Don Stewart

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐌&𝐀 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬: BIOVECTRA 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 Agilent Technologies (𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: $𝟵𝟮𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻) Biovectra is a leading CDMO based primarily out of Canada and has been owned by HIG Capital since 2019. Team there seems to have done a great job to grow and scale that business over the past 5 years. Minaris Regenerative Medicine 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 Altaris, LLC (𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱) Minaris, previously Hitachi ATS and prior to that PCT founded by Robert Preti in the late 90s. Actually one of the first Cell & Gene Therapy CDMOs - a move that helps Altaris move further into the CGT space. Dermavant Sciences 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 Organon (𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: $𝟭.𝟮 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻) Dermavant, focused on developing and commercialising innovative therapeutics in dermatology, has been acquired by Organon. This acquisition seems to align nicely with their overall mission to meet unmet needs in skin health. Bain Capital 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 $𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 Serán BioScience Although not the Primary investor, Bain Capital has invested $200 million into Seran to support the build a new commercial facility in Bend, Oregon. Vivo Capital remains the majority shareholder of Seran. #Investment #LifeSciences #Insights

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INESSS, Quebec HTA, makes WRONG gene therapy recommendation. Twice, Quebec HTA INESSS has diverged from Canada’ Drug Agency HTA committee POSITIVE recommendations for gene therapies, Beqvez and Hemgenix, for treatment of haemophilia B. INESSS agrees safety and efficacy from clinical trials are acceptable. CDA assessing same data recommends drug plans fund while continuing to monitor. This is the right decision and hopefully will allow Canadian patients with haemophilia to have access and open door for gene therapies for other conditions Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/g4EfgG6a

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🔬 Trevor Martin, CEO at Mammoth Biosciences, delves into the discovery, engineering, and development of novel CRISPR technologies at #Collision2024. 🧬 Learn how Mammoth Biosciences is pioneering the way towards permanent cures for genetic diseases. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Check out the video 📱 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ #CRISPR #GeneticEngineering #MammothBiosciences #MedicalInnovation #Biotech #GeneticCures #FutureOfMedicine #ScientificDiscovery #Genomics #HealthcareInnovation

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Radiant Biotherapeutics Secures $35M to Advance Therapeutic Platform for Life-threatening Diseases Radiant Biotherapeutics, a Toronto-based pre-clinical biotechnology startup developing an advanced antibody platform to offer life-changing therapies for patients with life-threatening diseases, has secured $35 million in Series A funding round to fuel growth and advance its platform for clinics. Led by Art Fratamico and Jo Hulme, the company’s platform offers diverse biologics to help fight difficult-to-treat illnesses such as infectious diseases, auto-immune, and cancer, allowing healthcare professionals to unlock cures for patients. The funding round was led by Amplitude Ventures and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with significant contributions from BDC Capital, the investment wing of the Business Development Bank of Canada, and abrdn Inc.’s managed @abrdn. Existing investors Alexandria Venture Investments, Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP), and FACIT also joined the round. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gV_kpZfm #fundingnews #FundingOpportunity #StartupFunding #StartupSuccess #HealthcareNews #HealthcareFunding #nextdigitalhealth #Wi4 #vineetagrawal

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FSD Pharma Submits a Clinical Trial Protocol to Study the Safety and Efficacy of unbuzzd™  in Acute Alcohol Intoxication. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 28, 2024 / FSD Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:HUGE)(CSE:HUGE)(FRA:0K9A) ("FSD Pharma"), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to building a portfolio of innovative assets and biotech solutions to address ailments affecting millions worldwide, today confirms the submission of a clinical trial protocol to assess the safety and efficacy of Unbuzzd™ in healthy volunteers (METAL-2 trial). The clinical trial protocol was submitted for review and approval by the institutional review board (IRB) in the USA. Recruitment of healthy volunteers to the trial will begin following approval by the IRB. In the METAL-2 trial, the ability of Unbuzzd™ to help alleviate the effects of acute alcohol intoxication will be studied in a crossover design. "We are thrilled that we have reached this important milestone and that we are now a step closer to assessing the safety and efficacy of Unbuzzd™ in a clinical trial," said Dr. Andrzej Chruscinski, Vice-President of Clinical and Scientific Affairs at FSD Pharma. FSD Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to building a portfolio of innovative assets and biotech solutions for the treatment of challenging neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders and alcohol misuse disorders with drug candidates in different stages of development. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lucid Psycheceuticals Inc. ("Lucid"), FSD is focused on the research and development of its lead compound, Lucid-MS (formerly Lucid-21-302) ("Lucid-MS"). Lucid-MS is a patented new chemical entity shown to prevent and reverse myelin degradation, the underlying mechanism of multiple sclerosis, in preclinical models. FSD Pharma has also licensed unbuzzd™, a proprietary formulation of natural ingredients, vitamins, and minerals to help with liver and brain function for the purposes of quickly relieving individuals from the effects of alcohol consumption for use in the consumer recreational sector, to Celly Nutrition Corp. ("Celly Nu") and is entitled to a royalty on the revenue generated by Celly Nu from sales of products created using the technology rights granted under the licensing agreement. FSD Pharma continues its R&D activities to develop novel formulations for alcohol misuse disorders and continues the development of such treatments for use in the healthcare sector. FSD Pharma maintains a portfolio of strategic investments through its wholly-owned subsidiary, FSD Strategic Investments Inc., which represent loans secured by residential or commercial property. #unbuzzd #beverage #alcohol #inebriation #drinking #clinicaltrial #safety #shareholders #update #markets #business #nasdaq #cse #tsx #nyse Zeeshan Saeed Anthony Durkacz Lakshmi P. Kotra Gerry David John Duffy - MBA Dr. Eric Hoskins Zappy Zapolin Sanjiv Chopra Kevin Harrington Ashwini Joshi Dr. Andrzej Chruscinski Eric Rojas + more

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Welcome to Ability Biologics as they join the BIOTECanada's innovative network of companies and organizations driving Canada’s biotech industry forward. Ability Biologics is the premier cell targeting company. Its powerful AbiLeap™ discovery engine combines massively parallel, continuously learning AI with an extensive database of antigen-antibody interactions to generate fully human, IgG-based multi-specific antibodies of exquisite selectivity and affinity. The antibodies respond to environmental signals within the cellular microenvironment, generating logic-gated therapeutics. Ability is dedicated to developing the most potent and selective antibody therapeutics for areas of great unmet need. To learn more visit: https://lnkd.in/gTHYwdje For a full list of BIOTECanada members, visit: https://lnkd.in/dvc8X94n   #newmember #biotechnology #canada #biotech #ecosystem #innovation #Quebec #AI #antibody #cell

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Congratulation to Vertex Pharmaceuticals Health Canada Grants Marketing Authorization of First CRISPR/Cas9 Gene-Edited Therapy, CASGEVY® (Exagamglogene Autotemcel), for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease and Transfusion-Dependent Beta Thalassemia TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 /CNW/ - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced Health Canada has granted Marketing Authorization for PrCASGEVY® (exagamglogene autotemcel), an autologous genome edited hematopoietic stem cell-based therapy, for the treatment of patients 12 years of age and older with sickle cell disease (SCD) with recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT). There are an estimated 2,000 patients eligible for CASGEVY in Canada, the majority of whom are living with SCD. "Today's marketing authorization for CASGEVY as Canada's first CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy is a historic moment," said Michael Siauw, General Manager at Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Incorporated. "We are excited for the potential of this one-time therapy for eligible sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia patients and are working closely with provincial, territorial and federal governments to facilitate access as rapidly as possible." This approval is based on the positive interim results from two global and ongoing clinical trials, CLIMB-121 in SCD and CLIMB-111 in TDT. The primary endpoint of being free from severe VOCs for at least 12 consecutive months or transfusion independence for at least 12 consecutive months was met in both trials. The safety profile is generally consistent with myeloablative conditioning with busulfan and hematopoietic stem cell transplant. https://lnkd.in/e5HA9wzR

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The Pandemic was a real education to Canada, and it's reliance on technologies and companies outside this country. When push came to shove, and the world was competitng for valuable resources to test for Covid, Canada was left out in the cold (literally). We had no access to extraction technologies, and no vaccine capabilities ourselves. DMark Biosciences played a pivotal role in supplying Canada with RNA extraction instrumentation and kits. Our partners of Revvity, MolGen, and Complete Genomics provided instrumentation and kits throughout Canada, where traditional suppliers refused to sell to Canada. Now that Canada is gearing up its vaccine response for the next pandemic, @DMark is here to help again. We have partnered with L7 Informatics for over a decade providing the best Enterprise Science platform available on the planet to manage the data required to enable biomanufacturing. This webinar will help you learn how L7/ESP will speed the time to market for Drugs from development to commercialization, Reduce costs and improve operational efficiencies, and provide a single source of truth for scientific data and process management throughout the product lifecycle management. Whether your field is protein, genomics, multi-omics, research, diagnostics, development or manufacturing, L7 will provide huge value for your scientific life sciences data management.

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Members of the Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc. leadership team will participate in one-on-one meetings with investors at the 2024 Leerink Partners Biopharma Private Company Connect, being held virtually on June 25-26, 2024. Participating will be CEO & Co-Founder Sulagna Bhattacharya, President & Co-Founder Samarendra Mohanty, Chief Medical Officer Samuel B Barone, MD, CFO Michael Marquez and VP Strategy & Business Development Jared Stephens. Nanoscope Therapeutics is developing gene-agnostic, sight-restoring optogenetic therapies for the millions of patients blinded by inherited retinal diseases, for which no cure exists. The company’s lead asset, MCO-010, recently announced the 100-week data from the RESTORE Phase 2b/3 multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trial in the U.S. for retinitis pigmentosa (NCT04945772). The company has also recently completed the Phase 2 STARLIGHT trial of MCO-010 therapy in patients with Stargardt disease (NCT05417126 ). MCO-010 has received FDA fast-track designations and FDA orphan drug designations for both retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease. Preclinical assets include non-viral laser-delivered MCO-020 gene therapy for geographic atrophies secondary to AMD. For more information visit nanostherapeutics.com #biotechnology #ophthalmology #genetherapy https://lnkd.in/gJkhm4d3

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Join us October 3rd for our next webinar where top industry leaders will share their hard-earned insights and strategies on extending your cash runway, negotiating better deals, and maximizing resources without stifling growth. With speakers who have been in your shoes, this interactive session will provide actionable tips you can implement immediately to help your startup reach its next milestone. Submit questions in registration or via the Q&A function day of. We look forward to seeing you and "chatting" next week! #lifescience #startups #fundraising #biotech

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#fundingalert 💼Company: Neurenati Therapeutics 💰Funding: $1.38Million ⚡Round: New Round 👥Investors: Quebec government Innovative biotechnology business Neurenati Therapeutics is creating a novel treatment for Hirschsprung’s illness. The rare illness specialist Nicolas Pilon and the neuro-gastroenterology specialist Rodolphe Soret have joined forces to create a novel treatment for Hirschsprung’s disease. The biotech business Neurenati Therapeutics, led by CEO and President Maxime Ranger, is committed to creating treatments for uncommon illnesses. The first piece of technology focuses on Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), a potentially fatal gastrointestinal (GI) birth abnormality marked by nerve loss in certain areas of the lower gastrointestinal tract. Nicolas Pilon, Rodolphe Soret, Maxime Ranger Read more - https://lnkd.in/g4FVCtZK To share your startup story write us on - [email protected] #NeurenatiTherapeutics #biotech #Innovative #biotechnology #biotechstartup #funding #fundingnews #startupnews #news #startuprise

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"In a significant development, McMaster University in Canada, in 2020, validated prior research on CBG. Their published paper detailed how cannabigerol effectively eradicated a variety of MRSA strains, the notorious antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria. This breakthrough could potentially pave the way for CBG to emerge as a new, powerful antibiotic in the market. MRSA is a well-known problem in hospitals around the world. One in three people carry staph bacteria in their nose. S. aureus is a common bacteria that is normally benign unless it enters a wound or gets into the lungs—then it can sometimes be fatal. Cannabis and CBG have been studied for this application for nearly 2 decades. Early researchers didn’t know enough about CBG or what other compounds were responsible for the effects they were seeing. But, recent research has started to break down exactly which cannabinoids are effective against which bacteria. This research team tested a total of 18 cannabinoids against various common strains of MRSA, with findings that all ranged in some area of efficacy against it, with CBG leading the way. Generally, staph infections are successfully treated with antibiotics, but over the years, the antibiotic-resistant form of staph known as MRSA has become an increasing global health threat. With approximately 5 in 100 people affected by MRSA, the potential of CBG in combating this health issue is a beacon of hope. The promising results have spurred further research at universities and private institutions worldwide, underscoring the global interest and optimism in CBG's potential as an antibiotic." -Mike Robinson, Founder Nanobles Corp. / Global Cannabinoid Research Center (GCRC)

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🚀 Montréal-based Nomic Bio has secured a massive $42M Series B funding to expand its cutting-edge protein mapping platform! With their technology already in use by over 75 companies, Nomic is set to revolutionize drug development and disease diagnosis. This latest round of investment will help Nomic broaden its platform offerings and boost its commercial operations. Exciting times ahead for the biotech world! What are your thoughts on the future of protein profiling in healthcare? Let us know in the comments below! 💬👇 #Biotech #Healthcare #Innovation #StartupNews #MontrealTech #SeriesB #TechForGood #Startup

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BARDA Selects Edesa Biotech’s Drug for U.S. Funded Platform Trial in General ARDS TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2024 / Edesa Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:EDSA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing host-directed therapeutics (HDTs) for immuno-inflammatory diseases, announced today that its first-in-class drug candidate has been selected by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for evaluation in a U.S. government-funded clinical study. Edesa's drug paridiprubart represents a new class of HDTs that are designed to modulate the body's own immune response when confronted with known or unknown public health threats such as pandemic influenza, COVID-19, other emerging infectious diseases, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. Importantly, HDTs are agnostic to the causal agent and can be stockpiled preemptively to respond to public health emergencies and biodefense. "HDTs have the potential to become key countermeasures for both critical care medicine as well as pandemic preparedness and biodefense, and we are pleased to be part of public-private efforts to speed the development of novel therapeutics that are threat-agnostic and can be rapidly deployed to protect civilian and military populations," said Par Nijhawan, MD, Edesa Biotech CEO https://lnkd.in/gxXkpmyP

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Despite spectacular breakthroughs in human molecular genetics and information technologies, experts at McGill University show that #pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing in approved #cardiovasculardrugs is limited. As pre-emptive PGx combining genomic profiling with electronic medical records offers significant potential for improving healthcare, more research is needed to validate PGx markers. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/e_43cSgm. #CVD #PharmacologicalReviews #pharmacology 

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