ISCT 2018: Canadian Pavilion

BioCanRx’s vision is to cure patients and enhance the quality of life of those living with cancer. We will do this by supporting world-class research in the area of immune oncology, and by accelerating to the clinic the most promising cancer immunotherapies designed to save lives and enable a better quality of life. Through an innovative, collaborative funding process BioCanRx is becoming a world-leader in the translation, manufacture and adoption of leading edge cancer immunotherapy treatments for the benefit of cancer patients.

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The Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine (OIRM) is a non-profit stem cell institute funded by the Ontario government and dedicated to transforming discoveries into clinical trials and cures. Through our commitment to collaboration and partnerships, we leverage our resources to fund and support promising advances. OIRM is a passionate champion for investigators and their patients as we build a healthier future for Ontario, Canada, and the world.

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Supporting and building Canada’s stem cell and regenerative medicine research sector has been the raison d’être of the Stem Cell Network (SCN) since its inception in 2001. Its work has been supported by the Government of Canada from the beginning. In just over 16 years, SCN has forged a national community that has transformed stem cell research in Canada, brought research to the point where regenerative medicine is changing clinical practice and established an outstanding international reputation. SCN has pushed the boundaries of what was a basic research area towards translational outcomes for the clinic and marketplace.

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The British Columbia Regenerative Medicine Initiative (BCRegMed) supports the coalescence of academic, industry and government entities to foster collaborative activities within the BC regenerative medicine community. The group aims to engage and mobilize the scientific and entrepreneurial community in BC to facilitate the translation and commercialization of basic discoveries.

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McGill University is one of the leading institutions in the study of cellular therapeutics. In 2013, the McGill Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (SCRM) Network was initiated with the mission to increase inter-departmental, inter-faculty and clinical research collaborations within and outside the McGill University Community. With our new graduate program in SCRM, we aim to foster further partnerships with other universities and the private sector towards advancing the study and use of SCRM for the benefit of Canadians and beyond.

Visit mcgill.ca/stemcells

 The National Research Council (NRC) is the Government of Canada's premier research organization supporting industrial innovation, the advancement of knowledge and technology development, and fulfilling government mandates. Our Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre works with collaborators to develop and biomanufacture biologics and vaccines against emerging infections, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other indications.

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ThéCell is a non-profit network supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), which is dedicated to furthering cell, gene and tissue therapies. ThéCell mobilizes researchers and resources for the development of new therapeutic approaches in regenerative medicine and accelerates the translation of discoveries stemming from Quebec laboratories toward clinical applications and treatments. The network acts as a catalyst to promote the collaboration between more than 100 researchers, clinicians and their teams (over 160 students and 50 research professionals) involved in key health research areas. ThéCell plays a central role in Quebec’s regenerative medicine landscape by strengthening scientific exchanges and promoting the emergence of new partnerships.

 Visit reseauthecell.qc.ca

In addition to its role as a supplier of blood products, human tissues and mother’s milk, Héma-Québec manages the Stem Cell Donor Registry in Quebec, operates the largest NetCord-Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT)-accredited Public Cord Blood Bank in Canada, and is an active member of the World Marrow Donor Association.

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CellCAN is a pan-Canadian non-profit organization established in 2014 that is part of the Government of Canada’s Networks of Centres of Excellence. Our mission is to mobilize stakeholders and knowledge across Canada to significantly advance regenerative medicine and cell therapy research and clinical development. More specifically, our goal is to improve quality, safety and feasibility of cell and gene therapy in Canada through optimal manufacturing practices. CellCAN strives to fully exploit this potential by providing an unprecedented level of collaboration among all key players in the field of cell and gene therapy by bringing together Canada's leading cell manufacturing centers and transversal cores (manufacturing, product characterization, bioengineering, ethical and legal regulatory policy) into a common seal of quality for the benefit of Canadian patients.

CCRM is a Canadian, not-for-profit funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and leading academic and industry partners. It supports the development of regenerative medicines and associated enabling technologies, with a specific focus on cell and gene therapy. CCRM has a 40,000 square foot space dedicated to advanced cell manufacturing that includes a fully-resourced development facility used to both evaluate and advance technologies. CCRM aims to accelerate the translation of scientific discovery into new companies and marketable products for patients. CCRM is the commercialization partner of OIRM and the University of Toronto’s Medicine by Design.

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C3i provides an integrated structure to accelerate the discovery, development, commercialization and access to innovative cancer immunotherapies and regenerative medicine. One of the biounits represented by C3i is the Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy (CETC), a fully operational state-of- the art cGMP manufacturing facility for cellular therapies, including cancer immunotherapies. Located within the Hospital Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montreal, the CETC facilities have been validated and met expectations for the Canadian, European Medicines Agency (EMA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory agencies. The CETC has received the highest certification from the U.S. Foundation for the Accreditation of Cell Therapies (FACT) for “more than minimally manipulated cells” and is the largest operational Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-validated centre in Canada.

Visit centrec3i.com