ABOUT THE EVENT
Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 12–1pm EST
Event Location: Virtual
Taking an early proof of concept into preclinical and clinical development is a costly and complex process. But there are strategic ways to streamline the process and reduce risk and costs.
In this webinar, you’ll hear directly from Nobel Laureate Sir Michael Houghton and experts from Applied Pharma, who bring decades of real-world success and deep scientific expertise.
The panel will explore practical strategies for building the robust body of evidence needed to advance your product without investing in a large, overhead-heavy internal team.
Together, they’ll share how companies can benefit from:
- Lean, integrated teams that offer end-to-end support without unnecessary overhead
- Cost-effective development pathways enabled by Canada’s collaborative, innovation-driven ecosystem
- De-risked timelines supported by a stable regulatory environment and advanced infrastructure
Whether you’re an emerging biotech or scaling toward key milestones, this session will highlight how lean derisking can help you move smarter, faster and with less risk.
Featured Speakers
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2020 for his work with USA colleagues Drs Qui-Lim Choo & George Kuo that led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to medicine which included the elucidation of the viral genomes of HCV & HDV as well as the identification of the primary sequence of the natural antiviral, human fibroblast interferon. Deeply committed to medical research, he is involved in researching many areas of unmet medical need and serious disease.
Currently, Launa also serves as Senior Clinical & Regulatory Advisor to Model Medicines and a Board member of Edmonton Unlimited. She recently acted as interim CEO at Edmonton Unlimited and has held roles as COO at Hepion Pharmaceuticals, CEO of TRIO, and COO at Isotechnika Pharma. She has also provided strategic consulting for various early-stage drug and medical device companies. During this time, Launa has led teams to conduct over 50 clinical trials, enrolling more than 10,000 patients across 20 countries.
She holds a BSc in chemistry from the University of Lethbridge and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Alberta, along with a Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC).
Dr. Ure brings more than 20 years in small biotech industry and over 35 years of research across many scientific and health disciplines have fostered a broad understanding of bench-to-bedside drug development - drug discovery, intellectual property, CMC, regulatory, clinical, and business development – and provided valuable experience in advancing new medicines to market.
