Tuesday, February 8, 2022

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• 2022 OHD Speaker Series kicks off today
• Q and A with the experts: COVID-19 home treatment approved
• Waterloo startups well represented in the top 100 tech companies to watch for
• Concept, Problem lab have more than $47K to give away to student innovators

2022 OHD Speaker Series kicks off today

A message from Organizational & Human Development (OHD). 

At 10:30 a.m. today, don’t miss Dr. Michelle R. Weise, one of today’s foremost experts on preparing for the future of work. Explore how we become and support working learners, how to remove barriers to emerging jobs for everyone and what it can look like today to upskill and re-skill.

Register for the event on Portal.

Might miss it? Dr. Weise’s award-winning book, Long-life Learning: Preparing for Jobs That Don’t Even Exist Yet is now available at the W Store.

Q and A with the experts: COVID-19 home treatment approved

The University of Waterloo has a number of experts available to speak about issues relating to COVID-19.

Health Canada has approved Pfizer’s Paxlovid as the first oral and at-home prescription medication to treat COVID-19 in Canada.  

Kelly Grindrod, a pharmacist and University of Waterloo professor, answers common questions about this new drug.

Does Canada have any of this medication yet? 

Canada signed an agreement with Pfizer to secure one million treatment courses of Paxlovid. To date, Canada has received 30,400 treatment courses, with another 120,000 expected before the end of March. Ontario has received 11,000 doses which have been shipped across the province.

How does Paxlovid work? 

Paxlovid is a combination of two drugs. The main ingredient is nirmatrelvir, which works by stopping the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID from replicating in the body. Nirmatrelvir works very well, but the body breaks it down very quickly. Thus, Paxlovid also includes a drug called ritonavir, which is added to work as an enzyme blocker to slow the body’s ability to break down nirmatrelvir. It helps boost nirmatrelvir to have a stronger, longer-lasting effect. 

Paxlovid is indicated for use in mild illness before someone is sick enough to need hospital care. It aims to prevent a mild infection from becoming a severe infection. People with severe illness are offered different treatments. 

Can anyone get Paxlovid from a family doctor? Or will it primarily be used in hospitals? 

Paxlovid is not yet available from family doctors. Right now, Paxlovid is only available from a small number of COVID-19 Clinical Assessment Centres located throughout the province. Family doctors can help refer patients to these centres too. Eventually, Paxlovid may be made available through family doctors and pharmacies.

To take Paxlovid, you need to have tested positive within the last five days, and the COVID test needs to be either a PCR test or a healthcare provider administered rapid test. 

Because Paxlovid contains ritonavir as a boosting agent, it has very serious drug interactions with many other medications. This makes it very complicated to prescribe.

There is more information on the Government of Ontario website. 

Is Paxlovid a new medication? Is it effective and safe?

Nirmatrelvir is a new drug that has only been approved for use in COVID-19. Ritonavir is an older drug that has been used for many years to help boost other medications used in the treatment of HIV and hepatitis C. 

Health Canada has reviewed the data from Pfizer and approved the use of Paxlovid based on interim results of the EPIC-HR trial. EPIC-HR included more than 2,000 people who had developed mild COVID symptoms and tested positive for COVID within the last five days, but who were not sick enough to need supplemental oxygen or hospital care. 

The trial results have not been published yet, though Health Canada reviewed the EPIC-HR interim study data during the approval process. The product monograph notes that Paxlovid reduces the risk of severe illness and death by 89 per cent.

Side effects appear to be generally mild. Out of every 100 people who take the drug, five may experience an altered sense of taste, three will have diarrhea, one will vomit, one will have a temporary increase in blood pressure, one will have a headache, and one will have muscle aches. Most will have no side effects.

Does COVID-19 vaccination status affect someone’s ability to take Paxlovid?

Like with vaccination, one of the goals of using Paxlovid is to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on our healthcare system. As long as Canada has a limited supply of Paxlovid, it will likely be prioritized for the people most likely to need hospital care. That includes people who are older and who may be either unvaccinated, have a serious health condition, or have a moderate to severely weakened immune system. However, as we get more Paxlovid supply and more experience with the drug, it may become more widely available. 

Waterloo startups well represented in the top 100 tech companies to watch for

By Melanie Scott. This article was originally published in Waterloo News.

Startups supported by the University of Waterloo’s flagship incubator, Velocity, along with others founded by alumni and students are well represented on the FoundersBeta Top 100 Tech Companies to Watch for in 2022. FoundersBeta is a global network of more than 5,000 founders, students and professionals interested in connecting around and building startups. The 2022 list profiles over 100 companies, and about a third of them have connections to the University of Waterloo. The list highlights founders who are solving unique problems, disrupting industries and bringing new and innovative ideas to market. 

Three companies with strong Waterloo connections listed in the top 10  

Able Innovations, listed at #2, is a Velocity company founded in 2018 by Jayiesh Singh and Philip Chang. Recognizing that transferring patients is a dangerous and labour-intensive task, they have developed robotic technologies that automate patient transfers and protect front-line workers from injuries. 

Uvaro, listed at #7 was founded by Waterloo alumnus Joseph Fung (BASc ’07) and co-founders Derek Hall and Donna Litt. After realizing that the old approach to tech hiring was broken, and that traditional education institutions can’t always keep up with the rapidly changing workforce, they partnered with leading tech companies and developed sales training programs led by instructors who have hands-on experience in the field.  

“The Great Resignation has had a profound impact on workers and employers,” Fung says. “Millions of people across North America have left their jobs, seeking a more fulfilling career. At the same time employers are waking up to the critical importance of building a more inclusive and diverse workforce. Uvaro sits at the intersection of this massive sea-change. In giving individuals barrier-free opportunities to new and ongoing career success we are turning the Great Resignation into the Great Awakening, and it's tremendously fulfilling work for everyone on our team.  

“We are incredibly honoured to be recognized for the work we do,” Fung continues, “and to be named to the Founders Beta ‘Top 100 Tech Companies to Watch in 2022’ and we look forward to achieving our goals and beyond in the coming year.” 

MedMe Health, listed at #9 is a Velocity company founded by alumus Rui Su (PharmD ’18), Purya Sarmadi and Nicholas Hui. They are helping pharmacists shift beyond traditional retail models to provide more healthcare services for people in their communities. The company’s all-in-one software platform is used by over 3000 community pharmacies and helps pharmacists streamline workflows, build patient relationships and diversify revenue.  

“We are so grateful for the support, insight, and learning that the Velocity ecosystem has given us,” says Purya Sarmadi, Co-Founder and CEO of MedMe Health. “From the early days of our journey, Velocity helped us really hone in our value proposition and ignore vanity metrics, focusing on what’s most important for an early-stage company. We’re constantly inspired and excited to grow alongside the incredible founders in this community building innovative solutions for some of the toughest problems.” 

The ten Velocity companies that made the list were profiled on the Velocity blog.

Read the full article to see a list of all the companies with a Waterloo connection.

Concept, Problem lab have more than $47K to give away to student innovators

A new term means new opportunities for student innovators to compete to win funding for their projects and ideas. Up to ^$47,750 will be awarded through the Concept ^$5K competition, The Problem Lab Quantum Valley Investments® Problem Pitch and the Co-op Problem Award, according to a recent post on the Concept blog.

Concept $5K competition

"That means four teams will share in ^$20,000 from the upcoming Concept ^$5K competition, with a People’s Choice award claiming ^$500," says the blog post. "The Concept ^$5K applications are now open to those with an innovative idea in need of early-stage funding. The top applicants are invited to pitch before a panel of experienced entrepreneurs for the chance to win. Convince the judges in 3-minutes that your idea has the potential and viability to succeed, and you could walk away with funding."

"So, are you ready to launch your innovative idea? Apply now through Sunday, February 26. And, if you’re not yet ready for that 3-minute pitch, Concept can help. Fall 2021 Concept ^$5k recipient Aman Mathur experienced meeting with a coach prior to competition. He says it was “a great way to get another pair of eyes on my (his) semi-final pitch and get feedback.”  

Problem Lab Problem Pitch

The Problem Lab Quantum Valley Investments® Problem Pitch competition invites teams of up to four students to choose an important industry problem and thoroughly research its history, scope, and impact to ultimately pitch their findings to a panel of judges.

“It’s a perspective changing experience that will teach you skills you didn’t even know you needed,” says Ethan Lee, previous Problem Pitch winner.

Ethan says that one of the many benefits of participating in the pitch was gaining “pitching and presentation skills, as well as learning the art of presenting a complex idea in a simple, concise manner.”   

The team with the best understanding of an important problem receives up to ^$15,000 for R&D to create a solution to their identified problem. Support is also awarded to runner-up teams.   

Applications for the pitch competition closed on Sunday, February 6.

Co-op Problem Award

The Co-op Problem Award is currently accepting applications until Monday, February 28. The scholarship is granted to a student that realizes a problem that is relevant to their co-op employer or the employer’s industry and can analyze its strategic and systemic importance.  
 
What’s the benefit of being able to solve a problem? Researcher and Student Advisor of The Problem Lab, Ben Graham says this, “By developing problem analysis skills, UWaterloo students are making themselves more valuable professionals who can succeed in their roles, step back to identify challenges affecting the strategic direction of an organization and critically analyze them to deliver actionable insights to their employer.” 

Read the full blog post on the Concept website