March 04, 2014 -- A research organization in the Canadian province of British Columbia has teamed up with the United Nations to battle HIV/AIDs. The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), recently announced a partnership to bring HIV treatment to people affected by the disease all over the world.
“Julio Montaner and his colleagues at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS are globally recognized for their work on HIV treatment and we are happy to continue this long partnership,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.
The province of British Columbia, situated on Canada’s vibrant Pacific coast, continues to build its reputation as a global leader in the life sciences sector. The BC-CfE, located in Vancouver, also recently partnered with China to work on innovations and new HIV research and Vancouver has been selected to host the 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis Treatment and Prevention in 2015.
Over 300 life science organizations are located in British Columbia, including more than 100 biopharmaceutical companies, 90 medical device and diagnostic companies, and 30 bio products companies.
The province has strong research networks that offer opportunities for companies to develop strategic partnerships with hospitals, research centres and academia. The University of British Columbia (UBC), located in Vancouver, the province’s largest city, has kick-started more than 100 life sciences companies, raising more than $2 billion in private investments. UBC is just one reason why British Columbia is on the forefront of advancements in drug development, medical devices, clinical research, diagnostics, simulation technologies and regenerative medicine.
A number of Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research are located in British Columbia. These connect groups of research experts with the business community to encourage new commercialization activities and bring new technologies to market faster. Vancouver is home to the Centre for Drug Research and Development, which guides early-stage discoveries made by British Columbia’s top academic and health researchers through the preclinical drug development process. Vancouver is also home to the Prevention of Epidemic Organ Failure research centre, which aims to find practical solutions to vital organ failure and reduce organ failure’s impact on Canadians and the national healthcare system.
British Columbia’s business climate is one of North America’s most competitive, flexible, and supportive for life science companies. This includes the corporate tax refund based on revenue from certain life science patents offered under the province’s International Financial Activity Act.
Investors and life science start-ups choose British Columbia because of its talented workforce (fueled by world-class post-secondary education programs and quality of life), government support and extensive research and development opportunities. To learn more about British Columbia’s international trade and investment opportunities, visit www.britishcolumbia.ca.
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