UBC is at the heart of Canada's fastest-growing life sciences sector.
Whether it’s educating next-generation talent, translating discoveries into new treatments, or launching ambitious biotech companies, the UBC community is playing a critical role in positioning BC — and Canada — as a global hub for biomedical innovation.
UBC Spin-off Companies
UBC spin-off companies are helping drive the rapid growth of Canada's biomedical sector — creating jobs, growing the economy and improving health outcomes for Canadians.
A rich line of more than 120 life sciences companies based on UBC research discoveries, and other companies led by UBC researchers and graduates, have played a critical role in the emergence and ongoing vitality of BC’s biomedical and biotech industry.
Spin-off companies such as Acuitas Therapeutics, AbCellera and Precision Nanosystems came to national and global attention in the response to COVID-19. They follow a long line of companies such as QLT, Lipex Biomembranes, the Canadian Lipsome Company, ID Biomedical, Inflazyme Pharmaceuticals and Neuromed Technologies that formed in the 1980s and 1990s. This paved the way for UBC bio-innovation spin-off companies from the 2000s onwards, including OncoGenex Technologies, Inimex Pharmaceuticals, Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, Augurex Life Sciences, vIDA Therapeutics, Boreal Genomics, Essa Pharma, Curvafix, Aspect Biosytems, ProMIS NeuroScience, Sepset Biosciences, Alpha-9 Theranostics, Avivo, Gandeeva Therapeutics and many more.
In addition to establishing companies based on UBC research, our faculty have also been involved in founding biotech companies such as Notch Therapeutics and STEMCELL Technologies.
Biomedical Innovation in BC
Collaboration is sparking biomedical innovation across British Columbia. Bolstered by the convergence of academia, private sector firms and public institutions, we’re leading the country in building an extraordinary biomanufacturing pipeline where the entire process — from research to clinical translation and commercialization — can happen efficiently in one place.
BC’s life sciences sector is underpinned by a strong and collaborative public health system, leading universities and colleges, and provincial entities like Michael Smith Health Research BC, GenomeBC and health research institutes across the province. This vibrant community is propelling the growth of BC’s life sciences sector — one that mounted a globally-recognized response to COVID-19 and is now poised to respond to future health threats.
