The Morning Report: “We have antibody therapies for COVID-19; they save lives, now use them.”

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Good Morning,

Here’s what you need to know today.

Abcellera co-founder Dr. Carl Hansen, the Vancouver-based tech company that discovered the first monoclonal antibody therapy authorized in North America to treat COVID-19, writes in an opinion piece: “We have antibody therapies for COVID-19; they save lives, now use them.”

• His company has developed a COVID-19 antibody treatment that’s not being used to help Canadians—even though Health Canada authorized it in November and the feds have already purchased it.

• This antibody therapy (called bamlanivimab) can prevent infection, severe illness and death from COVID-19. Why won’t the Provincial Health Authorities make this antibody therapy available to Canadians?

B.C. women, including Webnames CEO Cybele Negris and Vancouver Airport Authority CEO and Canada Infrastructure Bank chair Tamara Vrooman, recount challenging paths to success in leadership.

• “In the early days when we started Webnames, there were very, very few women in the technology industry,” said Negris. “There was another event and after the formal part of it, everybody wanted to go into a strip bar.”

Real estate investing platform, addy, has recently launched its affiliate program in partnership with Fintel Connect.

• A proptech firm that originally started in the Vancouver market, addy's technology allows multiple individuals to invest up to $1,500 into a property, enabling them to add real estate to their financial portfolios.

Canadian telecom analyst Mark Goldberg explores What the Rogers-Shaw deal might mean for Vancouver’s Telus.

• “I don't see the proposed transaction impacting the conditions for Telus and Bell to expand their relationship,” he says.

How companies are planning to lure employees back to the office.

• “Tenants are increasingly demanding more than the traditional office tower used to offer,” says Paris Lavan, JLL’s vice-president of office leasing in Vancouver. “Companies want their employees to be in buildings that support health, productivity, well-being and comfort. The focus has shifted to amenities – and high-end ones at that – traditionally seen more in hotels.”

Shape Immersive brings the 3D shopping experience home, allowing people to pick up and examine items as they were in the store.

• “Right now with COVID, people aren’t able to go into physical locations to view products, so we’re essentially giving the potential customer the ability to shop in 3D at home,” says Shape Immersive managing partner Dan Burgar.

Vancouver’s MintGreen raised a seed ride from CoinShares and other investors to use bitcoin mining to monetize heat generation.

• The firm aims to green bitcoin mining through innovative heat exchange technology and strategic partnerships with district energy companies.

ICYMI: Government announces members of new Task Force on Women in the Economy.

• The list includes former NDP finance minister Carole James and Vancouver’s Kirsten Sutton, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Vancity.

That’s it for today’s Morning Report.

Have a productive and fulfilling day. See you tomorrow.

-William (@notionport)