FEATURE STORY
The Search f r a Cure CA N A D I A N S C I E N C E I N N OVATO R S A R E L E A D I N G THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19. THESE ARE JUST SOME O F T H E M A N Y I N N OVAT I V E S O LU T I O N S T H AT A R E B E I N G D E V E LO P E D I N O U R OW N B AC K YA R D.
BIOLAB BUSINESS VO L U M E 3 5, I S S U E 3 • 2 0 2 0
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BY SEAN TARRY
T
his year, how we interact with our neighbours and participate within our communities has been transformed by safety measures and protocols imposed by health authorities everywhere. And while these inconveniences present us with unfamiliar challenges, the real impact of COVID-19 lies in the extraordinary number of infections and deaths associated with its escalation. Without question, the virus has left an indelible mark on the year 2020. In an effort to make a return to normalcy, scientists and researchers across the country (and around the world) are working tirelessly to develop vaccines and treatments that can help stop the spread of the coronavirus once and for all – while preparing for the next pandemic. Applications of the work and research currently being conducted range from the development of thermographic cameras that use artificial intelligence to detect elevated temperatures, to studying llama nanobodies in an effort to
control or neutralize the severity of the coronavirus. What follows are snapshots of some of today’s most courageous Canadian-based scientific endeavours as they relate to the detection, understanding, treatment and quest to find a cure for COVID-19. IMV Inc. This Nova Scotia–based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company – which develops immunotherapies to help fight cancer and other serious diseases, with the support of the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) – advanced into Phase I clinical development of its COVID vaccine candidate, DPXCOVID-19, this summer. Recently, the Canadian Government increased funding for this project to a total of $10 million.
