A delegation of B.C. life sciences companies and organizations has spent the past week in India as part of the BC Jobs Plan to open and expand markets for the province's goods and services.

Three companies and organizations - IC-IMPACTS, Canada India Network Society and SignalChem Life Sciences Corp. - had itineraries that focused on biotech, cancer research and medical devices and technologies.

The B.C. government organized the life sciences trade mission to take place during Bangalore India Bio, India's key biotechnology event that brings together industry and research companies and policy-makers to discuss the latest trends in the industry. It will provide B.C. companies with the opportunity to network and identify potential investors and buyers for their leading technologies.

India is one of the world's fastest-growing markets, offering tremendous trade, investment and tourism opportunities for B.C. One of the goals of having a trade mission present at Bangalore Bio was to elevate the profile of British Columbia as a center for life sciences and medical technologies.

Premier Christy Clark led a Jobs and Trade Mission in November 2011 to help build high-level connections in India and other Asia-Pacific countries. B.C. has trade and investment offices in Bangalore, Mumbai and Chandigarh. The expertise of staff and extensive networks help companies in India and British Columbia capitalize on shared business opportunities, including resources, clean technology, information and communication technologies, life sciences, and transportation.

Besides attending the Bangalore Bio conference, the Province also organized one-on-one meetings and site visits for the delegates with leading Indian biotech and pharmaceutical companies, research organizations and medical centers to promote partnerships and trade and investment.

Quotes:

Minister of International Trade Teresa Wat -

"The Indian life sciences industry is projected to have a growth rate between 25 and 30 per cent from 2011 to 2013. British Columbia has been working hard to take advantage of this opportunity and trade missions such as this will help attract new investment and expand existing partnerships."

Dr. Stewart Aitchison, associate scientific director, Theme Lead for Public Health, IC-IMPACTS -

"The B.C. government's life sciences trade mission to Bangalore India was an exceptionally well-organized mission that yielded several new partnership opportunities for IC-IMPACTS with both industrial companies and academic institutions in India."

"The opportunity to engage with these new organizations will significantly aid IC-IMPACTS in successfully delivering its public-health research program. The trade mission has proven to be a very successful event for IC-IMPACTS with tangible outcomes for our centre's future."

Akash Mathur, PhD, chief business officer, SignalChem Lifesciences Corp -

"SignalChem is setting up a research and development facility in India that will help achieve our objectives of discovering new oncology drugs. This, in turn, will create jobs at our Richmond head office."

"The B.C. government's International Trade division has been instrumental in SLC's introduction to the Indian teams and continues to support the creation and development of opportunities."

Quick Facts:

• Exports to India were up by 45.1 per cent in 2013 compared to 2012.
• With India's rapidly growing middle-class population, strong growth is expected in the life sciences industry spanning the health-care, pharmaceutical and biotech sectors as well as clinical diagnostics and the medical device segments.
• Trade missions and delegations are supported by British Columbia's expanded network of international Trade and Investment Representative offices in India - Bangalore, Mumbai and Chandigarh.

Learn More:

Check out www.BritishColumbia.ca - the Province's international-facing website to see what investors and decision-makers in India see about our competitive advantages.

Learn more about the BC Jobs Plan at: www.bcjobsplan.ca

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of International Trade and Responsible for the Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism
778-977-0298

IC-IMPACTS
Dr. Stewart Aitchison, Associate Scientific Director
Theme Lead for Public Health
stewart.aitchison@utoronto.ca

SignalChem Lifesciences Corp.
Akash Mathur
Chief Business Officer
amathur@signalchemcorp.com

BACKGROUNDER

Bangalore India Bio is an annual event organized by the Government of Karnataka. Since 2001, the conference and trade show has been instrumental in promoting the Indian Biotech Industry to the outside world and is now acknowledged as India's biggest national event on life sciences.

http://www.bangaloreindiabio.in/Index_New.php

B.C. life sciences companies and organizations participating in the India trade mission are:

IC-IMPACTS

The India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability is the first, and only, Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence established through the Canadian Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE). Built as a partnership between three of Canada's leading research universities - The University of British Columbia, the University of Alberta, and the University of Toronto - IC-IMPACTS brings together a large international team of researchers, industry innovators, community leaders, government agencies, and community organizations from India and Canada, to work hand-in-hand to find solutions to the key challenges that affect the quality of life of millions of people in Indian and Canadian communities.

Canada India Network Society

The CINS, a non-profit organization, was established to build and strengthen academic, cultural, health and business links between Canada and India.

The CINS is partnering with Fraser health Authority and Simon Fraser University to host a conference in June 2014. This conference will have four main themes:

• Human Resource planning for Canada and India in Health.
• Health Technology and Economy.
• Primary Care, Chronic Disease Management Innovations.
• Mental, Social, and Physical Wellness; Ayurveda and Yoga.

SignalChem Lifesciences Corp.

SignalChem Lifesciences Corporation, a privately owned biopharmaceutical company, specializes in the discovery and development of kinase inhibitors as innovative therapies for cancer, inflammation and neurological diseases. SLC is committed to improving the care and outcome of patients by creating drugs to address unmet medical needs and that complement or replace existing treatments. Based in Richmond, SLC scientists perform research and development activities, which include: biological assays, drug candidate screening and drug candidate characterization using various disease models.

Media Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of International Trade and Responsible for the Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism
778 977-0298