With its track record on health innovation, Canada should double down on support for science

Canada excels at discoveries that save lives. The most recent examples have links to the COVID-19 mRNA and adenovirus-based vaccines. For the two mRNA-based vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna, each depends on the innovation of UBC’s Pieter Cullis. The company he co-founded, Acuitas, devised the oily coat used to protect the mRNA as it is injected during vaccination. After injection, the oily coat is also used to propel the mRNA into our cells to enable the synthesis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The protein is recognized as foreign by our immune system that then protects us from infection. Both mRNA vaccines use modified building blocks in the mRNA code to stabilize the mRNA. Canada’s leading expert on mRNA, McGill University’s Nahum Sonenberg, was a consultant with Moderna and defined the efficacy of their modified mRNAs to make proteins. Moderna itself was c0-founded by Derrick Rossi, a graduate from the University of Toronto and Noubar Afeyan, a graduate from McGill. For the vaccines from Oxford/AstraZeneca and Janssen/Johnson and Johnson expected to be approved in the near future, genetically modified adenovirus is used to deliver the DNA genetic code into our cells to make the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This technology is the innovation McMaster University’s Frank Graham developed back in 1994. John Bell, regius professor at Oxford University, who hails from Edmonton and was a Rhodes scholar, has been one of the key spokespersons for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which was recently approved for use by the British government. Then there’s the contributions of Genome Canada, through its efforts to sequence coronavirus genomes and co-ordinate with Health Canada and provincial health authorities in characterizing SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the recent strain first detected in Britain that’s more contagious, as well as other mutations that may affect the development of vaccines. These accomplishments add to the accomplishments of Canadian research laboratories. From the efforts of Leone Farrell at Connaught Laboratories for the Polio vaccine to the Winnipeg researchers, Steven Jones, Heinz Feldman, and Ute Ströher who developed, in 2005, the first approved Ebola vaccine to save the lives and devastation of our fellow humans in Africa. The most recent 2020 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, awarded to the University of Alberta’s Michael Houghton for his discovery of the hepatitis C virus, has been followed up by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, with $20-million in funding over four years. Such funding will enable future development of a vaccine against hepatitis C and aid in ongoing efforts to develop a vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and any future variant, or even a new strain of coronavirus to protect us from future pandemics. Canada’s track record on life-saving discoveries through basic research may now justify launching a whole-of-government strategy for health innovation. Sadly, Canada has a plethora of taxpayer-funded reports, inquiries, and recommendations that have been largely overlooked. David Naylor, the head of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, in 2004, made dozens of recommendations in light of the SARS outbreak in Canada in 2003. Most recommendations have not been implemented, including preparing hospitals with adequate PPE equipment and surveillance of our elderly and children for the next infectious outbreak. In 2015, Naylor was enlisted again and submitted to the federal government a report on health care innovation. It recommended that the Canadian Institutes for Health Research co-ordinate with a proposed health care innovation agency and provincial health agencies to address common health priorities. Preparation for future unexpected health crises would have ensued including a better preparation for COVID-19. The 2015 Naylor report was tabled, but never even rose to the level of discussion among our political decision leaders. Yet another Naylor report was commissioned in 2017. It addresses several problems in the funding of fundamental science in Canada that lead to the discoveries underpinning health innovation. The funding recommendations of this Naylor report have been largely unmet. Johanne Liu, as past president of Médecins Sans Frontières, spearheaded the successful effort to address the Ebola outbreak. Her contributions are acknowledged by a new non- governmental interdisciplinary task force to recommend a whole-of-government strategy in Canada to address rising COVID-19 cases and several thousands more deaths expected from current trends. Canada cannot afford for 2021 to be the year that we, once again, fail to implement calls for life-saving reforms. John Bergeron is the emeritus Robert Redford professor and a professor of medicine at McGill University. Kathleen Dickson is a former chief technician from the Montreal Neurological Institute. The Hill Times