Ken Hughes

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

28

1 Comment

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

16

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

20

1 Comment

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

84

2 Comments

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

17

Dr. Nadege Pelletier, Chief Scientific Officer at Barinthus Biotherapeutics, shares her insights on the cutting-edge development of #immunotherapies targeting chronic #infectiousdiseases and #cancer. Dr. Pelletier delves into the innovative use of targeted antigens through Barinthus Bio's specialized platforms, highlighting the promising #VTP300 project in this exclusive Health and Pharma interview. Dr. Pelletier, discusses the challenges of #hepatitisB treatment despite existing vaccines and the potential of new therapeutic strategies to achieve a functional cure. #hepatitis #infection https://lnkd.in/ds5xsiEk

2

1 Comment

🚨 Exciting Announcement! 🚨 Tomorrow in Vancouver, BC our CEO will share a unique perspective on the connection between economic indicators and R&D—and their influence on the development of precision medicine solutions. How can micro and macroeconomic data at the provincial and national levels accelerate innovation and the implementation of precision medicine in oncology? Join us as we explore this critical question. Stay tuned for insights that could redefine how we innovate in healthcare! #PrecisionMedicine #OncologyInnovation #R&D #EconomicIndicators #HealthcareEconomics #InnovationAccelerated #AmpliusBusinessDesign

1

The 20th Annual Meeting of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society 📍Oct. 6-9, 2024 @ Centre Mont-Royal, Montreal, Canada 🔴 Open call for Sponsors and Exhibitors 🔴 By the numbers: 4 days * 10 sessions * 900+ participants * 250+ posters * 25+ countries represented * 350+ organizations represented 🔴 Sponsorships: depending on sponsorship level, can include a discounted exhibit booth, 8-10 different types of marketing (reaching a wide audience before and during the event), complimentary registrations, plus many other perks! 🔴 Exhibit Booths: includes 2 complimentary registrations, discounts on additional registrations, and a discounted ad in the program book. 🔴 Additional Sponsorship Opportunities: ~ educational workshops ~ insert (card, pamphlet, small marketing gift) in attendee swag bag ~ mentorship luncheon ~ program book ads ~ student travel grants https://lnkd.in/gXsgtqD5 click on "Interested in Sponsorship or Exhibiting?" for details. #ots24 #ots #oligomeeting #oligotherapeutics #oligonucleotide #OTS #biotech #biotechnology #science #research #biochemistry #medicine #health #scientificcommunity #biotechnology #montreal #pharmaceuticals #networking

2

The Canadian healthcare system and regulatory framework are unique. Rosemarie Childerhose, Head, Market Access & Pricing, Canada, explains how Biocon Biologics team is making biosimilars available to patients in Canada. [https://lnkd.in/gTC-z3wc ]    #BioconBiologics #MarketAccess #Canada

52

"The precision of Eupraxia's DiffuSphere™ technology platform has the potential to augment and transform existing FDA-approved drugs." 🔬 At the Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology (TIPT), we are dedicated to advancing the future of pharmaceutical innovations, just like Eupraxia’s pioneering DiffuSphere™ technology. As global leaders in pharmaceutical education and research, we stay at the forefront of such breakthroughs, inspiring our students and graduates to push boundaries and drive progress in healthcare. Learn how we’re preparing the next generation of scientists to make a lasting impact on drug development and patient care. 🎓💊 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ggY9Q_4Z

2

Biopharmaceutical company Avicanna Inc. (TSX:AVCN) and the University Health Network Health Network teamed up to work on this very thing. The results of this C2C-funded project have the potential to diminish seizure activity. See how Avicanna and UHN worked together to take this from research into pharmaceutical development: https://lnkd.in/gfjZwVAj #C2CStories

7

The field of ALS research is witnessing an exciting breakthrough with Tofersen, a new therapy aimed at patients with SOD1 gene mutations. Our latest article article explores how Tofersen could revolutionize the treatment landscape for ALS, particularly in Canada, where the potential for genetic testing and personalized medicine is just beginning to unfold. For healthcare professionals, researchers, and anyone touched by ALS, understanding these developments is crucial. Let’s push the boundaries of what’s possible in ALS care and work together towards a future where this disease is no longer a death sentence. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3WN2DrA #Tofersen #GeneticTesting #EndALS #ALSResearch #ALSActionCanada

4

🔬 Using liquid biopsies to accelerate precision oncology for advanced prostate cancers 🔬 We're excited to announce Dr. April Rose, MD, PhD, FRCPC as one of the recipients of the 2024 Clinician-Scientist Awards funded by the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network! Dr. Rose is a a staff Medical Oncologist at the Segal Cancer Centre of the Jewish General Hospital and a Principal Investigator at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research. Her project seeks to improve how we detect and treat aggressive prostate cancers through the use of liquid biopsies—cutting-edge blood tests that identify tumour DNA circulating in the bloodstream. “Precision therapies, which target tumours with specific DNA mutations driving their growth, have been shown to improve survival rates in men with metastatic prostate cancer,” explains Dr. Rose. “Unfortunately, identifying these mutations often requires invasive and painful procedures, limiting access to these life-saving treatments. In this context, making simple blood tests that allow us to determine which mutations are present in the metastatic tumours – without needing to resort to invasive or painful biopsies – could be a way to increase survival and quality of life for these patients.” Dr. Rose's team is also tackling a major challenge in treating drug-resistant prostate cancer: mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene, which are often linked to poor outcomes. By developing new models of drug-resistant cancer cells, they hope to pave the way for novel AR-targeted therapies. "This project would not be possible without funding from the MOHCCN," Dr. Rose notes. "If we are able to prove that liquid biopsies lead to better outcomes for prostate cancer patients, then we will be in a great position to implement these into routine clinical practice—making them accessible to all patients." Learn more ▶ https://lnkd.in/dYJPAHCz #PrecisionOncology #CancerResearch #LiquidBiopsy #MOHCCN #TeamCanadaOfCancerResearch The Terry Fox Research Institute The Terry Fox Foundation Fondation de l'hôpital général juif - Jewish General Hospital Foundation

57

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

101

#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

12

1 Comment

🔬 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

2

1 Comment

With gene therapies becoming a priority for self-funded employers, Sun Life is here to support you. Learn more about our enhanced gene therapy coverage and how we help our clients access the life-changing treatments they need: https://bit.ly/3JuM6SO #GeneTherapy #Healthcare #SunLifeUS

5