Collaboration is at the root of Canada’s health-tech advancementssupplied
The healthcare industry is ripe for transformation, and some of the key technologies advancing patient care are in progress right here in Canada.
“Canada has long been a key player on the world stage of innovation, surrounded by diverse and ambitious talent – nowhere is this more prevalent than in the healthcare industry,” says Najah Sampson, president of Pfizer Canada.
Last year, Pfizer launched the Healthcare Hub Call for Solutions, a program to accelerate solutions by local innovators to address some of the most pressing healthcare challenges in Canada.
“We have the opportunity to mobilize our combined strengths and talents to help deliver for patients in Canada and around the world,” Sampson says.
Designed to support founders in developing, manufacturing and scaling their products, the $1.4-million of funding and in-kind support includes access to industry insights and internal expertise.
“We know that fostering this type of innovation environment goes beyond dollars – it includes prioritizing new ideas, collaboration, and research and development, so that Canada can be a leader in addressing patient needs,” Sampson says.
The first cohort of three winners will see made-in-Canada solutions that will improve immunization uptake, transform the drug coverage process, and increase the speed of breast cancer diagnosis and effectiveness of tumor monitoring.
Increasing vaccine uptake by making the process easier
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the pressing need to update Canada’s immunization systems to the forefront for Cameron Bell, CEO of Ottawa-based CANImmunize.
“The government needs to invest in low-cost, common-sense solutions built and developed by teams with expertise and experience in public health,” Bell says.
His company developed ClinicFlow, an end-to-end administrative tool for vaccination clinics that handles online appointment bookings, vaccine documentation and reporting. It also created eConsent, which reduces the burden on public health staff and makes providing consent for school vaccination programs simpler for parents.
More efficient data collection and reporting enables authorities to spot trends and address issues, ultimately improving immunization rates, while increasing convenience for patients.
Bell credits Pfizer Canada’s extensive expertise and valuable connections as key to enabling CANImmunize to stand among other healthcare leaders.
“Navigating discussions with the government, especially for smaller companies, can be a challenge,” Bell says. “We have had the opportunity to engage with these key decision-makers, raising awareness of the capabilities of our solution with the goal of making a meaningful difference for more Canadians.”
Transforming paperwork to find patient care time
The communication framework and paperwork that drives the insurance coverage process for pharmacists and physicians is complicated and time-consuming. According to “Patients Before Paperwork,” a 2023 report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, about 18.6 million hours of physicians’ time is spent on administrative tasks. That’s 55.6 million patient visits that could be opened up.
CEO Walid Mowaswes and COO Faddy Morgan of Richmond Hill, Ont.-based PharmaGuide, pharmacists themselves, are on a mission to streamline the process using sophisticated AI technology to provide physicians with prescription drug information, predict patient coverage and autofill pharmaceutical forms.
“The only way that we can improve healthcare as a whole is by working with everyone and making sure that it’s a win-win-win,” Morgan says. “We’re looking to make people live longer with a higher quality of life. We truly believe that by leveraging therapeutics and data it’s entirely possible without spending more money.”
The support from Pfizer Canada also means that PharmaGuide has been able to get ahead of schedule for some deployments, anticipating a cross-country roll out over the next few months. “A lot of times with businesses, they have to make some hard choices between the bottom line and what actually makes a difference in the long run,” Mowaswes says. Having Pfizer’s financial backing, support, and advice has allowed PharmaVision to focus on its mission.
“Thanks to Pfizer’s invaluable support, PharmaVision remains steadfast in its mission to give healthcare providers more time to focus on patient care, thereby improving our healthcare system and enhancing access for all those in need,” Mowaswes explains. “We know what needs to be built, and now we’re empowered to make it happen.”
Breakthrough breast-cancer screening
Historically underserved by the healthcare industry, women and non-binary people are the focus of recent innovations like Calgary-based Wave View Imaging’s user-friendly imaging technology.
To remove barriers in breast cancer screening, Elise Fear, co-founder and CSO, and Jeremie Bourqui, founder and CEO, developed a portable, pain-free, non-ionizing complement to mammograms that is effective even in dense tissue. “We want to provide solutions when a mammogram has limitations or isn’t feasible,” Bourqui explains.
The technology can be used at point-of-care, so is suited to providing immediate qualitative feedback on the effectiveness of treatment. Doctors can access immediate, up-to-date, quantitative results which help to determine how treatment is progressing. This information can also reduce patient anxiety.
The imaging technology is easy to learn, allowing users to train in less than an hour. It also fits in a suitcase — which is a game-changer for people in remote communities with limited mammography access.
“It’s always good to know you have someone behind you to support your work,” Bourqui says. “In our case, that someone is Pfizer.” Access to the business expertise of an established biopharmaceutical company enables Wave View Imaging to continue improving its product, increasing connections and making it easier to expand to more sites.
Recognizing limits to available healthcare dollars and to patients’ and providers’ time has inspired these start-ups to look for ways to revolutionize existing systems.
“At Pfizer, we are committed to transforming lives through the power of purpose-driven innovation, and we know that it is only through thoughtful collaboration that we can be true accelerators for digital health solutions,” Sampson says.
“Start-ups provide the inventive spark needed to develop new healthcare technologies, while Pfizer offers a network and support to scale these innovations, ultimately improving patient outcomes and advancing healthcare delivery for Canadians.”
Pfizer Healthcare Hub
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Pfizer. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.
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