Category: News

  We are pleased to share the BioCanRx 2024-2025 Annual Report.   This report highlights the remarkable achievements of our network as we successfully navigated a transition in funding while maintaining our momentum. With the launch of our $38 million, five-year commitment from the Strategic Science Fund (SSF), BioCanRx was able to support projects already… Read more »

  Humphrey Fonge doesn’t just want to create cancer therapeutics – he wants to ensure they make it to the patients who need them.   Fonge and his team at Université Laval have developed a radiotherapeutic which targets Nectin-4, a protein which is over expressed in many cancers including triple-negative breast cancer and non-small cell… Read more »

  What if getting a cancer vaccine was as easy as eating an ice cream? In this interview, we speak with CHEO researcher Tommy Alain about his work developing an oral vaccine to prevent colorectal cancer recurrence – no needles required.   Watch the full interview to learn more about this exciting breakthrough and people… Read more »

Our 2015-2024 Overview Report offers evidence of how our activities, our network and our approach to supporting translational research are building a strong, committed network of researchers and facilities contributing to advances in immunotherapy for cancer across Canada.   Read the report here.  

By: Vanessa Nelson   BioCanRx’s translational research program is designed to increase the number of clinical trials and the number of patients treated through those trials in Canada. However, advancing research from the lab bench to the clinic and, ultimately, to market requires more than research funding. Academic core facilities across Canada provide specialized services… Read more »

  Introducing the recipients of BioCanRx’s 2025 Summer Studentships!   BioCanRx is excited to introduce the 19 recipients chosen from across Canada through a competitive application process to be part of our Summer Student Internship Program! The program’s goal is to inspire the next generation of students to pursue research or policy-related work in cancer… Read more »

20 projects selected to accelerate the fight against cancer and bring life-saving treatments to Canadians   April 7, 2025, Toronto, Canada – BioCanRx, Canada’s Immunotherapy Network, is proud to announce $12.5 million in new funding for 20 research projects and four core facilities. Among the funded projects are seven that will build on previously funded… Read more »

BioCanRx is pleased to announce that Russell Williams has been elected as Chair of the Board of Directors. A member of the Board since 2018, Williams took over the role from outgoing Chair Ken Newport in January 2025. Russell has made a significant impact across the healthcare and life science eco-systems and will continue to… Read more »

Canada can deliver groundbreaking therapies to patients more quickly, reduce health-care costs, and drive economic growth by fostering a robust domestic life sciences sector. by Ken Newport and John Bell This piece was first published in the Hill Times, February 12, 2025   Cancer remains one of this country’s most urgent health challenges, affecting nearly… Read more »

By: Teffer Adjemian   Immunotherapy is among the most promising cancer treatments currently on the market and in clinical trials. By harnessing the power of the immune system, immunotherapies target cancer cells with generally fewer side effects than more common treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, and in some patients have shown remarkable efficacy in cancers… Read more »