Leading medical microbiologists and biomedical entrepreneurs are teaming up in Winnipeg to create “BioMed City,” dedicated to studying and fighting infectious diseases.
The catalyst for BioMed City is the International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID), a not-for-profit private agency that will build private–public partnerships to raise money for training, research and commercialization. The federal government has invested $3 million to bring ICID to life.
Winnipeg is “already a Mecca for research in infectious diseases,” ICID president and CEO Terry Duguid says. “We want to build on what we have.”
Winnipeg's biomedical sector includes the Canadian Public Health Agency and the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health. These 2 are aligned with the University of Manitoba's department of medical microbiology, where researchers garnered international headlines for identifying a group of HIV-resistant prostitutes in Nairobi. A promising HIV vaccine initiative in partnership with Oxford University is now underway. U of M scientists have also received $23 million from the Gates Foundation to expand an HIV prevention model.
ICID will focus on raising funds for research into new vaccines, biomedical devices, systems of prevention and bio-safety. Profits from commercial endeavours will be used to fund additional research.
ICID has an all-star board, including Dr. Stephen Moses, U of M researcher; Dr. Frank Plummer, director of the National Microbiology Laboratories; Dr. John Langstaff, president of Winnipeg-based Cangene Corporation; and Dr. Lorne Babiuk, head of the University Saskatchewan's Vaccines for Infectious Diseases Organization.
“Throughout the world, there are groups just concerned with commercialization and groups just concerned with research,” said Board Chairman Moses. “We think there is a great value in bringing these groups together.” — Dan Lett, Winnipeg