It’s time to use the C word: cure

Turning all cancers into curable diseases: that’s the vision of BioCanRx, Canada’s Immunotherapy Network. We are a network of scientists, clinicians, cancer stakeholders, academic institutions, NGOs and industry partners working together to accelerate the development of leading-edge immunotherapies from the lab into early-phase clinical trials. This work has the very real potential to benefit the one-in-two Canadians diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Turning Canadian discoveries into innovative therapies requires several essential ingredients: preclinical research funding and expertise, good manufacturing practices and biomanufacturing, innovative clinical trial design and execution—all working in lockstep to rapidly bring these novel immunotherapies to those that need them most: Canadian cancer patients. BioCanRx was created in 2015 through the government’s Networks of Centres of Excellence program and has become a leader in the translation, manufacturing and adoption of cancer immunotherapies by investing in translating world-class technologies from the research lab into clinical trials. Our focus is on the rapidly advancing field of immunotherapy, which trains a patient’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. And in this work, we’ve been successful, of the 30 Canadian immunotherapy trials based on Canadian inventions over the past 20 years, BioCanRx has been directly responsible for half of these. In the short time we’ve been operational, we’ve already successfully treated cancer patients. Camille Leahy, who at 35 years of age and after several rounds of conventional treatment was told she was out of options for her acute leukemia—participated in the Canadian-first made-in-Canada CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial. Camille, and more than a dozen people with cancer who had exhausted all other options, are alive and in remission today because they were able to access a homegrown trial manufacturing CAR T-cell therapy in Canada. While clinical trials aimed at different types of advanced blood cancers, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma, are underway, this highly personalized immunotherapy has the potential to change the face of cancer care as we know it. Despite these successes, BioCanRx is hovering near extinction. Until the very recent announcement by the CIHR Clinical Trial Fund, our Canadian-led Immunotherapies in Cancer platform was out of funds. An 11th-hour intervention is keeping the lights on for two blood cancer clinical trials, but this narrow focus is not enough. While this funding is welcome, more investment is required to ensure that Canadian cancer patients aren’t the last to have access to hope and that the research to get to new clinical trials for other cancers, such as pancreatic and colon, makes its way into Canadian hospitals. There is little doubt that cancer remains the most significant threat to the health and wealth of Canadians, with cancer deaths representing an average of 16.7 years of life lost for each diagnosed Canadian. All sources combined; Canada spends almost $500-million a year on cancer research all in the hope to unravel a path to the C-word: cure. BioCanRx and its Network are hopeful that thousands and perhaps one day millions can join the Canadians that are alive and cancer-free today, thanks to the momentous potential of immunotherapies. We are dedicated to making the C-word, cure, a reality for Canadian cancer patients. We urge the government to continue funding organizations with a demonstrated track record in addressing an unmet, real-world need in Canada. BioCanRx is a current-day, successful example of the government’s biomanufacturing and life sciences strategy, training the next generation of scientists and biomanufacturing. We have a proven track record of supporting promising immunotherapies from proof of concept and preclinical development to the clinic for the benefit of patients. With over 233,900 cancer diagnoses and 85,100 cancer deaths expected in 2023, more must be done to move the needle for Canadian cancer patients. BioCanRx has the expertise and national network necessary to make even further, measurable progress toward our collective goal—a cure. Dr. Stéphanie Michaud is the president and CEO of BioCanRx. She has more than 20 years of public, government and private sector experience in research and science & technology innovation policy and is a member of the Board of Directors of Research Canada. The Hill Times