winners at TiE Con 2023

Able Innovations is among the winning technology startups at TiE Con recognized for their innovative solution in patient transfers to reduce staff burnouts and shortages. TiE Con is one of the largest technology conferences designed by TiE Silicon Valley leaders for entrepreneurs, corporate executives and investors. Now in the fourteenth year, the awards recognize the top technology and technology-enabled startups.

Able Innovations is an OBIO® member, presented at the OBIO® Investment Summit and has been part of all OBIO® programs.

Toch Sleepsense technology enables retirement home staff to monitor overnight bed-exits for seniors with real-time alerts

Sensor technology piloted in retirement home can improve health and safety of residents, study finds

May 2, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – Many seniors struggle with insomnia or may be living with dementia – conditions that can put them at increased risk of injury from nighttime wandering and falls. Nevertheless, overnight staff at care homes are faced with the challenge of providing direct and continuous monitoring of all at-risk residents. With funding and advisory support from OBIO®, through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), researchers at Bruyère partnered with Tochtech Technologies to evaluate the Toch Sleepsense, an award-winning bed alarm system’s ability to monitor nocturnal activity in real-time.

Toch Sleepsense is a non-contact sleep monitoring device, easily placed under the foot of a bed that is uniquely designed to detect when a person exits the bed. The system can provide “out-of-bed” alerts to care teams, helping them respond quickly to residents who may be at risk of falling or wandering, and generates high-level reports on sleep quality, helping health care providers better support a resident’s care.

Over the course of a five-month pilot, AGE-WELL SAM3 National Innovation Hub researchers validated the technology’s accuracy in an objective laboratory setting at Carleton University with multiple bed styles and sensor placements. The evaluation was also conducted, in a real-world environment, located at The Courtyards on Eagleson, a seniors’ retirement community for people living with dementia that is owned and operated by All Seniors Care Living Centres.

The evaluation found that Sleepsense was successful in monitoring high-risk residents getting out of bed and wandering at nighttime by effectively alerting staff, which reduces the need for hourly checks on all residents’ rooms.

“Staff members felt the technology supported their work enabling them ultimately to provide better care for their residents,” said Dr. Frank Knoefel, Senior Investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute and consultant at Courtyards. “Not only can this technology support resident safety, we saw real examples of it supporting resident health when a family noticed their loved one was tired during daytime visits. Thanks to the available data on sleep cycles that the sensors also capture, we were able to recommend medication adjustments and monitor changes to the resident’s sleep pattern. One family was really happy to see objective evidence of sleep improvement in real time.”

Between validated testing in a controlled and home care environment, outcomes show the valuable impact the Sleepsense technology can have for long-term care and retirement homes. With the assessment resulting in a positive determination of value, OBIO’s EAHN™ program will now provide follow-on funding and advisory support to EAHN™ members to plan and implement the procurement of Sleepsense in accordance with provincial procurement guidelines.

“The evaluation demonstrates that this innovative, made-in-Canada solution will help to improve the care and safety of residents in long-term care settings who frequently get out of bed and wander­­­ at night, said Dr. Maura Campbell, OBIO® President and CEO. “OBIO® welcomes any opportunity to bring commercial-ready technologies that have a positive impact on patient care to the healthcare system.”

“We are pleased that our partnership with Bruyère can help continue improving the care journey of the aging population,” said Jessica Yang, CEO, Tochtech Technologies. “The EAHN™ program provides critical exposure for this innovative technology across the Ontario health care sector.”

About Tochtech Technologies

Founded in 2014, Tochtech Technologies is a digital healthcare company whose mission is to build smart, cost-effective senior care solutions solutions that offer caregivers peace-of-mind while enabling seniors to live healthier and safer lives. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Tochtech’s philosophy centres around the use of technology to eliminate the risk and sense of disconnect for seniors, especially those living independently. Tochtech has developed first in-class solutions in the areas of stove safety, voice integrated personal aides and a risk predictive smart care platform. Using voice integration, AI and proprietary algorithms, these products enable caregivers to provide proactive, personalized care to extend older adults’ ability to live a healthy and longer life.  Visit Tochtech Technologies for more information.

About Bruyère

Bruyère is an academic health care organization training the next generation of health care leaders and using research and industry partnerships to improve care. Bruyère plays a unique role in the region’s health care system providing specialized hospital care, primary care, long-term care, and assisted and independent living for older adults while the Bruyère Research Institute focuses on finding the next generation of care for aging Canadians and vulnerable populations. To learn more about Bruyère, visit www.bruyere.org.

About OBIO®

Founded in 2009, OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO.ca for more information.

For more information:

Jessica Yang, CEO & Co-founder, TochTech Technologies

Blake Daly, Project Manager, Health Innovation Bruyère Research Institute

Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration, OBIO®

Ontario’s Life Sciences Council appoints experts including OBIO's CEO

Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO® has graciously accepted an appointment to the Ontario Life Sciences Council by the Honourable Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Dr. Campbell joins a team of industry experts on the council:

Dr. Jason Field (Chair) – President and CEO of Life Sciences Ontario, Dr. Dozie Amuzie – Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation for JLABS Canada, Dr. Maura Campbell – CEO of the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization, Nicole DeKort – President and CEO of Medtech Canada, Pamela Fralick – President of Innovative Medicines Canada, Elliot Fung – Executive Director of Medical Innovation Xchange, Jim Keon – President of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, Cameron Love – President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, Dr. Michael May – President and CEO of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Derek Newton – Assistant Vice-President, Innovation, Partnerships and Entrepreneurship at the University of Toronto, Dr. David O’Neill – President of FACIT, Dr. Jane Philpott – Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Director of the School of Medicine at Queen’s University and CEO of the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization. 

The forward-looking Life Sciences Council will focus on long-term growth and competitiveness in medical technology, pharma/biotech, digital health and personal protective equipment (PPE) sub-sectors.

The Council will be tasked to collaboratively work together on a plan to make Ontario a top hub for innovation growth and life sciences investments. It will also identify opportunities for Ontario to work with provincial and federal counterparts to improve regulatory processes and incentives to advance the pharmaceutical sector and improve patient access to innovative medicines. 

As President and CEO of OBIO®, Dr. Campbell is dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization of early-stage companies, including OBIO® members, through ecosystem building, advocacy and programming. With over 30 years of experience in key sectors of biotech, and as CEO of OBIO®, Dr. Campbell understands the challenges that early-stage health science companies face when commercializing and driving adoption of their innovation in Ontario. Dr. Campbell and OBIO® are excited and thankful for the opportunity to bring our members’ perspectives to the Council and work with the Ministry on the support required for the industry to flourish. 

To learn more about Ontario’s newly-established Life Sciences Council:

Enamine and Endogena Therapeutics – a successful, multi-year drug discovery collaboration

Enamine Ltd., a provider of drug discovery services empowered with the world’s largest collections of building blocks, fragments, and screening compounds, gave an update of its long-standing research collaboration with Endogena Therapeutics AG, a clinical-stage biotech company focused on the development of endogenous regenerative medicines.

Endogena Therapeutics was a participant of the H2BB™ program and presented at the OBIO® Investment Summit.

Virica Biotech secures funding from Ontario government

Canadian biotechnology company Virica Biotech has secured a grant from the Ontario provincial government to expand its domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity. The $790,000 funding has been provided through the government’s Ontario Together Fund (OTF), created to boost Ontario’s healthcare sector, Covid-19 response and pandemic preparedness.

Virica Biotech is a recipient of BDSP™ and the OBIO® Women in Health Initiative (WiHI) Leadership subsidy.

Over $16 million invested in Ontario's leading-edge genomics projects

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, recently announced federal support through Genome Canada for three late-stage Ontario Genomics research and development projects tackling major challenges in health, environment and agriculture through genomics.

The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provincial government, industry and healthcare organizations, as well as other partners, is investing a total of over $16.3 million into Ontario projects out of the $56.7 million funding announced for projects across Canada. 

Aspect Biosystems & Novo Nordisk partner to develop bioprinted tissue therapeutics for diabetes and obesity

Aspect Biosystems and Novo Nordisk recently announced a collaboration, development, and licence agreement to develop bioprinted tissue therapeutics designed to replace, repair, or supplement biological functions inside the body with the aim of delivering a new class of truly disease-modifying treatments for diabetes and obesity. The collaboration will leverage Aspect’s proprietary bioprinting technology and Novo Nordisk’s expertise and technology in stem cell differentiation and cell therapy development and manufacturing.

Aspect Biosystems presented at the OBIO® Investment Summit and Novo Nordisk participated at the inaugural Pharma Licensing Forum at the 2023 OBIO® Investment Summit.

MY01 raises CAD 12.5 million for microsensors to aid in physician diagnostics

Montréal-based MY01, a medical technology company that uses microsensors to aid physicians in diagnosing acute compartment syndrome, has received $12.5 million CAD in Series A funding from a group of three Québec-based investors. The round was led by Investissement Québec, with participation from Desjardins Capital and Fondaction.

MY01 is an EAHN™ company and presented at past OBIO® Investment Summits.

Zucara Therapeutics receives IND clearance for Phase 2 clinical trial of ZT-01

Zucara Therapeutics, a diabetes-focused life sciences company developing the first once-daily use therapeutic to prevent hypoglycemia in people with diabetes, recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the Company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ZT-01 for the prevention of nocturnal hypoglycemia in patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

Zucara presented at the OBIO® Investment Summit and is part of Workforce Development.