API Stories
Alberta’s Biggest Life Sciences Week to Date!
This year’s Life Sciences Week is now behind us and we couldn’t be more proud of it. We didn’t just beat last year’s impressive numbers…, we crushed them!
From September 22-26, over 6,200 registrations joined us across 60+ events, making this year our biggest and most impactful Life Sciences Week yet! Such a tremendous feat wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our planning partners and sponsors — and of course we’d also like to thank all the attendees.
We are currently hard at work on the Life Sciences Week 2025 Impact Report and can’t wait to share the results. Stay tuned!
CMPC Milestones: Factory Acceptance Tests in Italy
Last week our Engineering Managers, Shiva Chaudhary and Ravinder Sekhon, successfully completed a major Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) at Antares Vision in Parma, Italy.
So, what does this mean?
Our team was on-site to qualify a state-of-the-art, fully automated vial inspection machine — a single integrated platform that can inspect up to 18,000 vials of liquid and lyophilized products per hour. This remarkable vial inspection machine is capable of handling everything from particle and cosmetic inspection to container closure and integrity testing (CCIT). Such an impressive throughput and precision can transform production efficiency while elevating safety standards.
Successful testing at Antares Vision marks a significant milestone for API and the CMPC. It reflects the dedication of our engineering team and the strength of our partnership with Antares Vision. At API, we are proud to be at the forefront of bringing advanced automation to sterile manufacturing.
New Programming Announcements
Life Sciences Placement Program (LSPP)
Ready to bring in new talent to drive your life sciences research or innovation forward? Our newly launched Life Sciences Placement Program (LSPP) offers a faster, more efficient way to connect emerging talent with businesses and researchers. In partnership with Mitacs, LSPP is committed to supporting 1,000 internships through matching funds, tailored training and an accelerated application process to help bring interns on board quickly. The program supports the full spectrum of life sciences innovation — from early-stage research to commercialization — across multiple disciplines.
Learn moreMedtech Innovation Highway Pilot Program
As part of Life Sciences Week, our Chief Translational Officer, Launa Aspeslet, officially launched the Medtech Innovation Highway Pilot Program. Developed in collaboration with CAMS at NAIT, CR Consulting, Parlee McLaws LLP, and Red Deer Polytechnic, the program supports early-stage medtech innovators with integrated access to regulatory, technical, business, and IP expertise. This initiative aims to streamline commercialization and accelerate the journey from concept to market.
Learn moreEvents
We’re Going to CPHI Frankfurt
CPHI Frankfurt is later this month and API is attending!
This is one of the world’s largest pharma and life sciences events, bringing together over 62,000 professionals from 170+ countries. As one of Canada’s leading not-for-profit life sciences commercialization organizations, we’re looking forward to showcasing Alberta’s growing life sciences sector, our full suite of in-house CRO services, and our expanding CDMO capabilities, including the Critical Medicines Production Centre.
If you’re attending CPHI, let’s connect—reach out to book a meeting with our team!
Buy ticketsMore events
- Oct. 17: Techstars Startup Weekend (Calgary)
- Oct. 29: Ethics in Practice: Incorporating Indigenous perspectives in research design (Edmonton)
- Nov. 3: Patient Engagement Forum (Ontario)
- Nov. 3: Calgary Innovation Week 2025 (Calgary)
- Nov. 5: qConnect 2025 (Calgary)
- Nov. 5: BDO VC Pitch Day (Calgary)
- Nov. 7: 36th Annual ASTech Awards Gala and Innovation Showcase (Calgary)
- Nov. 7-10: natHacks 2025 (Edmonton)
- Nov. 15: Community Health Fair (Edmonton)
Life Sciences & Innovation News
- Baüne‘s mobile apps are now fully deployed as part of the autonomous care unit at CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. The collaboration was started by the Canadian Space Agency to bring health technologies developed for use in space to preventative care on Earth.
- Lumiio launched the FSHD Open Collaborative Unified System, a platform intended to accelerate research and drug development for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. FOCUS integrates data from industry and academic partners, and Fulcrum Therapeutics is sharing data from clinical trials of Losmapimod in FSHD.
- Moneta Health received US$4.5 million in funding from investors including Health2047, the venture-capital arm of the American Medical Association, and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Moneta is expanding its AI-powered, phone-based cognitive-rehabilitation service for patients with early-stage dementia to more U.S. states through a partnership with Benefis Health System.
- NanoTess announced that NanoSALV Catalytic is now included in the Alberta Drug Benefit List, allowing eligible Albertans to access advanced wound healing at a reduced cost. The ADBL covers seniors, low-income families, individuals in palliative care, and those under public health programs.
- Neuraura CEO Claire Dixon pitched LoOoP, its digital health platform, at the Elevate Festival. LoOoP supports individuals with PCOS through personalised care and data-driven insights, with the goal of closing the women’s health equity gap.
- Northern RNA CEO Brad Stevens was a keynote speaker at Platform Calgary for Life Sciences Week. At the event, Stevens discussed the role of biomanufacturing and Made-in-Canada solutions in building a resilient life sciences ecosystem in Alberta.
- PainChek, an Australian healthtech company that uses AI for pain assessment, has established its Canadian headquarters in the Edmonton region.
- PBG BioPharma, led by Jacqueline Shan, shared its progress in pharmaceutical development, advanced lab testing, and sustainable natural health products with MP Jean Yip during a recent visit to its facilities.
- Calgary-based PurposeMed is expanding its Freddie telehealth service for HIV prevention and treatment across all 50 U.S. states this month. Freddie, named after Freddie Mercury, connects patients virtually with nurses or practitioners, and ships PrEP, an antiretroviral drug that lowers the risk of contracting HIV, to homes or pharmacies.
- RJH Biosciences‘ September newsletter highlighted new findings regarding its transfection reagents in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. According to the company, the results showed efficient mRNA delivery with low immunogenicity, as cytokine levels remained stable after transfection using RJH Biosciences’ polymers.
- Amii announced the latest cohort of startups participating in its Level Up program. The one-year program is designed to help Canadian software startups scale their innovations using AI and ML. The cohort includes companies from across Canada, such as AI Endurance, BetterCart Analytics, Bobo, DoDAO, Dune Engineering Inc., Fair Winds Analytics, Granularity, Ground Truth Agriculture Inc., LABonWEB, Litespace, Oculume AI, Picsume, Phaseshift Technologies, PLAY3, ReFi.Trading, and TCG Machines.
- BioAlberta‘s 2025 State of the Industry report highlighted the growth of Alberta’s biotechnology, medical technology, and diagnostics sectors, which now include more than 1,900 organizations and contributed $4.8 billion to the GDP in 2024.
- Edmonton Global, in partnership with the Alberta government and Calgary Economic Development, is inviting life sciences companies from the Edmonton region to join the Alberta Life Sciences Mission to the Middle East. The trade mission, from Feb. 8 to 18, will visit Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia.
- Genome Alberta is celebrating 20 years of advancing genomics and life sciences in Alberta and Canada. Leaders from biotech, government, academia, and industry gathered recently to reflect on achievements and discuss the future. Genome Alberta started in 2005 and has since built an innovation portfolio worth more than $500 million. Its current employees celebrated the contributions of the organization to advancing life science innovation and research.
- Alberta Innovates has relaunched its Digital Health Sandbox program, seeking applications from Alberta-based post-secondary institutions, government entities, and small- to medium-sized enterprises aiming to improve patient outcomes through interoperable technologies, databases, and decision support tools. The application deadline is Nov. 6.
- The Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital is helping Alberta companies refine their medtech products through a clinical partnership program, supported by a $2.1-million investment from PrairiesCan. The program allows startups to work directly with therapists, clinicians, and patients to shape their technologies in real-world environments.
- The University of Alberta‘s Women and Children’s Health Research Institute is using its Translational Genomics Hub to solve complex genetic mysteries for families worldwide. The hub, led by Oana Caluseriu and Todd Alexander, aims to diagnose patients, including two siblings at the Stollery Children’s Hospital with Alazami Syndrome, and add discoveries to a public database.