News Release

For Immediate Release
February 14, 2008

WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH AT TRENT UNIVERSITY TO HELP REDUCE THREAT OF GLOBAL EPIDEMICS

McGuinty Government Investing In Areas Where Ontario Can Compete And Win

PETERBOROUGH — Reducing the threat of global health epidemics including influenza, HIV, SARS, and hepatitis is the goal of a research project at Trent University. 

The McGuinty government is investing $2 million to support the International Consortium on Anti-Virals, a Canadian consortium headquartered at Trent University with a worldwide research network of 200 scientists and private sector partners from 21 countries.

Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal, on behalf of Minister of Research and Innovation John Wilkinson, made the announcement today with International Consortium of Anti-Virals (ICAV) CEO Jeremy Carver and Trent University president Bonnie Patterson. 

Ontario’s investment will:

• Boost the consortium’s success in discovering and commercializing new anti-virals that will treat infectious viral diseases such as HIV and target pandemic diseases such as SARS, which pose large-scale threats to global health and economic security.

• Help develop new drugs that target viral diseases faster and more affordably by strengthening information sharing among the consortium’s industry partners.

“To ensure Ontario can compete and win in the global economy, our government is investing in world-class research and the skills and knowledge of our people,” Wilkinson said. “The strong partnerships among our government, top researchers and the global biopharmaceutical industry will help attract the expertise needed to bring exciting new health-care discoveries to market faster in this province, resulting in high-value jobs and a higher quality of life for all Ontarians.”

“Today’s investment builds on the considerable talent at Trent University and our province’s leadership in growing sectors such as anti-viral research,” said Leal. “It’s part of the McGuinty government’s strategy to boost Ontario’s economy, support better healthcare and create the jobs of the future.”

“The Ontario government and MPP Jeff Leal are to be commended for their leadership at the provincial level to secure $2 million in funding for the ongoing work of the ICAV consortium, which is headquartered at Trent University,” said Trent University President and Vice Chancellor Bonnie Patterson. “This strategic investment by the province supports ICAV in its mission to accelerate the discovery of new anti-viral drugs and will assist in advancing the commercialization of scientific research that is being pursued by over 200 ICAV-affiliated scientists from around the world.”

This investment is part of the McGuinty government’s plan to support research excellence that can be developed into new products and services that will boost Ontario’s economy and support Ontario families.  Other initiatives include:
 

• Investing $527 million in globally significant innovation projects across Ontario, through the Ontario Research Fund
• Launching the $160 million Ideas-to-Market strategy that supports emerging companies, which includes the Ontario Venture Capital Fund 
• Providing a 21 per cent Capital Tax rate cut for all businesses retroactive to January 1, 2007, on the way to full elimination in 2010 
• Announcing in the 2007 Fall Economic Statement an additional $50 million in strategic investment to further strengthen Ontario’s environment for scientific research that will lead to new discoveries, higher quality of life and new jobs.

For more information, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation

- 30 -