Organization: World Health Organization

The Short Report, May 6, 2020: AbCellera receives $175.6M for COVID-19 therapies; Canada contributes $850 million to global pandemic response; new “super angel” fund launches; and more

Vancouver-based AbCellera Biologics will receive up to $175.6 million from the federal Strategic Innovation Fund to fast-track antibody therapies against COVID-19. The funding will also go to build a first-of-its-kind antibody manufacturing facility over the next four years to help Canada respond to future pandemics. AbCellera has partnered with global biopharmaceutical company Eli Lilly to…

Feds invest $887 million to ensure reliable vaccine supply for COVID-19, other pandemics

The federal government’s investment of $887 million make Canada self-sufficient in manufacturing vaccines against COVID-19 and future pandemics, say medical and other experts. Along with Canadian-led vaccine development, Ottawa is investing in a network of small-scale vaccine manufacturing facilities that together will be able to produce enough vaccine for Canada’s population during pandemics.

Global community confronts the implications of human genome editing

The WHO has launched a global registry to track research on human genome editing—the first concrete recommendation of an advisory committee charged with determining what an effective oversight and governance framework should look like in the CRISPR era. At the same time, medical and scientific societies in other nations are grappling with the unprecedented ethical and scientific implications of altering the human genome in future generations.

From mobile labs to Ebola vaccines

When faced with an anthrax scare in New Brunswick, scientists from the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg rushed out with their equipment on hand. The success of this mission inspired NML to create the world’s first mobile lab. Now the concept is spreading worldwide.

CIHR funds research into disease-environment link

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is investing $16 million over five years into etiological research on environment-microbiome-gene-interaction for chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease. The new funding will support eight research teams that will examine interactions between genes and the environment to guide new approaches for treatment, prevention and…