Forbes Medi-Tech, Vancouver, Canada, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) have been awarded a collaborative research grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Re­search (CIHR) to study the mechanism of action of sterol-based pharmaceuticals on cholesterol absorption, with a focus on Forbes’ phytosterol analogue FM-VP4 and related compounds. The three-year joint research project will cost up to $1 million and the CIHR grant amounts to $280,000. Forbes will fund the balance of the project costs through the use of the company’s new laboratory facilities on the UBC campus, the provision of staff and scientific supplies.