Governments of Canada and Alberta Invest to Move Medical Discoveries to Market

May 19, 2010

Calgary, Alberta - Canadians suffering from injuries and chronic diseases affecting the brain and nerves will benefit from new medical technologies thanks to a joint investment from the Governments of Canada and Alberta. Funding for the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) nerve repair and regeneration facility at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine will make it easier for promising treatments developed in its labs to reach the marketplace, and patients worldwide.

""Today's investment will ensure that our health research community has the resources and equipment needed to transfer discoveries into marketable products, which will benefit the quality of life for many Canadians,"" said the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.

$2.3 million in support from the Canada-Alberta Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA), the University of Calgary, and Integra LifeSciences Corporation, is enabling research leaders at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute to access new resources needed to pre-clinically test new nerve regeneration technologies. The ability to perform these tests will play a key role in enhancing the HBI's capacity to efficiently translate discoveries into marketable products.

""When people think about Alberta, we want them to think about groundbreaking science and big ideas,"" said Doug Horner, Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. ""This investment in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute will help put our province on the map as the place-to-be for innovative medical research.""

The Government of Canada's investment has enabled the acquisition of advanced imaging and analysis equipment, which paired with Alberta government and industry funding will further support the development of strong industry partnerships, highly trained personnel and valuable intellectual property at the HBI, all of which will contribute to diversifying the Alberta economy and enhancing Alberta's reputation for innovation in the rapidly expanding biomedical field.

""Integra is extremely honored to have the opportunity to partner with the Hotchkiss Brain Institute to further explore the potential applications of regenerative medicine in treating the neurosurgical patient,"" said William MacDonald, President of Canada Microsurgical, a subsidiary of Integra LifeSciences Corporation. ""We look forward to a stimulating and productive partnership with the HBI.""

""This new facility helps the University of Calgary realize its goal of becoming an international leader in biomedical engineering, which is one of our top-priority areas of research,"" says U of C President-elect Elizabeth Cannon. ""Biomedical research creates opportunities for researchers and students from a variety of disciplines to collaborate and translate research into products and services that improve our quality of life and result in a more efficient and effective health care system.""

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute's nerve repair and regeneration facility will serve as a bridge between new discoveries and technology development in HBI labs and product development in new, start-up companies. The HBI will work with researchers and companies to speed the processes to validate and pre-clinically assess new candidate drugs and medical devices.

""At the HBI, we are working towards discoveries that will improve the lives of people suffering from nerve and spinal cord damage,"" says HBI Director Samuel Weiss, PhD. ""The investments from government and industry in this new facility will help us develop and commercialize technologies that will lead to new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating neurological conditions.""

The investments by the Governments of Canada and Alberta are made through the Canada-Alberta Western Economic Partnership Agreement. Through this agreement, Canada and Alberta are jointly contributing $50 million, over four years, to strengthen economic activity and improve quality of life in Alberta communities.



Backgrounder
The Hotchkiss Brain Institute Nerve Repair and Regeneration Facility

At the HBI, new technologies begin as discoveries in the Institute's laboratories and research programs.  With safety and effectiveness established in pre-clinical testing, handing-off the technology for commercialization is feasible. The HBI sees the potential to increase the number of new candidate drugs and devices being developed from HBI nerve repair and regeneration technologies. The Hotchkiss Brain Institute nerve repair and regeneration facility will address the bottleneck that currently slows the development of new technologies into new products. The facility will serve as a bridge between technology development and product development in new start-up companies.



The Canada - Alberta Western Economic Partnership Agreement

The Canada-Alberta WEPA targets joint strategic priorities whereby Canada and Alberta will work together and with other interested stakeholders to help create innovative, entrepreneurial and sustainable communities.

Canada-Alberta Joint WEPA Priorities:

• Technology Commercialization - Create and/or grow the knowledge-based economy in Alberta by commercializing new products, technologies and services into domestic and international markets.
• Business Productivity and Competitiveness - Strengthen small business development, growth and competitiveness in the global economy.
• Trade and Investment - Expand access to international markets and investments.
• Value-Added Processing - Increase revenues of traditional industries by adopting new technologies and processes that transform low value outputs into high value products.

Project Funding Partners

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)

Western Economic Diversification Canada works with the provinces, industry associations, and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy; coordinates federal economic activities in the West and represents the interests of western Canadians in national decision making.

Alberta Advanced Education and Technology

In collaboration with Campus Alberta and Alberta Innovates partners, Advanced Education and Technology strives to build a prosperous province through a dynamic and integrated learning and innovation system built on a foundation of highly skilled people in support of a knowledge-based economy and society in Alberta.

Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary

UCalgary's Faculty of Medicine is a national leader in health research with an international reputation for excellence and innovation in health care research, education and delivery. We train the next generation of health practitioners and move new treatments and diagnostic techniques from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside, improving patient care. For more information visit http://medicine.ucalgary.ca/. or follow us on twitter.com @UofCMedicine

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute at UCalgary consists of more than 100 physicians and scientists who are dedicated to advancing neurological and mental health research and education. The Institute's research strengths in foundational neuroscience (axon biology and regeneration, cerebral blood flow and metabolism, synaptic transmission and neural systems) are leading to new treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, aimed at improving quality of life and patient care.  More information on the Hotchkiss Brain Institute can be found at http://www.hbi.ucalgary.ca/

Integra Life Sciences Corporation

Integra LifeSciences Corporation, a world leader in regenerative medicine, is a global medical device company dedicated to improving the quality of life for millions of patients each year. The company's products are used primarily in orthopedics, neurosurgery and general surgery. Headquartered in Plainsboro, New Jersey, Integra has research and manufacturing facilities throughout the world.