Partnership to advance health sciences discoveries in Western Canada

Vancouver, BC – The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) recently announced an agreement that brings together CDRD, British Columbia and Alberta’s provincial governments, and Johnson & Johnson’s Corporate Office of Science and Technology (COSAT) to develop and manage a fund to support innovative health research programs in the life sciences sector.

Called the Western Canada Innovation Agreement, it provides for a joint steering committee that will oversee a co-managed seed fund to enable early-stage, smart discoveries within the health sciences so that they may advance along a pathway to commercialization. Representatives from Alberta, British Columbia/CDRD and COSAT will jointly assess opportunities for the collaboration, funding, management, and commercialization of innovative health research projects.

“Collaborations like these are part of our strategy to establish our research presence around the globe,” said Dr Garry Neil, corporate vice president, COSAT, Johnson & Johnson. “Ventures like these will create an opportunity for advancements in innovative research within a talent-rich environment.”