B.C.'s life science innovators have won all three national company-of-the-year awards at the world's largest biotechnology convention this week.

As well, they've signed an agreement that will see North Germany and B.C. pool their expertise, and speed-dated through hundreds of meetings to sow the seeds for future partnerships.

Team BC, a delegation of about 100 life sciences experts from 40-plus companies and research agencies, is being led by LifeSciences BC and Dr. Moira Stilwell, Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Research and Innovation. Stilwell touched down in Washington Sunday night for BIO 2011, which has attracted more than 15,000 delegates from all over the world.

By the end of today, Stilwell will have:

• Joined hundreds of Canada's life sciences leaders to applaud Cardiome Pharma Corp., Allon Therapeutics and EnWave Corp., as the firms' CEOs accept BIOTECanada's national Gold Leaf awards for top companies of the year.
• Witnessed Don Enns, president of LifeSciences BC and Kathrin Adlkofer, managing director of Norgenta, the North German Life Sciences Agency, sign a wide-ranging co-operation agreement initially brokered by B.C. government staff.
• Shared B.C.'s approaches to stimulate the bio-economy with Canadian premiers and innovation ministers at the National Bio-economy Roundtable.

The convention also features the world's largest biotech exhibition, with 1,700 companies set up in 60 pavilions in the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre. The exhibits cover an area that would fill four football fields. Stilwell helped open the 550-square-metre Canadian Pavilion this morning.

B.C. is recognized as one of Canada's most successful biotechnology centres and is home to 30 per cent of the country's biotech firms. The sector includes roughly 250 biopharmaceutical, medical device, bioproducts and bioenergy companies that provide more than 5,000 jobs, including the 2,000 people working at public sector research agencies. The province also hosts the annual BioPartnering North America conference, which attracted 500 companies from 30 countries this year for three days of business development and deal-making.

The province's life sciences sector has a world-class reputation for health-related R&D in oncology, genomics, infectious disease, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, HIV/AIDS, cardiology, metabolic diseases and personalized medicine. Other strengths include marine, agriculture and forest biotechnology.

Quick Facts:

• This year's BIOTECanada national Gold Leaf award winners for company of the year are all from British Columbia:

1. Cardiome Pharma Corp., overall Company of the Year, develops drugs to treat and prevent cardiovascular and other diseases. Its Brinavess treatment is already being used in Europe.
2. Allon Therapeutics focuses on treating degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and was chosen the Early Stage Company of the Year (Health).
3. EnWave Corp.'s radiant energy vacuum dehydration technology is being used to dehydrate vaccines, a process that takes 50 minutes, compared to current freeze-drying techniques that take 40 hours. EnWave was named Early Stage Company of the Year (Industry).

• B.C.'s life sciences sector contributes $630 million to B.C.'s GDP each year, according to Life Sciences BC's Industry Snapshot 2011.
• The Province has invested more than $1.8 billion in research and innovation, much of it for the life sciences, including $261 million for the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and $152.5 million for Genome BC.
• Genome BC projects have attracted over 100 major international co-funders and partner organizations, including multinational corporations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, worldwide charitable foundations and top-tier research institutions.
• The Centre for Drug Research and Development, also funded by the Province, is unique in the world, and bridges the commercialization gap for promising early-stage technologies coming out of university research in B.C.
• The 10th annual BioPartnering North America conference will be held in Vancouver in 2012 from Feb. 26 to 28.

Learn More:

• LifeSciences BC: www.lifesciencesbc.ca
• BIOTECanada: www.biotech.ca
• BioPartnering North America: www.techvision.com/bpn
• Cardiome Pharma Corp.: www.cardiome.com
• Allon Therapeutics: www.allontherapeutics.com
• EnWave Corp.: www.enwave.net

Contacts:

Marisa Adair
Communications Director
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation
250 920-8500

Rosine Hage-Moussa
Manager, Marketing & Outreach
LifeSciences British Columbia
604 602-5228