Gold Leaf Awards

• Technological Advancements: Success in developing and implementing groundbreaking biotechnological innovations that have the potential to transform the biotech industry.
• Achievement of Business Milestones: Recognizing the company’s ability to reach business milestones that signify growth, market presence, and operational excellence within the biotech landscape.
• Development of a Robust and Diverse Product Pipeline: The establishment of a solid and diversified pipeline that reflects the company’s commitment to addressing a wide array of healthcare needs, ensuring long-term sustainability, and impact in the biotech field.

This award underscores the recipient’s role as a pillar in the Canadian biotech community, showcasing their dedication to pushing the boundaries of science and business to foster innovation, drive industry progress, and contribute to the advancement of biotechnology in Canada.

Aspect Biosystems exemplifies excellence in the Canadian life sciences sector having achieved a milestone partnership in 2023, and continually pushing the boundaries of innovation and actively contributing to the growth and diversity of Canada’s biotechnology ecosystem. Aspect Biosystems is a biotechnology company pioneering the development of bioprinted tissue therapeutics. The company’s therapeutic pipeline focuses on metabolic and endocrine diseases including diabetes, obesity, and congenital liver disorders. Aspect has secured over $200M since its inception in 2013. To accommodate the company’s growth, it doubled the size of its facilities this past year to 50,000+ square feet. With a workforce of over 90 FTEs, Aspect is driving economic growth, attracting experienced executives from major biotech hubs to their leadership team. More than 50% of staff identify as women and the team boasts 20+ countries of origin. In 2023, Aspect secured a partnership with Novo Nordisk valued at over US$2.6 billion to develop bioprinted tissue therapeutics for diabetes and obesity. This is the largest deal in the bioprinting industry to-date, one of the largest preclinical licensing deals in Canadian history, and in the top 20 preclinical global biotech licensing deals of 2022/23. In addition to receiving numerous awards over the past decade and being named to Fast Company’s 2023 list of Next Big Things in Tech, the company actively contributes to the innovation ecosystem through speaking engagements at major events. CEO Tamer Mohamed continues to support the sector through his board role with the Stem Cell Network, and leadership represents and advocates for the Canadian biotech sector on major international stages, including at the Bloomberg Economic Forum and JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. Aspect was one of the main features in the Globe & Mail article on BC biotech boom, interviewed on BNN Bloomberg, and recently named Life Sciences BC Company of the Year.

• Academic Excellence: Celebrating individuals at universities who have distinguished themselves through groundbreaking research, academic achievements, and the ability to inspire and lead their peers towards new horizons in biotechnology.
• Research Innovation: Recognizing peers in research laboratories who have demonstrated unparalleled dedication to advancing biotechnological research, developing innovative solutions, and contributing to the scientific community’s body of knowledge.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit in Pre-commercial SMEs: Honouring leaders within pre-commercial small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who have shown extraordinary vision in steering their companies towards impactful biotechnological breakthroughs, thereby laying the groundwork for future commercial success.

The “Leadership Award” is not merely a recognition of what has been achieved, but a celebration of the potential to drive transformative change in the biotech industry. It highlights the recipient’s role in laying the foundation for the solutions that will address the most pressing challenges faced by society today and in the future.

Dr. Peter Zandstra is a world-leading expert in stem cell bioengineering and regenerative medicine. His academic research focuses on understanding how functional tissue forms from stem cells and his work has seeded innovative technologies that bring stem cell-derived therapies into the commercialization and translational realms. He has a B.Eng. degree from McGill University in Chemical Engineering, a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and has conducted post-doctoral research in bioengineering at MIT. He is the Founding Director of the School of Biomedical Engineering, Co-Founder and CSO for the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine, and was the Director of the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia. In these roles he is building and growing programs that apply technological innovation to biology and help to educate the next generation of biotechnology leaders.

He has also been involved in founding several biotechnology companies, including Notch Therapeutics and ExCellThera, which recently announced that the Market Authorisation Application for their UM171 Cell Therapy for blood cancer has been accepted under an accelerated assessment procedure by the European Medicines Agency. He has received significant recognition for his activities. He is the Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Bioengineering (Tier 1) and is a recipient of a number of awards and fellowships including the Premiers Research Excellence Award (2002), the E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship (2006), the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (2007), and the Till and McCulloch Award (2013). Dr. Zandstra is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Engineering), the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Most recently, in 2021 Dr. Zandstra was appointed to the Order of Canada.

• Technological Advancements: Celebrating companies that have made significant strides in biotechnology through innovative research, development, and application of new technologies. This includes breakthroughs that have the potential to transform healthcare, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and more.
• Business Milestones: Acknowledging companies that have reached critical business milestones, demonstrating strong growth potential, strategic leadership, and the ability to overcome obstacles. This includes notable achievements in funding, scaling operations, or achieving key regulatory milestones.
• Potential for Strategic Partnerships: Recognizing companies that have shown early indications of forming significant partnerships, which could amplify their impact on the biotech landscape. This includes collaborations with academic institutions, industry leaders, or other organizations that can provide complementary strengths and resources.

The “Promising Biotech Company of the Year Award” is not just an acknowledgment of past and present accomplishments but also a testament to the recipient’s potential to drive future innovations and contribute to the global advancement of biotechnology. This award honours those companies that embody the spirit of innovation, showcasing a promising trajectory in the biotech sector.

Ventus Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company deploying deep protein science expertise and a proprietary computational chemistry platform to develop novel small molecule therapeutics for immunology, inflammation, and neurology disorders. Using its proprietary drug discovery platform, ReSOLVETM, Ventus screened its first target in 2020 and selected three development candidates in less than three years. Its two lead programs target highly validated immunology targets implicated in multiple diseases: VENT-03, the first cGAS inhibitor to enter the clinic despite a decade of industry attempts, and VENT-02, a potential best-in-class brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor. The past year has seen significant advances for both programs, including the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of VENT-03 and the completion of a Phase 1 clinical trial of VENT-02, in which VENT-02 demonstrated a broad therapeutic index and complete target coverage, underscoring its potential to treat diseases of the CNS as well as peripheral diseases with high unmet needs. 

Additionally, Ventus’ partner, Novo Nordisk, successfully dosed the first participant in a Phase 1 clinical study for NNC6022-0001 (formerly known as VENT-01) – an oral NLRP3 inhibitor licensed by Novo Nordisk in September 2022. Ventus completed one of the highest value preclinical deals of 2022 for VENT-01: $70 million upfront and over $600 million in potential milestone payments as well as tiered royalties and R&D funding. These programs exemplify Ventus’ robust discovery capabilities and focus on differentiated programs for multi-indication immunology and neurology targets. Ventus is also leveraging its ReSOLVETM platform to rapidly advance multiple small molecule discovery programs against additional high-value targets into the clinic. These accomplishments make Ventus a promising biotech company with multiple catalysts expected over the next 12-18 months.

• Promotion of Industry Growth: Recognizing leaders who have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to fostering the growth and development of the biotechnology industry within Canada. This includes efforts to enhance innovation, support startups, and attract investment, thereby strengthening Canada’s position on the global biotech stage.
• Achievement of Significant Milestones: Honouring individuals who have been instrumental in reaching pivotal milestones that have propelled the industry forward. This includes groundbreaking discoveries in biotech research, securing substantial investments, advancing the development of new technologies or therapies, and pioneering unique business models that are shaping the biotech industry landscape.

The “Game-Changing Industry Leadership Award” is designed to acknowledge those exceptional leaders whose contributions have not only propelled their organizations to new heights but have also inspired change and progress throughout the Canadian biotech ecosystem. Their visionary leadership, coupled with a commitment to innovation and excellence, exemplifies the transformative impact one individual can have in advancing biotechnology both domestically and on a global platform.

Clarissa Desjardins is an award-winning entrepreneur with more than 25 years of biotechnology experience. She is has created four companies and has played roles as both scientific founders/CSO and CEO. She is founder and chief executive officer of Congruence Therapeutics, a Montreal-based biotechnology company working at the interface of computational and experimental drug discovery to design novel small molecules for diseases caused by protein misfolding.

Prior to her current venture, Desjardins founded three successful biotech companies, leading all aspects of company creation. As a graduate student, she founded Advanced Bioconcept, a research reagent and diagnostics company. She co-founded and served as executive vice-president of corporate development for Caprion Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company focused on proteomic biomarker discovery and drug development. She was also the founder and CEO of Clementia, a clinical-stage company focused on developing therapies for rare pediatric bone diseases. Prior to Clementia, Desjardins was CEO at the Centre of Excellence in Personalized Medicine, a federally funded think tank created to promote personalized medicine research and policies.

Desjardins is the recipient of the 2018 Bloom Burton Award for her contribution to Canada’s innovative health care industry and the BRIO award from the Quebec Biotechnology Association for outstanding contributions to the biotechnology industry. She was named one of 2017’s Fiercest Women in Life Sciences by FiercePharma. Desjardins has also sat as a board member for many of Canada’s most successful companies including BELLUS Health (BLU) and INSMED (INSM).Desjardins holds a doctorate in neurology and neurosurgery and a BSc in cell biology and anatomy with a minor in history and philosophy of science, both from McGill University.