Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

TORONTO, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brain Cancer Canada (BCC), Canada’s only 100% volunteer-driven charity dedicated exclusively to funding brain cancer research nationwide is proud to award $50,000 to an exciting research project led by Dr Ian Lorimer and his team at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI). The project titled “Improving glioblastoma immunotherapy by selectively blocking macrophage activity” explores a new way of possibly treating glioblastoma (GBM) and might soon pave the way for a clinical trial. There is a clear need for new glioblastoma therapies that are more effective than today’s options that still only offer patients limited hope when faced with their diagnosis. Modern immunotherapy-based approaches have led to improved outcomes in other cancers, but GBM remains largely resistant to these recent advancements. Dr. Lorimer’s work focuses on one way in which GBM cells avoid the immune system and render modern immunotherapy treatments ineffective. By tracking and analyzing immune cells in these tumours and studying the effects of a potential new drug that can change the immune response, this project might uncover a new tool that could unlock an immunotherapy approach to treat glioblastoma in the future. “Glioblastoma is currently an incurable disease with very limited treatment options. Therapies that induce the patient’s immune system to eradicate their cancer have been successful in other cancer types, but so far have not worked in glioblastoma. Our Brain Cancer Canada grant will test a novel immunotherapy approach, hopefully providing a new and effective treatment for glioblastoma patients,” says Dr. Lorimer. “A colleague of mine was recently diagnosed with glioblastoma and I experience a mixture of grief and frustration with this news. We can stop this disease, but it takes a team and fundraisers such as Brain Cancer Canada, the Andrea Villamere Memorial Golf Tournament and the JP Leclerc Memorial Golf Tournament are a critical and essential part of this team.” Since this project focuses on an approach not yet deeply explored for GBM and with early experiments suggesting the therapy could be a feasible option, BCC sees high value in exploring this new avenue which will generate the data needed to assess whether this can continue further with a clinical trial. By funding innovative work like this, and at the early stages in research, we can ensure new ideas are tested and build hope for a better future for anyone receiving a brain cancer diagnosis. This announcement represents one of six grants awarded during Brain Cancer Awareness Month (May), combined to invest $425,000 in promising Canadian Brain Cancer research. This research grant was made possible through community fundraising including the Andrea Villamere Memorial Golf Tournament and the JP Leclerc Memorial Golf Tournament. “Thank you to Brain Cancer Canada and the incredible doctors advancing research—your work brings light to families facing the unimaginable and hope for a better future,” says Julie Villamere, mother of Andrea Villamere, who passed away in October 2023 at the age of 27. “Brain Cancer Canada has provided amazing support and compassion as we continue to navigate grief. Sharing Andrea's journey has hopefully shown families they are not alone and can reach out for support anytime.” “Brain Cancer Canada offers a space and place to bring communities together to support a cause that unfortunately touches so many families' lives. Their ongoing commitments to ultimately finding a cure for such a devastating cancer such as GBM turn grief into purpose and hope into action by raising critical funds for life-changing research to happen. Knowing that every donation brings us closer to a future where families no longer have to face a diagnosis of GBM alone is why we host the JP Leclerc Memorial Golf Tournament. We are grateful to be able to raise funds so the incredible doctors, and researchers can conduct their important work to find a cure for GBM,” says Esther Seaman, whose late Husband, JP Leclerc, passed away from glioblastoma. Brain Cancer Canada is a national charity dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by primary malignant brain tumours by funding research, advocating for effective treatment options, and investing in neurosurgical technologies. Recognized by the country’s leading neurospecialists as Canada’s foremost mechanism for brain cancer research funding, the organization raises funds through community-driven initiatives, generous year-round donations, its annual Gala for Brain Cancer Research, and Golf For Brain Cancer Research, and the support of corporate donors aligned with its mission. As a fully volunteer-based organization, Brain Cancer Canada ensures that every dollar raised is maximized toward critical research investments. Since 2015, it has directed nearly $3 million to brain cancer research, supporting 31 projects across more than a dozen institutions, research centres, and hospitals nationwide. About Brain Cancer Canada As a fully volunteer-based organization, Brain Cancer Canada ensures that every dollar raised is maximized toward critical research investments. Since 2015, it has directed nearly $3 million to brain cancer research, supporting 31 projects across more than a dozen institutions, research centres, and hospitals nationwide. More Information For more details about this and other research initiatives supported by Brain Cancer Canada, please visit www.braincancercanada.ca or contact Scientific Advisory Chair and Board Director, Elvin de Araujo, PhD, at elvin@braincancercanada.ca Media Contact: angela@braincancercanada.ca 1-855-375-1381

Ottawa, Ontario--(News - April 21, 2026) - Virica Biotech ("Virica"), an Ottawa-based company focused on improving biomanufacturing through its Viral Sensitizers (VSE™) enhancer technology, today announced the launch of Viric.AI™, a proprietary active learning platform that accelerates the discovery of optimized biomanufacturing enhancers, as part of their service offering to clients. Developed in collaboration with Dr. Francesco Gentile's lab at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Science, Viric.AI™ combines machine learning with iterative experimental feedback to accelerate the precise identification of biomanufacturing enhancers tailored to specific client processes. Expanding Virica's existing rapid screening HTV TM platform capabilities, Viric.AI™ helps guide experimental design and predict the most productive conditions earlier in development. The synergy between HTV TM and Viric.AI TM platforms ultimately helps reduce process development timelines, improve biomanufacturing yield, and support novel biomanufacturing enhancer discovery and optimization across a range of systems, including but not limited to viral vector manufacturing leveraging its existing VSE TM technology. Viric.AI™ is already being utilized by the Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Hub (CP2H), a research Hub co-led by the University of Ottawa and McMaster University, in partnership with the Ottawa Hospital. Viric.AI™ is being leveraged by CP2H to support the discovery of novel enhancers for adenovirus production. This work highlights the platform's dual-use potential to support both commercial biomanufacturing programs and broader public health and biodefense preparedness efforts. "Biomanufacturing processes are inherently complex, and optimization has traditionally been slow and resource-intensive," said Dr. Jean-Simon Diallo, CEO of Virica Biotech. "With Viric.AI™, we're enabling our partners to move faster and make better decisions earlier, whether they're working in viral vectors or other advanced biologics systems." "Canada's ability to respond to future health threats depends on accelerating innovation in biomanufacturing," said Ottawa Hospital Research Institute scientist John Bell, who co-directs CP2H with McMaster Professor Matthew Miller. "Platforms like Viric.AI™ demonstrate how advanced technologies can bolster Canada's health security and sovereignty and strengthen our broader life sciences ecosystem." Virica acknowledges the support of the Life Sciences Critical Technologies and Commercialization Centre of Excellence, established by Ontario Biosciences Innovation Organization (OBIO) and Mitacs, whose funding contributed to the development of Viric.AI™. About Virica Biotech Virica develops biomanufacturing enhancers with a major focus on improving the yield and quality of viral vectors used for cell & gene therapies and vaccines. Virica's commercially available Viral Sensitizer (VSE™) enhancers overcome production inefficiencies in cells used for biomanufacturing and allow therapeutic developers to upscale the manufacture of their products at much lower cost. Beyond supplying VSEs as commercial biomanufacturing reagents, Virica operates as rapid process development service partner. Virica's proprietary High-Throughput Virology (HTV™) platform, Design-of-Experiments (DoE) process optimization, and analytical testing workflows enable therapeutic developers to rapidly pinpoint the optimal biomanufacturing conditions allowing their programs to scale faster and at a lower cost than traditional methods. Contacts For further information, please contact: Dr. Jean-Simon Diallo Email: communications@viricabiotech.com Website: To view the source version of this press release, please visit

Study finds that de-escalating bone-modifying therapy is safe and effective in Metastatic Breast Cancer At the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress meeting in October 2025, research demonstrating an effective approach for patients with breast cancer bone metastases was presented by Terry L. Ng, M.D., of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Canada and Criterium’s Academic Breast Cancer Consortium (ABRCC). Learn more about the study results Identifying ways to empower ALK+ NSCLC patients in their decision making At the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer, Thomas E. Stinchcombe, M.D., of Duke Cancer Institute and Criterium’s Academic Thoracic Oncology Medical Investigators Consortium (ATOMIC) presented an abstract detailing methods and tools to empower ALK+ NSCLC patients in their decision making. Learn about ways to empower ALK+ NSCLC patients in their decision making