Minister of State Goodyear Recognizes 90th Anniversary of Banting and Best's Discovery of Insulin

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 27, 2011) - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today issued the following statement:

"Today, I am pleased to join Canadians in celebrating the 90th anniversary of one of our country's most important milestones in research. On July 27, 1921, Sir Frederick Banting and Dr. Charles Best made one of the biggest breakthroughs in modern medicine: isolating insulin and discovering how to administer it to diabetes patients. These findings have saved millions of lives, allowed those who suffer from diabetes to live healthy, productive lives and helped fuel the growth of Canada's pharmaceutical industry.

"Banting and Best rank among Canada's most influential and respected medical researchers, such as Jack Hopps, co-creator of the world's first artificial pacemaker, Norman Bethune, developer of the first mobile blood transfusion service, and David Hubel, the first to map the visual cortex of the brain. Banting and Best's legacy is still being felt in the research community today.

"The Government of Canada proudly supports medical research and innovation. From our Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships to our Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program, we are working to ensure that Canada is developing, attracting and retaining the world's brightest researchers. By creating the conditions for innovation to flourish, we are improving the quality of life of all Canadians."