Canada to celebrate its first national biotech week

Ottawa, ON – September 20, 2004 – Canada’s first-ever National Biotech Week will be held from September 27 to October 1. There will be more than 50 other events and announcements from Vancouver to Halifax to celebrate the imagination and innovation of Canadian scientists.

“Just one month ago, Canadian scientists told the world they may have come one step closer to a cure for diabetes by identifying cells that could be told to produce insulin in the pancreas. This is yet another major step forward in diabetes research since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s by the University of Toronto’s Frederick Banting and Charles Best. Just a couple of weeks ago Canadian researchers at the University of Toronto identified a gene that may lead to groundbreaking treatment for breast cancer. These are examples of the quality of discovery that should be celebrated, which is what we’re doing through National Biotech Week,” says Janet Lambert, BIOTECanada president.

Organized by BIOTECanada and the Canadian Biotechnology Accord, National Biotechnology Week is designed to highlight Canadian biotechnology innovation, its future and its people.

More information about the activities across Canada is available on the week’s own website, www.imagenenation.ca.