Awards salute scientists building Quebec’s life science industry

Montreal, QC – The Genesis Awards Gala, the most prestigious event of its kind in Quebec’s biotechnology, health technology and life science industry was held this week in Montreal. At the gala, several leaders and companies active in Quebec’s life science industry received well-deserved recognition.

The Genesis Awards Gala took place as part of the Biomedex 2007 convention-exhibition. Organized by the BIOQuebec network and presented by the Biotech City, this gala seeks to pay tribute to the dedicated work done by the companies, groups and individuals who have made a significant contribution to the development of biotechnology, the life sciences and health technology in Quebec.

The Genesis Awards were presented to Paladin Laboratories (Entrepreneurship – Biotechnology – Biopharmaceutical); ART Advanced Research Technologies (Entrepreneurship – Health Technology); Victhom Human Bionics (Innovation); Bioniche Life Sciences (Transfer – Emergence); and the Infectious Disease Research Centre at Universite Laval (biotechnology for tomorrow). The Genesis Brio Award was given to Jonathan Goodman, founding president and CEO of Paladin Laboratories. Finally, Dr Michel Saucier, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, was inducted into the prestigious Excelcia Club.

Paladin Laboratories (Entrepreneurship – Biotechnology – Biopharmaceutical)

Paladin Laboratories is a Canadian biopharmaceutical company devoted to the commercialization of urology, endocrinology and women’s health products. It has a solid portfolio made up of more than 50 products and owns exclusive Canadian rights to four products awaiting approval and seven others that are in Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials.

ART Advanced Research Technologies (Entrepreneurship – Health Technology)

Founded in 1993 and led by Sebastien Gignac, ART Advanced Research Technologies develops optical molecular imaging products for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. ART’s proprietary time domain (TD) optical imaging technology enables researchers and clinicians to observe biological processes, in vivo, at the molecular level. This technology delivers functional (physiological) data that can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, as well as in drug development.

Victhom Human Bionics (Innovation)

Founded in 2000, the company specializes in the development and commercialization of bionic devices to help people suffering from physical dysfunctions. Its biotronix business unit has developed what is the most widely known of the Victhom devices, the Power Knee, invented by Stephane Bedard, the founder of Victhom. Its neurobionix unit seeks to develop and commercialize implantable devices for use in the treatment of various pathologies.

Bioniche Life Sciences (Transfer – Emergence)

Started in Ontario in 1979, Bioniche is a Canadian biopharmaceutical company that conducts research, develops, manufactures and commercializes proprietary products intended for the human and animal health markets worldwide. It focuses its attention in several strategic sectors, including the development of a cattle vaccine to help prevent the contamination of food, water and the environment by the E coli bacteria O157:H7.

Infectious Disease Research Centre at Universit Laval (Biotechnology for tomorrow)

The Infectious Disease Research Centre, the CRI, at Universite Laval is directed by Dr Michel Bergeron. Several dozen fundamentalists and clinical researchers work there side by side developing new rapid DNA-based diagnostic tests, which will help decrease resistance to antibiotics by reducing the improper use of the latter. In February 2006, a significant team of researchers brought together different technologies to develop a CD reader that reads DNA. This device, a veritable miniaturized laboratory, will provide the means for identifying microbes and their resistance genes in only a few minutes, instead of taking anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, as is currently the case.

Brio Award

The Brio Award was presented to the founding president and CEO of Paladin Laboratories, Jonathan Goodman. Paladin Laboratories gives a new lease of life to older brands acquired from multinational pharmaceutical corporations, acquires Canadian rights to drugs that would benefit from promotion and products with promising potential in the latter stages of development, puts them on the market and distributes them across Canada.