New research fund aimed at cancer research in N.B.

Dozens gathered in Moncton on Monday for an announcement that could help bring better cancer care to New Brunswickers down the road.

BeiGene Canada, a company that focuses on oncology treatments, announced a new half-a-million-dollar fund for cancer research and innovation across the country.

“The research programs look to come up with better ways to deliver patient care, work with better ways to help improve the delivery of care,” said BeiGene Canada general manager, Peter Brenders.

“So the more researchers we have, the better care we’re ultimately going to get.”

As of Monday, applications are open to researchers across Canada.

“The half-a-million-dollar fund that we’ve announced sets itself up to fund probably a dozen or two dozen projects across the country. It much will depend on the applications that come in,” said Brenders

While there is no guarantee the announced funding will stay in New Brunswick, provincial Health Minister Bruce Fitch says innovative research is already being done and helping draw people to the area.

“We met a number of folks when we did the announcement on Research NB who had come to New Brunswick specifically for research. I’m talking doctors, PhDs, and then they bring teams over to continue their research,” said Fitch.

“So there’s a whole collaboration or ecosystem of research that’s going on in New Brunswick and a lot of those physicians also have patients, and there were some folks here today that are part of research trials that are, again, getting some cancer treatments that they may not be able to make… get unless it was done with research.”

BeiGene Canada says the fund is designed to “leverage financial contributions from other sources including public funding agencies, health charities, and other private sector granting sources.”

Adding that the idea is for every dollar put in by another partner, BeiGene will match up to $4, according to Brenders.

ResearchNB was also at the announcement on Monday.

Chief executive officer Damon Goodwin says ResearchNB already funds research across the province.

“We actually invest in a number of different projects. So the way that is works is researchers go through a peer review process, they submit an application through us and it goes through a very vigorous and robust review process, and then once a grant, or application is approved, there’s an opportunity for us to go find additional dollars,” he said.

Adding, “opportunities where the best and the brightest can do research, in what they want to do research in, whatever their speciality is, is something that we want to do again to lure the best and the brightest.”

With the newly-announced fund, researchers must choose research related to cancer care, excluding clinical trails, and be affiliated with an institution such as a university, medical training program or research institution in Canada.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.