Top-notch science plus teamwork attract
generous support from the Quebec government

Dr. Brodt secured generous support from the Quebec government to help move her basic research
on a novel cancer treatment through the drug development process.

Turning good research into successful products requires financial support. Sometimes that support can be elusive. Recently, Dr. Pnina Brodt was looking for a way to finance the research required to move her basic research on a novel cancer treatment through the drug development process. The hoped-for result was a licensed cancer treatment based on her research into a human insulin growth factor receptor (hIGFR)-trap.

Dr. Brodt worked with Dr. Costas Karatzas, Director of the RI Business Development Office, as well as with the McGill Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) and MSBiV to explore funding alternatives. Ultimately, they applied for and received support through the PSVT (Programme de soutien à la valorisation et au transfert) of Quebec’s Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation (MDEIE). http://www.mdeie.gouv.qc.ca/index.php?id=1937

The PSVT funding is intended to bridge the funding gap – what insiders call “the Valley of Death” – between a promising discovery and its successful commercialization. (The lead article in the December 2009 RI newsletter describes the challenges of crossing “The Valley of Death.”)

Funding for technology maturation
“The funding from MDEIE is for ‘technology maturation’ or ‘valorization,’” explains Dr. Brodt, an investigator in the Cancer Axis of The RI MUHC and a professor in the Departments of Surgery, Medicine and Oncology at McGill University. “At the end of the grant period, we hope to have completed a series of proof-of-concept experiments including animal studies. These will be critical to validate our concept and strategy. We already have a candidate therapeutic but we need to mature it further before it is ready for commercialization.”

MDEIE support is conditional upon setting – and meeting -- clear milestones throughout the two-year funding cycle. To qualify for support, investigators must define their scientific and commercial objectives and draw up a schedule for meeting those objectives. The government provides funding in increments as milestones are successfully met .

“The funding is generous,” says Dr. Brodt. “However, because it is contingent on achieving milestones within a specified time frame, this form of financial support is probably best suited to investigators who have already performed the preliminary scientific investigation and believe they can further validate their therapeutic molecule within two years.”

Teamwork required from a range of partners
The process of getting government support is both similar to and different from obtaining support from a traditional granting agency, according to Dr. Brodt. “Obtaining support required a team effort by several groups,” she explains. “On the scientific side, my group continues to work with that of Dr. Bernard Massie at the Biotechnology Research Institute. This is a continuation of our long-standing collaboration.

“On the commercial side, we work closely with the RI Business Development Office, with MSBiV, an organization which assists academic institutions to ‘valorize’ high-potential technologies and with the McGill Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). We provide the science. Our partners have the crucial task of providing the commercialization agenda. They deal with issues of intellectual property management, business development, product development and so on.”

Obtaining MDEIE funding required the coordinated effort of these groups, according to Dr. Brodt. “We worked as a team,” she says. “Each partner made a significant contribution to our success. One investigator alone could not have put together a successful submission of this sort. The team effort paid off, and all our partners deserve recognition.”

People on the move

Ms. Stéphanie Guilbault has joined the Technical Support Division as Animal Resource Service Manager. Stéphanie has management experience with several leading institutions. Most recently, she was responsible for coordinating six animal facilities at the University of Montreal. At The RI MUHC, she will manage animal resource programs, including the facilities at the MCH, MGH and RVH. She will also oversee matters related to animal resources in collaboration with animal resource service supervisors.

Stephanie will be located in Room Ls1-508.1 (MGH site). She may be reached at ext. 44659, or at stephanie [dot] guilbault [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca.

 Many thanks to Animal Resource Service Supervisors, Guylaine Gadoury, Caroline Lebrun, Marie-Ève Robitaille and Adrian Gavriloiu for their invaluable support during the transition.

Ms. Daniela Zorzetti has joined The RI administrative team as Executive Assistant . She will provide administrative support to RI General Manager Francois Schubert and to the Board of Directors, and will assist the Audit Committee. She has over 20 years of administrative experience with leading organizations such as Bell Canada, BCE Conglomerate and The Breast Cancer Foundation.

Daniela will be located at 2155 Guy, Room 553. She may be reached at ext. 71429 or at daniela [dot] zorzetti [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca.

Many thanks to Maryse Bibeau for her invaluable assistance over the last several months.

Historic first – RI MUHC Data and Safety Monitoring Board

Under the leadership of Dr. Miguel N. Burnier, Associate Director for Clinical Research, and Dr. Phil Gold, Executive Director of the Clinical Research Centre, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) is proud to announce the foundation of its first Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to oversee a Phase II study in oncology.

A DSMB is an independent group of experts that advises the sponsors and investigators involved in a particular clinical study. Members of the DSMB provide their expertise and recommendations to fulfill several functions. The primary responsibilities of the DSMB are to (a) periodically review and evaluate the accumulated study data and adverse events for participant safety, study conduct and progress, and, when appropriate, efficacy, and (b) to make recommendations concerning the continuation, modification, or termination of the trial.

DSMBs are usually created for multi-site clinical trials that involve interventions or for trials that employ particularly high-risk interventions or involve vulnerable populations. Creation of a DSMB for a trial can be requested by regulatory agencies, the Research Ethics Board, the sponsor or the Principal Investigator. A different DSMB is created for each particular study is such a way as to ensure that the selected members collectively possess the expertise and attributes required by the study.

The RI MUHC DSMB charter was built based on models from the NIH, DHHS and Johns Hopkins University. This historic first has paved the way for the RI MUHC to be able to provide this service to its clinical researchers and industry partners. If you would like more information about this service or if you have a study that requires DSMB oversight, contact the RI MUHC Clinical Research Core Service at 514 934 1934 local 43048.

KUDOS

Dr. Cynthia Gates Goodyer, with Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Barbara Hales of McGill University, has received $2.5 million from the CIHR to head a team to study the effects of brominated flame retardants (BFR) exposure on human reproduction. The proposal ranked first in its CIHR review committee. Team members from The RI-MUHC and McGill include: Dr. Peter Chan, Dr. Roman Jednak, Dr. Bernard Robaire, and Dr. Jacquetta Trasler . The team also includes investigators from University of Montreal, University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario, York University and Health Canada.

Dr. Bernard Robaire, researcher in the Human Reproduction and Development Axis of the RI-MUHC, has received $2.5 million from CIHR to head a team studying the mechanisms underlying the male reproductive toxicity of phthalates, a family of compounds found in plastics.colleagues. Team members from the RI-MUHC and McGill include Dr. Peter Chan, Dr. Martine Culty, Dr. Barbara Hales, Dr. Makoto Nagano, and Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos. The team also includes investigators from Dalhousie University, Université Laval, York University, and University of Western Ontario.

Dr. Constantin Polychronakos and his research team have made a discovery that brings new hope for a cure for diabetes.  They found that a previously unstudied gene known as RFX6 is necessary for the generation of islets of Langerhans (the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas). Mutations in this gene were discovered to be the cause of a rare syndrome of neonatal diabetes involving complete absence of islets. This work, conducted in collaboration with a team at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), was recently published in Nature.
http://www.thechildren.com/documents/nature08748_proof.pdf

Dr. Judith Ritchie, MUHC Associate Director for Nursing Research won the inaugural Excellence through Evidence Award from the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF). Dr. Ritchie was one of 27 nominees nation-wide. The award and honorarium of $15,000 recognizes her exceptional contributions to health services research --- and in particular, her successful efforts in moving research evidence into practice.

March training sessions

HR NEWS

Probation policy approved

Please note that The Research Institute's Probation Policy and Procedure for employees
and management were created and approved by the RI MUHC Operations
Committee on February 11, 2010. This document is located on the RI MUHC portal at

http://researchportal.muhc.mcgill.ca in the Human Resources section under Policies and Procedures.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your site HR representative-- Eva Nadanyi (eva [dot] nadanyi [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca) or Kathryn Errington (kathryn [dot] errington [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca)

Simplified pension plan 

At a recent meeting of the Research Council held on February 16, 2010, the proposed Simplified Pension Plan was presented by Sonia Rea, Human Resources Director. Sonia shared attendance rates and feedback collected from the information sessions held on this topic, addressed by PIs and staff. The Research Council endorsed the proposed Simplified Pension Plan and recommended that it be presented for approval at the next Management Committee meeting on March 29, 2010. If approved, the next steps will be communicated to assure its proposed implementation, planned for October 15, 2010.

Funding Announcements on RI PORTAL

To help reduce the amount of emails to your inbox, as of March 1, 2010 all funding opportunity announcements will be posted on the RI PORTAL under Funding Opportunities. Also in this section you will find information on the Scientific Review Process at the RI MUHC and where applicable, specific details on certain programs and internal competitions. We encourage you and your staff to check this site often. If you do not already have access to the RI PORTAL, please email cindy [dot] young [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca.

News about the RI newsletter

On-line newsletter for easier access to information

Welcome to the first issue of The RI’s on-line newsletter! This new format is designed to make The RI Newsletter more accessible and to ease the burden on email accounts by eliminating the need to send large PDF files. Now, a simple click of the mouse connects you with the latest RI news. Readers can access the newsletter through any browser, from anywhere. There’s no need for passwords - -simply link to the RI MUHC site and follow the link on The RI home page. An archive of 2010 issues will be available in the near future.


French edition of newsletter will debut in March, 2010.
The RI is happy to announce that The RI newsletter will be published in both French and English, starting with the March, 2010 issue.

As always, we welcome feedback from readers. If you have comments or suggestions about The RI newsletter, please email us at:RI [dot] MUHC [dot] Communications [at] gmail [dot] com.